Shotguns are firearms with one or two smooth bore barrels that fire ammunition containing projectiles called shot. When fired, shotguns have an impact field, or “pattern,” that spreads small pellets over a wide area at short distances, which is determined by the gun’s gauge, barrel length and shot size. Shotguns are used for game hunting, competitive clay shooting, home defense and military and law enforcement tactical use.
A Brief History of Shotguns and Shotgun Ammunition
Primitive firearms used by the Chinese in the mid-13th century, known as fire lances, were the early ancestors of today’s shotguns. These handheld metal or bamboo tubes were charged with gunpowder—another Chinese invention—and ignited with a fuse, which caused a discharge that propelled ceramic shards, bits of scrap metal, darts or small pebbles toward the target.
During the 17th century, the Germans developed a short, smooth-bore firearm called a blunderbuss that was loaded through the muzzle with powder and shot and fired from the shoulder. The British had a similar muzzleloading firearm in the 1700s called a fowling piece that was used for hunting birds and other small game. Fowling pieces, a term that’s still used today by some U.K. bird hunters, fired small, round projectiles known as birdshot. The term shotgun was coined in the U.S. during the Revolutionary War to differentiate smoothbore firearms from muskets with rifled barrels.
Shotguns were used by the U.S. Military throughout the Civil and Indian Wars. During the westward migration that followed, virtually all pioneers and homesteaders had shotguns that were used for hunting, home protection and self-defense.
Shotgun ammunition, called shells or cartridges, were invented around 1860. Most early shotgun shells had brass casings similar to rifle and pistol ammunition. Between 1870 and 1890, some manufacturers began producing shotgun shells with paper casings. The paper, however, swelled when damp, which caused jamming and misfires. Paper casings were later waterproofed by infusing them with wax.
The introduction of double-barreled shotguns in 1875 was a significant advancement in the shotgun’s evolution. By the late 19th century, pump and semi-automatic shotguns were being produced, and although there have been technological improvements, they basically look and operate much the same as they did at the turn of the century.
Advancements in shotgun ammunition propellants and casings were also made, and by 1960, plastic shotgun shell casings had begun to replace waterproof paper cartridge cases.
Parts of a Shotgun Shell
Shotgun shells are plastic or paper cylindrical containers with brass bases that hold gunpowder. Paper or plastic wadding separates the gunpowder from shot in a plastic cup in the upper portion of the cartridge. A fulminate of mercury percussion cap built into the cartridge’s base ignites the gunpowder when struck by the shotgun’s trigger mechanism firing pin. Energy released by the ignited propellant forces the shot down the barrel and out the muzzle toward the target. Until recently, shot was traditionally made from lead, although it’s increasingly being replaced by other materials such as steel, bismuth, tungsten, iron, or plated nickel or copper due largely to environmental regulations that partially ban lead shot.
Shotgun Shell Terminology and Technical Information
Every box of shotgun shells has technical information printed on the container that describes the contents, including the gauge, cartridge length, muzzle velocity, powder content and amount of shot expressed in ounces and the shot size.
- Gauge. A shotgun’s gauge refers to the inside bore diameter of the gun’s barrel expressed in the number of lead balls of that same diameter needed to equal one pound. For example, it would take 12 lead balls each—the same diameter as a 12-gauge shotgun’s bore—to equal one pound. Similarly, each of 20 lead balls in a pound of lead would be the same diameter as the bore of a 20-gauge shotgun. With a few exceptions on either end, shotgun gauges range from the large 10-gauge to the much smaller .410, which technically isn’t a gauge, but rather a .410 caliber bore size. 12-gauge shotguns are among the most popular firearms sold in the U.S.
- Shell Length. Shotgun shells come in various lengths to match a shotgun’s chamber. Although large chamber shotguns can use shorter shells, a shorter shell can’t be fired from a gun that’s chambered for a longer cartridge. As an example, a 2 ¾ cartridge can safely be fired in a shotgun chambered for 3-inch ammunition, but a 3-inch shell can’t be fired in a gun with a 2 ¾ inch chamber.Firing a shell that’s too long for the chamber is extremely dangerous. There’s not enough room in the chamber for the crimped top of the paper or plastic casing to fully unfold when the gun is fired, which results in an obstruction that can cause an explosion, damaging the barrel and seriously injuring the shooter.
- Weight. A shotgun shell’s weight, which is a part of the information included on the packaging, refers to the total weight of the pellets it contains expressed in ounces. The higher the indicated weight, the more pellets the cartridge contains.
- Muzzle Velocity. Expressed in feet per second (fps), muzzle velocity is a measurement of the speed at which the shot leaves the barrel when the gun is fired. Muzzle velocity is a direct function of the size and weight of shot and the grams of powder the cartridge contains. The higher the indicated fps, the further the shot will reach and the greater the impact it will have on the target. This is an approximate measurement, since performance will vary slightly among shotguns. Muzzle velocity is also affected by the type of metal used to make the shot contained in the cartridge.
- Shot Size. Designated by either the pound sign (#) or “No.,” shot sizes are matched to their intended uses. Cartridge shot loads range from tiny spherical pellets as small as .07 inch (1.78 mm) called birdshot to much larger “buckshot” pellets with diameters as large as .19 inch (4.83 mm).
Birdshot pellet sizes are expressed numerically in descending order from #1, which is the largest at .16 inch (4.06 mm) in diameter to the tiny #10 that measures just .07 of an inch, or 1.78 mm. Buckshot pellet sizes are numbered in descending order similar to birdshot. The largest buckshot ball is #OOO, or “triple aught,” which is .36 of an inch (9.1 mm) in diameter. The most popular buckshot size is double aught, or #00, with a .330 inch (8.38 mm) diameter.
What’s Inside a Shotgun Shell?
Here are the five internal components of a shotgun cartridge and their functions:
- Powder. Gunpowder is a highly volatile substance used as a propellant in various types of ammunition, including shotgun shells. Heat given off when the shotgun’s firing pin strikes a primer imbedded in the cartridge’s base ignites the gunpowder. Energy released in the form of expanding gasses forces the projectile(s) down the muzzle and out the barrel. Traditionally, low brass shotgun shells contain less powder and consequently have lower muzzle velocities than high brass cartridges.
- Powder Wad. Made of paper or plastic, a powder wad is a barrier that separates the shot from the powder in the cartridge’s base and holds it in place until the shotgun is fired.
- Cushion. The cushion takes up the space between the powder wad and shot. Almost always made from plastic, the cushion is designed to crumple when the round is fired, which functions as a shock absorber to reduce the recoil felt by the shooter.
- Shot Cup. Pellets are held in place in a shot cup on top of the cushion. When the round is fired, the shot cup holds the pellets in place as they travel toward the muzzle. Shot cups and other wadding components fall away after leaving the barrel as the shot continues in flight toward the target.
- Shot. The final item to be added is the shot itself. The shot cup is filled with pellets, the shell’s casing is crimped closed and the cartridge is ready to fire.
Shotgun Ammo Types
Different size pellets and projectiles have different applications. Here are the four major categories and their uses:
- Birdshot.Ranging in size from #1 to the tiny #10, birdshot, contrary to its name, is used for more than hunting birds. Just about any small game animal or varmint can be taken with birdshot. Here’s a general guideline matching the shot size to the quarry:
• Pheasant and Turkey #4 to #6
• Squirrel #6
• Rabbit #6 to # 7 ½
• Quail and Dove #7 ½ to #8
• Geese #2
• Low-Flying Ducks #4 to #6
• High-Flying Ducks #2 to #4
Birdshot isn’t used for hunting larger game such as deer, since the smaller and lower impact pellets will merely wound or maim rather than cleanly and ethically kill a large animal.
Smaller sized #8 ½, #9 and #10 pellets are used primarily for shooting trap, skeet and sporting clays.
- Buckshot. Used for hunting deer, elk and other medium to large game, buckshot is also used for home and business defense and by the military and law enforcement agencies. Buckshot is sized similarly to birdshot in that the lower the number, the larger and fewer number of pellets within the casing. Higher numbers indicate smaller, yet more, pellets. Here are the most common buckshot sizes:
• #000 (triple aught) .36 inch (9.1 mm)
• #00 (double aught) .33 inch (8.38 mm)
• #0 (single aught) .32 inch (8.1 mm)
• 1 Buck .30 inch (7.6 mm)
• #2 Buck .27 inch (6.9 mm)
• #3 Buck .25 inch(6.4 mm)
• #4 Buck .240 inch (6.1 mm)
The size buckshot used for hunting depends upon the animal being hunted and the distance at which it will be taken. For shooting accuracy, #000 triple aught buckshot is recommended, whereas the pattern of #4 buckshot will cover a wider area. The most commonly produced buckshot cartridge is the 12 gauge, #00 double aught buckshot that holds nine .33 pellets.
- Slugs. Used for hunting, rifled slugs are large lead bullets. Unlike birdshot or buckshot, slug shotgun cartridges such as the Federal Power Shok Rifled Slug contain a single, large projectile the same diameter as the gauge of the smooth bore shotgun from which it’s fired. Sometimes called Brenneke after their German designer, rifled slugs are available in all bore sizes from 10-gauge to .410. The body of a rifled slug has spiral grooves that cause the projectile to spin as it leaves the barrel, which stabilizes it in flight for improved accuracy.
- Sabots. Sabot slugs are solid projectiles slightly smaller in diameter than the shotgun’s bore encased in a plastic covering called a sabot that can be fired from either a smooth or rifled bore shotgun. The sabot seals the bore and keeps the projectile perfectly centered as it rotates through the barrel’s rifling. When fired from a rifled barrel shotgun such as the Remington 1187 Sportsman, sabots are extremely accurate.
- Spread and Patterning
When a shotgun is fired, pellets leaving the barrel immediately begin to spread, which causes the shot’s pattern to widen over distance. The tighter the pattern, the further the shot will reach and the greater its stopping power. The further the shot travels, the more widely the pellets are dispersed. A wide pattern increases the chance of pellets hitting the target, but with less impact, since tighter patterns have greater stopping power.
Shotguns use chokes to control shot pattern and spread by reducing the diameter of the barrel at its muzzle, which keeps the shot closer together over longer distances. The tighter the choke, the narrower the end of the barrel and the greater its effective range. Here are the various choke types and their uses:
• Fixed chokes are an integral part of the factory barrel, and can’t be adjusted to increase or decrease the pattern size and spread.
• Adjustable chokes, which are sometimes called polychokes, are a device with multiple settings for different choke sizes that are accessed by turning the selector. Once commonly found on pump and semi-automatic shotguns, adjustable chokes are seldom found on newer shotguns.
• Interchangeable chokes are precision-machined metal tubes with varying degrees of constriction that screw directly into a shotgun’s barrel. Interchangeable chokes provide a quick and efficient means of adapting a single gun to various shooting situations without changing barrels.
Here are the five most common chokes in inverse order of constriction:
- Full chokes taper to a tight constriction, resulting in a dense shot pattern that carries further than other size chokes. Full chokes are used for trap shooting and hunting wild turkey and high-flying waterfowl. Full chokes are also recommended when shooting buckshot.
- Modified chokes are less constricting than full chokes. They’re used to hunt rabbits and other small game, distant-flushing quail and pheasant and low-flying waterfowl hunted over decoys from a blind.
- Improved cylinder chokes are used when hunting close flushing game birds and low-flying ducks and other waterfowl. Improved cylinder chokes are also recommended when shooting Brenneke or other types of slugs.
- Cylinder chokes are only 1/100th of an inch narrower than the shotgun barrel’s bore, and provide virtually no constriction. Cylinder chokes are frequently found on shotguns used by the military and law enforcement agencies.
- Skeet chokes offer the least constriction of all choke types. Producing a wide pattern at 25 yards, skeet chokes are specifically designed for shooting clay targets at close range.
For more information on chokes or to view our choke selection, visit our choke tubes page.
- Shotgun Shell Hunting Loads
Shotgun shell powder and shot size combinations used for hunting vary, depending on the type of game being hunted. Although the “perfect” load combination for hunting various types of game often comes down to personal preference based on experience, here are some guidelines:
• Dove Hunting. Doves can easily be brought down with just a few pellets, but their speed and flight patterns make them difficult to hit, so the more pellets in the air, the better the chances of a hit. A good cartridge for dove hunting at up to 30 yards is the 2 ¾” Remington Heavy Dove Load with 1 ounce of #8 shot. 12-gauge shotguns can be used, although the smaller 20-gauge has more than adequate stopping power.
• Pheasant Larger birds than quail or dove, pheasant hunting requires a heavier shot load to penetrate the thick layer of feathers. 12- to 20-gauge shotguns with high brass 2 ¾” cartridges holding 1 1/8 to1 ½ ounces of #5 or #6 shot make a good combination for taking wild pheasant at distances between 20 and 40 yards. An example is the HEVI-Shot 12-gauge 2 ¾” cartridge with 1 1/8-oz load of #5 shot.
• Shooting Waterfowl. Shooting high-flying geese calls for heavier cartridges than taking low-flying birds over decoys. For geese, a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with 3 or 3 ½” high cartridge such as Browning’s BXD Waterfowl with #3 plated steel shot is recommended. High-flying ducks require a cartridge such as the 3” HEVI-shot with 1 ¼-oz #4 tungsten shot. Shot sizes from #4 to #6 will work for hunting low ducks over decoys. Please note that in most areas lead shot can’t be used for hunting waterfowl.
• Turkey Hunting. Most turkey hunters prefer using a full-choked 12-gauge shotgun with #4, #5 or #6 lead shot in a 3” or 3 1/2 “ Magnum cartridge. An example is Browning’s BXD Extra Distance turkey loads.
• Large Game. Either buckshot or rifled slugs are used for hunting deer, elk or other large game with a shotgun. The most popular buckshot size for deer hunting is double aught, such as Federal’s Power Shok 3” cartridge with 15 #00 pellets. An example of a rifled slug used for hunting large game is the Brenneke Black Magic, which can be used with both rifled and smooth bore barrels.
- Shells for Sport and Competition Shooting
Shooting skeet, trap and sporting clays with shotguns from 12 gauge to .410 is an increasingly popular pastime throughout the U.S. Cartridges loaded with #9 or #10 shot are used for shooting skeet, while #7 ½’s or #8’s are generally preferred for shooting trap and sporting clays.
Some clay shooters prefer to load their own cartridges, believing it will give them the most control over shot pattern and spread, although this isn’t always the case. Examples of great off-the-shelf shells for shooting trap or sporting clays include the Remington STS 2 ¾” cartridge with 1 1/8 ounce #7.5 shot or Federal’s Premium Top Gun 2 ¾” shell with 1 ounce of #8 shot.
- Specialty Ammunition
In addition to traditional shotgun ammunition, there’s a wide range of specialty ammunition for hunting, military and defensive uses. Here are some of the more exotic shotgun loads:
• Brenneke. A rifled slug used for hunting medium to large game animals, such as deer, elk or bear.
• Flechette. Originally designed for military use during WWI, flechette cartridges contain multiple tiny steel darts rather than pellets within a sabot jacket.
• Grenade. When fired,12-gauge grenade rounds produce a blinding flash along with a powerful concussion intended to temporarily disable a foe or foes. They’re restricted or prohibited in many states and municipalities.
• Flexible Baton Cartridges. Also called a “bean bag round,” this less lethal, non-penetrating load is used for crowd control and apprehending a suspect in tactical situations. The cartridge holds a small fabric pouch filled with around 40 grams of #9 shot designed not to penetrate the target.
• Gas. Gas released from these shells provide the propellant for use with low-power Airsoft shotguns that fire non-lethal BB-sized plastic pellets.
• Rock Salt Shells. Cartridges with rock salt in place of pellets or other projectiles are another “less lethal” shotgun load. As with bean bags and similar loads, they’re capable of causing serious or even fatal wounds.
• Rubber Slugs and Rubber Buckshot. Although potentially lethal, rubber loads have less penetrating power than conventional metal loads, meaning that there’s less chance of them penetrating floors or walls and injuring others when fired in a defensive situation.
• Extended Range Electronic Projectile(XREP). Used for home defense and by law enforcement agencies, XREPs are probably the most complex and expensive shotgun rounds available. XREPs use a gunpowder propellant to launch a taser that delivers a non-lethal but immobilizing 20-second high voltage shock when it comes into contact with the target.
• Breaching Rounds. Used by law enforcement and SWAT teams, breaching rounds are for gaining entry into locked rooms by destroying locks, deadbolts and hinges without endangering the lives of those inside. The projectile is usually a metal powder held together with wax or a similar binding material that disintegrates upon impact.
• Bird Bombs. Also called “shell crackers,” they’re capable of traveling more than 200 feet when launched from a 12-gauge shotgun. Bird bombs are used in rural settings to scare away birds, pests and varmints.
Screechers. Sometimes called “screamers,” they’re another means of frightening away everything from birds to bears.
• Blanks. Another noisemaker, a blank cartridge is identical in appearance to a conventional shotgun cartridge, but doesn’t contain projectiles. They’re most commonly used for training, signaling or theatrical reenactments.
• Stinger. Stingers are another “less lethal” shotgun shell. They contain.32 caliber rubber balls intended to inflict pain rather than maim or kill.
• Bolo. Similar in concept to bolos used by Argentinian gauchos for hunting game and rounding up cattle, bolo cartridges hold two metal balls connected by a steel cable. They’re intended to inflict serious damage, but are considered to be something of a gimmick by serious shooters.
• Dragon’s Breath. This is a purely pyrotechnic round that shoots a solid stream of flame 40 yards or more downrange. They’re purely for entertainment purposes, but can be very dangerous in the wrong hands or under the wrong conditions.
• Flares. Sometimes used as a call for help by hunters who have become lost or boaters in distress, these cartridges simply fire a projectile-less signal from a shotgun. Since they can only be fired from shotguns without chokes, there are better hand-launched signal flares available.
Buy Shotgun Shells from Hinterland Outfitters
Whether you’re a game hunter, clay shooter or simply stocking up on defensive rounds, you’ll find everything you need in the way of shotgun ammunition at Hinterland Outfitters. Questions? Contact us by email at info@blog.hinterlandoutfitters.com or call us toll-free at 877-446-8370. We’ll be happy to help.