Guns and Loads

There are six types of shotguns; the basic differences are distinguished by the kind of action and number of barrels:

1. Double barrel
2. Slide, or pump, action
3. Autoloading
4. Over-under
5. Single
6. Bolt action

In addition there are the multi-barreled guns consisting of a rifle and a shotgun barrel in combination, called "drillings" in England, and Paradox guns with a single tube capable of shooting either shot charges of a ball. These are rifled near the muzzle.

THE DOUBLE

In Britain and in the early days of American shooting, the double was considered the standard smoothbore. Its virtue was that in a single gun, having one fit, stock length, trigger-pull, and feel, the shooter had ;i choice of two degrees of choke and two quick shots.

The double is still preferred by many shooters. It comes in all standard gauges, in a variety of chokes, and in all grades from plain to fancy. Doubles begin at around $75 and run to several thousand dollars for custom-grade guns with gold and silver decoration and engraving.

THE SLIDE ACTION

The repeating, slide-action shotgun took the fancy of American shooters around the turn of the century and has grown in popularity ever since.

The Winchester Model 97 hammer shotgun was largely responsible and has remained one of the most popular models ever built.

Advantages of a repeater were obvious. Up to a half-dozen shots were quickly available, in an era when birds were numerous and game bags liberal. More, the repeater utilized only a single trigger as opposed to the long-standard twin triggers of the double, and it had the advantage of a single sighting plane. Its lone disadvantage, compared with the double, was that only one degree of choke was available.

Noble Model 420 double-barreled shotgun.
The popularity of the slide-action repeater has continued ever since. The basic change in the slide-action shotgun has been that it was made hammerless, for safety and appearance. It is hard to surpass a good slide-action shotgun for any kind of wing shooting.

Slide-action shotguns (from top): Winchester Model  12 Field, Remington Model 870AP, Ithaca Model 37.

THE AUTOLOADER

The genius of the gun inventor John M. Browning was responsible for the self-loading, or automatic shotgun. He modified the slide action by harnessing the kick, allowing the recoil of the gun to eject the empty shell and reload. Besides the autoloader sold under the Browning name, Brown­ing patents were also sold and used by other manufacturers in the produc­tion of similar guns.

The biggest change since Browning's original auto has been the shift from a mechanically operated mechanism to a gas-operated action, ac­complished in the fairly recent Winchester Model 50 self-loading shotgun.

Autoloading shotguns: (from top) Browning Automatic-5, Remington Model 58ADL, Savage Model 775-SC.

A feature stressed in the sale of autoloading shotguns was its speed of fire. Actually, a good shotgun man could operate a slide-action repeater and get on target as fast as one could with the auto. The real advantage of the autoloader was that all thought of reloading could be disregarded in fast shooting, and that the use of recoil in operating the mechanism ap­preciably reduced that same recoil.

Self-loading shotguns in their original styles were not as streamlined along the sighting plane as repeaters. That is, the receiver, due to the straight back-thrust of the barrel-bolt, had to be high, the barrel some­what lower, and a ramp front sight elevated to conform to the receiver's height. This fault was alleviated by using an elevated rib. However, many shooters claimed that the high-rising front sight, after a dip along the barrel, was a real advantage in pointing. Often larger sighting blocks were installed to augment the advantage. Later models of the self-loader have been made more streamlined in appearance, and resemble the slide-action, hammerless repeaters.

The original self-loaders, like the repeaters, were made to hold many shells; the autoloaders five. With dwindling waterfowl supplies, restrictions were made and both models were plugged to an overall capacity of no more than three shells in chamber-and-magazine. Today's self-loaders are built to that smaller capacity.

Current prices for slide-action shotguns begin around $90, with prices for autoloaders starting around $125. With either, one may go as high as he wishes, depending upon styles, engraving, and accessories.

THE OVER-UNDER

Interest in the over-under shotguns increased with the manufacture of a reasonably priced American over-under, and the federal restriction on waterfowl shooting requiring the shotgun to be limited to three shells. The over-under had the repeating shotgun's advantage of a single sighting plane; it had the double's advantage of two degrees of choke; and it now approached the auto and slide action's amount of firepower. Presently, there is a growing use of the over-under, both for upland-bird and water­fowl shooting. Most over-unders have single triggers. Prices for over-under shotguns begin at $150 for the plainer models.

Over-under   shotguns:   Browning   Superposed   (top),   Italian-made Beretta Silver Snipe.

THE BOLT ACTION
Stevens Model 85 bolt-action shotgun.

Bolt-action shotguns are relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and were based on the popularity of military bolt-action rifles. They come in either clip or tube magazine, are ordinarily "rougher" in functioning than the slide-action and autoloading repeaters, but are worth their modest cost for the beginner, or the person who cannot afford a more expensive gun. Bolt-action repeating shotguns cost approximately $40.

THE SINGLE-SHOT

The single-shot, hammer type of shotgun is one of the least expensive, but is an ideal beginner's gun. His limitation to but one shot without reloading is often a blessing, both for safety reasons and to make him shoot better. Many of today's veteran scattergun artists started out as boys with such a single-shot, likely in "long Tom" barrel length.

Barrels in modern shotguns vary in length from 25 to 32 inches. The longest barrels are used mostly in waterfowl shooting. The biggest gauges ordinarily have the longest barrels, and the popular length is 28 or 30 inches for most field shooting. The longest tubes retain the shot-velocity a trifle better, but often this advantage is more than compensated for in the shorter barrels by virtue of their increased handiness.

Winchester Model 37 single-shot shotgun (top) and the Stevens Model 94 single-shot shotgun.

CHOKES

A vital part of the shotgun is its choke—the constriction in bore size at the muzzle. A shotgun having no choke would be fit only for use as a riot gun. One with too much choke, likewise, would funnel-and-spray its charge over a wide area and be similarly useless.

Chokes are of three types: standard boring, swage choke, and recess choke. In a standard boring, the constriction is begun from 2 to 3 inches behind the muzzle. The bore proper is tapered slowly into a mild cone, or "lede," reducing the tube's inside diameter by a few thousandths of an inch. From the forward, smaller end of the lede to the muzzle, the barrel is left untapered and of this smaller diameter. This final section may run in length anywhere from ½ inch to an inch or more, and is called the "parallel."

This system of boring was accidentally hit upon by the late Fred Kimble, one of the greatest shotgun artists of all time, while he was really trying to ream all the choke out of a barrel, and has never been improved upon.

A swage choke is a simple constriction in barrel size, put onto the muzzle end by cold-swaging the barrel to a smaller diameter. It is a make-shift, usually placed on inexpensive guns or sawed-off weapons.

The recessed choke is a mild, barrel-like shape bored into a barrel an inch or so behind the muzzle, with both the bore proper and the parallel left identical in diameter. Both a recessed choke and a swage choke are sometimes useful in salvaging a barrel which has been cut off at the muzzle end behind the choke. A far better way of helping the gun, however, is to install a choke device, as we'll come to.

The extent of choke in the barrel determines the spread or density of the pattern at a given range. Chokes range from full, improved-modified, modified, quarter choke, and improved cylinder, to straight cylinder. That is in theory. Actually these borings overlap; charges and patterns will vary from one brand of shell to another; and a straight-cylinder choke usually has some degree of constriction.

The criterion for a full-choke, 12-gauge shotgun is that it should put 70 per cent of the total number of pellets in a shot charge into a 30-inch circle at 40 yards. Many full-choke guns will do better than that, and some gun makers will guarantee a greater percentage.

Improved-modified choke is supposed to pattern 65 per cent; modified, 60 per cent; quarter choke 50 per cent; improved cylinder 45 per cent; and cylinder 35 per cent.

In order to give the shooter having a single-barreled shotgun a variety of chokes, several variable-choke devices have been perfected. Some of the most popular are the Cutts Compensator, the Poly-Choke, and the Weaver. Savage and Mossberg currently build some models of their shot­guns with integral choke devices.

Variable-choke devices are of two basic designs. One type has a series of ventilated slots or holes, plus individual tubes containing built-in degrees of choke, which may be interchanged. The other type, with or without the series of ventilated slots or holes, is based on the principle of a collet which
may be screwed down by degrees onto separated or split ends of a tube, giving the desired constriction.

These devices are installed by threading the unit onto the threaded end of a barrel which has been cut off behind the original choke. In either type, almost any degree of choke may quickly be had, the range often including full full-choke, or extra full-choke. Their use converts the single gun into one of many uses. An added advantage of a ventilated choke device is that it reduces recoil.

GAUGES

"Gauge" in shotguns is comparable to caliber in rifles, and in today's guns is limited to six gauges—10, 12, 16, 20, 28, and 410. The gauge number is based on the number of round balls of pure lead it takes to make a pound. For example, it would take 12 balls the diameter of a 12-gauge shotgun barrel to make a pound. The 410 gauge is an exception, and indicates that the bore is .410 caliber, or .410 of an inch in diameter.

Following are the gauges and equivalent diameters:
10 gauge      .775 inch
12 gauge      .730 inch
16 gauge      .670 inch
20 gauge      .615 inch
28 gauge      .550 inch
410 bore      .410 inch

The controversy over which is the right shotgun gauge has raged for years and will continue to do so. Today, of all the gauges, the 12 gauge is most popular and will cover the widest range of field uses. The 20 gauge is second in popularity and use. The 16 gauge, which could be made to duplicate both these other gauges, has for some reason largely lost out. Likely it is due to the fact that the 20 gauge is handier, and in "magnum" loadings can duplicate almost anything the 12 gauge can do. In addition, the 20 gauge can, with lighter loads, serve more pleasantly on the smaller birds ordinarily shot at closer ranges.

The new 3-inch magnum 20 gauge is another shotgun rapidly gaining in popularity. This new boring will handle the lightest 20-gauge loads, and in addition will accommodate all the loads of the 16 gauge as well as all loads of the standard 12 gauge. Some consider it to be the coming all-round shotgun.

SELECTING A SHOTGUN

Inexperienced shooters often make one of two basic mistakes in purchas­ing a new gun, or in changing from one gun to another. One group, knowing the increasing scarcity of waterfowl, the mushrooming number of hunters, and the growing wariness of birds conditioned to heavy hunting pressure, feel that the answer lies in a gun having longer range, tighter choke, and used in conjunction with more powerful loads.
Such a gun, however, used with the heaviest "big-bump" loads—those maximum for the gauge—does not automatically teach the difficult art of leading birds at their longer ranges; and the added severity of recoil usually starts, or aggravates, a flinching habit.

Consider the recoil impact of these "big-bump" loads: A 20-gauge gun weighing 7 pounds, if shot with its mildest load of 2¼ drams of powder and d ounce of shot, has only 15.7 foot-pounds of recoil. The same gin fired with a load boosted to 2¾ drams of powder and a full ounce of shot, has 26.4 foot-pounds of recoil.

A 16-gauge gun weighing 7 pounds and using a load of 2½ drams of powder and 1 ounce of shot, has but 19.6 foot-pounds of recoil. If the load is its near-maximum charge of 3 drams of powder and l8 ounce of shot, recoil jumps to 31.4 foot-pounds.

Again, recoil in a 12 gauge using a charge of 3¼ drams of powder and l8 ounce of shot—a good average load—is only 26 foot-pounds in an 8-pound gun. But boost that charge to 3¾ drams powder and l¼ ounce shot, and that same gun will kick to the tune of over 38 foot-pounds of recoil!

On the other side of the fence, often a man wanting to start his wife or son field shooting will buy the smallest gauge. He wants them to have a light, handy weapon which won't kick too hard. Also, such a puny gauge is thought to be more "sporting."
In use, the new owner finds that a gun with a tiny gauge instead of being sporting is often a bird-crippler, if it doesn't miss altogether. It takes far more skill to hit with the smaller pattern, and initial disappoint­ment over constant missing results in overall discouragement.
GAUGE SIZE

Actual sizes of the six standard shotgun gauges, with the range at which each is most effective.

Actually, both the tightly bored gun shooting the heaviest loads, and the smallest gauges, are weapons for the specialist. The beginner, and in fact a majority of upland-bird shooters, is far better off with a gun of reasonable choke, shooting loads of average power. The best al -round choke is modified.

For any bird shooting, there is little need for the average shooter to go below 20 gauge, or above 12 gauge. In bird hunting, the 28 gauge and the puny .410 bore are for the experienced shotgun artist who wants to impose self-limitations. The larger 10 gauge is needed only for pass shoot­ing at waterfowl, and is likewise a gauge for the experienced shotgun hunter.

Shotgun weight can be a burdensome thing for the upland-bird hunter, and should be less than the one-twentieth of the hunter's weight suggested as maximum for the rifle. Twenty-gauge shotguns should run between 6¼ and 7 pounds for a maximum, and 12 gauges average from 7½ to 8 pounds at the outside, except for magnum versions.

As to shot sizes, type of load, and best choke for each bird species, the following recommendation is based upon the experience of numerous observing hunters:

Game                                             Type of Load     Shot Size        Choke
Turkey Heavy                BB, 2, 4      Full
Geese  Heavy                BB, 2, 4      Full
Ducks  Heavy                4, 5, 6         Full or Modified
Pheasants                      Heavy         5, 6      Modified
Grouse                          Medium      5, 6, 7½, 8       Modified or Improved Cylinder
Quail   Medium             7½, 8, 9      Modified or Improved Cylinder
Doves  Medium             6, 7½, 8      Modified
Woodcock                    Medium      7½, 8, 9           Improved Cylinder
Rail      Medium             7½, 8, 9      Improved Cylinder

Before getting into the usable ranges of each gauge, it would be well to consider some of the physical properties of shot pellets, and some of the exterior ballistics of the more common shot charges. Here is a table of the various shot sizes:

Size of Shot                              Diameter in Inches Pellets per Ounce
9                    .08                               585
8                    .09                               410
7½                 .O9½                           350
6                    .11                               225
5                    .12                               170
4                    .13                               135
2                    .15                               90
BB                 .18                               50
The following exterior ballistics for three of the most popular shot sizes and for the four most useful gauges in bird hunting, were taken from information supplied by the Winchester Arms Company and relate to their most powerful Super Speed shells. Data for the most powerful Remington and Peters loads, and those of other brands, may be considered comparable:

Gauge      Shell Length      Drams      Ounces        Shot Size      Muzzle Vel
Powder        Shot                                      (FPS)
10   2d           4¾ ls           BB, 2, 4   1330
12   2¾          3¾          l¼ 2,            4, 6      1330
12   2¾ Mag  4             l½ 2,            4, 6      1315
12   3 Mag     4              la 2,            4, 6      1315
12   3 Mag     4¼          1s 2,            4, 6      1315
16   2b           3             l¼ 2,            4, 6      1240
16   2¾          3¼           ls 2,            4, 6      1295
16   2¾ Mag  3½          l¼ 2,            4, 6      1295
20   2¾          2¾            1 2,            4, 6      1220
20   2¾ Mag  3              l8 2,            4, 6      1220

At each of these five velocities, here is how each of the three shot sizes will perform in flight:

Shot            Muzzle              Velocity        Pellet      Drop in
Size         Velocity    (FPS) 40 yds.  Energy 40 yds.  Inches 40 yds.
BB                1330               915                   16.27   2.4
2                   1330                860                 7.98     2.6
4                   1330                815                 4.77     2.7
2                   1315                855                 7.86     2.6
4                   1315                810                 4.71     2.8
6                   1315                760                 2.47     3
2                   1295                845                 7.71     2.6
4                   1295                800                 4.62     2.8
6                   1295                750                 2.43    3.1
2                   1240                820                 7.28     2.8
4                   1240                780                  4.38    3
6                   1240                730                 2.30    3.3
2                   1220                815                 7.13    2.9
4                   1220                775                 4.29    3.1
6                   1220                725                 2.26    3.6

Less powerful loadings, in all gauges and in the type of medium-powered shells ordinarily used in upland bird hunting, will show a corresponding decrease in velocities and energies.

These tables do not include all the shot sizes or gauges. They are, however, representative of the performance of high-speed shot pellets in flight.

A study of these tables will disclose several important facts to the beginning shotgunner. First, the larger pellets retain their velocity and energy proportionately far better at useful killing ranges than do the smaller shot. Secondly, in standard gauges the velocity of the charges increases proportionately to the increase in gauge. Lastly, the smaller gauges generally throw smaller shot charges. All three factors have a definite bearing on the useful, killing range of a shotgun.

Pattern is likely the most limiting factor as to range. If, for example, it takes a certain large-sized shot to kill a species at long range, then the small gauge cannot contain in its load a sufficient number of pellets to make a dense enough pattern at that range. Or to put the matter another way, if it takes the velocity and energy of a large-sized shot to do the job at an extended range, then it also takes sufficient number of that shot to make a pattern dense enough to insure a kill.

Because each individual barrel determines to some extent what the pattern will be, even at identical ranges and with the same degree of choke, it is impossible to lay down hard rules as to shotgun range. However, some generalities will be useful to the beginner.

Broadly speaking, a 10-gauge shotgun is useful out to a limit of 70-80 yards. The 12-gauge, 3-inch magnum has an overall range of 60-65 yards. The standard 12 gauge is considered to be a 50-55 yard gun. The 16 gauge has a useful range up to 45-50 yards, and the standard 20 gauge is basically a 40—45 yard gun. The new 20-gauge 3-inch magnum, handling everything from the light d-ounce charge of the standard 20 to the heaviest l¼ -ounce load of the standard 12 gauge, becomes adequate to a range of 50-55 yards. The 28 gauge, and .410 bore using 3-inch shells, are usable on the smallest birds such as doves up to 30-35 yards.

It is true that kills are often made at ranges beyond these. However, the actual measured range of each is a considerable distance and farther than many a shooter suspects. Shooting at ranges beyond the capabilities of any gauge is but an invitation to the missing, and worse, crippling of game birds. Depending upon the toughness of the species, it takes from three to six pellet-hits to insure a clean kill—this number assuring that one or more will penetrate the vital organs.

Copper-plated shot is now available to the handloader, and recent tests indicate that this more expensive shot will give better results at the longer ranges. Shot deformity is less than with black shot, hence there is improve­ment in both pattern and consistency.
Regardless of the gauge, the load, or the combination, the shooter is the most important element in good shotgun shooting. Only one thing will make a good shotgun hunter and that is intelligent practice, both "dry" and on game.

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here...