Guided missiles
Old pictures of country gentlemen shooting English grey partridge in rolling downland or the Yorkshire Wolds, show dogs working in front of the Guns as they walk-up the game birds into startled flight. The escaping quarry is depicted speeding away from one or two Guns, as a top-hatted gent takes a potshot with his side-by-side, flintlock, hammergun.
The development of the shotgun for this walked-up game shooting led to the right-hand barrel, which fires first, being made with a reasonably open choke to give a larger spread of the shot pellets for a close shot. The left-hand barrel would be given a more tight choke to condense the shot pattern for a longer shot at the rapidly receding target.
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