RAPID FIRING
Rapidfiring, in my opinion, is the most practical style of shooting; a pistol is not a weapon for deliberate shooting, but for lightning rapidity at short range.
If you are using a revolver it is necessary to get one which works as loosely and as easily as possible. A half-worn-out revolver is best, as it works freer. Next, file the mainspring as weak as it is possible to have it without risk of too many misfires. If it has one misfire in every twenty shots, or so, it does not matter, the great thing being to have it cock easily. An automatic pistol is the weapon for this, a revolver being quite out of date. A very big front sight and a big “U” in the back one are advisable.
As the target rises, “come up,” quickly, increasing the pressure on the trigger as you “come up,” so that the pistol goes off the moment it is horizontal and the sights areaboutright. I sayaboutbecause there is not time to correct the aim.
Be sure tosqueeze back—not jerk off. It ispossible, with practice, to get this “snap shot” into the “bull” or touching it. As this first shot goes off,be especially careful to take all pressure off the trigger. Unless you are very careful you will keep a slight pressure on the trigger with your first finger, and if you are using an automatic the next shot will go off before you mean it to.
Your right arm—and in fact, the whole of your body—should be immovable. Your aim at each shot ought not to be disturbed enough to be more than a few inches off the “bull.”
After each shot begin a steadily increasing pressurestraight back, andwithout a jerk, trying at the same time to get your sights as near the “bull” as you can before the pistol goes off again. You can fire as quickly as you can get your aim.
If using an automatic pistol, all that you have to do is torelease the pressure on the trigger the moment each shot goes off, andinstantlybegin to squeeze again as you get your next aim. Do not keep on too long; half a dozen practice scores are ample at a time. One only gets erratic and wild if one continues too long, and the pistol also gets hot.
The sighting may have to be different in this from that required for slower shooting. Some men shoot up in one corner when snap-shooting with the heavy trigger-pull of the automaticpistol; and it is preferable to have the sighting so that one can aim straight under the “bull,” instead of having to make allowance for the jerking off. The trigger-pull should be as light as is deemed compatible with safety, but the automatic pistols so far on the market have a very heavy trigger-pull.
Wearing glasses to protect the eyes against half-burnt powder fumes is very important in shooting an automatic.
TRAVERSING TARGET
Target Moving Across the Line of Fire at Twenty Yards
Thisis not so difficult as rapid-firing. The chief difficulty is that when your aim is right horizontally, you may be wrong vertically, andvice versa.
When first practising, have a target made with a black band two inches wide running down the middle of the target, instead of the usual bull’s-eye. Begin your practice at this, having it first put up with the black band vertical, and then with it horizontal. Shooting at it vertical will show you if you are getting the right allowance in front in your aim. When it is horizontal, it will show you if your elevation is correct. This can be elaborated by having black bands painted or pasted on the back of an ordinary target, and, with its back towards you, shooting at them. Then, by turning it over after the six shots have been fired,you will see what score you would have made on a regulation target. The reason for this practice is that there are two things to attend to. One is the “allowance”in front, the other is the “elevation”; and if a beginner tries to think of both at once, it will confuse him.
If, after you have got pretty certain of your “allowance,” you go to “elevation,” you will most likely lose your “allowance,” and have to go back to the vertical band; and so on, alternately, till you can trust yourself at the regulation bull.
Most people, unless they use alternate hands, find the “run” one way easier than the other.
I prefer higher elevation in sights for this competition. Instead of aiming to touch the “bull” at “VI o’clock” to get a central “bull,” the aim should be at the actual elevation you want the bullet to go, so as to enable you to aim off at “III o’clock” and “IX o’clock” for right and left runs respectively.
Some people who are slower on the trigger—that is, who take longer to give the order to the trigger-finger when their eye says the aim is right—may need more allowance.
There is in astronomical work a technical term (“reaction time”) for the process of timing first contact in eclipses, and each observer deducts his own personal error, which seems constant to him.This allowance varies in revolver shooting with different men.
Some men aim at a spot, and wait for the target to come up to it; but this is useless, as any one knows who has shot moving game with a gun.
Stand absolutely square to the front, or perhaps a little more toward the side on which you find it most difficult to follow the target. Plant the feet slightly farther apart than for other competitions,and swing the whole of the upper part of the body from the hips. Donotswing your right arm, keeping the rest of the body still. The shoulder-joint does not give so smooth a horizontal swing as swinging from the hips. Moreover, if you swing the arm, you have to turn the head, or else have to look out of the corners of your eyes, instead of straight before you.
Let the whole of the upper part of your body be held rigid, and swing only on the hips. Lift your pistol from the table as the target appears, and swing with the target, bringing up the pistol on a diagonal line (this is the resultant of the vertical rise from the shoulder and the horizontal swing of the hips). Let the sights come horizontal to the eyes a little in front of the proposed allowance; and, as you keep your arm moving in front of the bull, gradually let the bullovertake you, till it is the right allowance behind your sight; andstillkeep on swinging. All this time be gradually squeezing the trigger, so that it squeezes off just when the aim is right.Be sure not to stop swinging before the pistol goes off.
I do not think there is any advantage in keeping your arm up between runs of the target; it tires the arm, and you cannot make the diagonal swing up to your spot in front of the bull.
I do not think it is of any use deciding to fire upon a certain part of the “run”: it is best to fire when you feel you are aiming right, and you may get this feeling sooner in the “run” on some days than on others.
There is a tendency to “follow” too long, and then, owing to lack of time, to jerk off just as the target disappears. I have made “bulls” when the target was almost out of sight, in fact, I did so in my record shoot, at Bisley, where there used to be such a competition: but this is a bad habit to contract, and a risky sort of shot, as it is almost sure to be too far behind, or even to be fired into the shield in front of the target; though, of course, if you have not a good aim, it is better to delay as long as possible, rather than to shoot earlier with a bad aim.
Be sure in your range that your shield is bulletproof, or you may get into the habit of making “bulls” when the target is “sitting” behind theshield, by shooting through it. To economize space, you can have this target run in front of your disappearing-target apparatus, putting the latter out of the way when not needed; this latter will also serve for stationary-target purposes, and to hold the fifty-yards target. Do not have a target which runs by gravitation, as shooting at a target which is running downhill requires quite different sighting from that needed with one running horizontally.
GALLERY SHOOTING
A privategallery can easily be fitted up in the cellars of large country, or even town, houses. All that is needed is a gallery of a certain length—ten yards will suffice at a pinch, with the targets and butt (such as I describe in the chapter on Stage Shooting) at one end. The targets should be lighted from above, preferably by a skylight in the daytime, and by gas, lamp, or electric light at night. When artificial light is used, it should be screened, so that from the firing-point the targets are distinct, but the source of light invisible. At the firing-point it is difficult to get a satisfactory light. If this gallery is not made in a greenhouse, which, of course, would give ample light to sight by in the day, I think there is no use in trying to get the light to shine on your sights. If it is behind you, you stand in your own light. If enough above you to prevent this, the light only shines on the top edges of your sights, and is thus worse than useless. I find itbest to have enough light behind you to enable you to load by, and to trust to seeing the sights in a black silhouette against the target. You may, for this reason, have to alter your sights from the elevation which suits you out-of-doors.
You should have a ventilating shaft straight above the muzzle of your pistol, and, if possible, a fan to draw off the fumes and smoke; one worked by electricity or water-power is best.
It is expedient to use only the lightest gallery ammunition, and it deadens the sound if you have the walls covered with some material hung loosely. Boiler-felt is very good for the purpose. Also, if you shoot through a hole in a partition screen, it helps to deaden the sound.
I prefer a big-calibre pistol in competition, as it gives a better chance to score; a shot which would be just out of the bull with a small bullet, may just cut the bull with a large ball. The bullet-hole is also more easily seen, but the bullet must be spherical, or you will have to use too heavy a charge of powder to propel it.
The self-registering targets, such as are used for miniature .22 calibre rifles, I do not find very satisfactory; the larger size of the bullet makes it liable to strike two compartments at the same time, giving you a double score, and the impact of the bullet is, moreover, too heavy for themechanism. I prefer card targets or the Gastinne Renette target which registers hits at the firing-point.
On no account have targets that necessitate any one’s going down the range, or coming out from a mantlet, to change. There is sure to be an accident sooner or later. Have them made to draw up to the firing-point for examination and change, and never let any one turn round with a pistol in his hand. In fact, observe all the rules as to table to fire from, etc., which I give in the chapter on Learning to Shoot. All these rules apply equally to gallery shooting.
As the gallery is generally narrow, it will be difficult to have traversing targets, but you can have the Bisley targets.
Such a gallery will be an endless source of amusement in the winter evenings, after dinner; and the ladies can shoot as well as the men.
It is advisable to handicap the good shots, so as to give all an equal chance.
Gallery shooting is by far the most scientific style of pistol-shooting, if you use a very light load, fine sights, and hair-trigger; therefore you can have smaller bull’s-eyes and subdivisions than the Bisley ones. The American and French targets are better subdivided for this purpose. Messrs. De La Rue make me special “ace of hearts” packsof cards for use as targets. For experimental work also, a gallery is much more reliable than shooting out-of-doors.
When shooting gallery ammunition in which the bullets are “seated” low down, it is best to have a groove line impressed in the cartridge shell to prevent the bullet working up; if you have not got this impression in the shell, look into the cartridges before putting them into the chambers, as a bullet may have worked itself up, which would cause a weak, low shot. Push the bullet down with a loading rod, or pencil, before you insert the cartridge into the chamber, if you find it shifted. Also, if, after firing a few shots from a revolver with this ammunition, you, for any cause, stop and want to re-load the chambers which have been fired, it is as well to take out all the cartridges that have not been fired and examine them, as the jar of firing may have started some of the bullets.
TWENTY YARDS STATIONARY TARGET
I havealready described how to stand and shoot at a stationary target. There are a few points to be observed, however, which specially apply to this range when shooting at Bisley. Before competing at any one of the limited-entry competitions, it is well to be sure that you are shooting up to your proper form, as mistakes cannot be corrected after once commencing.
Personally I think it best (if shooting every day or most of the ten days) not to enter in a limited-entry competition till after the first two days of the meeting, as one gets steadied down by then and grows more accustomed to the surroundings.
As sighting varies from day to day, and even from hour to hour, it may be as well to have a pool shoot for sighting purposes first; but I personally never do so, as I think it is a pity to chance wasting a good score in pool. The moment you have “found the spot,” leave off pool; do not stop to finish a score.
I prefer doing my sighting on an “unlimited-entry”competition ticket, so that in case I make a “highest possible,” that score is not wasted.
The early morning, from 9 till 11A.M., is the best time for shooting; and then, perhaps, late in the evening. One should watch for a good time when the light is favourable; often the wind will drop late in the evening, half an hour before “gunfire,” after blowing hard all day.
There is often a good light after rain. I rather like shooting in the rain, and have made some of my best shots in it. The light is then good; and there is then no glare on the target; bullets make very big, ragged holes on a wet target; and sometimes a shot which would not cut the bull on a dry target may do so on a wet one, owing to its making a larger hole.[1]The flat-topped bullets make very big, “clean” holes.
If you have a target with a doubtful shot, that is to say, one for which you think you are entitled to a higher count than the range officer gives you, do not touch it, or thrust anything (your finger or a pencil) into the hole to demonstrate that the shot cuts into the bull’s-eye or the line you claim. If you push anything into the hole you will spoil its outline and destroy all evidence of the point at which the bullet had cut. In doubtful cases,the range officer puts a bullet of the same calibre (which has been pushed with a rod through a revolver barrel previously) into the hole, and examines it whilst in this position with a magnifying-glass.
Accept the range officer’s decision as final;never“protest” a decision of his.
Look at the target through your glass and see that it has no bullet-holes in it before you begin to shoot; and refuse to shoot at a patched target, except at pool. A patch may fall off a shot made by a previous competitor and confuse your score, besides making the target indistinct and throwing doubt on a record score by you if you should happen to make one on such a target. Also see that the bull’s-eye is black; some are badly printed, and the “bull” is grey and indistinct.
Shoot very slowly and deliberately. There is no hurry. The time limit of two minutes would be ample within which to fire twenty-four shots—and you have only to fire six.
If you are dissatisfied with your aim, or your arm is getting tired, or a gust of wind comes, put the revolver down without firing. Look down on the grass to rest your eyes, and wipe your hands; a little sawdust is a good thing to rub them with on hot days.
When it is gusty, putting up the pistol justas you think a lull is coming, instead of waitingforthe lull, gives you a better chance of being “up” when the lull does come, and you can then “snap” the shot before the next gust.
If youhaveto shoot in a very high wind—as in a match, or in shooting off a tie—it is best to “snap” your shots (see chapter on Rapid Firing) and not try to hold against the wind.
If a shot strikes a little too high, or too low, or too much to either side, aim “off” the “bull” the next shot to correct it.
Do not keep altering the amount you see of your front sight if you hit too high or too low; you will never make a good score in that way. If you are out half an inch at “X o’clock,” aim your next shot at half an inch off “V o’clock”; if you hit half an inch above the bull at “XII o’clock,” aim half an inch below “VI o’clock” with your next shot; do not take a “coarser” sight. This is where a practical shot has the advantage over a mere “target shot.”
If a shot is in the “bull” (I will assume you can easily see shots in, or partly in, the “white” at twenty yards; I can see them at fifty), and you are not sure of its exact locality, examine it with your glass.
If you are “holding” exceptionally steady, and have shot well into the “bull,” though not actuallycentral, do not aim differently to try to get the actual centre with the next shot; as a rule, if you are anything more than half in the “bull,” it is better to let well alone and “hold” the same as before. I remember on one occasion I had five shots in one ragged hole at “V o’clock” in the “bull” on the sliding target; and for fear lest I should put my last shot through the same hole and have it counted as a miss, I tried to hit the “bull” at “IX o’clock” clear of that hole, and got just out of the bull.
If you have several bullets in one ragged hole, it is advisable, if there be time, to draw the range officer’s attention to this before you fire the next shot, so that in case you go into the same hole or group again, he may record it and not think it a miss. If he watches the target whilst you shoot, through his glasses, he will see where your bullet goes, even if you do go into this group.
At the stationary targets,and at those only, it is advisable to use both hands in cocking. In cocking, if using a revolver, if there is not a distinct click, or if the action feels “woolly” or soft, put it back at half-cock, and open the revolver and see what is the matter. Most likely a bit of fouling, or piece of metal from a cartridge or bullet, or a cartridge with too thick a head or protruding cap, is the cause.
When the revolver is at full-cock, take the cylinder between the forefinger and thumb of the left hand, still holding the stock in the right hand and keeping the muzzle towards the target, and gently try to revolve the cylinder towards the right. This, at least, is the normal direction, though some makes revolve to the left. You will, perhaps, once in a dozen times, find that it goes over an appreciable amount till it locks.
Any revolver, even the best, may sometimes not bring the cylinder round quite true to the barrel; and if it does not coincide, the shot will not be accurate, owing to the bullet not going into the barrel true, and thus getting a small shaving taken off its side. A bit of fouling, metal from cartridges or bullet, “proud cap,” or thick cartridge-head may cause this. By attending to the cocking in the elaborate way I have indicated, this cause of inaccuracy is avoided. (This is very important in cases where a miss would be dangerous: as when shooting objects off someone’s head, or those which are held in the hand or mouth, or for the last shot on which everything depends in a match or a record score.) Also every time you open the revolver, look to see whether the caps have been hit absolutely true in the centre.
By my way of cocking, even if the revolver is not acting quite perfectly, the chambers ought tocome true. If they do not, clean them very carefully. If, in spite of this, the caps are still hit on the side, it is useless to continue with that revolver until the maker has put it right.
Shoot with the smallest charge, lightest bullet, and largest calibre the rules allow, as it is easier to shoot with a small than with a “kicking” charge, and the bullet of larger calibre is more apt to cut into the bull. (This applies to all competitions at ranges not over twenty yards; beyond that distance, a big charge is more accurate. See chapter on Fifty-Yards Target.)
I do not like too small a front sight. I think that one which, in aiming, you see easily is the best. The semicircular “U” of the hind sight should be wide enough to enable you to see all round the bead of the front sight.
In pistol-shooting, the chief difficulty is in “holding” and “squeezing off” without disturbing your aim. There is no need to strain your eyes with a microscopic front sight and it makes you slow and every fraction of a second is valuable in practical shooting.
Another fault of too fine a front sight is that it is liable to get bent, just enough to spoil your aim, yet not enough to be noticeable until too late. If you try to straighten it, the odds are that you break it off and then have to waste a day or moregetting another fixed, which, most likely, does not suit when done.
I always have my Bisley sights made solid with the revolver, without any screws, and have some made to shoot higher, others lower, each on a separate revolver. If I find that the light, or my shooting, does not suit one sort of sight, I take another revolver. I have some fifteen revolvers prepared in this way.
The permission to have a hind sight adjustable by being hammered to one side is worse than useless. The sight works loose, gets knocked askew, and when you begin shooting you find it is constantly shifting and spoiling your shooting. I do not call it by any means a practical military sight. If you only have one pistol have it with my front sight, sighted to your normal or average shooting, at twenty or fifty yards, to whichever you decide to confine yourself, and both back and front sights made fixtures.
Wear nailed boots, or those with corrugated rubber soles, so as not to slip. The rubber, however, is rather apt to get cut in standing on spent cartridges. A broad-brimmed cowboy hat, or sombrero, is the best headgear, except in a wind, as it keeps the glare off your eyes. I took to using these years ago, and now I see them in use by nearly all shooting men, as well as in the Englisharmy, though (unlike in the U. S. army) often rendered less serviceable by having the brim looped up on one side. I keep some of various widths of brim, and use the one most suitable for the occasion. Also a Swedish leather jacket is very good when it gets chilly, as it is very light and does not hamper your right arm as a heavier coat would do. If you do not possess one, an extra waistcoat will serve, as this will leave your arm free. An overcoat or mackintosh hampers your right arm. You are freer in a flannel shirt with turn-down collar, loose round the wrists, and no braces. A silk handkerchief tied loosely round the neck, cowboy fashion, keeps the sun off the nape of your neck.
DISAPPEARING TARGET
Thistarget, which has the two-inch bull’s-eye, like the twenty yards stationary target, appears and disappears at intervals of three seconds—three seconds in sight and three seconds invisible—and is shot at from a distance of twenty yards.
The rules forbid the pistol being raised from the firing-table before the target appears; and it must be lowered to the table after each shot.
Shooting in this competition is the groundwork of all the competitions other than at stationary targets; so I shall go very fully into the way of becoming proficient at this, as the other competitions should then come comparatively easy.
In order to do the best possible work, you ought for practice to have an exact copy of the disappearing mechanism used at Bisley; and also (and this is very important), the range should orientate as at Bisley and should have the background of the same colour.
At Bisley, at one time in the afternoon the shootingis against the setting sun; at which time the wise shot takes a rest and lets others waste their entries, as it is impossible to make good shooting under these circumstances. By having the points of the compass the same as at Bisley, you will soon find out which sort of light suits you best, and at what hour of the day it comes. Personally, I find the light from 9 to about 11A.M.(during which time it is more or less over one’s left shoulder) the best for shooting in July. As the sun comes round, you will find that the point to aim at varies gradually as the light strikes the front sight more or less on the side.
Variations in elevation, owing to varying intensities of sunlight, can also be remedied by having several pairs of spectacles with plain glass (unless, of course, you need optical glasses to see clearly with), of different tints of smoke or yellow colour. You can then, when you find a certain strength of light best for your shooting, keep to this strength artificially, whatever the real light may be, putting on glasses of a shade sufficient to modify the light as required. The glasses should have round, and not oval, frames, and these should be a good two inches in diameter, so that the rims do not interfere with your view. Large round goggles, with plain window-glass, are a great protection against particles of burnt-powder, especially in a headwind; and after a hard morning’s shooting, the surface of the glass will be found covered with adhesive black spots. It is as well to have one pair of plain white glass (i. e., ordinary window-glass), and to wear either these or one of the smoked or yellow pairs whenever shooting, or even looking on at shooting, as the powder blowing back constantly into the eyes irritates them; and a sudden dab in the eye may even spoil a score by making one flinch at a critical moment. I have known a man incapacitated from shooting for several days through getting his eyes inflamed from particles of powder and smoke blowing in his face in a head wind, and from the irritating fumes of the nitro-powders; and the look of many competitors’ eyes towards the end of the shooting shows how it affects them. A solution of boracic acid and rose-water (of course you must get a chemist to dispense the right quantities) is a very good thing to bathe the eyes with during and after a hard day’s shooting, and it makes the eyes feel very comfortable the next day.
Also, it is important to protect the ear-drums from the constant banging, else you get your ears “singing” and finally become more or less deaf. A pistol is worse than a rifle or gun in this respect, owing to the shortness of the barrel and the consequent proximity of the concussion to the ear.The left ear is more apt to suffer than the right, which is more sheltered by the arm, and a neighbour’s shot, for which the ear is unprepared, affects it more than one’s own. This is particularly noticeable if your neighbour stands slightly behind you. Some use cotton-wool in the ears. I find it apt to mix with the natural wax in the ears, a small amount of the cotton-wool remaining behind each time the wool is removed; and, what is more, it does not sufficiently deaden the sound. For practising in private, a pair of small down pillows tied over the ears deaden the sound best, or a racing motorist’s skull cap with ear shields but both are very hot in warm weather and cannot be worn in public. “Elliot’s Perfect Ear Protectors” are the best I have yet found; these are made in the United States and sold in England by Gieve Mathews & Seagrove, The Hard, Portsmouth. The concussion of pistols, bad at all times, is of course aggravated by the use of the heavy military ammunition obligatory at Bisley.
If you cannot get a copy of the Bisley disappearing-target mechanism, the next best thing is to have the target hinge over and be brought up again by some mechanical means. If this is not practicable, a stationary target may be made to answer, as I shall presently show.
My reason for wanting the actual Bisley arrangementis because that comes up with a jerk (some of the men operating it are very jerky), and the target “wobbles” for a fraction of a second, both just as it gets upright and just before it disappears, and this is apt to disconcert any one not used to it.
Next, get a metronome, with bell attachment. Set it to beat half-seconds (be very particular to get the time absolutely correct), and set the bell to ring at every sixth beat. You have now intervals of three seconds marked with a “ring” at the end of each. Count the beats to yourself when the metronome is working: “One, two, three, four, five, six”; “one, two, three,” etc.
Get your man to work the lever which actuates the target (the lever in every case being a yard or two behind you, so that there is no danger of shooting the man or of burning his eyes with the side flash from the chambers of the revolver). Let him, at the stroke of the bell, bring up the target sharply, so that it comes with a bang, and lower it at the next ring in the same way, and keep it down till the next ring, then jerk it up, and so on; jerking it as roughly as the mechanism will allow.
If you have to practise on a stationary target, pretend to yourself that it disappears at each alternate ring of the metronome. The firing-pointmustbe like the Bisley one; it will not do to stand with the revolver hanging at your side; it must rest on a ledge the same height as at Bisley, or else your practice will be useless for Bisley, as quite a different way of working the muscles and resting them between shots is in use in the two styles of shooting, and it takes less time to “come up” from a ledge than when the arm is hanging by the side. Owing to the slope of the ground at Bisley, some of the ledges are higher than others; choose the one that suits you best, and have your practice ledge that height; and when shooting at Bisley, do so from the ledge you have previously chosen.
Stand squarely, well behind this ledge. You will only get disqualified if you get into the way of resting the lower part of your body against the ledge; or even if you stand close to it and your coat happens to hang in front; or if you happen to have a “corporation” some competitor may have you disqualified as resting against the ledge.
The position of the legs and body is as for the twenty-yards stationary target, except that the rod which works the target is best kept between the feet, and these have to be a little wider apart. (N.B. If you are a short man, it is better to stand to one side of the rod.)
Stretch your arm out its full length, and, holdingthe pistol with the sights uppermost, rest the lower side of the barrel lightly against the ledge. The part of the barrel adjacent to the chamber is the part to rest on the ledge, as it is less likely to slip. There is a notch between the barrel and lower part of the frame of the revolver, and when this is resting on the edge of the table, and the arm is straight, then you are standing at the right distance from the table.
If you have to stretch too much or to lean forward, move slightly closer until you are comfortable; if your arm is bent, move backward till it comes straight. (All this is done with anemptyrevolver.)
Now stand in this position, watching the target go up and down, and counting all the while, “one, two, three,” etc., to yourself, till you get the rhythm of the thing. Keep your eyes all the time fixed on the bull’s-eyewhen it is vertical to you; do not follow it down with your eyes, but keep a mental picture of it, while it is away, on the background. You will gradually be able to know exactlywhereit will be, andwhenit will be there, and you will then be able to aim at the imaginary spot; so that when the target appears the sights will not have to be shifted to the bull’s-eye, butthe bull’s-eye will come to the sights.
Now, cock the pistol, of course using onlyyour right thumb, and not shifting your left hand, body, or pistol in the slightest.
(If you cannot do this neatly, cock the pistol first, and then “set” yourself at the ledge.)
Now, at the word “one,” slowly (i. e., without hurry or jerk) bring your arm up, quite straight, till the revolver is level with your eye, and you are looking through the sights.
If you have been following the above directions carefully, you will find you are aiming at the bottom edge of the bull’s-eye, without having had to shift your hand or to align the sights; the sights and also the target have, in fact, “come up” to your eye, not your eye to them. The speed with which you raise your arm should bring the sights touching the bottom edge of the “bull” at the word “two”; but it is better, at first, to be slower: as long as you get the sights touching the “bull” before it disappears, it will do—for the present. At the word “six,” lower the pistol to the table, but keep your eyes on the imaginary spot at which the “bull” disappeared. Keep the pistol down while you count six, and then raise it as before. After a few minutes of this drill, begin to squeeze the trigger slightly while the pistol is resting against the ledge. With practice you will be able to regulate the squeeze so that it will require only half a pound more pressure to fire thepistol. Then as you lift the pistol, gradually tighten the squeeze, and keep gradually tightening it, never diminishing the pressure, but not increasing it if your aim is getting wrong, and beginning to increase it again as you correct your aim. If you are increasing the squeeze properly, you will find, just as your aim is perfect, and a fraction of time before the word “six,” the hammer will have fallen and you will not have jerked or moved off your aim. With an automatic pistol there is no need to cock it after the first shot, but with a revolver the instant the hammer has fallen, cock quietly with your right thumb, and lower your pistol to the table as before. In all cocking, I mean it to be understood that it must be done with one movement of the right thumb, the finger well clear of the trigger so as not to break or wear the sear-notch, and the left arm, left hand, and body not moved in any way, as already illustrated. After you have done this a few times, and have confidence, you may load several chambers of the revolver, having exploded, or empty, cartridges in the other chambers, so as not to injure the nose of the hammer or the mainspring. The cartridges, loaded and unloaded, should be put in in irregular order, and the barrel spun round, so that you do not know when you have a loaded one to fire.
Now, go through the same drill as before; mostlikely, if the first cartridge is an empty one, you will be surprised to find you jerked it off instead of squeezing, owing to fear of the recoil; but if this is so, expecting your next shot to be also an empty cartridge, you will give a nice, smooth, gradual “let-off,” with the result that you will get a “bull,” or close to it. The following shot, in consequence of your being too eager, will almost certainly be a very wild one, most likely below the target. This is caused by jerking the trigger, which results in bobbing the muzzle down. It is curious that, contrary to the usual idea that in firing quickly with a pistol one is prone to “shoot over,” the exact reverse is the case, and that snatching at the trigger generally gives a low left shot. I have my pistols for rapid-firing competitions sighted to shoot higher than the others, to counteract this.
After a little of this sort of practice, you can get to loading all the chambers of a revolver. Now the great thing is “time.” Time and shoot like a machine. At Bisley one sees men fire one shot directly the target appears; the next too late—after the target has begun to go down; and whenever a shot goes wide, they dance about, stamp, or swear, and shift their position constantly, half raise the pistol and lower it again, and more antics follow in the same fashion. A man who shootsin this style may as well go home, for all the prizes he will win. I never trouble to look at his target; seeing his “form” tells me what his target must look like.
By your constant practice with the metronome, you ought to get the “time” so impressed on your mind that you could work the target at the proper intervals without any metronome to indicate the time. Your hand “comes up” simultaneously with the target; you firejustbefore it disappears (some of my highest possibles were made with the target just on the “wobble” of disappearing as I fired each shot); every instant must be utilized for the aim, and there must be no hurry or flurry. In fact, you become a “workman.”
Do not get into the trick of “coming up” too soon before the target appears. There is nothing to be gained by it, and you might be disqualified. If a shot goes wrong or there is a misfire (you are allowed another shot for a misfire), keep on just as though nothing had happened; pay no attention to the number of shots you have fired in the score, or how many more you have to “go.” I have often started to “come up” again for a shot, not knowing that my sixth had already “gone,” so mechanical had my shooting become.
In practice, never fire if you feel you are “off” the “bull”; better “come down” with the target,without shooting, and fire the next time the target “comes up.” In this way you will perhaps “come up” ten times for your six shots; but you will have good shots for those that you have fired, and will be encouraged much more and get better practice than by firing a lot of wild shots, which as you fired, you knew were badly aimed.
At Bisley, I find this the easiest competition of any, more so,if there is no wind, than the stationary twenty-yards target, but one can only keep it up for a short time. One gradually gets into the swing of it, till one can “throw” each shot right into the “bull’s” centre. This keeps up for a few entries; as one’s arm tires, one begins to lose the absolute precision. It is then useless to continue shooting and it is time to take a rest.
You need a large front sight and open “U,” so as to get your aim quickly. My favourite revolver has very coarse sights,—a front sight which, in aiming, seems nearly as large as the “bull.”
I like the sun as much behind me as possible for this and any other quick-firing or moving-object competition, as you can then at once see the hit on the target and can correct it, if necessary, at the next shot. At a stationary target, this seeing the hit at once does not matter, as you haveplenty of time to locate your shot with your telescope.
In any competition in which unlimited entries are allowed, it is best to give up shooting an entry at your first bad shot and to start a fresh entry instead of shooting out the full six shots. Many men say, “It is better to keep on, as it is practice.” In my experience I find that everyone has strings of better shots than his average and these may commence at any time. If you have a three, for instance, as your second shot of a score, you may have four sevens to finish up with; then your next score may begin with two sevens and then a two. There are thus two scores spoilt, whereas, if you had retired at the shot counting three in your first score, and started another score, you would have had a string of six sevens in your second score, making a highest possible score of forty-two. I have so often seen this sort of thing happen to others (though I have never allowed it to happen to myself) that I am sure it is false economy at Bisley, except in the limited-entry series, not to stop and begin afresh the moment you get a shot out of the bull.
Another thing men do is to keep shooting pool to “get practice,” as they call it, till they shoot themselves out and make bad scores in competition. The place to practise isat home; there isno economy in paying half-a-crown for every six shots at Bisley, when you can shoot as much as you like at home for nothing. The rapid-firing and fifty-yards competitions being more difficult, you may allow yourself one or two sixes in a score before beginning again; but stop at the first shot scoring less than six points.
If possible, choose a time when there is no one shooting at the target next you; as, even if you do not find yourself “letting loose” at the sound of his firing,—he most likely, timing himself all wrong,—the smoke from his shots may drift across you, and spoil your view of the target.
Do not shoot whilst a man is “arranging his things,” or “bringing up his target” next you; it will distract your attention.
Shoot one entry in each series of competitions,—disappearing, rapid-firing, etc.,—and then take the competition in which you have done worst (comparatively worst, should be said, as thirty-six in the rapid-firing is equal to forty-one at the stationary twenty-yards) and beat that score. The moment you have beaten that sufficiently for one of your scores in another series to be the worst, go at that one; and so keep pushing the worst along. This gives you a better aggregate than any other system, and prizes are given for aggregates.
Be sure to look through your barrel after each entry, and wipe it out frequently. Quick shooting, especially in hot, dry weather, cakes and leads the barrel and spoils accuracy. If the pistol sticks or grates, however slightly, it is apt to spoil one’s “time.” At Bisley, you must not “wipe out” during the shots of an entry. Where, however, there is no rule against it, “wipe out” after every shot at stationary targets, and use only one of the chambers if using a revolver. When you open the revolver after each entry, look carefully to see if the caps were struck in the centre, especially if you have made a bad shot. Should they be hit on the side, clean the revolver; if this still continues, take another. It is useless to keep on while this is happening.
Be very careful to see that you are using your own ammunition, the proper sort for each particular pistol, and not taking some other that happens to be lying about. Also be very particular to have your pistol passed, the trigger-pull tested, and ammunition examined before shooting, by the official appointed for the purpose by the National Rifle Association, whose office is at the firing-point. This should be done every day, morning and afternoon,—as the trigger-pull may have altered,—so that there shall be no chance of disqualification after a good score is made.
Although it is, as a rule, best to finish your shooting at one class of competition, either moving or stationary, the change from one to the other gives a rest if you find yourself getting tired or discouraged. Moreover, as above explained, you secure a better “aggregate” by shifting from one series to another, though such changing would easily confuse a beginner. For the beginner, therefore, it may be as well to study one particular competition and compete init onlyat Bisley the first year. This will probably place him high in the prize-list, and encourage further perseverance another year.
STATIONARY FIFTY-YARDS TARGET
Nowwe come to the fifty-yards target.
To shoot in this series (known as “The Long Range”) you require the smallest and finest sights which you can see clearly without trying your eyes. There is no advantage in having them smaller than you can see properly.
Also, it is well to have several pistols with sights of different sizes, and differently sighted: some high, some low, some to the right, and some to the left, so as to suit varying light.
By the Bisley rules, you are not allowed to adjust your sights.
I have experimented with peep-sights; but one cannot hold a pistol steadily enough to get the full advantage of a peep-sight.
Have a Zeis glass and locate each shot, correcting the next, if necessary, by altering your aim—as the rules will not permit you to alter the sights; shoot very deliberately; rest your eyes frequently; stop at every breath of air, and only fire when you are “dead sure.” Clean after each entry.
Do not keep on too long at this range. A few entries now and again are best, as it is very straining to the eyes and trying to the muscles.
I prefer a heavy charge, as giving more accuracy at fifty yards; but one cannot stand many shots with a heavy charge without feeling the consequences.
I do not think this deliberate shooting at fifty-yards at a stationary mark worth practising as a pistol is for quick shooting at a moving or momentarily appearing mark.
TEAM SHOOTING AND COACHING
Whenyou are a member of a team, do exactly what the captain of the team directs you. Never mind if you think that he is wrong, and that you could do better work in your own way. It is “his show,” and he alone is responsible; merely shoot as well as you can in his way. Of course, if he should ask your advice, that is a different thing. Should another member of your team ask your advice, refer him to your captain.
If you are captain of a team, and have the choice of men, select, preferably, men whose nerve can be relied upon; a veteran who does not get “rattled,” even if only a moderate shot, is preferable to a brilliant beginner who may go all to pieces at a critical moment.
The man I prefer in a team is one who always shoots a good consistent score,—never brilliantly, yet never badly; you can always rely upon him to shoot up to his form. If you have two such men, let one of them shoot the first score,—if possible against your adversaries’ best man,—so as to giveyour team confidence that they are likely to hold their own.
Reserve yourself—or your most reliable shot, who can be trusted not to lose his head—for emergencies, such as these: to shoot last, when everything depends upon making a good score; when the light is bad and likely to improve later; if there is a wind that may drop later; for pulling up a score when the other team is leading; for getting the sighting when you retire to the fifty-yards range; to shoot, “turn and turn about,” against the most nervous or dangerous man of the other team, etc.
You should specially notice if any of your team are getting nervous; prevent their watching good shooting by their adversaries, or looking at and comparing scores. Encourage them to think that their own team is so strong that their own individual shortcomings do not matter. You can, in this way, “nurse” a man along who is on the verge of “going to pieces.”
If possible, do not let your men know how the scores stand. If there is a wind, rain, or bad light, consult with your most “weather-wise” man, and decide how to “place” your bad shots so as to give them the easiest “shoot.” That is to say, if the wind is likely to drop later, shoot your strong shots when the weather is unfavourable.
It is also a good thing to have a reliable member of the team stand behind each one who is shooting, to “spot” for him, keep time for him, and otherwise coach him, watching the time constantly, so as to let his man knowinstantly—if he asks—how much longer the time-limit allows him. Coaching is allowed in team shooting,but not in ordinary individual competitions.
Do not let any member of your team leave the range on any account till the competition is over.
Have a man or two extra, in case of anything disabling or preventing one of your team from shooting.
Do not let two men shoot with the same revolver, as both men may be wanted to shoot at the same time.
Do not scold a man, however badly he may be doing; you only flurry him, and it does no good.
Do not have any refreshments for your team until the competition is over.
SHOOTING IN COMPETITIONS
Whenshooting in competition, be careful not to spoil your opponent’s scores. Never approach or leave the firing-point while he is aiming or about to shoot. If he is about to shoot, and there be time, reserve your shot till he has fired; and do not fidget with your revolver or cartridges or get your target drawn up whilst he is aiming. Keep perfectly still and silent till his shot has gone off. Do not speak to him at any time, except to answer some question of his. If he is at all nervous, you might by a slight movement or word ruin his score.
Read carefully,beforeshooting, the rules of the competition in which you are about to engage, and be sure you comply with every detail of them. If you find you have, inadvertently, transgressed a rule, report to the range officer at once, and get your score cancelled.
Write your name very distinctly on your score-card; I have known a man to lose a prize owingto his name being illegible on the score-card. See that your shots have been entered properly and rightly added up and corrections initialled.
Have your target dated and signed by the range officer, with the name of the competition also inscribed, and keep it as evidence in case your card should get lost. Be sure you do not by mistake have a score entered on a ticket belonging to another series.
Before shooting in competition I put a weight in a chemist’s scale equal to theaverageweight of one of my loaded cartridges. I weigh each cartridge against it; put all of the correct weight aside for Bisley, and keep the others for practice. By this means I minimize the chance of a weak or too strong shot.
When you are at the firing-point, pay no attention to what any one else is doing, or to what scores have been, or are being, made, or to any of your scores being beaten; the great thing is to have the average all round high for the aggregate prizes. If you are constantly watching the scores of others, rushing from range to range as your various scores are passed, you will have much less chance of making good scores than if you keep plodding on, constantly adding a point or two to your aggregate. You can afterwards try to beat individual scores, if necessary. Of course, if you at any time, in any one series, get a score which youthink is up to the limit of your skill, you may let that series alone till you have reached your limit in another series. Never watch a good man shooting; it will only make you doubt if you can beat him. It is also tiring your eyes uselessly.
Do not read or use your eyes any more than is absolutely necessary. When resting, dark glasses will be found a great relief to the eyes. I find that if I am getting tired of shooting, a half-hour’s gallop on a horse that does not pull freshens me up, and helps to divert my thoughts; others may prefer lying quietly down and shutting the eyes.
If you find yourself getting stale, drop the whole thing, even for several days. It will not be time wasted, as you will shoot better afterwards; and you will certainly get worse if you keep on without rest.
Never protest or dispute a score or decision. The range officers are doing their best under very trying circumstances. If you think any decision wrong, say nothing about it and forget it; you will only spoil your shooting if you worry about it. Just set your teeth and make a score a point better than the disputed one ought, in your opinion, to have been. The protesting man is a nuisance both to himself and everyone else.
Should you see a man infringing the rules, leave it to others to protest.
DUELLING
Themere word duelling appears to shallow minds a subject for so-called “humour,” like mothers-in-law and cats, but a moment’s thought will show that, in certain circumstances, the duel forms the only possible solution to a difficulty. And it is not an unmixed blessing that duelling is abolished in England as “Vanoc” inThe Refereetruly says. “For some reasons,” he writes, “the abolition of duelling [he means in England] is a mistake. Insolent and offensive language is now too frequently indulged in with impunity.... The best rule of all is never to take liberties yourself, and never to allow liberties to be taken with you, and to remember that self-defence is still the noble art.”
I think, though, that the still nobler art is the defence of others, and there are cases—which need not be gone into here—when a manmustfight.
One of the reasons for this “humorous” attitudein the English mind (it does not exist abroad) is because sometimes abroad young men, wishing to advertise themselves, or their political ideas, fight duels, all the time never intending to hit each other, and in fact intentionally firing in the air.
When two good shots “mean business,” a pistol duel is a very deadly affair, as is shown by the number of men who have been killed in them.
A duel with swords gives more advantage to a younger or a taller man, or to a man in the pink of condition, but a pistol duel will enable a much older man to hold his own.
The challenged has the right to choose weapons, and if he choose pistols it is understood that the meeting should be conducted with single-shot duelling pistols.
The British public are accustomed to confuse the words “pistol” and “revolver,” and most pistol duels are described as “duels with revolvers” by those not understanding such things; but the revolver is not recognized as a duelling weapon, and any fight with revolvers would on the Continent lead to a trial for murder if any one were killed.
In challenging, the person considering himself aggrieved asks two of his friends to act as his seconds, and these he sends to his adversary. The latter at once appoints two seconds for himself,and the four seconds then make all the necessary arrangements.
First they call upon a gunmaker—combatants in a duel are not allowed to use their own weapons—and two single-shot muzzle-loading duelling pistols of regulation pattern are chosen.
In the presence of the seconds these are loaded by the gunmaker and put into a case, which is then sealed.
This case is taken to the duelling ground by the gunmaker and the seal is not broken until everything else is ready, the reason of course being to prevent tampering with the pistols, or loads, or obtaining practice with that particular pair of pistols.
A doctor is present at the duel with all necessary appliances.
On the ground the seconds draw lots for where their men are to stand, it being of advantage to have sun and wind at one’s back, or left rear.
The distance is twenty-five metres, marked by canes stuck in the ground, and the shooters stand facing each other.
When all is in readiness, the seconds break the seal of the pistol case, then the director of the duel takes the weapons out, holding them by the barrels, one pistol in each hand, and presents the butt ends to the duellist to whom the lot hasfallen to have first choice. The other pistol is handed to his adversary.
If shots are exchanged without result, the duellists exchange places for the next shot.
It is not permissible to try the trigger-pull by cocking and lowering the hammer, but about how light or heavy the pull is can be ascertained to some extent when cocking. A light click indicates a light pull, and a loud click a heavier one.
It is usual, especially if the duellists are good shots, and if they happen to be very angry with each other, to give them a very heavy trigger-pull in order to make it more difficult for them to hit each other. For the same reason the words of command in such cases are given very quickly. This prevents getting aim. It is well always to give a good strong pull back when firing, so as to avoid pulling off to the side if you have been given a very heavy trigger-pull.
Finally the duellists cock their pistols, the seconds stand clear, and the director of the fight stands midway between the duellists and about six metres back of the line between them.
The duellists stand with their right elbows touching their right hips, butt of pistol to thigh, and their pistols pointing at the ground.
The director calls: “Attention—Feu! Un—deux—trois!”
If either is not ready at the word “attention,” he says so, but otherwiseafterthe word “feu” he raises his pistol and must fire before the word “trois” is spoken.
If he does not have the butt of his pistol to his thigh, and muzzle to ground; or if he raises his pistol or even moves it before the word “feu”; or if he fires after the word “trois” has been spoken, and he kills his man, he is liable, if his adversary’s seconds lodge a complaint, to be tried for murder.
The usual speed at which these words are spoken is a hundred words to the minute, but, as I have said, the director often hurries the words in order to baffle the duellists and prevent their injuring each other fatally.
Whether the duel should continue if neither combatant is sufficiently injured after the interchange of shots to prevent his going on shooting is a matter that the seconds have arranged between them before the duel begins. It depends chiefly upon the gravity of the reason for which the duel is fought.
The position to stand in, in my opinion, should not be quite sideways.
Of course one should, theoretically, make as small a target as possible for one’s opponent, and therefore the coat should be buttoned close. But whereas if standing quite sideways one makes asmaller mark, if hit when in that position the wound will probably prove more dangerous.
A bullet which would perforate both lungs of a man standing sideways, will most likely go through one lung only if he be standing more full face. Several other internal organs are also safer when the shooters stand full face; by leaning forward the ribs are closer together and afford protection to the heart and lungs; also from a shooting point of view, one can make much better practice when standing more or less facing the object to be hit, than when craning one’s head round to try and look over one’s right shoulder, and so hampering one’s right arm and straining the eyes.
It is generally considered that one should look as dark as possible to one’s opponent, and turn up one’s collar to avoid showing a white mark. But with this I am not sure that I quite agree. Personally I should prefer to shoot at an entirely black target without a white collar or white patch anywhere diverting one’s eye, unless that white was at a place one wanted to hit.
But, if a very bad shot were going to fire at me, I should prefer his trying to hit my collar, as he would then be more likely to shoot over my head, or to miss me by shooting past me, than if he tried to hit me in the middle of the body.
The white collar would, however, be hidden bythe right hand and pistol as soon as the pistol was raised, if aim were taken at an opponent’s head.
The position safestfor yourselfis to aim at your opponent’s head, and to get on to that position immediately after the word “feu,” keeping your own head low.
Your right hand and the pistol-butt protect your throat and a good deal of your face and head if you lower your face as much as possible.
Some men stand in the position of lunging in fencing, which makes a still smaller target of the body, but then this exposes them to a more raking fire, and a shot which would only pierce the thigh of the right leg, if the duellist were standing upright, might glance along the thigh and penetrate the abdomen if he were standing in a lunging attitude, but it looks more manly to stand perfectly erect.
A level-headed man would never agree to fight a duel unless he deemed it justifiable, and then most likely his whole attention would be concentrated upon killing his opponent, and considerations of personal safety would be neglected; in the same way that a steeplechase rider thinks only of winning and not of his personal safety—if it is otherwise he is no good as a cross-country rider.
As the great object is to hit an opponent before he hits you,—as, if he hits you first, even slightly, he may spoil your aim,—it is better to hit him as low as possible, provided the bullet strikes high enough to injure him.
It takes time to raise the pistol to the level of his head, or even of his armpit, whereas with practice you can flip the wrist up and hit him in the thigh or hip without raising the arm at all, and immediately after the word “Un.”
If you hit him in the thigh it would not be of much use in a serious duel, so the hip level is the point to try for.
An instance of perfect timing was that of a recent fatal duel where one man killed the other immediately after “feu,” before his adversary had time to raise his pistol.
In the report of a certain duel which took place in France recently several of the English papers made stupid jokes because one of the duellists did not fire his pistol (he placed it behind his back) at the word “feu.” The writers seemed to think he had forgotten to fire, because, when questioned as to why he did not fire, he answered, “J’ai oublié.” Of course any one conversant with duelling would have known that by acting thus he meant that he did not desire to kill or to wound his adversary. A good shot who for any reasondid not wish to hit his adversary would always put his pistol behind him rather than shoot wide and get credit for making a miss. It is more dignified to do this, if one does not want to shoot an adversary, than to miss on purpose. Moreover, the latter act might be misconstrued into an attempt to kill.
By French law, if a man is killed in a duel, the body must be left where it fell and the police informed at once. The police then make an investigation. The adversary is arrested and tried subsequently at the Court of Assizes. He ought, of course, to stop by the body and give himself up. He and his seconds may be condemned to imprisonment.
Not wanting to kill an adversary is also the reason so many duels are bloodless. Men, in the heat of an argument, challenge each other. In cooler moments, they see that the cause of quarrel was not of sufficient importance to warrant their killing, or attempting to kill, each other. Yet neither likes to apologize lest this should look like cowardice; so the two exchange a shot, and both miss on purpose.
In this connection I may mention that the American law does not apply in the case of a duel fought by a citizen of the United States outside the geographical limits of that country; for, according to Mr. R. Newton Crane, no offence iscommitted by the fact that an American citizen has participated in a duel beyond the jurisdiction of the United States. The citizenship of the combatant is, in such circumstances, immaterial.
“On the other hand,” he continues, “sending, knowingly bearing, or accepting a challenge, in England or America, renders the sender, bearer, or accepter liable to punishment by the laws of England or America as the case may be, whether the duel is subsequently fought or not, and whether it is fought in England or America or abroad, and whether the offending party is an Englishman, American, or a foreigner. Provoking a man to send a challenge is also an indictable offence.
“The law applicable to the punishment for actually fighting the duel is, on the other hand, the law of the place where the duel is fought, and that law only applies to the offence.
“Provocation, however great, is no excuse, though it might weigh with the Court in fixing the punishment. Under the English law the punishment for sending, bearing, or accepting a challenge is fine or imprisonment without hard labour, or both. Each of the States of the United States has penalties for the offence, which though differing in detail are practically the same in substance as those provided by the English law.”