Shot pattern

[RKellogg]

I know this is a " out there question " , but can anyone explain the shot patterns for different guages , 410 , 28 , 20 , 12 , 10 . I hear people talking about shot pattern and how long the shot patterns are , and I don't get it . :banghead:
I have had some people tell me all the patterns are the same for all the guages , just one is shorter than the other
I know that choke plays a big roll too .
The reason why I ask it that some guys tell me that you can shoot skeet better with a 28 than you can with a 12 . And that 28 is the PERFECT ga.
I know about the lead balls in the barrle to figure out the ga . , 20 lead balls = a pound for a 20 ga .

 

[RNB65]

More shot pellets = better pattern density. Fewer shot pellets = less pattern density.

Theoretically, a full choke will deliver the same pattern diameter regardless of gauge (12, 20, 28, etc.). Note that I said "theoretically" as there are a lot of factors that determine pattern size. In addition to choke and gauge, shot size, shot hardness, and velocity also affect pattern size.

So, theoretically, a 28ga w/ full choke will produce the same pattern size as a 12ga w/ full choke, but there will be more holes in the pattern due to reduced density.

 

[mswestfall]

What RNB65 said and try these sites:

http://www.rfgc.org/reload/pattern_density_calc.htm
http://www.purnsleyoutdoors.com/Article_Video/ShotPattern.htm

I didn't find the one site that had great info. I thought it was Remington.com.

 

[Oldnamvet]

About shot stringing. Understand that the shot goes out in a "cloud" so to speak. It is not flat as a pancake but is actually a "string" of shot. Best book to read is Shotgun Art and Science by Brister. He shows the effect of shot stringing. When we pattern we shoot at a flat piece of paper and then count the holes in a circle. If that piece of paper was moving across in front of us at 50 mph, you would see the effect of a shot string, not a circle of shot but an elongated oval. Amount of elongation equates with the length of the shot string. Brister shows this as well as a lot of other influences on the pattern. A lot of things affect that pattern, including how hard the shot is. Soft shot has more pellet deformation and so some pellets don't fly true, veer off to the side, disrupt the pattern, etc. I am sure that Steve (sm) will be along shortly to give a succinct explanation. And he really loves the 28 ga. A really fascinating area of shotgun shooting. When a youngster, I just took a shotgun out and started hunting. I might shoot at a pond to get an idea of how much "spread" I had. Now, first thing I do with a shotgun is pattern it with the loads I might use. Some loads pattern better in some of my guns. And some of the guns I used to have didn't pattern well with any loads. I don't have those guns anymore.