Ignorant to shotgun rounds

[Aaryq]

Howdy, folks. I'm pretty stupid when it comes to shotugn rounds. I know that there are slugs and there are the shells that have lots of pellats in them. I hear 000 buck, 00 buck, and lots of other types of shot. What does it all mean?

 

[mattw]

Its like golf. The smaller the number the bigger the score. The smaller the shot number the bigger the pellet. #8 bird shot looks like sand made of lead and #4 shot is where buckshot starts (I think).

Buckshot is too big for small stuff like birds and squirrels. The more zeros you see the bigger the pellets. I think the size of a 00 buck pellet is something like .32 cal, and you've got anywhere from 8 to 15 of those in your shell depending on the shell's length. 000 Buck is even bigger, .34 cal pellets (I think).

Do some research on google.com or wikipedia.org.

 

[El Tejon]

The size of shot, it is a inverse relationship, the smaller the number the bigger the shot. #000 is approx. .36 caliber while #12 is dust.

To add to the confusion there are letters (e.g. T and F) as well. They usually bridge the gap from "shot" to buckshot.

This is THR someone with a prepared chart will be along shortly.

 

[Aaryq]

What do you normally load for HD, birds, little creatures and big creatures?

 

[dpote]

Here it is...

 

[mattw]

This is THR someone with a prepared chart will be along shortly.

You gotta love this place...

 

[sm]

17 - shot size = dia of pellet.

17 - #6 = .11 dia. pellet.

 

[SDC]

What do you normally load for HD, birds, little creatures and big creatures?[/iquote]

A lot of this will depend on the exact type of shooting you're planning on doing, and the range you're planning on doing it at, but usually:

HD and hunting large game: either slugs, 00 Buck, or maybe down to #4 buck
Small birds, like quail: #7 1/2
Medium birds, like ducks: BB
Large birds, like geese: BB to #4

Range and the choke you use can change all of these, though, since a shotgun has to trade-off between shot density (how likely several pellets are to HIT the target), and how much damage each pellet will do when it hits.

 

[sm]

Shotgunning : The Art & Science _ Bob Brister

Highly recommended!

 

[Robo_Railer]

I'm pretty stupid when it comes to shotugn rounds.

Nope, you're not "stupid." You knew you needed information, and you went to the right place for said information.

Incidentally, "gauge" is based on the number of lead balls of that diameter that will equal one pound. Larger diameter shot requires less of them to reach the 1 lb. mark, so the gauge number gets smaller as the shot gets bigger. (Just had a vision of Benny Hill ogling one of the girls on his show and saying "I bet you don't get many of those to the pound!" )

 

[zinj]

Shot sizes use, in general:

#9-7.5 - Clay Targets and small upland birds like doves

#7-6 - Mid-sized upland birds like Grouse, small mammals like rabbits and squirrels

#5-4 - Tougher upland birds like Pheasant, waterfowl with high-density non-toxic shot

#3-BBB - Waterfowling with steel shot, sometimes fur-bearing mammals

#4-#1 Buckshot - Predators like coyotes, defensive use

0-000 Buckshot - Deer at close range, defensive use

Rifled Slugs - Deer, sometimes defensive use against both humans and bear

Sabot Slugs - Deer, with rifled barrel



And the loose ends:

#12 - Mostly used in those snake rounds for pistols.
F-T - Between BBB and #4 Buck, almost exclusively steel. Brought out before high density non-toxics came on the scene, thgey have pretty much killed these sizes. One exception is the Hevi-Shot "Dead Coyote" load, which is a high density non-toxic in size T meant for predator hunting (obviously).

 

[El Tejon]

Do they still make the "duplex" loads? Different sizes of shot together.

The duplex load from Remington mixing Ts and BBs was murder on crows.

 

[billp]

zinj

We use about 8 on quail and 6 on chukar and pheasant.


On people?

911 or

.

regards from senior

 

[zinj]

I hunt in Iowa and almost no one uses #6s on Pheasant. I used to shot #6s, but after losing birds that I had hit solidly I moved up to #4s. It seems like pheasant are tougher in some areas than others.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Zinj, not tougher, just further or nearer.

Pop's shorthairs were close working dogs, for the most part. Shots at the flush were 20-25 yards. There, even 7 1/2s did well, especially if I could see the head and neck.

For longer shots, I found 5s were nigh perfect for me. All the shotguns I used back then were tightly choked. They also worked on those going away shots where the impact area was the last part to go over the fence. 4s worked also, but I liked the higher pellet count of the 5s

On preserve ringnecks, 8s will do.

 

[billp]

#4

I used #4 steel at cheyenne bottoms.

Shot goes out a lot faster but doesn't seem to carry as far as lead.

But, hey, I think it's not about killing birds.

I think it is about the people, the exercise, and the fun.

We may not be doing this much longer.

Old age maybe? But also peak oil and peak natural gas?

Wallace is apparently still alive!

 

[zinj]

Zinj, not tougher, just further or nearer.

You are probably right. Even though the guys I hunt with have dogs, sometimes birds flush right under your feet, and other times they get nervous make a surprise break at 35 yards. By the time you get your gun up they are another ten or fifteen yards out.

Personally, even if I knew the birds were going to be close I would probably still take #4s. The bigger shot means less pellets in the meat; there are less in the pattern (sometimes it is a good thing!), and they are more likely to fully penetrate the bird and not lodge in the meat.