OPEN AIR RANGES

A row of white squares, each with a black bull’s-eye on it, and men aiming, aiming, and finally letting off their pistols at them, is such a mistaken idea of learning pistol shooting.

It is all so futile, so useless, except as a sport and a means of getting fresh air and relaxation.

To occasionally put a series of shots very close together on a stationary target is interesting, and shows what a good pistol and men are capable of when working in harmony. But to consider this the sole object of pistol shooting is the greatest mistake.

Rapid fire, the faster the better, is the essence of pistol shooting, the only practical use of it.

Deliberate shooting is a game, a sport, and a very good sport, but it is neither practical pistol shooting or the way to learn it.

An outdoor range gives the best practice, as figures can be put up at various distances and shot at in rapid fire, moving and disappearing targets can run in all directions, and come up unexpectedly like at a shotgun shooting school.A shelter to shoot from under in wet or windy weather has the disadvantage of the noise from the shooting when full charges are shot, as is invariably the case in England.

A corrugated roof gives a terrible echo. It is better to stand in the rain and wind rather than be deafened.

Six hits in four seconds is the best I know of with a revolver when shooting at life size figures taken one after the other at distances varying from about fifteen to thirty yards.

This can be beaten with an automatic pistol. With an automatic pistol it is a matter of finding the right speed to swing across the figures.

A good open air pistol range can be made behind a rifle butt.

Behind the big butt for a thousand yards’ rifle shooting makes a very big butt for twenty-five yards’ automatic pistol shooting and allows for swinging and moving targets on an ample scale.

In an open air range great care must be taken to be very strict as to rules of safety.

There becomes a tendency to walk down to the butt to examine a target without first giving warning; to walk about with some cartridges still in the pistol, etc.

Things which would not be done in an indoor range seem to come natural to some men when in an out-of-doors range.

Targets that can smash are the best. Plaster heads are much better to shoot at in rapid firing than to try and hit the six heads of wooden targets.

In the former case you see the dÉbris of the smash as you pull the trigger and do not pause in your swing to the next target.

If there is no smash to the shot but only a bullet hole, one is apt to hesitate after each shot to look for the bullet hole.

It looks so much better and gives such a satisfactory feeling to instantly see the result of your shot.

A row of plates or bottles placed at various distances and smashed one after the other very rapidly is much more of an encouragement than, after having fired without visible result, to be told ten minutes later that you have made all hits.

There are small rubber balloons manufactured in France which can be filled with water.

The balloons when empty pack in very little space. A small pump is sold with them, it can be regulated to deliver a pre-arranged quantity of water into each balloon, and then a twist at the neck of the balloon closes it.

If the water is coloured with Condy’s Fluid a hit looks very conspicuous and pretty when the balloon bursts on being struck.

Have them thrown up to shoot at. Great care must be taken that the bullets go where they can do no harm.

A full charge automatic pistol should not be used for this—a duelling pistol, having a smooth bore barrel, and shooting No. 8 shot is good practice and can be shot where shooting a bullet would be dangerous. I have killed 44 out of 80 live pigeons in this way.

It is dangerous to shoot bullets at hard substances. To shoot at a stone thrown up, a ginger beer, or a soda water bottle, may cause very dangerous ricochets.