Shot strings

[Adamantium]

In my reading up on the differences between steel and lead I keep hearing about the fact that steel has a much shorter shot string than lead. Now normally I wouldn't pay much attention to this and just revert back to my much less technical gun shooting theory "PTGGB". Pull Trigger Gun Go Boom. The thing that has got me wondering about this though is that most places that talk about how this can induce missed shots. In example, a person misses a shot with steel, but if he had taken the same shot using the lead equal.

So my questions are, why does a shorter shot string reduce your chance of scoring a hit on a target? And if that same shot would of hit with lead, because of a longer shot string, would it of been a solid hit or would it still have mostly been a miss?

Also if someone could explain to me the how and why's of the shot string effect on preformance, and how much difference it actually makes would be much appreciated.

Sincerely,
Adam

[labgrade]

I don't know if steel has a shorter string or not, but, if it did (& regardless of material) a shorter string would give less time for the target to be inveloped by the string.

Same as a clear miss with two cars at 90 degress through an intersection versus a car & a semi - just longer chance of a hit.

Too, some of those longer "misses" with steel aren't. Steel (shot size being equal) doesn't pack as much punch at the longer distances as lead.

I'd bet that steel causes/ed more cripples than any single other factor. Well, not steel itself, but a hunters' use of it.

[Chuck Graber]

labgrade,
Yes steel is reputed to have a shorter shot string by many of those who should know.

The shorter shot string is a benefit as all the shot arives in the pattern at about the same time. This means that you get more of the pattern that you see on the patterning board. When you have a longer shot string you may get an extra target or so from a target ariving late and being hit by a lagard pellet, but this is doubtful. First most misses are behind and the lagard pellets will be even farther behind. Secondly, elongating the pattern that you see on the pattern board means that the target or bird will be traveling slightly diagonally through the shot swarm. This means that there are bigger holes in your pattern than t he pattern board would indicate. And lastly pellets that are trailing the majority of the swarm are loosing velocity and energy rapidly and do not carry the same energy of those in the swarm. This means that these slow pellets if on target may not do their job. They will probably have not energy to break a clay or achieve lethal penetration on game.

Does this mean that I like steel better than lead??? ABSOULTELY NOT!!! The added energy of lead or the heavy Non-toxics more than make up for the slightly lengthened shot string. At anything over skeet distances (20-25 yards) added density pays off in killing power.

Chuck Graber

[Adamantium]

I actually found this on the Pattern Master choke tube website, Http://www.patternmaster.com . I'm in no way in leauge with Pattern master, but this does talk about shot strings and that a shorter one not only hits more, but more deadly also as Chuck commented.

Dear Patternmaster: As usual, I hunted ducks with my buddy this season. I really was impressed with the results that he got with
his new Patternmaster Supreme choke tube. We both used identical Benelli SBE's, but I used the factory tubes. We both used
Federal 3" shells with 1 3/8 oz. of #2 steel shot. In previous seasons I have usually killed 2 ducks to every one of his, but this year
he beat me out cold. He made shots at unbelievably long distances (some beyond 60 yards), close shots over decoys, and at all
ranges in between. Also, his birds dropped faster when hit, and were usually dead when they hit the water, and were rarely
crippled. I am sure that I am still a better shot, so I am really interested in your tubes, but confused. We just shot our SBEs at paper
patterning targets to see how much tighter his pattern was than mine, and are surprised at the results. Your Patternmaster tube
shot about 85% and my factory tubes averaged about 82%! That isn't a great enough difference to account for what happened in
the field this season. Am I losing it or what gives?

Answer: Yours is an excellent example of our most frequently-asked question. Since it goes to the heart of the unique performance
advantages offered by our patented system, which unfortunately are so novel that they are poorly understood, we are posting your letter
prominently on our web site.

To answer your question, you first must understand that one of the truly unique features of the patented Patternmaster system is
that it produces significantly shorter shot strings than do the conventional radial constriction "funnel choke" tubes, which are the
type made by everyone else.

Think about this. Paper targets can measure only the 2-dimensional spread of a shot pattern; a pattern board cannot measure the
actual effective pattern performance in the way you and your friend measured it this season in the duck blind. Those ducks that
you and your hunting buddy were shooting at are living and flying in a 3-dimensional world, not a flat 2-dimensional one. So, if you
shoot 2 choke tubes at a duck flying 40 yards out, each tube shooting an 85% pattern on paper (2-dimensional), but the "funnel
choke" produces a 12 foot long shot string at 40 yards and the Patternmaster system tube produces a 6 foot long shot string at 40
yards, then the Patternmaster pattern is in reality, that is 3-dimensionally, twice is dense.

Your Benelli tube being a conventional "funnel choke" can intrinsically only attain high 2-dimensional pattern percentages at the
cost constricting and narrowing the shot charge. It thereby lengthens the on-target shot string which actually decreases the
all-important 3-dimensional pattern density. In comparison, Patternmaster tubes do not radially constrict and "funnel" the shot
charge, but rather retard the wad, and keep the shot string short. This is the only way we know to get tighter 2-dimensional paper
target pattern without also lengthening the shot string.

Therefore, to now directly answer your question, your hunting partner bested you with his Patternmaster-equipped SBE because
he was putting more pellets and killing energy on the duck, it was easier for him to hit the duck in the first place at almost any given
range, and his effective killing range was increased. His shorter shot string length accounts for the seeming paradox you
encountered. It's that simple. Thanks again for your most excellent question.

Once again, I'm not in anyway endorsing pattern master, I don't even own one myself. Butr they do raise an interesting point. Also, the link to the article is http://www.patternmaster.com/mostfaq.htm

Sincerely,
Adam

[Kingcreek]

...if the duck is flying straight at you.

These are some pretty good explanations of shot stringing but how can you tell how long your shot column is? some kind of pattern board moving laterally at a known rate of speed?
Can different wad designs do as much as a patternmaster or other expensive tube?

[labgrade]

I stand corrected. Thinking about it all makes sense, but didn't intuitively (at first).

Still, steel ain't as good as lead.

[Adamantium]

I've got no clue exactly how they measure shot string. I always just figured they used a camera that is constantly taking pictures at a high rate of speed. But then agian your patterning board guess is just as good as mine.

On wads, I've never heard of that, but it has been said that you can adjust your distance quite easily with them. Thicker or thinner than usual petals will add on to the the constriction of the choke. Not something I've tried but certainly a well founded theory.

Sincerely,
Adam

[Dave McC]

Thicker wad petals run into pressure probs PDQ. With steel(My least favorite shot material) having zero compression, more bridging at the choke could result in a bad case of blunderbuss muzzle or your choke tube getting added to the ejecta.

Shot strings can be tuned a bit by powder selection, just like lead shot can. But, there's limits, and that part in the letter about taking 60 yard shots hikes my BP no end.

One reason I do less waterfowling than in days of yore is the fact that often I have to hit a goose twice to ensure a clean kill, and that's at ranges way closer than 60 #$%^&* yards.

To ensure clean hits and humane kills with few to no cripples with steel, take close shots with big pellets and practice like H*ll. Do that and the shot string will take care of itself...

[Chuck Graber]

Adamantium and Dave McC,
I believe that you are looking at the equation wrong. Choke is the difference between the standard bore diameter and the constricted part of the choke. The thickness of the wad petals should have no effect on shot performance EXCEPT that plastic is softer than lead shot and even more so than steel shot. Pick up any spent wad and you will see the shot cup dimpled by even the softest shot.

The thicker petals would actually cushion the shot columns journey through the choke portion of the barrel and could even slightly make for a more open choke pattern.

Dave,
I would suggest that you try some of the new non-toxics. I have found that I shoot fewer shells when I use tungsten-matrix shells. They reach out farther and hit harder. I firmly believe that #1 TM is significantly more lethal than stee in BBB or even T sizes.

Chuck Graber

[Dave McC]

Chuck, part of the pattern size is determined by how long/much the wad is delayed when it hits the choke. Full choke delays it longer, Cylinder much less. A wad that just blows through the choke bumps the shot from the rear and scatters it, thus openingthe pattern.It's not just constriction, tho that's a major player here.

Zutz explains it better than I can, check out his book,Shotgun Stuff,for some really esoteric stuff on patterns, chokes and loads.

However, getting good patterns is still somewhat arcane.An art rather than science. Petal dimensions do affect patterns, IMO, but usually not enough to be noticed,UNLESS pressure gets too high.

[Chuck Graber]

Dave,
I agree with you on the subject of choke performance, but I still don't see where a thicker wad petal will cause pressure problems and I would suggest that the softer plastic material would tend to prevent steel shot bridging at the choke area as it is much softer than steel and can compress to allow the steel pellets to shift or squeeze through. A thinner petal will not be able to absorb as much compression.

Chuck Graber

[labgrade]

The "intuitive" part that got me was the timing of the string itself.

A longer string would seem to allow more flight time of the target through the string, but, when measured in milliseconds, I guess it's a moot point. Theoretically substantial, I'd suppose, but not in practicality ....

& I know nuttin' 'bout thicker shot cups.

Bit more to "just a shotgun" than would appear at first glance, no?

[Adamantium]

Good point Labgrade, I finally worked out the numbers of shot string time of target. I just picked 600 FPS as a speed, which is a little low but still realistic. If you had one shot string that was 20 ft. long it would pass a target in just over .036 of a second. Very fast for a long shot string of slow moving slot.

Sincerely,
Adam

[Dave McC]

Chuck, let's just agree to disagree on this. I'm no engineer.

The trouble with long shot strings can be summed up in one word. Density. The longer the string is, the less shot in any one section of it.

I doubt it makes a difference at skeet ranges, even the usual distance for quail. But, out past 30 yards, a long string with holes here and there oft means a lost clay, or a slow and painful death for a living critter.

I like nice thick, dense patterns.

[Chuck Graber]

Dave,
Agreed, The ideal pattern is a flying pancake. Proper width and very short shot string. The longer a shot string is the easier it is for a clay or bird to find a clear path through it and remain unscathed.

Chuck Graber