The manner in which various shooters hold their guns, or rather the
position of the left hand, has been elevated to the dignity of a
shooter’s creed almost. It is not so important as is supposed. It is
merely a fashion, which changes with generations in England, and has
never assumed importance out of our very little island. The fashion at
the present time is to push forward the barrel hand almost if not quite
as far as it will reach, whereas two generations back the fashionable
shooter for the most part placed his hand in front of and upon the
trigger guard, and although a beginner now who did so would be told that
he would never shoot, the author has seen as good work done by those who
adopted that method as he ever expects to see.
The forward hand was an outcome of pigeon shooting, like the very
straight stock. The first can be theoretically defended by those who do
not require to swing with their game, just as the over straight stock is
a good expedient for shooting a little more over a rising pigeon than
the unassisted intention of the shooter would accomplish.
The method of pushing out the left arm may be good for some people and
bad for others. There is not the slightest doubt that there are not only
individuals who do best with either plan, but that different methods of
shooting are each most suitable to different individuals.
Individuals may be divided into those who have long arms and narrow
shoulders, and those who have short arms and are wide between the
shoulders. The former class have much more room for play with three
sides of the triangle (of gun, left arm, and width of body), always kept
at nearly the same length, than have the short-armed, wide-chested men,
who, in swinging the gun a greater degree to the right than they turn
the body, increase the necessity for one long side to the angle much
more than the others do. But the hand holding the barrel is not a
fixture, and can slide down to the fore end as the necessity for the
long left arm increases by swinging to the right. This is obviously the
Prince of Wales’ method. However, when the swing round to the right is
very far, the position of the fore end stops the hand at a certain
point.
But the various manners of shooting also seem to necessitate two
different methods of holding with the left hand. Much has been said
about the necessity for holding well forward, but the reasons advanced
in support of this method do not bear examination by the light of
physics. It has been urged that the outstretched arm properly relieves
the trigger hand from the necessity of assisting in the aim. It is
doubtful whether it should, and it is quite certain it does not, relieve
the trigger hand, but on the contrary throws more work upon it. The
proof of this is very easy. Let the gun be grasped in the centre of
gravity by the left hand and presented, the trigger hand being
unemployed. It will be found a difficult but a possible operation. Then
shift the left hand up the barrel as far as it will go, and try to bring
the gun up from the “ready” to the “present.” This will be found much
more difficult, and probably impossible. Obviously, then, the
outstretched arm is not the way to hold a gun if the left arm is to do
the pushing and pulling about. This reason, which has been very much
relied upon, breaks down entirely; but that is not to say that the
forward hand is wrong, but only that its advantages are but little
understood, although they are fully appreciated.
In order to present a gun at a point of aim that is still, probably the
extended arm is always the best, whether the point of aim is a point in
front of fast crossing game, or a motionless object, or a straight-away
bird. This can be supported by another very simple experiment. The gun
presented at a point is much more apt to “wobble” than when it is
intentionally kept moving in any one direction. One of its worst
“wobbles” is a drop of the muzzle at the instant the trigger is pulled.
It is caused by sympathetic action of the muscles. In order to avoid
“wobble” of any kind, it is best to hold the hands as far on either side
of, or rather in front and behind, the centre of gravity as possible. To
try this, let the gun be presented and aimed without the butt resting on
the shoulder; first, with the hands in the usual positions; second, with
one hand on either side to right and left of the centre of gravity—that
is, just in front of the breech. The tendency to “wobble” will be easily
observed in the latter holding and aiming. If one should be so steady as
not to see it, then a trial of the same thing in a high side wind will
very quickly show which is the steadiest way of holding.
But even if we are such clever shots as to require no swing to get on to
“the spot” for the first barrel, we shall certainly require to swing for
the second shot, or, alternatively, adopt the plan of taking the gun
down from the shoulder and re-presenting it. For this reason the
position of the left hand is not ideal for the second barrel when it is
outstretched to the full length of the arm, or when the arm is shortened
with the elbow bent is the position ideal for getting on a point without
swing. It is doubtful whether such a thing as the latter can happen on
fast crossing game, because there is obviously unconscious swing in the
act of bringing the gun from the “ready” to the “present.”
There is no doubt that the learner, as well as the gunner who is
temporarily out of form, are best served by a method in which they can
most easily swing the gun, because it is by the act of swinging the gun
with the game that good form is so often recovered, through increase of
confidence, after a partial absence without leave. But the act of
swinging can be done as much with the body as with the arms, and
certainly lateral swing can be very effective when partly accomplished
in this way.
[Illustration:
AT WARTER PRIORY. LORD LOVAT IN THE DALES
]
One of the most fertile causes of missing is swinging round with the
arms and shoulders, and not with the hips. Obviously, if the shooter can
always keep facing his game, the triangle sides made with gun, arm, and
body all remain of the same length, and besides, the head and eye remain
relatively in the same position, and absolutely in the same line with
the rib and sight of the gun and game. If, then, a shooter can rely upon
thus facing his game, he has more need of bringing up the gun to a point
than he has of muscular contraction of the arms in pushing and pulling
about the gun, in swinging with the game.
Still, we can none of us afford to be handicapped, and there are
occasions when the arms must swing for all they are worth, and for this
reason an easy position for the left hand is desirable, although that
position need not necessarily be looked for on the trigger guard, or
even on the fore end of the gun. There is a medium in all things, and
assuredly those who strain to get their hands more forward than looks
comfortable are likely to miss in consequence. This remark is made
because the author has seen some beginners striving to reach forward,
because they have read that it is proper; whereas they looked as
strained as if they were on the rack, and besides, killed no game.
One of the most awkward attempts is to try to follow game overhead and
fail to get enough in front to fire. There is then no time to turn
round. When turning round is necessary, it should be done with the gun
at the “ready,” not at the “present,” and not until the foot is planted
firmly should the gun be raised. Any following round with the gun, or
even with the eye if the game is going over, will not prove very deadly
as a rule. The late Lord Hill and his brother, the Hon. G. Hill, were as
good pheasant shots as anybody is, or has been, and it was very obvious
that they both went round and planted a firm foot before looking for
their game from overhead.
The two positions of holding the left hand may be seen in the shooting
of the Prince of Wales, with the straight arm, and in Mr. R. Rimington
Wilson, with the bent left elbow.
The question has often been asked, What should one do in case a
neighbour hits a bird that is obviously going away to die? It seems to
depend on what your neighbour would wish: a bad sportsman, if that is
not a paradox, may ask you why you are shooting his dead birds. That is
only because he would rather run the risk of leaving wounded game than
lose the off chance of claiming another bird. But a good sportsman would
generally know by the appearance of the game whether it was likely to
fall within reasonable distance; also he would know that by the
unwritten laws of sport first blood constitutes ownership without any
claim being made, and there should be no false pride that prevents
wounded creatures being added to the bag as expeditiously as possible.
There is another consideration. It is the worst possible form to cause
much time to be occupied in looking for wounded game. It spoils the
sport.
At the same time, one who values the good opinion of others will avoid a
practice of sharing birds, or shooting at those more properly the
targets of the next man. There is often a doubt as to whose shot a bird
properly is. It is not good that both shooters should decline the chance
for the sake of the other, but generally one man knows the other’s form
so well, that if the latter does not take the bird at one particular
instant of time, it may be taken as left alone for the former to deal
with.