Shotgun Guage
I have never used a shotgun. What is the difference between the various gauages?
Every so often, I like to stick my head out the window, look up, and smile for a satellite picture.
Every so often, I like to stick my head out the window, look up, and smile for a satellite picture.
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The bigger the numberm the smaller the hole in the end Actually the "guage" is determined by the number of lead balls of a given diameter it takes to make 1 lb. Ie: 12ga - 12 balls = 1 lb, 20ga 20 balls. Modern day gauges are 10, 12, 16, 20, 28 and .410 (which is stated as bore diameter, for some reason) Generally speaking, the larger the gauge, the longer the shell length made, 10+12 gauge up to 3 1/2", 16 and smaller only up to 3". Longer shells mean more powder and shot, more BOOM but also more KICK ! A 3 1/2" 10 ga will rock you good, Ive seen people knocked over if not properly setup. Thats usually good for a ribbing The most widely used and probably best all around is 12ga. You can shoot pleasant low pressure loads to practice and go to full blown heavy loads when needed.
What did I miss ?
"A Fear of Weapons is a sign of Retarded Sexual
and Emotional Maturity" Sigmund Freud
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The venerable if not elusive 8 gauge?
If your gonna be stupid you better be tough !!0 -
8ga 4 1/2" magnum or something awful lioke that ? Be a hell of a NEF single shot, eh ? I think I'd pass on that one ...
"A Fear of Weapons is a sign of Retarded Sexual
and Emotional Maturity" Sigmund Freud
"MOLON LABE !"0 -
Shotguns are good home defense weapons, and most people can afford a decent one because even high-quality shotguns are still marginally cheap. They're a good investment, too, because you could use them for a variety of things, like hunting or target shooting. That is, s long as you buy the right gauge. *COUGH*TWELVE*COUGH*
" God is in His Heaven, All is Right in the World. "0 -
The shotguns designated by guage 4-32 historically, and I may have missed a couple are old, late 1700's as I recall. The .410 is a modern development, 1940's I think, maybe a little older and that is why it is given as .410 or .41 caliber. Some time back the Brits determined that there is an optimal relationship betwee the length of a shot colmun and its' diameter, and that the optimum is acheived in the 1 oz 12 guage (or 12 bore) load. In smaller diameter shells there is a greater degree of shot deformation as the shot leaves the shell and moves up the barrel, so you have a combination of fewer pellets in a load and more deformed pellets which do not fly true, resulting in poorer patterns in the smaller (mostly 28 and .410) bores. That is the theory anyway, I know guys that are deadly with 28's and .410's on some game/birds.
If you want to learn more about shotguns and their history and use, you might look for Jack O'Connor- The Shotgun Book (OP, but try one of the internet used book sites like ABE, for about $12-15, or Don Zutz The Double Shotgun, stll in print.
A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand
Edited by - He Dog on 09/27/2002 11:33:530 -
Actually thee .410 came from the 12m/m shotshells which are about 1 1/2 inches long . Starting in the early 20's there were 2 1/2inch shells by peters and other loaders headstamped 12 mm / .410 the 3inch 410 was brought out for th e model 42 winchester in 1933 but there were other winchester .410 in 2 1/2 like the like the model 20 and 41. sorry, I'm at work and this is off the top of my less than perfect head!! 0
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