It is harder to correct bad habits in handling a gun than to teach the beginner the proper way at first.  On your first lesson in the field, walk on the left side of your teacher so that your gun will be pointing away from him.  If you come across any game, try to take your time before you fire.  Nearly every one shoots too quickly.  As most shot-gun shooting is what is called snap shooting, there isn’t much time at best, but a good shot will be sure that he has covered his game before he fires, while a beginner will trust to luck.  This will be the hardest fault to correct.  Consequently a beginner should if possible hunt alone for a while, as the presence of another gun alongside of him makes him too anxious to get in the first shot, and gets him into bad habits.

If your teacher also has a gun, he must assure you that he does not intend to shoot and then you will try harder to get the game and run less chance of missing.  Always unload a gun before going into a house, under or over a fence, or in or out of a boat or carriage.  If you leave your gun, even for a minute, unload it.  Never rest a loaded gun against a tree or building.  Never pull a gun loaded or empty toward you by the muzzle.  In unloading always point it toward the ground.  A jar will sometimes discharge a gun and very often a discharge will take place when closing the breech on a tight shell.

Always be ready for game.  In hunting, we never can tell at what instant it will rise up in front of us.  “Be ready” does not mean having the muscles and nerves constantly on a tension.  It is simply to carry your gun in such a position that you can quickly bring it to the shoulder at any time.  It is a good plan to practise aiming at various objects as you go along until you gradually overcome your awkwardness.

It is difficult to say what makes a good shot with a gun.  There is no question but that practice will make any one a better shot than he would be without it, but some people are better shots with very little practice than others with a great deal.  One very important thing is to do your practising under conditions similar to the actual hunting.  If the cover is thick where you hunt, a swamp or brush lot for example, you will not derive much benefit from practising entirely in the open.  A pigeon trap is an inexpensive way to learn to shoot.  Some experienced hunters will say that practice at clay pigeons does not help in the field, but at the same time a good brush shot is almost always a good trap shot and if you can become skilful enough to break an average of eighteen to twenty clay pigeons out of twenty-five at sixteen yards rise, you may be sure that you will get your share of game under actual hunting conditions.