What do shotgun shell numbers mean

What about larger birds such as pheasants? Not recommended, but you may want to try a low-recoil shell with a tight choke to increase density of the shot pattern. In this case, if the more powerful shell delivers an uncomfortable level of recoil, consider switching to a gauge semi-automatic shotgun that diverts excess gas from the spent shell into its own operating mechanism. Price is another potential drawback to low-recoil shells. In some instances, you may pay nearly twice as much for a box of low-recoil loads compared with standard shells at big-box retailers.

Smaller shotguns such as 28 gauge and. Non-toxic shells are becoming more popular as the Environmental Protection Agency and conservation groups move to limit or ban the use of lead ammunition on public hunting grounds. Their argument is that residual lead poisons fish, waterfowl and predators. Likewise, some private hunting clubs are requiring non-toxic shotgun loads.

The most popular non-toxic shotgun loads are packed with pellets made of steel, Tungsten frequently alloyed with nickel, iron or bronze , Bismuth or some combination of these materials. Non-toxic materials differ in their density, stopping power energy and velocity. Steel decelerates more than other non-toxic shotgun loads and is recommended for close shooting such as decoy hunting. Because of its hardness, steel shot should not be used with full or extra-full chokes for fear of damaging the barrel or choke.

Find out if your shotgun barrel is rated for steel shot before making a purchase. Likewise, confirm whether or not your choke is rated for steel. The hardness of steel also presents problems for bird hunting.

Basically, you want a shot material that will flatten and spread when it hits your prey for better stopping power. Steel shot, because of its hardness, can pass through an animal rather than lodge in vital organs for a fatal wound; the results can produce an unwanted number of wounded birds.

In terms of shot density, steel is about 70 percent as dense as lead. Bismuth shot is nearly as dense as lead. Some tungsten alloys come close to the softness and density of lead shot. Hevi-Shot is the heaviest of the non-toxic ammunition. With the exception of percent steel shot, other non-toxics should be effective on longer range, waterfowl, passing shooting.

Get ready for sticker shock, though. Most reloading fans will tell you they make their own loads to save money. But the ability to customize your shells for performance and recoil often makes for a more compelling argument to build-your-own.

Reloading your own shotgun shells may indeed cost less than off-the-shelf boxes even at big box stores. The other side of the equation is time and travel. You still need to drive somewhere for pound bags of shot, bulky bags of wads and jugs of powder. Online purchasing is of course an option, but take into account shipping and the cost benefits could easily diminish.

And what about space? Do you have the room for a dedicated reloading bench and assorted accessories? You need to also consider that reloading is dirty. Shot pellets will inevitably spill all over the place. Gunpowder granules spread like dust, except they leave a black residue. And pretty soon the area smells of grease and cleaning solvents. A MEC reloading press.

To start, from a financial perspective, you need to rationalize the initial cost of a shotshell press. Mayville Engineering Co. For gauge shells, you may find the balance sheet tipped in favor of low-cost shells from big-box retailers. The same financials may apply to gauge shells — except when you get into competition loads packed with number 8 or 9 pellets. Moving to 16 gauge, 28 gauge and. For 12 and 20 gauge, however, it would be tough to sustain a strong financial case for hand-loading versus retail — unless you talk about quality.

It all begins with the Lyman Shotshell Reloading Handbook or something similar. Individual components such as hulls, wads, powders and primers have distinctive ballistic characteristics.

Tweaking the recipes is of course flirting with disaster remember, shotshells are explosives , but what you will find with sufficient experimentation of different recipes is the perfect load for you — a personalized shell that performs well with the forcing cones of your barrels, your favorite chokes, the particular sport you shoot, your recoil tolerances and the best possible velocity not necessarily the fastest.

In a word, you want consistency rather than the mass-produced shells that could be slightly different from each other as they come off the assembly lines. If you want to reload, safety is a top priority. Wear shooting glasses, latex gloves and even an apron to prevent contaminants from spreading throughout your house.

Keep your area clean; vacuum it whenever necessary. Pay attention: too many shotgun barrels explode with catastrophic consequences after a reloading press accidentally drops a double load of powder into a hull without you noticing it. Be safe, be smart and always respect the components you are working with, and you can experience many years of fun, and savings that come with reloading your own shot shells.

Use BB shot for long range and pass shooting. For normal range--No. Goose hunters need wallop so they use the big loads with large shot. Many hunters prefer No. For cornfield shooting where long shots are usual - better use No. On a normal rise over dogs and for all around use, No. On the smaller birds such as ruffed grouse or Hungarian Partridge, use the smaller shot.

The big western grouse sage, sooty, and blue call for heavier loads and larger shot. For early season shooting on bobwhites when feathers are light, some hunters use No. Later they switch to No. On the running or wild flushing type of quail, such as the Gambel's, large shot is sometimes used. Use lighter loads and No.

Use the same load on band tailed pigeons and white wings. The choice of shot size here will depend on ranges at which the game is shot. For fast shooting in the alder thickets, No.

Choice of shot size depends on the range. If you're a good caller, No. BBs, No. Irwin Greenstein is Publisher of Shotgun Life. Please send your comments to letters shotgunlife. Back Clay Sports Sportsguns. Back News Archive. Shotgun Shells Written by Irwin Greenstein. Rate this item 1 2 3 4 5 50 votes. Buy the best waterfowl loads you can afford. If that happens to be steel shot, so be it. Far more ducks are taken with steel shot every year than all other forms of non-toxic shot combined.

Federal law mandates that only nontoxic, lead-free, shot be used when hunting migratory waterfowl. Buckshots pellets are large enough that they need to be carefully stacked inside the casing rather than just poured in. Once popular for deer hunting in the United States, buckshot has been almost completely eclipsed by single-projectile loads called slugs. Shot and Powder Amount Besides the length of the shell and the size and material of the shot, there are two other considerations to keep in mind when buying shotshells, the amount of shot and the amount of powder.

Shot is measured in ounces. Powder is measured in either drams or, in a roundabout way, by the muzzle velocity of the discharged load. It long served as the standard unit of measurement for blackpowder. With the advent of modern smokeless powders, which vary in weight, ammunition manufacturers began publishing their powder charges in terms of dram equivalents. That is, a modern shotgun shell listed as having 3 drams of powder actually has a load of propellant equivalent in energy to 3 drams of black powder.

A general purpose small-game hunting load will have a muzzle velocity of around to feet per second, while a waterfowl load for long-range shooting will have a muzzle velocity in the range of to feet per second. A shotshell box top should tell you everything you need to know about the ammo inside. Delivers larger, more forgiving patterns at close range, while still providing deadly penetration at long distance.

A semi-automatic shotgun built on the inertia system. Reliable cycling and an evenly-weighted gun. The Weatherby Element Synthetic is an inertia driven shotgun, that is tough enough to endure whatever you throw at it. Success as a glasser begins with the ability to pick out the right places to do your glassing from.

There are three main types of shotguns that are used in hunting. These three shotguns are the autoloader, the pump-action, and the break-open shotguns. All of these shotguns are good and in the end it comes down to personal preference, especially when it comes down to the game one is pursuing. Here is an in-depth look at the hunting shotguns pros and cons. The Autoloader Sometimes called autoloaders or, incorrectly, automatic shotguns, harness BB, BBB: short range geese.

BBB, T: Long-range geese. Federal Ammunition. Bismuth Shotshells. Pattern and hit birds like traditional lead, providing more killing power at longer ranges.

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