I remember, during the gralloch, some dreadfully poor charcoal-burners appearing on the scene to beg for food. This, of course, was gladly conceded; but so famished were those poor creatures that old women filled their aprons with reeking viscera, while it was with difficulty that children could be prevented from starting at once on raw flesh and liver. Truly it was a grievous spectacle, and filled the homeward ride with sad reflections on the awful hardships such poor folk are destined to endure.
In days of rapid change, when, in our own generation, sporting weapons have been at least thrice utterly metamorphosed, it is unwise to be dogmatic. Yet we may summarise our personal experience that the most efficient weapon for all such purposes as here described is that known as the "Paradox," or at least of the Paradox type. The old "Express rifle" (the best in its day, less than a score of years ago, but now mere "scrap") was also useful. But it always fell second to the Paradox, as the latter (being really a shot-gun, equally available for small game, snipe, duck, or geese) came up quicker to the eye for snap-shooting with ball.
The invention of the Paradox type of gun has practically introduced a third style of shooting where there previously existed only two, to wit:--
(1) Gun-shooting with _shot_ where any "aim" or even an apology for an aim is fatal to modern maximum success.
(2) Rifle-shooting proper, which must be mechanical and deliberate--the more so, the more effective.
(3) Thirdly, we have this new system intermediate between the two--"gun-shooting with ball."
Using the Paradox as a rifle, an alignment _must_ be taken; but it may be taken as with a _gun_, and not necessarily the deliberate and mechanical alignment essential with a rifle, properly so called.
In short, with a Paradox, always glance along the sights. You will nearly always find that some "refinement" of aim is required. More words are useless.
One word as to the "forward allowance" needed after the rough alignment (as explained) has been effected. At short snapshot ranges none is required. At a galloping stag at 50 yards, the sights should clear his chest; at 100 yards, half-a-length ahead, and double that for 150 yards. At these longer ranges one instinctively allows for "drop" by taking a fuller sight. For standing shots, of course, the back-sights can be used.