Shotgun shells how many pellets

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. The neat thing about modern day shotguns is that the choke tubes are interchangeable, which means you can change how the pellets spread when they come out of the gun. However, not all shotguns allow you to modify the choke. Many shotguns will come with a fixed choke, which means you have to adapt to the spread that it gives you. It is very important to check pattern of your shotgun, especially if you have fixed choke.

This is important for home defense and for competition shooting. But also, during the test you will find out how do you need to aim on different distances, the longer the distance the less you need to aim using buckshot. As you can see, on 5 meters the pattern is pretty tight and you need to aim at this distance even if it looks close. It is important to be extremely accurate on a longer distances because it is easy to hit wrong target with several pellets.

If you want your buckshot to be more accurate then you should use shotgun with buckshot. If you want to target a wider range then use a 4 buckshot. The type of buckshot you use depends on the animal you are hunting and the distance you plan to hunt it. There are also low recoil buckshot shells available now that reduce the kickback of the shot, since buckshot is more powerful and usually gives a greater kickback than birdshot. Look for the low recoil shells the next time you are in the gun store looking for buckshot ammunition.

Shotgun shells come in all different lengths. The way you measure the length of a shell is by measuring the length of the spent hull. A 12 gauge shotgun will usually be able to handle shells of these lengths but be sure to check this. There are also shells that are called magnum shells because they contain more gunpowder in them than your average shell.

This means they do more damage to its target. Magnums are also longer than regular shells as well. When you go to shop for ammunition you need to know the correct length and gauge of the shells you are looking for. Obviously, if you have a longer shell then you will be able to hold more pellets, which means you will have a much wider spread when you shoot the shell in your shotgun. On the flip side, shorter length shells will have fewer pellets in them.

But the true benefit of using longer shells has to do with fitting more big pellets into it. With standard size shells, putting bigger pellets in the shell means there are fewer pellets in the shell. So if you have a longer shell then you can fit more of the bigger pellets in them.

That way you can do even more damage on a wider scale after the shots scatter all over the place. You might think that smaller length shells are weaker, but this is not always the case. Many slugs are made with small length shells because they only contain a single metal projectile that resembles a bullet. So you should take that into consideration as well when evaluating various types of ammunition for yourself.

Remember that advertised shell length — 2. Before firing, a shotshell will almost always be shorter due to the crimped front end. In modern times, there is really no difference in performance between high brass shotgun shells and low brass shotgun shells. People used to claim that high brass shells travel farther than low brass, but this is just a myth. Back in the old days, the hulls of shells used to be made out of paper instead of plastic. This paper would burn easily from the ignition of the gunpowder.

High brass shells were eventually created in order to prevent the paper of the shell from being burnt after pulling the trigger of the gun.

Now days there are plastic hulls that have replaced the paper ones, which prevent it from getting burned. However, the shells manufactured today still come in high brass and low brass with the plastic hulls attached to them.

High brass is typically advertised to consumers as having more power, but most gun experts will tell you that this is a big scam.

The power of high brass will be just as good as the power of low brass. If there is any difference at all it likely has to do with the amount of gunpowder that is in the shell.

High brass shells, like magnum shells, are typically advertised as having more power because they have more powder in them. With more powder, you can also shoot at greater velocities. So if you are hunting birds that fly high above you then high brass shells might be more appropriate. Another possible difference between low brass and high brass might be found with auto loading shotguns.

Some gun owners who have auto loading shotguns claim that low brass shells do not cycle through the gun like high brass shells.

In this situation it really depends on the type of shotgun that you have. People claim to have difference experiences when it comes to the loading and cycling of high brass shells. If you are someone who likes to reload their own shells then you might find low brass easier to reload as well. Talk with your local gun shop dealer to find out more information about cycling.

Either that or just experiment with low and high brass shells to see how they work with the various shotguns that you own. So if money is an issue for you, then go with low brass simply for economic reasons. The effective range or kill range is not the same thing as the actual range of the round. When out hunting you certainly do not want to waste rounds firing at targets too far away. If you are using buckshot, it may only wound the animal you are firing at and the animal may not ever bleed out.

First, however make sure you know what your pattern is at various ranges. Buckshot at 35 yards is probably the effect range for deer hunting. You can of course strike the target at greater distances 50 to 75 yards but you are not as likely to have a kill shot. Some use buckshot for their home defense weapons and at close range buckshot is devastating but it may penetrate doors and walls causing injuries to others in the home.

Effect range is typically not an issue when using buckshot in your home defense shotgun. Forty yards is likely the maximum effective range of birdshot. This of course depends on the choke setting, steel or lead shot and so forth. Beyond 40 yards, you can of course make a kill but you will not have the full impact on the bird. You also have to consider the size of your bird. You want to avoid spreading shot where it injuries other birds.

Birdshot is also used for home defense because at close range it will put anyone down. The shot is not as likely to penetrate walls and doors causing injuries to others. However, at very close range birdshot will penetrate certain doors and walls.

Once again, for home defense effective range is usually not an issue. Providing of course you have practiced and know your weapon. This means the effect range is probably somewhere around 75 yards. Rifled barrels will have a much greater effective range because of the rifling. The 3 to 4 inch group is easily accomplished at yards with a rifled barrel.

The effective range is somewhere around yards. The effective ranges are only averages and much depends on weather conditions, ammunition and your shooting skill. Keep in mind the effective range is not how far the round will travel but how effective it is at a particular range. Any round can travel a significant distance and injure someone, depending on terrain and other conditions.

Always know your target before shooting and know what is beyond the target. You have to assume for safety sake that you may miss so you need to know where your round is likely to travel too. Slugs are not a typical home defense load because of the penetration.

A slug can easily travel through doors and walls to injure someone in the home or even in the neighborhood. A novice shotgun user might think that shotgun ammo is all the same. They figure you just purchase shotgun shells from the store, load them in the shotgun, and then fire. Now it is true that all shotguns are predominately a short range weapon that can do loads of damage to your target.

However, the type of ammo in your shotgun will be helpful in the amount of damage you want to do versus the preciseness of your aim. There are three types of shotgun ammunition; buckshot, birdshot and slug. The best type of shotgun ammunition for home defense is buckshot. These are basically large lead balls inside shells that get loaded into the shotgun.

Most people use buckshot for hunting big animals, but they are suitable for self defense purposes as well. The standard buckshot has eight. The bigger the balls, the more damage the buckshot will do to your target. As for birdshot, these are shells filled with small pellets in them. Normally people will hunt birds and small animals with birdshot ammunition in their shotgun. However, it has great stopping power and it will be able to incapacitate any intruder from up to 30 feet away.

Finally, slugs are shells loaded with solid lead bullets with grooves on the sides. If you seriously want to destroy your target and cause the most damage then slugs are the way to go. Slugs are also very accurate when fired.

You can shoot a target up to 75 yards away and still keep up a reasonable amount of accuracy. Any one of these three shotgun ammunition types will be sufficient for stopping an intruder. Remember, this is a shotgun! No matter which ammunition you use to shoot your target, it will cause serious injury or death to the person when used up close. Remember though that you should never shoot someone running away from you.

The legal consequences of shooting someone in the back are quite severe. So only shoot someone long range if they are hurting someone else or trying to shoot at you from far away.

Otherwise, stick with some simple buckshot and shoot the intruder when they come into your home. Some manufactures claim that the recoil is reduced up to 40 percent in some gauge loads.

Typically, the shot pattern is the same, and the shells can be reused for loading at home. The shells are made of plastic and assumedly because of the lower recoil; the hulls would have more longevity. Low recoil loads are ideal for new shooters or those that simply cannot handle the recoil of a gauge with standard sized loads. The shells are relatively inexpensive and many shooters use them specifically for target practice where they expect to do a lot of shooting in one day, and of course, the low recoil allows them to shoot for longer periods where otherwise with heavier loads they could not.

Over time, some shooters can develop a flinch and by using the low recoil loads, they can train themselves out of this habit. Older shotguns can benefit from lighter loads because many of the older guns were not designed to take the stress of heavier loads such as magnum shells. Using the low recoil loads makes some of the older weapons safer to use in some cases. Lighter loads are available in slug and buckshot, as well. The buckshot will still have the typical nine pellets.

Certain other shells are loaded so the fps is between and The recoil is light to non-existent. The low recoil can be used for certain birds but do not expect the effective range to be beyond 25 yards and are typically used for hunting quail or dove. The fps and recoil figures are estimations only and the actual figures are dependent on the load in ounces, manufacturer and shot used.

One of the very hot questions today. What ammunition to use for home defense? Less lethal? Or maybe slugs? This question always rise lots of debates and opinions. Answer the poll and leave a comment. Please answer the poll, what ammunition do you prefer for home defense? You can select two variants.

What is the best shotgun ammunition for home defense? View Results. Each shotgun will be different and some of the same models may cycle perfectly while another of the same model may fail to when using low recoil shells. Low recoil rounds of course have no effect on a pump action because all of the work is accomplished by the shooter.

Carefully consider all options and experiment so when the times comes in a home defense situation, for example, you know exactly what your weapon and rounds are capable of doing. Your ammunition choice depends on what you are shooting at. Most shotgun loads are designed to be fired from a smooth bore, in other words the barrel is not rifled. There are however, dedicated shotguns with rifled barrels that are more accurate, but making it unsuitable for firing shot.

Shot would simply wear the rifling away and this of course will defeat the purpose of the rifled barrel. There are shells for self-defense and various shells for hunting game.

Shot is traditionally for bird and small game whereas slugs and buckshot are for larger game. Birdshot is typically called shot or BB shot. Because of environmental concerns steel, bismuth and tungsten is replacing lead shot, for bird hunting.

The problem with steel shot is the hardness, which can cause damage to the bore and choke in older shotguns. Unlike lead there is no give to steel and it can damage the bore especially if the choke is on full.

Tungsten is also very hard, but it is often alloyed with other metals making it softer causing less damage in older models shotguns. Bismuth falls in between tungsten and steel, being the softer of the two by far.

Buckshot is used for large game and home defense. Double-aught buckshot, having nine pellets, is also ideal for self-defense because there is no question of stopping power and penetration.

BB or birdshot is obviously for birds, while 4 is much larger shot and the 00 or double-aught is considerable larger still. The slug is for large game and it can be used for home defense, as well. With home defense, you have to consider over penetration. You want stopping power yet do not want the slug penetrating and exiting through and through an intruder and striking someone else. Therefore, the 4 and 00 are the most popular for home defense. You must also consider your choke setting.

The tighter the choke the less spread you have, which is ideal for short range, but if you have multiple targets and want to disable two intruders at once of course loosen the choke to allow more spread as the shot exits the barrel. One pellet of 00 will certainly disable a person if fired from close range. The object regardless of what you are shooting at is stopping power. When hunting birds you want range, yet you do not want excessive damage to the bird.

When hit you want penetration and knock down. You do not want to wade for miles hunting an injured bird. You want the bird to drop immediately when hit. Turkey for example can be hunted with BB and 2 and 4 shot, with full or modified choke.

Duck hunters prefer 1 and 2 shot using a modified or full choke. Pheasant are typically hunted with 6 with a modified choke. Squirrel and rabbit can be hunted with 5 and 6 with modified choke, keep in mind the damage to the animal and distance from it when deciding on choke. Larger animals such as deer can be hunted with a rifled slug or 00 buck. Some are of the mind that any round out of the barrel toward an intruder works. This of course is true in a situation where you simply grab any available weapon.

However, when will you be in a situation where you simply grab whatever is available? Slugs, on the other hand, are more like a traditional cartridge. They contain one large projectile. Two of the most common shotgun shell sizes are 12 gauge and 20 gauge. This all has to do with weight — specifically, one pound. In a 12 gauge shell, it will take 12 spherical balls or shot or pellets or projectiles of equal size and weight to equal one pound of shot.

In a 20 gauge, it will take 20 balls of equal size and weight to equal one pound of shot. This is where the smaller-is-bigger concept becomes clearer. Because the individual pieces contained within a shotshell are bigger in a 12 gauge than in a 20 gauge, 12 is bigger than The three main types of shotgun ammo are buckshot, birdshot, and slugs. Shotshells loaded with buckshot contain larger and fewer pellets or balls than a shotshell loaded with birdshot. This is because of the size difference between the main types of game that each shotshell was designed to hunt.

The larger pellets found in buckshot would decimate a bird. This increases your chances of a successful harvest while minimizing the damage done by each individual pellet. Buckshot takes advantage of the multiple larger size projectiles to accomplish what is generally able to be done by one slug.

Birdshot and slugs are at the complete opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to their intended purposes. Hunting quail with a slug would be just as inefficient as hunting deer with birdshot. As the name implies, birdshot is designed for shooting birds.

The smaller size of pellets in each shotshell means that there are more of them in each cartridge. This increases the likelihood of hitting your intended target, but with the benefit of each individual piece of shot inflicting less damage. This is important because large pellets would produce significantly more damage, rendering the shot bird unsuitable for food purposes.

This depends on the size of the pellet and the shell in which they are loaded. For example, a 12 gauge 2. That same shell with No. There are a ton of variables, but if you had to put a number on the average, it would be around pellets.