shotgun shells expplained???

[freakintoguns]

ok so im startign to get really into shotguns so i got sme questiosn about the different shells. i basically get that theres different shells for different game. buckshot and slugs for deer and BGs, and then various birdshot. id like to learn more about bird shot and the different sizes, 2.75" 3" and 3.5".

[hogdogs]

From fine to coarse... 9,8,7 1/2,6,4,2 BB and then I guess the buck follows. There is some other less known...
9 is too fine for much game 'cept small close up stuff. 8 is smallest usually used for wing shooting. I consider it less than ideal for small game. 7 1/2 is the finest I use with a preference to 6's for most situations and 4's for long range or steroid bunnies...
these guys will have links and posts with actual pellet size and counts etc... I am but a po' redneck so my opinion is just that and if it is less than accurate I will refund what you paid for it...:D
Brent

[freakintoguns]

nothing wrong with rednecks sir, im somewhat of a urban redneck! coem with growin up ina mixed family! thanks for the info tho. whats the deal with special turkey loads? do they have to be 3.5" super magnum shoulder breakers?

[SDC]

The 2 3/4", 3", and 3 1/2" are just the length of the chambers for which those shells are loaded; it's OK to fire a shorter shell in a longer chamber, but you definitely don't want to fire a longer shell in a shorter chamber, because the shell needs room to fold out, otherwise you can damage the gun or yourself. Every modern shotgun will have the chamber length marked on it, but if your gun isn't marked with a chamber length, get it measured so you know for sure.
The size of shot in a shell will either be marked on each shell, or on the factory box they came in. Shot sizes range from #12 ("dust") up to #0 buckshot, and each size of shot is used for different things, depending on what you're shooting at. Clay pigeons, trap, skeet, etc. are usually #7, #7 1/2, or #8, ducks are usually #5 or #6, geese are usually #4, deer or bad guys are usually one of the various sizes of buckshot, and if it absolutely, positively has to be dead now, then most people use slugs.
You have to choose the shell for what you're doing, and you shouldn't necessarily choose the most powerful load available; you might have a Mossberg UltiMag with a 3 1/2" chamber, but if you're just out for an afternoon of target practice, 3 1/2" shells will beat your shoulder to hamburger and they'll cost an arm and a leg to boot, so in that case, I'd use some 2 3/4" #7 1/2 trap loads.

[hogdogs]

MEESTER Kanadian guy, You fergot 00 and 000 in buck shot, like I forgot I had heard once of #12 never seen it though...
Brent

[freakintoguns]

when me and my buddies go out plinking in the desert we usually buy 2 or 3 100 shell boxes of 7 1/2 to play with. i keep my remington loaded with 2/75 or 3" slugs for the badguys at home tho. i guess im mostly curious why they have special turkey loads. and turkey guns.

[USA123456789]

Well a 3.5 isnt that bad compared to the 458 lott thats the same bullet length and then some and then a 500 gr round nose. We need 175 lbs of lead to tame that beast.
The shot sizes that i know of are 12,9,8.5,8,7.5,7,6,5,4,2 and the bb shot sizes
Most tipically the 7.5 through 9 shots are used for target sports like trapshooting or skeet and sporting clays.
The 3.5 in mag is disigned for the purpose of long distance and a tight pattern. It is known to you as a sholder buster because of the emense amount of powder that is charged into these shells.

The 12 shot is from Spain why they have it i don't know but is good with the xtra-full choke on skeet.

[hogdogs]

Turkey are a tough hunt... it ain't that they are super durable... But the feather layer is thick. They may remain out of "typical" shotgun range. So they have turkey loads... They have a HUGE payload of shot so that as they exceed normal pattern range you may still have some pellets in the area of the bare head where a kill is likely. They may also have a premium design in the wad to retain a dense pattern further than the fast dump field loads we use.
Lastly they do not skimp on powder. In order to maximize the kill range they need the pellets to start out hot to have enough energy down range...
At least that is my redneck reckoning on gobbler gitter rounds...
Brent

[hogdogs]

USA, Not only the amount of powder but that equal and opposite mumbo jumbo is in play when trying to get them super heavy payloads of lead moving out the barrel.
Brent

[wpcexpert]

ducks are usually #5 or #6, geese are usually #4,

They'ed have to be aweful close. Steel shot has drastically diminished the range effectiveness of shotgun shells. I don't usually carry less than 2's for ducks, most of the time 1's or BB. Then BB, BBB, or T shot for Geese.

Here's the link Hogdogs was looking for...

http://www.shotgunworld.com/amm.html

[freakintoguns]

so for deer hunting a 3.5" buchshot shoell would be a pretty good bet? or stick to slugs?

[olddrum1]

You need to see whats legal in your state. Here it is not legal to use Buck on deer. As far as turkey loads, here in Missouri if it says turkey in front of it, Walmarts can sell it for more money, even if its not technically a better round. Actually you can buy the turkey cheaper than the shells anymore.

[freakintoguns]

aint that the truth somehow my mom paid 5 bux for 17 lbs turkey at smiths fr thanksgiving, seems WAY cheaper then 20 odd bucks fr shells and 3-600 or more for a turkey gon

[HeliosPrime]

Normally I use 3" for duck as my all around shell, I do carry a few 3 1/2" for the birds that are a little farther away. I mostly use BB for ducks. And for clay I buy the cheapest that walmart carries in 2 3/4".

[johnnyeastside]

Here's something useful.
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=38912&d=1228053941

Can't repost file??

[zippy13]

"Can't repost file??"
It's a graphic.
Here's one that's the same thing without the weights:

http://www.ammobank.com/images/shotsize.GIF

[johnnyeastside]

Thanks again Zippy.
I post pics on a lot of forums,but I have trouble with this one. Is it because it's an Adobe file?

[johnwilliamson062]

Kind off off topic, but I love how someone people defend the stopping power of the .223, then turn around and say #4 buckshot is worthless when it is .24 diameter with 32 pellets and has plenty of velocity for HD ranges. It does not meet the 'FBI penetration requirements,' after all.

For clays you want to use7.5 or 8, depending at what range you are shooting. 9s will bounce off the clay on longer shots.

I took 7.5 sts nitros to hunt pheasants, had a lot longer shots than trap or sporting clays and will take 6s next time for the extra umph at longer ranges.

6s work very well for squirrel.

It seems in most states buck shot is illegal for deer, although it is sometimes legal for coyotes.

[hogdogs]

Is that .223 a round ball? Is it the same weight in grains as a buckshot ball? what is the B.C. of both?
Brent

[MaxHeadSpace]

The Wikipedia article on "shotgun" discusses shot, along with design, development, and applications of shotguns . . . bore, gauge, choke, shot, etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotgun

[hogdogs]

Never trust a wiki... they are not always as wise as they seem... Just remember Cliff Clavin on "Cheers"... "WELLLLL YA KNOWWWWW....":D
Brent

[oneounceload]

#12 and #11 are what you will find in .22 shotshells - good for snakes about 3 feet away, and fun to use on station 8 on the skeet field

[johnwilliamson062]

Is that .223 a round ball? Is it the same weight in grains as a buckshot ball? what is the B.C. of both?
Generally FMJ spear point. So the BC is much lower and the damage done upon entry is also less. Doesn't get that nice stretch everything until it tears effect you get with the round stuff.

[hogdogs]

Correct on the entry but skin discomfort is not "effectiveness" nor "efficacy". The round ball also will not expand with sharp petals and maximized diameter which are for "effectiveness" and "efficacy"... And I am not a .223 fan. For 'yotes they are likely the cat's meow... come to think about it I bet they are fine for feral cats too...
Brent

[.45 COLT]

Hogdogs
Is that .223 a round ball? Is it the same weight in grains as a buckshot ball? what is the B.C. of both?
Brent
#4 Buck (pure lead) weighs 20.75 Grains, has a SD of .051 and a BC of about .033.

The .223 runs from 35 to 80 Grains, SD from .100 to .228 and BC from .109 to .453. (Hornady’s figures).

At HD ranges, the BC isn’t particularly important but weight and SD are.

DC

[zippy13]

johnnyeastside
I post pics on a lot of forums,but I have trouble with this one. Is it because it's an Adobe file?
Yep! Your link was to a posting's attachment that was in .pfd format.

If you recall, we went thru this last month with Homerboy's thread Chart of 12 gauge shotgun ammo?
Here's what happened: You'd found a shot size graphic at a Maryland hunter's course; but, when you tried to pass it along (hot link) it turned out to be a .pdf file. Since you couldn't the file to display, you asked for help. A little later I happened along. My first thought was to copy the image from the .pdf file and upload it. But, in the process, somehow I stumbled across the original document that Maryland was using, and the chart in question was in .gif format. Other states link to the same course.
The chart you like is at <http://www.hunter-ed.com/images/graphics/ammo_shot_sizes.gif>
http://www.hunter-ed.com/images/graphics/ammo_shot_sizes.gif
A special thanks to the folks at Today's Hunter (www.hunter-ed.com). They offer online and classroom Hunter Safety courses in 14 states.

[zippy13]

It seems in most states buck shot is illegal for deer...
(emphisis added)
humm....
Perhaps we're due for a nomenclature revision. What do you think?... Is it time to get the buck out of buck shot?

[TheManHimself]

Generally FMJ spear point. So the BC is much lower and the damage done upon entry is also less. Doesn't get that nice stretch everything until it tears effect you get with the round stuff.

Actually, the premium HD loads are OTMs, same as the military 5.56mm designated marksman round. Ballistic coefficient is far higher than round ball - even FMJ has a slightly higher BC than round ball. And at HD ranges and out to around 150-200yds depending on barrel length, the 75-77gr OTM bullets will fragment violently - tissue damage inside the bullet's frag range is typically more severe than a 7.62mm FMJ, and nobody says bad things about 7.62x51mm.