I have a box on my desk of Winchester Universal shotshells. Here’s the information presented: 20 gauge, 2-3/4 inches, 2-1/2 dr. eq., 1200 velocity, 7/8 oz., 8 shot.

Once you understand what these numbers mean, it’s easy to tell that this is a good load for shooting clays, doves, and other small upland birds.

“8 shot” refers to the shot size. The larger the number here the smaller the pellet, so 8 means the pellets are pretty small. “7/8 oz” refers to how many ounces of shot are in the 2-3/4-long shotshell. Both “2-1/2 dr. eq.” and “1200 velocity” tell you how fast the shot will travel.

Of all that information, the shot size is the most important. Let’s learn why so you’ll know how to choose the shotgun shells you need.

Shotgun Shot Size Chart

Shotgun Shell Basics Explained

A shotgun shell, or shotshell, is constructed of multiple components that contain the load you’ll shoot at your target when you pull your shotgun’s trigger.

A tube called a hull holds everything inside. These are typically plastic with a brass base nowadays, though historically they were also made of plastic or brass.

Inside is the projectile, which is either a metal slug or a large number of metal spheres called shot.

The shot sits atop a wad, which has multiple purposes. A wad cushions the shot from the rapidly expanding gasses that expel the load from your shotgun’s barrel.

The wad also prevents all of the shotshell’s components from bouncing around and even helps control the pressure curve so firing your shotgun doesn’t blow it apart.

Under the wad is the gunpowder, ignited by the shell’s primer to give the force necessary for your shot to strike and knock down your target.

Those are the basics of how shotgun shells work.

If you’re not loading your shells, then the most critical parts of the shotshell are its gauge, shot size, shot weight, and–to a lesser extent–its velocity.

Gauge

You absolutely must match your ammo’s gauge to your shotgun’s gauge.

That’s because, much like a rifle’s caliber, the measurement dictates whether or not the ammo even fits in your gun.

If you have a 12 gauge shotgun (the most common gauge), you must use 12 gauge ammo.

A 10 gauge shell won’t fit in your gun’s chamber. A 20 gauge shell is too small and may slide forward far enough in your barrel to allow you to load another 12 gauge shell, which will explode your gun if you try to shoot!

Past that, though, gauge does not have as much of an effect as some people think it does.

However, larger gauge shotshells have a larger capacity than smaller gauge shotshells. This can be taken up with more shot, a larger wad, and/or more gunpowder.

This means a 12 gauge shotgun can accept a larger variety of load weights than a 20 gauge shotgun.

Bonus: How Gauge Affects Shotgun Shell Effectiveness

A load of an ounce of 8 shot fired at 1,200 fps will hit basically the same whether it’s fired from a 12 gauge shotgun, 16 gauge shotgun, or 20 gauge shotgun.

Some people will argue that using a larger barrel diameter (such as 12 gauge) will result in a wider shot cloud, increasing your chances to hit.

Others will argue that the narrower shot cloud from a smaller bore (such as 20 gauge) means you’ll put more pellets on target, increasing the damage you do.

In practice, though, the differences are small enough that almost nobody will be able to tell.

Shot Size

Shot size is the second most important factor to consider because it strongly affects what type of targets you can shoot.

The smaller shot has more pellets per ounce. However, each pellet carries less kinetic energy, so the smaller shot won’t hit as hard as the larger shot.

Shot size is given by a number or letter. The smaller the number, the larger the pellet, the larger the animal you can shoot.

Shot is divided into two categories: Birdshot and buckshot.

This gives you an idea of what you can hunt with that specific shot size.

Birdshot

Birdshot ranges from 12 shot to 1 shot. Then, to represent pellets larger than 1 shot, you use the letters B, T, and–very rarely–F.

The more letters, the larger the shot size, so the BBB shot is larger than the BB shot.

You can calculate the pellet’s nominal diameter for the numbered birdshot sizes by subtracting the number from 0.170″.

So, each 8 shot pellet is about 0.090″ wide, though manufacturing tolerances mean that the actual size will deviate slightly.

Extremely small birdshot sizes are often called snake shot, rat shot, or even dust shot. You’ll find this type of shot loaded in handgun cartridges or .410 instead of shotshells because they are meant for short-range pest control.

Buckshot

Buckshot only uses numbers, starting at #4 and getting larger from there. Annoyingly, #4 buckshot is larger than 4 birdshot, having a diameter of 0.240″ versus 0.130″.

Note: This is why I’m not using “#” before any numbered birdshot. Remember that when talking about shot sizes, people typically say “number four birdshot.”

Buckshot sizes larger than #1 start at #0, go on to #00 buck, and so on. Rather than “number zero,” call this “ought,” “double ought,” etc.

Double-ought buckshot is the most common load with a nominal diameter of 0.330″.

Shell Length

As you can guess, shell length is the longest measurement of the hull, typically given in inches.

Longer shells have a larger internal capacity and can fit more shot and propellent for longer-ranged, harder-hitting loads.

2-3/4″ is the most common shell size and is more than adequate for clay shooting and small game hunting.

3″ shells are popular for hunting to get a bit more power for just enough of an edge to turn the occasional miss into a good hit.

3-1/2″ shells have also become common for hunting waterfowl and turkeys as they can deliver devastating impacts on large birds at long ranges.

Modern shotguns will have their maximum chamber length stamped on the barrel. You can load a 2-3/4″ shell into a shotgun with a 3-1/2″ chamber just fine, but the reverse won’t fit.

The development of 3-1/2″ shotshells effectively obsoleted 10 gauge shotguns, by the way. They both fulfill the same purpose, but a 3-1/2″ 12 gauge shotgun is more versatile than a 3″ 10 gauge shotgun.

Ounces or Shot Weight

Rather than telling you the number of pellets in a load, shotshell manufacturers give you the weight of the load.

This is partially conventional and partially because the size of each pellet can mean that small shot sizes have hundreds of pellets per ounce.

A heavier shot weight means you’ll fire more lead per shot.

This results in hitting your target with more pellets, making heavy loads popular for hunting. You don’t want to hit that bird and merely wound it!

However, thanks to Newton’s Third Law of Motion, heavier loads will also produce more recoil, so light loads are commonly used for recreational shotgunning.

Velocity

Rather than telling you how many grains of gunpowder are in each shell, ammo manufacturers tell you how fast the load travels in feet per second.

The higher the velocity of your load, the farther the shot cloud will travel before expanding. However, it’ll also produce more recoil.

Also, some high-velocity loads will “blow out” in some shotguns, meaning the pattern will open up much faster than you want.

Plus, some trap fields won’t allow you to fire loads past a certain maximum velocity.

There’s not a huge difference between a velocity of 1,150 fps and 1,250 fps in practice, so you should practice patterning your shotgun to figure out which velocity puts the most pellets on target rather than just going for the fastest load you can find.

Dram Equivalent

“Dr. eq.” means “dram equivalent,” which is an old way of approximating velocity still used by some shotgunners.

It comes from the days when shotguns were loaded with black powder. Back then, shot and powder weights were measured in drams. 16 drams equal one ounce.

Nowadays, most people don’t use drams to measure how much propellant is in a shotshell, especially since smokeless powder isn’t equivalent to black powder.

All you really need to know is that the higher the dram equivalency, the higher the velocity of the load if all other weights are equal.

When to Use What Shot Size

The takeaway from the above information is that shot size is the most important consideration when trying to figure out which shotshell to buy for what animal you’re hunting.

However, ask three hunters about the best shot size for any specific animal, and you’ll get six different answers.

Truthfully, neighboring shot sizes are generally close enough that it doesn’t matter which specific size you’re using so long as you use one in the right size range.

So, we’ll suggest a range of shot sizes for each animal.

However, there is some information to keep in mind.

Since larger pellets carry more kinetic energy, they have more momentum than smaller pellets. This means you can get a longer effective range by increasing the size of your shot.

Conversely, you’ll get more pellets by using a smaller shot size, so you’ll hit the animal with more projectiles by going with a smaller shot size. This can be advantageous if you get closer to your prey.

So, let’s talk about specific animals.

Birdshot

As the name indicates, birdshot is for the birds.

You get many small pellets, which is excellent for ensuring a hit on a small, quick animal.

Waterfowl

Waterfowl refers to birds that spend a lot of time in and around water.

They are typically hunted at medium-to-long range and can be surprisingly tough birds.

This includes coots, geese, swans, mergansers, and many duck species.

Most waterfowl hunters will reach for a medium or large birdshot load. This lets them hit those animals hard despite the range.

The most common waterfowl hunting loads use loads from 3 to 1 shot. Even a 4 shot load will cover almost any duck species, including those pesky geese.

Dedicated geese hunters prefer large shot, from 2 to T.

Small ducks at closer ranges can be hunted with shot sizes down to 6.

Upland Birds

Sometimes called landfowl, this category covers birds hunted on land rather than water.

They are generally smaller and less tough than waterfowl, so you don’t have to use as heavy a pellet.

This is good because these birds tend to be more unpredictable in their flight paths so you may want to get the improved hit chance provided by the larger pellet numbers from using smaller shot.

This covers birds from doves to pheasants and includes chukar, quail, grouse, woodcock, and partridges.

Shot sizes from 7 to 4 are great for hunting most upland birds.

Chukar and pheasants, since they are larger in size, should be hunted with 6 to 4 shot.

Doves and quail, since they are so small, can be hunted with even smaller shot, down to 9 shot, though 8 to 6 is more common.

Turkey

Though technically a landfowl, the size and toughness of a turkey mean they are their own category.

Some hunters will go as heavy as possible when hunting turkey, using BBB or T shots.

However, many hunters have taken turkey with shot as small as 6 shot, so long as you get close and make a good hit.

Shorebirds

Snipe and rails are shorebirds, flirting with the boundary between waterfowl and upland birds.

However, they are quite small birds, so 8 shot is commonly used on them.

Small Mammals

Rabbits and squirrels are sometimes hunted with a shotgun. 6 shot is the sweet spot when hunting these skittish mammals, though some hunters go smaller.

Clays

Your shot choice when shooting clays depends on your discipline, skill level, and handicap.

Generally speaking, the most common clay load uses 8 shot. 7 is also popular.

The argument for 7 shot is that it’s more likely to break the clay if you hit it with even a single pellet.

Most sporting shotgunners won’t see any difference in scores between 7 and 8, though.

Pests and Snakes

Shot used for pest control is fired at close range, typically around 10 yards or closer, so you don’t need heavy pellets to kill the animal.

This category also includes snakes, as the same shot size is often used for defense against rattlesnakes.

Honestly? Whether 10 or 12, shot size doesn’t matter. Use whichever is available.

Buckshot

Buckshot is used against medium and large mammals, which are less maneuverable than birds and rodents.

Deer

“Buckshot” gets its name from hunting male deer bucks.

Which buckshot size you should use depends on the size of the deer in your region and how close you can get to the animal.

00 buck is an excellent all-around choice. However, you can use down to #4 buck against small deer at close ranges, such as in forested mountains.

Other Large Game

Depending on local laws, buckshot can also be used against other large mammals, such as boar, bear, and coyote.

With coyote, you can use small buckshot and even large birdshot and still put the animal down. The hard part is getting close enough to the yote to hit it with a shotgun in the first place.

For bear and boar, though, you want large, heavy-hitting pellets. These can be dangerous animals, so you must ensure a single-shot kill that deals devastating tissue damage and shatters bones.

I wouldn’t use anything smaller than 00 buck against these mammals.

For Self Defense

The proper size of buckshot to defend your home is a much-debated topic.

If you don’t want to delve deep into this conversation, then 00 buckshot is an extremely common choice for self-defense.

However, with only 9 pellets in the typical 12 gauge shell, it’s possible for none of your balls to hit the target.

With smaller shotgun gauges or when over penetration is a factor, you can go down to #4 buck.

Personally, I keep the #2 buck for my 20 gauge in case I ever need to grab it to defend my home. This provides me with eighteen 0.27″ pellets per shot.

How Steel Affects Shot Effectiveness

The recommendations given above default to using a lead shot.

Because of its harm to the environment, though, many hunters use alternatives. Some, such as bismuth, are just about as heavy, so you don’t have to adjust for the different metal.

Steel, however, is the most common alternative to lead and the most different when it comes to mass.

This means you must use a larger shot size to get the same knockdown power.

A good rule of thumb for adapting to steel is to use shot two sizes larger than you would with lead.

Keep in mind that this adjustment has already been made for you when it comes to waterfowl species, as it is illegal to hunt ducks and geese with lead shot.

How to Choose the Right Shotgun Shell

Choosing the right shot size is essential when you want to hunt and knock down your prey in one shot without injuring the animal.

There seems to be an overwhelming variety of choices to make when choosing the right sporting, hunting, or self-defense load.

Thankfully, you don’t have to choose the perfect shot size. There’s a range to choose from. So if you’re hunting, say, pheasants, both number 4 shot and number 6 shot will help you achieve success.

I recommend starting with a shot size about in the middle of the suggested range and then experimenting with larger or smaller shots depending on your results.

Good luck shooting!

FAQs

How Many Pellets Are in a Shotgun Shell?

The number of pellets in a shotgun shell depends on the shot size and the amount of shot in the shell, which is given by telling you the load’s weight in ounces.

You can calculate this by finding the shot size in the above chart and multiplying it by the load’s weight.

For example, a load with 7/8 ounces of number 8 shot will contain approximately 359 pellets.

How Big Is #4 Shot?

“#4 shot” can refer to either #4 buck or number 4 birdshot.

#4 buckshot pellets are 0.24″ wide, and number 4 birdshot is 0.13″ in diameter.

What Is 12 Gauge 7.5 Shot Used For?

7.5 shot is commonly used for shooting clays, rodents, and small birds.

The post Shotgun Shot Size and Shells Explained (What to Use When) appeared first on Outdoor Empire.

Back in the 1960s, we started to make an effort against the toxic effects of lead by removing it from gasoline. However, lead is also the most common projectile metal, especially in shotshells. And it turns out that lead from shot leeches into the groundwater and poisons the ducks, geese, and other animals we love to hunt.

So, in 1991, lead pellets were banned in waterfowl hunting and non-toxic shot became mandatory. Since then, duck populations have become healthier.

However, the most common non-toxic ammo uses steel pellets, which have the reputation of damaging old shotguns and aren’t as effective as lead.

So, what’s the best non-toxic ammo choice for your classic 1970s or older shotgun?

Steel shot isn’t recommended for vintage shotguns because they were manufactured with soft steel barrels that hard steel pellets can damage. Bismuth alloy is the safest non-toxic ammo for your old shotgun. Tungsten can be a good choice, but only when mixed with polymer.

Continue reading to learn more.

What is Non-Toxic Ammo?

Whether you’re hunting ducks, pheasants, or clay pigeons, the shotgun you’re using fires shot, tiny metal balls, also called pellets.

These pellets need to be dense to deliver enough kinetic energy to take down game animals. So for over a hundred years, the metal of choice has been lead.

However, lead is toxic. When lead particles are ingested, they are stored in the body and negatively affect every organ.

Blanketing marshlands and other waterways with lead shots is an excellent way to expose ducks to high levels of lead, which poisons them. This then poisons you when you eat the waterfowl you hunt.

Not every metal has this toxic property, though.

Non-toxic ammunition is made from metals (and sometimes polymers) that aren’t harmful to the body and won’t contaminate the environment.

Most non-toxic ammo is made from steel, an iron alloy. However, steel isn’t the only choice.

Steel Shot and Older Shotguns

In the 1970s, when the dangers of lead ammo became well known, ammunition manufacturers started producing steel ammo.

However, these steel pellets aren’t good for classic shotguns, so the manufacturers adapted and started producing steel-capable guns.

What’s the problem with steel shot? A shotgun’s barrel is made of steel, right?

The problem is that steel shot is harder than many historic shotgun barrels, especially the Damascus barrels found on some 19th-century guns.

Those barrels didn’t have to be made from hard steel. They were designed for use with soft lead. Hardening the barrel would have added to the gun’s cost.

The idea behind avoiding steel ammo is that hard steel shots can ding or gouge the interior of your softer steel barrel. This problem is mitigated because commercial steel ammo uses plastic wads that provide a cushion between the shot and barrel.

Because of this, some people fire light steel loads through their old non-Damascus barrel shotguns with no trouble. However, magnum loads can exacerbate this problem. And even if the steel pellets don’t harm your shotgun’s bore, they can damage the choke.

Steel pellets don’t compress nearly as well as lead, so they cause much higher pressures when the load is constricted as it passes through your shotgun’s choke.

This can lead to a ring bulge at the base of your choke.

I wouldn’t risk shooting steel hunting loads through a pre-’91 gun. Those were likely made with lead in mind and aren’t designed to stand up to high-velocity hard steel pellets.

Steel shot started to become popular in the 70s, so some (but not all) shotguns made between then and 1991 were manufactured with steel loads in mind. Plus, not every manufacturer noted on the barrel whether or not their guns were steel-shot rated!

So, the recommendation is to avoid using steel shot in pre-1991 guns.

Thankfully, there are other types of non-toxic ammo you can use.

Types of Non-Toxic Shotgun Ammo

At the time of writing, the United States Fish & Wildlife Service has approved 14 types of non-toxic shot for waterfowl, coot, and crane hunting.

Most of the 14 types are alloys of several major metals: iron, tungsten, and bismuth.

These three metals have sufficient density for the ammo to be lethal. They’re alloyed with various other metals to improve characteristics or reduce expense because pure tungsten and bismuth are rare and expensive.

Here’s the full list, along with their densities in grams per cubic centimeters:

Lead is included for comparison. The densities given are approximate due to varying alloy ratios. Plus, some densities are proprietary. (I’m looking at you, Hevi-Shot!)

Since non-toxic shot can be split into three major categories, let’s look at those in detail.

Steel Non-Toxic Shot

Iron-based shot, typically steel, is the most economical, non-toxic shot available.

Unfortunately, it comes with several downsides.

The first is that iron is only about 2/3rds as dense as lead. This means that all other factors being equal, a steel shot hunting load will carry less kinetic energy at the muzzle. Worse still, it’ll bleed velocity faster, further reducing knock-down power.

You can compensate for this by using heavier loads with larger pellets plus more powder. Your shoulder won’t thank you, however!

Also, steel is much harder than lead, so it has a harder time passing cleanly through tighter chokes. Firing steel shot through a full choke can blow out your pattern. But that’s not all.

As mentioned before, steel pellets are harder than many older shotgun barrels.

Avoid steel shot unless you’re using a modern shotgun or know your classic shotgun is rated to handle steel loads.

Tungsten Alloy Non-Toxic Shot

Tungsten is almost a wonder metal when it comes to shotgun hunting. It’s one of the few denser elements than lead, giving it great ballistic potential.

However, it’s an expensive and rare element, so you won’t find any shot that’s 100% tungsten. It’ll always be alloyed with something else.

You’ll find it alloyed with other metals, though some manufacturers mix it with polymers instead.

Still, a tungsten shot is non-toxic and will almost always be as dense as lead or even denser, so you can use the same loads as before.

However, tungsten sometimes has the same problem as steel shot of being harder than lead, rendering it incompatible with old shotguns.

Annoyingly, this isn’t always the case, so you can’t just look at the word “tungsten” and know if it’s safe for your heirloom shotgun.

The tungsten non-toxic shot mixed with polymer, such as Kent’s Tungsten Matrix and Hevi-Shot Classic Doubles, tend to be classic-shotgun-safe.

If you’re not sure, then there’s a safer option.

Bismuth Alloy Non-Toxic Shot

Bismuth isn’t as dense as lead, but it’s denser than iron.

More importantly, it’s softer than either iron or tungsten. In fact, it’s about as soft as lead.

This makes the various bismuth shot offerings perfect when you want to grab your classic shotgun for some waterfowl hunting. It’s what I use.

Bismuth does have the same “downside” as tungsten in that it’s much more expensive than steel.

It’s also not quite as long-ranged and hard-hitting as good ol’ lead, but it’s close enough for most hunters.

What About Copper and Nickel Plated Shot?

A common question is whether plating makes steel shot dangerous for old guns. Or if plating makes lead shot dangerous for the same guns.

Basically, any plating on shot pellets is there for corrosion resistance and friction reduction. It doesn’t affect the shot’s underlying properties.

I recommend avoiding steel shot with older hunting shotguns, even when plated.

How to Choose the Right Non-Toxic Shot for Your Old Shotgun

When looking for the best non-toxic ammo, you want an intersection of range, knock-down power, and economy.

Plus, it has to be safe for your gun!

While light steel loads may be safe for your older gun, they won’t be effective hunting loads.

That said, if you have an older trap shooting gun and your shotgun club allows (or requires!) steel shot, you should be fine so long as you avoid heavy target loads and don’t fire them through any choke more restrictive than a modified choke.

When it comes to hunting, bismuth shot is the safest non-toxic option.

You’ll get almost as much performance with a bismuth-alloy shotshell as you’d get with the same lead-pellet load without polluting waterways.

Specific tungsten loads are a good option, too, when you want to maximize your chances.

Be careful with the tungsten ammo you choose, though. Stick to tungsten pellets made with polymer binders. Otherwise, the tungsten alloy may be too hard for your shotgun’s choke.

I like to load my shells with a bismuth alloy such as RotoMetals Bismuth Shot.

Hevi-Shot’s Hevi Bismuth is a common non-toxic waterfowl hunting choice.

Conclusion

Though it has good physical characteristics as a projectile, lead is a toxic element that poisons animals and people when scattered about the environment.

This is why the federal government mandated non-toxic shots when hunting waterfowl in 1991. It’s also why I’ve swapped to a non-toxic shot for all my shotgun hunting.

However, the most common non-toxic ammo is made with steel, which can damage vintage shotguns.

Thankfully, you can find bismuth-alloy and tungsten-matrix shotshells that are not only safe for your classic shotgun but are also devastatingly effective hunting loads!

FAQs

What is Non-Toxic Shot Made From?

Non-toxic shot is made from metals that won’t poison animals and people if particles from the pellets are eaten.

Steel, bismuth, and tungsten are the most common non-toxic metals used.

Which Non-Toxic Shot is Safe for Older Shotguns?

Bismuth is the safest shot material for older shotguns.

Tungsten can be safe, but you need to avoid pellets made from tungsten that have been alloyed with iron. That ammo will have the same dangers as steel.

The post Non-Toxic Ammo for Old Shotguns: What You Need To Know appeared first on Outdoor Empire.

A tighter pattern is effective out to a longer distance, making your shotgun more reliable at taking birds and breaking clays.

Nowadays, almost every shotgun barrel on the market is threaded to receive a choke tube.

But there are so many choke sizes and types. How is a hunter to choose the right one?

Typically, the farther out your target, the tighter you want your choke. For example, a Modified choke is good for pheasants, whereas you may want a Super Full choke for turkey. But if you’re using steel shot, loosen up your choke by one level.

If that doesn’t make sense, then continue reading. I’ll define every word I used, from constriction to Super Full, to help you understand the sometimes vague world of hunting chokes.

What are Shotgun Chokes and How Do They Work?

A choke is a constriction at the end of a shotgun’s bore. The bore is the inside of the barrel.

Shotgun bores were, originally, the same internal diameter from the forcing cone (just in front of the chamber to the bore) to the muzzle.

Almost two hundred years ago, though, some adventuring gunsmiths discovered something that would change the shotgun world forever: If you reduce the bore diameter right at the end of the barrel, your shotgun’s pattern decreases in size.

Pattern

Pattern” refers to the size and density of the cloud of shot as it flies through the air and impacts the target. As the lead flies, the pellets separate and move away from each other.

The word is also used as a verb because you can “pattern” your shotgun by shooting a large piece of paper and seeing where every pellet ends up.

A smaller starting pattern means that this pellet divergence will take longer to come into effect. This keeps the cloud denser for longer.

In other words, tightening the bore extends the range of your shotgun.

Constriction

“Constriction” is how much smaller the choke is than the bore diameter. There are many names for different constriction levels, which I’ll cover later.

Constriction is most commonly measured in hundredths of inches or even thousandths. A Skeet choke, for example, has been constricted from the bore by 0.005 inches.

Another way to measure choke is by the percentage of pellets that land within a 30″ circle at 40 yards.

The tighter the constriction, the denser the cloud of shot, and the longer the range. Simple enough.

However, a too-tight choke can impose an effective minimum range for your shotgun. It’s possible for a pattern to be too tight for super close-in shots.

It’s also possible for a choke to be tight enough for a certain load to “blow out” when all the pellets jumble their way through the tight space. This results in a pattern that widens up much earlier than anticipated.

An easy way to diagnose a blown-out pattern is if the holes in paper resemble a donut, with far more targets around the outside of the circle and few in the middle.

Chokes can either be part of the barrel or a separate piece of metal.

Today, most choke tubes are threaded into the end of your shotgun, allowing you to swap constrictions depending on what you’re shooting.

Some people call these “screw chokes.” Chokes integrated with the barrel are called “fixed chokes.”

Some report that fixed chokes have a greater effect than a screw-in choke of the same constriction.

Shotgun Chokes Sizes and Their Uses

Choke sizes are, frustratingly, not entirely standardized. Many manufacturers have slightly different measurements because their bore size is somewhat different.

Beretta, for example, drops only 0.004″ between Cylinder and Skeet chokes.

We’ll start with a chart of the common choke names and constrictions before getting into the details of how to use each.

* I didn’t include bore size in this chart because it can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. 12 gauge is supposed to have a bore size of 0.729″ but SAAMI spec allows for up to 0.745″. Also, the nominal bore size doesn’t actually matter when it comes to patterning. Only constriction matters.

** Some chokes are identified with a number of notches or stars. These can be on the barrel with fixed chokes.

*** Effective ranges given are for lead birdshot and are a rough guide.

Here’s an important caveat before proceeding:

Each shotgun behaves individually. In addition, each shotshell load in each shotgun behaves individually.

Take the following information as a starting point for your shotgun. Then take it to the range, pattern your gun, and use what you learn to determine how to get the desired results.

Choke Sizes

Negative

A negative choke is wider than the shotgun’s bore.

The main use for a negative choke is with self-defense firearms when you want as wide a pattern as possible in as short a distance as possible to maximize your chances of hitting an assailant.

(True) Cylinder

A Cylinder choke has no constriction.

It’s used for home defense, slug hunting, and close-in bird shooting such as ducks, pheasants, and quail.

Skeet

Skeet chokes are named because they’re most commonly used for skeet shooting when you have to make two rapid shots on clay birds at a relatively close range.

When you let them get close, these chokes are also suitable for quail, grouse, early-season pheasants, and ducks.

Improved Cylinder

Improved chokes are commonly used while hunting. You can use them with rifled slugs and for small birds and/or close-range birds, including ducks, quail, chukar, grouse, partridges, pheasants, and greater prairie chicken.

IC is also a common choke size for trap shooting.

Light Modified

Light modified is a relatively rare choke used to get a slightly denser pattern against smaller birds or for advanced skeet shooters.

Modified

Some people recommend that if you’re unsure what choke you need, use a modified choke.

Modified chokes are good against various game animals, from ducks to doves and rabbits to squirrels.

MOD is also a common trap shooting choke size for advanced shooters.

Improved Modified

Sometimes called IM, this choke size is recommended for longer-distance shots on small game animals, especially later in the season when they’re more likely to spook and take flight before you can get close.

It’s a fairly common choke size for hunting ptarmigan if you find yourself in Alaska.

Light Full

Fuller chokes are good for bringing more pellets onto a single animal, making them more effective at taking down larger birds like turkeys and geese.

Some hunters also use them against larger ducks, especially at longer ranges.

Full

Full chokes are the go-to for geese as well as turkey.

Some trap shooters transition to full choke as they gain experience, especially once they start taking handicaps and have a longer distance to shoot.

Extra Full

Extra Full chokes are for squeezing a little extra range when shooting large ducks, geese, and turkey.

Super Full / Extra Extra Full / Turkey

The least-standardized choke size, these chokes are intended to let you take out turkey with headshots at relatively long ranges.

Different Types of Hunting Chokes

If the world of shotgun chokes for hunting wasn’t confusing enough already, there are different types of choke tubes.

The Manufacturer

Many shotgun manufacturers use a different threading pattern, sometimes in a different location in the bore, making their choke tubes incompatible with the competition’s chokes.

Also, some manufacturers have different fitting choke tubes for different shotguns. Browning especially has the Standard Invector, Invector Plus, and Invector-DS; these chokes do not interchange.

This means you have to know what type of choke your shotgun uses.

Not all shotgun manufacturers have proprietary threading patterns, though. Overseas manufacturers love to thread their guns with Remington chokes, for example.

But don’t confuse that with the Remington Pro Bore!

These different mounting thread positions can theoretically affect your shotgun’s patterns but for most of us, it doesn’t matter.

Just get chokes that fit your gun.

Materials and Lengths

Material is essential because some chokes are not compatible with steel shot. The steel, traveling at a high velocity, can damage softer metals. Always confirm shot compatibility when using anything except for lead birdshot.

As for length, longer chokes tend to provide denser shot patterns than shorter chokes of the same constriction.

This is because a longer taper lets the pellets gently reposition, so there’s less turbulence once they leave the bore.

This is good for hunting at longer ranges or breaking clays with a handicap. However, you may want to avoid extended chokes when shooting at close-in targets.

Finally, some extended choke tubes have porting and small holes to divert the expanding gas.

The idea is the same as a rifle’s muzzle brake but, to be honest, it’s basically a marketing scheme. Shotguns do not have the required gas pressure lateral ports to reduce recoil effectively.

Some people see a reduction in muzzle climb with ports on top of the barrel. However, because choke tubes are screwed in, their ports must be equidistantly spaced around the port.

At best, you’ll see no effect with a ported choke tube. At worse, you get a bit more noise and a lighter wallet.

Shotgun Choke Installation and Maintenance

Not every shotgunner knows they have to maintain their chokes when cleaning their shotgun.

Eventually, these hunters will find themselves with a choke that’s almost welded inside their barrel!

No choke has a 100% seal between its base and the barrel. A little bit of gas will always blow between the choke tube and the bore, and a tiny bit will get into the threading.

Over time, this will deposit carbon residue. As it builds up, it will effectively glue the choke tube to the barrel.

To prevent this, you must remove your choke and clean it regularly. I do it whenever I disassemble any part of my shotgun for cleaning.

And remember to clear your shotgun of ammunition before cleaning it. Make sure the magazine and every chamber are clear with both a visual and physical inspection!

You need to use the correct type of wrench to remove the choke. It’s like a screwdriver and is often called a choke key.

One likely came with your shotgun but that’s not always the case. You can get universal choke tube wrenches, but I’d use one designed for your specific choke, otherwise, they may not fit properly.

Extended chokes don’t need wrenches, by the way. Just grab the outside of the choke tube!

Once the tube is out of your gun, clean it as you would any other gun part. Use solvent and a brush to remove any carbon residue, then apply gun oil to the choke’s inside and outside.

Some shotgunners apply a small amount of grease to the threads instead of oil.

When installing the choke, you do not want to put too much force into it.

You want to bottom out the choke tube but do not torque it in. Doing so can permanently damage the threads inside your barrel, which is an expensive repair.

As for fixed tubes, well, they’re part of the barrel! No special care is necessary.

Choke Tubes and Hunting Slugs

What about deer hunting with a slug?

Some choke sizes are compatible with slugs, actually.

A little bit of constriction is fine for lead slugs. But you don’t really want to get any tighter than an Improved Cylinder if you’re shooting a lot.

However, the occasional Foster or Brenneke slug shot won’t damage even a Full choke tube because the outer vanes will collapse, swaging the slug through the choke. They may lose accuracy from being squeezed through, though.

You can buy rifled choke tubes, which impart spin as the slug travels through. This improves accuracy.

Don’t use rifled choke tubes nor a sabot slub with a rifled slug, though. In both cases, the choke’s rifling can damage the slug, decreasing accuracy.

Remember:

You want the slug or the choke to be rifled, not both!

Conclusion

Finding the right choke for what you’re shooting can make you more consistent, whether hunting or shooting clays.

Unfortunately, choke tubes are not an exact science. Every manufacturer makes them slightly differently, and every load passes through them slightly differently.

You can take in all the advice you want about chokes, but you need to get out and practice with your shotgun to ensure you get the pattern you want at the distance you’ll be shooting.

If you’re unsure where to start, I’d recommend starting with a Modified choke.

Pattern your shotgun by shooting a large sheet of paper at the range you expect to be shooting your target. Too dense? Use a lighter choke. Too wide? Use a tighter choke.

I’m a fan of Carlson’s extended choke tubes. Which chokes do you use?

FAQs

Can you fire a shotgun without a choke?

If your shotgun is threaded to receive a screw-in choke, then DO NOT fire that gun without a choke installed. The threading is thin and easily damaged.

Can you use slugs with chokes?

Yes, you can fire a lead slug through most chokes, so long as they are not Extra Full or tighter. Improved Cylinder is the tightest recommended choke size.

The post A Complete Guide to Hunting Chokes for Shotguns appeared first on Outdoor Empire.

Even the least expensive gun, though, is an effective tool and should be the subject of your care so it can serve you for a good long time.

I’ve traveled across the United States. Literally. I’ve hunted in Florida, Alaska, and several states in between.

Because I’ve had to deal with such wildly different environments, I’ve spent a lot of time trying out various protective products to keep my guns safe from sun, water, and brush.

The best solution I’ve found for wood and blued steel is gun wax. It’s easy to apply and offers excellent protection against rain, sweat, and whatever else life throws at your gun.

But waxing guns isn’t for everyone.

Why is wax different from oil? Who would benefit from waxing their gun? And how do you wax guns anyway?

All these questions and more are answered below!

Why You Should Wax Your Guns

Oil may be the go-to protectant for many people, but wax is often better.

That’s because a high-quality gun wax offers a strong level of long-lasting physical protection to metal and wood without the side effects you get with oil.

Oil, being liquid, tends to move. This is good for when you want to lubricate hard-to-reach areas. It’s bad if you want your gun’s protection to stay on the weapon.

If you set a hunting rifle in your gun safe with the barrel pointing up, then oil can seep into the buttstock and cause swelling, eventually cracking the wood.

Oil on pistols in a concealed carry holster is known to stain your clothes. It’ll also rub off the gun, compromising protection and allowing your sweat to rust the gun.

Wax, however, doesn’t seep. It stays right where it is.

It also protects wood without causing any swelling, making it perfect for traditional firearms.

In fact, wax protects against solvents capable of stripping the oil off your gun!

A good gun wax dries hard and is invisible on your gun.

Actually, scratch that. A good gun wax can make your gun’s finish a bit more beautiful.

And, because it dries hard, it’s a waterproof physical barrier, perfect for outdoor hunting days.

The following types of firearms benefit significantly from being waxed:

• Guns with a blued finish
• Collectible firearms
• Hunting guns
• Concealed carry pistols
• Guns in long-term storage

Just about the only firearms that don’t benefit from gun wax are the ones made of aluminum and with polymer stocks.

Your Glocks and ARs may not see much benefit from being waxed. I don’t wax my modern sporting rifles.

I wax my traditional firearms, though, such as the Antonio Zoli 20 gauge over/under upland hunting shotgun, shown in the photos on this post.

My skin oils tend to cause blued steel to rust, even if the gun has been well oiled.

Since I’ve started waxing my guns, though? No more rust!

Reasons to Avoid Waxing Guns

Not everyone should wax their entire gun collection, though.

You’ll want to stick to other protection methods in a few situations. Let’s look at those.

Perhaps the most important time to avoid waxing a gun is when you are in the process of refinishing its wood stock.

First, wax’s protective qualities make it a huge pain to remove. Seriously, I’d rather deal with cosmoline than try to remove wax!

Also, while wax is good at protecting most wood finishes, you only want to apply it to a dry finish.

If you wax up a gun stock that hasn’t fully dried, then neither will dry, and you’ll have a tacky piece of wood forever.

Also, don’t wax wood you plan on having checkered in the future. This is because the wax can gunk up checkering tools, making the process much more frustrating.

Finally, gun wax doesn’t do much for polymer surfaces.

I have heard that shoe wax (not gun wax!) can help protect your gun’s plastic pieces from UV damage and fills in tiny scratches, but I haven’t tried this myself yet.

Which Wax Should You Use?

The type of wax you use is essential.

You should never wax your firearm with car wax!

That’s because car waxes contain polishing compounds. That polish will wear away your gun’s nice finish.

Keep car wax away from guns, especially ones with blued steel.

Floor waxes and furniture waxes are good. They make the gun waterproof and protect against both rain and sweat.

Johnson’s Paste Wax is sometimes recommended because of this.

Dedicated gun waxes are the best, though.

Renaissance Wax is the gold standard of gun waxes. It’s a micro-crystalline wax designed to help museum pieces stay preserved forever without harming the artifact.

Firearm museums tend to use Renaissance Wax. It’s my preferred product, too.

It’s expensive, but even the small container will last you for years.

Another option is Flitz Rifle, Gun, & Knife Wax.

Raw waxes such as beeswax aren’t great choices but can waterproof your gun in a pinch.

Don’t even think of using earwax!

How to Apply Wax to Your Firearm

Now that you know why waxing your gun is such a good idea let’s learn how to use it to protect your gun from rain, sweat, dirt, and more.

What You Need to Wax Your Gun

At its simplest, the instructions for gun waxing boil down to applying wax to your gun and then buffing it off with a cloth.

It’s really that easy!

You’ll want to keep some details in mind while waxing your gun, so you get optimal protection, though. So I’ll cover the process in detail.

You need these three items to wax your gun:

• A good wax
• A soft cloth
• Nitrile gloves
• Your gun

I covered the best type of gun wax above.

As for the cloth, microfiber can work. However, I’ve found that microfiber is fine for buffing the wax but not for applying it in the first place.

Microfiber is just too good at holding onto the wax!

So, either use a non-microfiber cloth to apply the wax to the gun or spread it by hand. I tend to do the latter and wear nitrile gloves to keep my skin oils away from the gun’s blued finish.

The above list is good for maintenance waxes. However, you need a few more items before you wax your gun the first time:

• Tools for disassembly
• Toothbrush or nylon brush (preferred)
• Solvent and lubricant (optional)

This is because you want to apply wax to many of the interior portions of your gun and its parts the first time you protect your gun.

The brush is there to help apply the wax to crevices, small areas, checkering, and engravings.

And you may want some solvent and gun oil (or gun grease) handy. You’re disassembling the gun for this so go ahead and give it a deep clean and lube.

The Gun Waxing Process

Here are the following steps for waxing your beloved firearms:

1. Clear the Gun
2. Disassemble
3. Clean
4. Apply wax
5. Buff wax
6. Lubricate
7. Reassemble

If you’re giving the gun a deep clean, then when you do so will depend on if this gun has been waxed before or not.

If this is your first time waxing this gun, then clean the gun before you wax but don’t lubricate it until after you’ve waxed it.

But if you’ve already applied wax at least once, wait until you’ve buffed off the new wax to clean.

This is because gun wax does a bit of cleaning itself. You may not need to deep clean the waxed areas.

However, gun wax is good at protecting against solvents, so you’ll have a heck of a time deep cleaning an area that’s already been waxed!

So, you want to apply wax to a clean surface if it’s your first time.

Let’s look at the steps.

1. Clearing the Gun

The first thing you should do is make sure your firearm is completely unloaded and safe to handle!

Remove the magazine, if any. Empty the chamber.

Then observe that there is no ammo in the gun. Use your eyes, then confirm what you see with a finger in the chamber.

Also, remove any ammo from your work area. We don’t want a stray round mysteriously hopping into the chamber!

Once you have 300% confirmed that your gun is empty, you can proceed with the waxing process.

300% isn’t hyperbole, mind you. Check, double check, then triple check!

2. Disassembly

How far you disassemble the guns depends on how much protection you want to add.

If this is your first time waxing the gun, disassemble it to the point where every piece of metal or rubber has been removed from the forend and buttstock.

You want to be able to coat all of the surfaces with a protective wax layer to protect against water seeping between the metal and the wood.

Once you’ve done this once, though, you won’t really have to disassemble this far for future gun cleanings.

If it’s been a while since you’ve waxed your gun, or you’re going to take it out for a hunting trip, then slightly disassemble the gun. Remove parts like the pistol grip, stock, and handguard, but don’t worry about removing the metal pieces, grip caps, butt plates, etc.

This will let you wax the more at-risk portions and doesn’t take much extra time.

For quick wax-downs, you don’t even need to disassemble your firearm. Just wax the outside!

3. Cleaning the Gun

Next, take your cloth and gently wipe over the entire surface of your firearm.

This quick pre-cleaning step removes dust and light amounts of gunk.

If this is your first time waxing your gun or it’s noticeably dirty, then give it a deep clean right now.

4. Applying the Wax

Now you want to put a little bit of wax on every surface of the gun that’s not a friction-bearing surface.

Avoid any part of the gun that has metal-to-metal contact. Pivots, bolts, action bars, etc., should all be lubricated, not waxed.

Wax is not a lubricant!

Put a small amount of wax on your cloth (or gloved fingers) and lightly smear it on your gun.

It’s better to use lots of small applications rather than globbing a bunch of wax on your gun at once.

I like to work in large sections when waxing my gun. With my shotgun, I’ll wax the inside of the forend, the outside of the forend, the barrels, the buttstock, the receiver, and the trigger area.

Renaissance Wax dries immediately so you can buff right after application. Read your wax’s instructions to see if you need to wait before buffing.

5. Buffing the Wax

Take your cloth and swipe repeatedly and with gentle pressure to buff the wax until you can’t see any wax remnants on your gun.

If you’re waxing over rust or a dirty portion of your gun, then make sure to use a different section of your rag frequently, so you don’t rub contaminates into your firearm’s finish.

A properly buffed surface should look clear and lustrous.

6. Lubrication

Now’s the time to apply your lubricant of choice to the friction-bearing and metal-on-metal surfaces you didn’t wax.

Every metal and wood part of your gun should have some sort of protectant, whether it’s wax, oil, grease, or a strong finish.

7. Reassembly

Once your gun is waxed and lubricated, it’s time to put it back together.

This is the most satisfying step because, once you’ve reassembled your gun, you’re left holding a beautiful tool.

Go ahead and admire it for a minute before proceeding with your day.

Conclusion

Gun wax is a great product that protects your gun’s finish without the risk of staining your clothes or cracking wood pieces.

It’s easy to apply. Just give your metal and wood a light wax coating, then buff it off with a lint-free cloth.

My favorite gun wax is Renaissance Wax, a micro-crystalline wax that prevents water ingress and protects against scratches and fingerprints. I use it to keep my wood-and-steel guns safe from nature and the ravages of time.

Have you waxed up any guns? Let me know in the comments below!

FAQs

Can You Protect Your Gun with Car Wax?

No! Car waxes contain abrasive compounds that can damage your gun’s finish.

Can You Use Floor Wax on Your Gun?

Some floor and furniture waxes can be used to waterproof and protect firearms, though Renaissance Wax or a dedicated gun wax is the superior choice.

Is Beeswax Good for Gun Stocks?

A mixture of beeswax, pine tar, and turpentine has been used historically to protect firearms from the elements.

This recipe is sometimes called FinnWax because Finnish soldiers supposedly used it to protect their Mosin Nagant rifles. However, it’ll stain and darken your stock.

Beeswax on its own is hard to apply and should only be used in an emergency.

How Long Does it Take for Gun Wax to Dry?

Different waxes have different drying times.

For example, Renaissance Wax dries instantly but Flitz Gun Wax takes some time to dry to a haze.

Can Gun Wax Remove Rust?

Gun wax has light cleaning properties and can remove light surface rust.

However, wax is not a good choice for removing pitting or serious rust.

The post Waxing Guns: Protect Your Firearms from Salt, Sweat & Rain! appeared first on Outdoor Empire.

Then you get to the sporting goods store and there are just so many different shotguns on the shelves.

And, if it’s anything like my hometown’s gun shop, there’s a section just for fancy-looking shotguns with a price tag of $2,000 or more!

What is the difference between a field and a sporting shotgun like a Winchester SXP and a Benelli 828?

And do these differences always matter?

Generally, a sporting shotgun is longer and heavier than a field shotgun. This is because hunting shotguns have to strike a balance between performance and weight since you must carry them while hiking in the wilderness.

What is a Hunting Shotgun?

A hunting shotgun is also called a field shotgun or a game shotgun.

As you can tell from the name, the purpose of these shotguns is to go with you into the field (or onto the water), so you can deliver a cloud of lead (or non-toxic shot) to the game animal you’re hunting.

Modern shotguns are descended from the historic firearm known as a fowling piece. They were smooth-bore muskets intended for bird hunting.

Recreational sports involving shotguns developed later, so one could say that hunting guns were the original shotguns.

There are many different types of hunting shotguns, but they all have the same design elements in common. Some performance is sacrificed to make them easier to carry in the field.

Anybody who has hiked for long distances knows that every ounce of extra weight compounds upon itself. If you spend a long time carrying a gun, you want it to be as light as possible.

So, you’ll often see polymer stocks on field guns. These are extra light. Simple wood stocks are common as well.

But one of the most effective ways to minimize weight is to remove metal. This means shortening the barrel, and that’s where most of the performance sacrifice comes into play.

Now, a shotgun doesn’t suffer from velocity loss due to barrel length nearly as much as a rifle. The problem comes when you swing onto your target.

A shorter barrel has less momentum than a longer barrel. This can result in a snappier swing, hurting your follow-through.

Shortening the barrel also reduces the distance between the shotgun’s front bead and your eyes. Like rifles and iron sights, a longer sight line minimizes sighting errors.

A hunting shotgun typically has a barrel length of either 26″ or 28″.

This is long enough to help you swing on target while cutting some precious ounces off the weight you need to carry with you as you wade to the duck hunting stand.

Something you won’t see on most field guns is a lot of decoration. That’s because nature isn’t gentle and no matter how much you baby your gun, it’ll eventually get scratched or dinged up.

Also, hunting shotguns are often made of a high-enough quality but aren’t designed to handle hundreds of thousands of shots. Hunting isn’t a high-volume activity so manufacturers don’t have to put every expense into their gun’s reliability.

I’m not calling the average hunting shotgun unreliable, mind you. Read down to the sporting shotgun section to see what I consider a high volume of fire!

So, field guns are often inexpensive compared to sporting shotguns due to the lack of decoration and less-exacting manufacturing standards.

What Are the Types of Hunting Shotguns?

Hunting shotguns are typically categorized by their action type.

Break Action

A classic design, break-action shotguns have a lever by the receiver. Push it, and the barrel drops, giving you access to the chambers.

These shotguns are reliable and have a compact layout for a given barrel length.

Single barrel, over/under, and side by side shotguns can be found in the field. Of these, the over/under style is the most common for two main reasons: Ammo capacity and shot convergence.

Double-barreled shotguns let you carry two rounds ready at once, which is excellent since birds rarely travel solo.

As for shot convergence, whenever you have two gun bores, you can never get them perfectly parallel with each other. If you stick a laser in each barrel, you’ll find that the dots will converge or diverge from each other as you change distances.

Side-by-side shotguns have horizontal convergence. This means you’ll have to compensate left or right for each one.

For over/under, though, the convergence is vertical. This means you can pattern your shotgun at several ranges to see how the barrels perform in reference to each other.

Use this to determine one barrel as the close-range barrel and the other as the long-range barrel, helping you to be accurate at all ranges!

You’ll typically want the tighter choke on the long-range barrel, by the way.

Pump Action

The most common hunting shotgun today is the pump action.

An internal bolt is attached to the handguard by one or two action bars. You pump the fore-end and the bolt moves too, ejecting the previous shell and loading the next one from the tube magazine.

Pump shotguns are cheap, reliable, and can hold the maximum number of shells allowed by law. Federally, this is 3 rounds when hunting waterfowl. Some states enforce this limit for upland bird hunting, too.

Pump shotguns are a bit longer than over/under shotguns but make up for this in weight by not having a second barrel.

Semi-Automatic

Semi-automatic shotguns use gas or inertia to operate the internal mechanism that moves the bolt and chambers to the next shell.

For a long time, semi-auto shotguns had a reputation for being unreliable.

Manufacturers have solved this problem for the most part. Remember that cheap semi-autos still tend to have reliability problems, though.

Externally they tend to resemble pump shotguns, though the fore-end rarely moves. Some semi-auto shotguns can be operated as pump shotguns, though!

The shotgun I’ve hunted with the most is a Franchi 48 AL, a recoil-operated semi-auto shotgun.

What is a Sporting Shotgun?

As I mentioned before, sporting shotguns were developed later than hunting shotguns.

People realized they could “hunt” competitively by releasing captive birds at a known distance.

This was expensive because you needed to capture or raise the birds, feed and house them, then have servants release them on command.

Shotgun sports became available to the masses after the introduction of clay pigeons, which are discs that curve through the air when launched by hand or a device. This cut a lot of costs from sport-shooting.

As shotgunning as a sport evolved, so too did the shotguns used. Nowadays the average sporting shotgun is a different beast than a hunting shotgun.

Functionally they’re the same. They still have a barrel or two, a bead, and ignite the shotshell when you actuate the trigger.

However, sporting guns have their priorities on performance and longevity.

Longevity is a bit different from reliability. You see, sport shotguns are not meant to handle dirt and mud. Instead, they’re meant to be shot a hundred times each visit to the club.

Every week. For decades.

A sporting shotgun that lasts only 10,000 rounds is a failure. Good ones can handle 100,000 shells or more before they require major maintenance.

The cost of the gun itself, no matter how high, becomes minimal when averaged out over this high volume of fire.

However, this type of longevity requires a high level of care during manufacturing, which drives the cost of sporting guns up.

Some shotgun sportsmen believe that no shotgun under $2,000 can handle the long-term stresses of clay shooting.

I can’t entirely agree with this because not everyone can get out to the range every week.

However, I will still caution people looking for a sporting shotgun to budget higher than they would for a hunting shotgun.

Because sporting shotguns are more expensive, more people treat them like high-value artifacts. So, you’ll often see nicer wood and engravings on a sporter gun.

Now, as for their performance…

You’ll rarely have to carry a sporting shotgun for more than a few hundred feet. So, they can be as long and heavy as they need to be.

Clay shotguns are typically 28″, 30″ or 32″. Certain trap shotguns can be 34″ long!

The longer length provides a better swing, helping you hit every clay you pull on.

Also, sporting shotguns sometimes have weights added to the buttstock or even the handguard. These weights help to absorb recoil. They can also adjust the gun’s balance for improved mounting.

Sporting guns are often modified to fit each user perfectly so you have the edge when competing.

There are guides on doing these modifications at home, but you can also seek out the services of a professional. This can be worth it.

Clay shotguns also typically have a rib that helps with your eye-to-bead alignment to help improve your consistency.

What Are the Types of Sporting Shotguns?

The main clay shooting disciplines are trap, skeet, sporting clays, and five stands.

The most common gun you’ll see is a break-action shotgun, generally an over/under.

While you can use the same shotgun for all of them, dedicated competitors will use specialized shotguns with slightly different shooting characteristics for each discipline.

Sporting Shotguns

While “sporting shotgun” can apply to all clay shotguns, it’s also a term used by some people to refer to a shotgun intended for shooting sports without being specialized in a certain sport.

To meet this definition, a sporting shotgun is well-balanced. It also shoots to the point of aim.

This seems like an odd thing to say, but we’ll get into why it’s important in just a little bit.

Skeet Shotguns

Shotguns specialized for skeet shooting will have a barrel-heavy center of balance.

Skeet shooting involves two birds flying at the same time. There’s rarely a large vertical gap between them.

The heavier barrel helps follow through as you point at and break both clays.

Some skeet shooters prefer a slightly shorter barrel length when skeet shooting, down to 26″.

Skeet shotguns also shoot to the point of aim.

Trap Shotguns

Trap shooting involves a single bird, launched at a semi-random angle away from you, always traveling up before they fall back down.

Because you want to catch the bird before it gets too far away from you, you shoot it on the rise. 

Many trap shooters find they can get an edge here by using a shotgun set up to hit a bit above the point of aim. Especially if you don’t want to cover your view of the rising clay with your barrel.

Trap shotgun barrels have also trended longer than other disciplines, which is why you’ll sometimes see trap shotguns with a barrel 34″ long.

Some trap over/under shotguns even forgo the upper barrel entirely and replace it with an extra-tall rib.

Hunting vs. Sporting Shotgun Direct Comparison

Now that we know all we want to about field and sporting shotguns, let’s compare them head to head so you can easily see their strengths and weaknesses.

I’ll also include tactical shotguns, often used for self-defense. They’re more similar to hunting guns than sporting guns but aren’t exactly the same.

Are Hunting and Sport Shotguns Interchangeable?

As you can see, hunting and sporting shotguns are not the same.

However, if you want to, you can use them the same way.

An oft-repeated piece of advice is for new shotgunners to take their new tactical or hunting shotgun to the gun club so they can get in some high-quality shooting practice.

Generally, the more specialized your shotgun, the worse it will perform when acting outside its specialty. This should be obvious but it’s worth stating.

And, remember, hunting shotguns are actually rather generalist guns because they’re designed to strike a balance between performance and comfort in the field.

Fortunately, many models of shotguns are designed so you can remove one barrel and install another.

Do you have an 18″ tactical shotgun? You may be able to find a 28″ field barrel for it!

While many high-end over/unders have this capacity, so do some inexpensive shotguns.

The Stevens 320, for example, is available as a combo with both a 28″ barrel and an 18.5″ barrel.

Even budget shotgunners can cover hunting and sport shooting with the same shotgun.

Conclusion

In the end, a sporting shotgun is a specialized type of hunting shotgun, historically speaking.

I’ve seen a Remington 870 shooting trap at the same time as a Browning Citori. It wasn’t the gun that won that shoot-off. It was the shooter.

Ultimately, you’ll perform better with a gun you’re comfortable with than with a gun that costs more but doesn’t feel right in your hands.

If you doubt the type of shotgun you want, start with a field shotgun. They are perfectly capable when hunting or sport shooting. You can always save up for a high-end sporting gun later.

FAQs

Can you hunt with a sporting shotgun?

Yes, you can hunt with a sporting shotgun. However, sporting shotguns often have expensive finishes that can be damaged by rough handling in a field. They can also be quite heavy.

Can one shotgun be used for duck hunting, upland hunting, trap, skeet, and sporting clays?

A single shotgun can be used for all types of hunting and all types of shotgun sport shooting. I’d recommend a 28″ over/under or pump shotgun for this purpose or a shotgun with interchangeable barrels.

The post Hunting vs Sporting Shotguns: What They Are & Comparison appeared first on Outdoor Empire.

Shooters transitioning to shotguns from rifle shooting often bring some of their training. Especially prevalent is the desire to assist their aim with a scope or red dot, the same as they have on their rifle.

This leads to the common question:

Should you install an optic on your shotgun?

Naturally, the answer depends on how you’re using your shotgun. But you don’t have to look at a complicated table to figure out if you should use an optic with your shotgun.

The trick is to answer this question:

Are you shooting a stationary target or a swiftly moving target?

Optics on shotguns help improve your precision when shooting targets either moving slowly or not moving at all. However, they can slow you down when taking quick shots at flying birds or clays by distracting your eyes.

The reason this is the case may not be obvious, so we’ll cover the hows and whys optics are sometimes helpful and sometimes harmful.

Then we can answer what type of optic is best for your shotgun!

The Basics of Shotgun Sights

You may have noticed that I used the word “point” to describe the process of bringing a shotgun on target instead of the word “aim.”

That’s because shotgun shooting is more instinctual than rifle shooting. It’s kind of like traditional archery that way.

When shooting a rifle, or a handgun, you ensure a good hit by lining up the front and rear sights and superimposing them over the target. If the gun has been sighted in properly, the point of aim and point of impact will be the same.

Those guns function this way because they fire a single projectile that travels in a (hopefully!) consistent arc.

An optic lets you see that point of aim without having to align the iron sights, thereby improving speed and accuracy.

Shotguns, on the other hand, fire a cloud of projectiles, called the shot, in a semi-random pattern. A precise point of aim only tells you where the center of this cloud is likely to impact. Heck, no pellets may hit at the exact center!

This is why shotguns are a great choice against birds, from doves to quail.

The shot is also slower than the typical bullet. This introduces a noticeable travel delay, which becomes essential when shooting at a moving target such as a clay pigeon or the duck you just called in.

(I’m ignoring slugs for now but don’t worry, I’ll get to them in a little bit!)

For these reasons, shotgunners don’t bother aligning sights the same way a rifle shooter would. You need to be fast, but you don’t need to be nearly so precise.

Leading the target and following through after pulling the trigger are more important. And this means keeping both of your eyes on the prize.

Instead of iron sights, most shotguns have a bead atop the barrel, near the tip. It’s a quick point of reference that doesn’t distract your view of the target. This process is handled subconsciously once you’ve gotten used to a shotgun.

Some shotguns have a rib, a second bead halfway down the barrel, or both. These are tools to help ensure you’re consistent in mounting the shotgun. Your view of the bead(s) must be the same every time.

Because you’re focused on the target instead of the gun, you can direct your attention toward getting a quick hit.

Some shotgunners are so consistent they can remove their front bead and still hit 25 out of 25 clays!

Is It Worth Putting a Red Dot on a Shotgun?

So, what does an optic add to this equation?

Precision.

Now, reflex sights are assuredly faster than a rifle’s iron sights, but that glowing reticle draws the eye’s attention. This can confuse your sight picture and slow down your shooting compared with bead sights, which blend into your subconscious.

Scopes, magnified or unmagnified, are guilty of slowing you down even further. But they still have their uses.

This means that shotgun shooting that relies on snapshots is hampered by adding a red dot sight.

I’ve seen people use red dots at the trap line, but it’s rare for them to outshoot someone with a bead.

On the other hand, if you need extra precision in your shooting—say, because you’re hunting deer with slugs—then an optic is worth adding to your shotgun.

An optic is a worthwhile addition to your shotgun against anything that moves at about human speed or slower. It’ll likely slow you down when shooting at anything running on the ground or flying through the air, though.

I’m not being definitive here because there are exceptions to both of my statements above. I know people who shoot pheasants better with a red dot than without. And I know people who can put a slug in a bullseye at 100 yards with a front bead but can’t seem to do that consistently with a scope.

You may have to experiment to see whether or not adding an optic is worth it to you.

Hey, that’s more range time, right?

Types of Shotgun Optical Sights

Red dot sights are the most commonly used shotgun optics but aren’t the only available options.

Let’s look at the three main types of shotgun optics to see which will work best for you.

Red Dot Sights

Red dots, also called reflex sights, impose a floating reticle in front of your eyes.

These sights are available as an enclosed tube or with an open emitter, shining their light upon the window to reflect the dot back at your eyes.

These optics work well with many shotguns because they let you focus on the target with both eyes.

Tube-style red dot sights are bulkier and heavier than ones with open emitters but are immune to a bit of snow or muck getting inside to block said emitter. The open-style reflex sight is lighter and smaller, especially the ones designed for use on a pistol.

You’ll often see these sights on the shotguns used by 3-gun competitors and for tactical shotgunning.

I’m a fan of the circle and dot style because the circle gives you a rough estimate of where the pellet cloud will impact, so you can still use your shotgun for snapshots.

I currently have a Holosun HS515CM on my self-defense shotgun, though I am planning to replace it with an HS507C soon to lighten it up.

Holographic Sights

Holographic sights are similar to red dot sights, except they use a laser to form a hologram as the reticle.

This hologram is unlike the reflected light of a reflex sight because it doesn’t need the view window to stay intact. Holo sights are an excellent choice for environments where you need extra durability.

Holographic optics also compensate for parallax better than red dot sights. In practical terms, this means you’ll be more accurate even if your shooting stance is slightly off.

However, holo sights are larger and heavier than any red dot sight.

I had my EOTech 512 on my self-defense shotgun for a time, but it was just too much weight, so I took it off.

Some people like them for self-defense or 3-gun shooting, though.

The EOTech XPS2 would be the better choice in this case because its smaller weight affects the shotgun’s balance less.

Shotgun Scopes

A scope may seem like a silly addition to a shotgun, but there are two use cases where you may want to use a magnified optic.

The first use is obvious: Slugs.

Shotgun slugs are like large, slow rifle bullets, so a more rifle-like setup is common with dedicated slug guns.

4x is the most common shotgun scope magnification, though I’ve seen some shotguns sports glasses that go up to 7x!

Turkey hunters may appreciate some magnification as well.

Unlike other birds, turkeys are often taken with as tight a choke as possible at a comparatively long range. And those darn birds seem to wear Kevlar jackets, so you need to put as much shot into the head and neck as possible.

This means precision wins out over speed.

The Vortex Diamondback 2-7×35 is my favorite shotgun scope. It’s inexpensive and has enough magnification to put that slug precisely where you want it to go.

Who Should Install an Optic on their Shotgun?

You probably have a good idea of whether or not installing a red dot or other types of optics can help your shotgunning by now.

For ground-based shooting, optics are a good choice. For wing shooting, however, optics tend to lose out to the good ol’ bead sight.

That’s not always the case, though.

For example, if you’re hunting rabbits, you need to swing on target rapidly and have great follow-through, much like partridge hunting. So, any optic may slow you down.

Upland bird hunting especially depends on well-placed rapid shots against panicking birds. My upland hunting shotgun will stay optic-free.

Conversely, if you’re cross-eyed dominant, a red dot sight can improve your ability to break clays by making your brain focus on the eye’s input in line with the shotgun.

And red dot sights are becoming more common for hunting slower birds such as ducks and doves. In that case, it’s a personal preference. I’ve tried red dots against even slow-flying targets, and my ability to track the target was impaired enough to not guarantee a killing blow against a live animal.

We don’t want to harm any animal and let it suffer, so all my wing shooting is done without an optic.

With these facts in mind, here’s a chart of various shotgunning disciplines and whether or not a certain type of optic can be helpful:

Pros and Cons of Mounting a Red Dot on a Shotgun

Still unsure if a red dot sight is right for you?

Here’s a list of arguments in favor of and against adding a reflex sight to your gun.

Pros

• Can make your shotgun more precise (especially slugs)
• Added visibility in low-light situations
• Can help with issues such as cross-eye dominance by drawing the eye’s attention
• Doesn’t require a strict form for accuracy, so those awkward shots are less awkward
• May allow for a more natural and comfortable head position

Cons

• The reticle can distract the eye, slowing your shot or affecting your ability to lead the target properly
• Can run out of batteries or break, leaving you to rely on pointing anyway, just with a useless hunk of metal in front of your eye
• Glare can reflect off the glass
• Susceptible to snow and mud on the emitter or lens
• Increases the upfront cost of using your shotgun

Conclusion

Unlike rifles, shotguns are not always upgraded when you install an optic.

Shotgunning involving instinctive shooting keeps your shotgun barrel and bead out of focus. Adding a bright dot to the picture may be distracting and interfere with your ability to lead a swift-moving target properly.

However, a red dot sight can be an excellent choice when you want to use your shotgun as a precise weapon.

And for slugs or turkey loads, a scope can improve your ability to put down that animal with one shot. That’s something we should always strive for.

Ultimately, though, the edge you get from an optic on a shotgun isn’t quite as strong as when you put the same optic on a rifle.

Try it out, though. You may be surprised at how much you like having a circle to show your shotgun’s pattern!

FAQs

Can You Mount a Sight on A Shotgun without a Picatinny Rail?

Many shotguns that don’t have Picatinny rails are compatible with saddle mounts. You can also buy barrel clamps with a short section of rail for an optic.

Why Would You Have a Scope on a Shotgun?

Scopes can be used on shotguns to increase your effective range. This is primarily useful when hunting deer and turkey.

Do You Need an Optic on a Shotgun?

No shotgun needs an optic to be useful. If you have a consistent mount with a shotgun that fits you properly, you don’t need the front bead. A shotgun sight can improve your speed and precision in some cases, though.

Can You Install Pistol Red Dot Sights on a Shotgun?

Small reflex sights such as the Trijicon RMR and Holosun 507 are not only compatible with shotguns but also a great choice because of their light weight and small size.

Related: Hunting vs Sporting Shotguns: What They Are & Comparison

The post Should You Install an Optic on a Shotgun? appeared first on Outdoor Empire.

Depending on the type of firearm and the internal structure of the barrel, its bore may be expressed as either gauge or caliber. 

Gauge, typically used for shotguns, represents how many balls of the same diameter as the gun barrel can be made from a pound of lead. Whereas caliber, generally used for rifles and handguns, refers to the precise diameter of the internal gun barrel expressed in inches or millimeters.

While some shooters use the terms interchangeably, shotgun gauge vs. caliber differs. Let’s explore some of the differences between the two forms of measurement and how they came to be.

What Is the Difference Between Gauge and Caliber?

Getting a precise measurement is critical for firearms and their ammunition. Two common terms you will see used to denote the ammunition capacity of a firearm are gauge and caliber. These numbers are not interchangeable since they denote very different things. 

So, what exactly is the difference between gauge and caliber? To understand that fully, it is best to get an idea of what each one represents.

What Is Gauge?

The terms gauge and bore are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same. Gauge is a measurement commonly used to describe the barrel diameter of a shotgun. Ammunition for shotguns is also listed using a gauge, such as 12-gauge, 20-gauge.

Related: What’s the Cheapest Shotgun Gauge to Shoot?

The exception is the .410 bore, which is actually a caliber measurement. That often leads to confusion among new shotgun shooters. However, when you get a bit deeper into the concept of shotgun gauge vs. caliber, the reasons become more clear.

How Is Gauge Measured?

A shotgun’s gauge is directly related to the inside diameter of its barrel. The gauge number represents the number of lead balls with a diameter equal to the barrel’s inside diameter that can be made from one pound of lead. 

Let’s break that down a bit more. Traditionally, to get a shotgun’s gauge, you would:

1. Measure the inside diameter of its barrel
2. Make a lead ball with the same diameter
3. Determine the weight (in ounces) of the lead ball
4. Divide that number by 16 (ounces in a pound) to get an approximate gauge

For example, you could make about 12 lead balls that fit perfectly inside a 12-gauge shotgun barrel from one pound of lead. 

This system dates back to the times when most shooters made their own ammunition in the form of solid lead balls. Since that is no longer the case, especially among recreational shooters, caliber equivalents can also be used.

Because of the measurement system used to determine gauges, larger numbers represent smaller shotguns. After all, it takes fewer 12-gauge size balls to make a pound than it does lead balls with the diameter of a 28-gauge barrel. 

Smaller gauge shotguns tend to have less recoil since they carry a smaller load in each shell.

What Is Caliber?

Caliber is the standard unit of measurement for rifles and many handguns. It is a direct measurement expressed in hundredths or thousands of an inch or millimeters. 

For example, that .410 bore shotgun barrel actually has an inside diameter of 0.410 inches, or roughly equivalent to 67.5 gauge.

How Is It Measured?

Since this is a direct measurement, it is taken using a special ruler known as calipers. These can take precise measurements of small openings. Newer digital models are easy to operate, so virtually anyone can get an accurate reading.

There is some debate over how caliber is measured in a rifled barrel. In many places, this is done between the ridges of the barrel’s rifling, known as the land. However, other places use a measurement based on the size of the groove. This is especially true for ammunition.

What Uses Gauge and What Uses Caliber?

The basic rule is that shotguns use the gauge measurement to denote size, and rifles and handguns use caliber. However, like with most rules, there are a few exceptions. In fact, it would be a grave error in judgment to say this is a hard and fast rule.

It is standard practice for firearms to be stamped with their size. This will usually be on both the barrel and chamber. It’s a good idea to check your firearm to confirm its shotgun gauge vs. caliber size before using it.

Although there is not a uniform standard for writing the measurement, shooters should be able to determine the correct size from the information provided. If you cannot read the numbers on your firearm, which is common on older firearms showing signs of wear, you should consult a gunsmith to have the gun measured.

Why Is It Different?

Now that you know the difference between gauge and caliber, you may be wondering why the system works that way. Honestly, there is quite a debate over why some firearms use gauge and some caliber.

While we don’t have a definitive answer as to why they are different, we can tell you this: gauge is a historical measurement unit of thickness that originated in the English iron industry. Caliber, on the other hand, is a distinctly firearm-related term.

Does the Difference Between Shotgun Gauge vs. Caliber Matter?

The short answer here is absolutely! While there may not be consensus on exactly why these firearms use different units of measurement, there is little room to argue about the importance of the two.

Every firearm is manufactured to take a specific size and type of ammunition. Without knowing the barrel measurement, whether that is shotgun gauge vs. rifle caliber, you can not match ammunition to the gun.

Putting the wrong size ammunition into a firearm can lead to disaster. A too small cartridge can get lodged in the barrel and cause an obstruction. If it isn’t cleared, the next cartridge may impact it, leading to excess pressure and gun malfunction. Expect a busted barrel and damage to the chamber at best, serious personal injury, or death at worst.

It is highly unlikely you will put a too-large cartridge into your firearm. However, you don’t want to show up at the range, a competition, or your hunting stand and not be able to shoot, either.

If you are reloading your own ammunition, you definitely need an accurate measurement for your firearm. A slight miscalculation can lead to jamming or barrel damage. It’s a good idea to invest in quality measuring tools to ensure safe, accurate loads every time.

Conclusion

The difference between shotgun gauge vs. caliber of a rifled barrel comes down to how its size is expressed. The number provided directly represents the barrel’s internal diameter or bore. Bore size is vital to know since it determines what size ammunition you need to use.

Related:

Should You Install an Optic on a Shotgun?

Hunting vs Sporting Shotguns: What They Are & Comparison

The post Shotgun Gauge vs Caliber: Why and How Is It Different? appeared first on Outdoor Empire.

However, every time you pull the trigger, you send money downrange.

If you’re like me and have to think about whether you can spare the money for each purchase then choosing even slightly more expensive ammo can add up over time.

That said, I recommend shotguns to most people! They’re versatile and can be used for hunting, sporting, and even self-defense (though I prefer other firearms for that).

Modern shotguns are typically found in 12, 16, 20, and 28 gauges, as well as .410.

We all want cheap ammo. Which gauge is the cheapest to shoot regularly?

That depends on how much you shoot, what you shoot, and whether or not you’ll reload your own shells.

Put simply, 12 gauge tends to be cheaper for people who buy all their ammunition. Sub-gauges are cheaper when reloading, with 20 gauge being in the sweet spot of inexpensive and effective.

Read on to learn why I made these conclusions.

Or skip to the end for some quick maths and easy answers!

What Is Shotshell Gauge, Anyway?

“Gauge” is one of those measurements that has a historical meaning lost to most people today.

Basically, it came from measuring the bore size of black powder cannons. Specifically, how much a lead sphere that fills the bore would weigh.

However, instead of using ammo that weighs multiple pounds per shot, the number before the word “gauge” refers to how many bore-sized lead balls it would take to weigh one pound.

So, a 12 gauge barrel can fit a lead sphere that weighs 1/12 pounds. The larger the gauge, the more balls are required to hit one pound.

.410 isn’t a gauge. It’s a caliber, much like rifle ammo.

So, .410 would be about a 67 gauge, and 12 gauge about .73 caliber.

I am not going to discuss 10 gauge in this article because it’s basically a vintage gauge. 3.5″ 12 gauge shells cover 10 gauge’s niche. Niche and budget do not mix.

Related: Shotgun Gauge vs Caliber: Why and How Is It Different?

Why It’s Important to Consider the Price of Ammo & Your Shotgun’s Gauge

The most expensive part of owning a shotgun is (typically!) not the price of the shotgun itself.

Instead, it’s ammo that racks up the charges on your credit card.

How many rounds do you plan on putting through that new trap gun?

If you’re shooting only one round of trap, that’s 25 shells per week minimum. Take a few weeks off per year and that’s still 1,000 shots per year.

Of course, you may want to shoot multiple rounds per day, or hit the range more than once a week. And sporting clays can involve 100 targets per course.

The last box of Herter’s 20 gauge target ammo I bought from Bass Pro Shops cost me $7.99 per box, or $0.32 per shell.

Without reloading, that’s $320 per year (before tax) of light trap shooting. These are for a used shotgun I picked up for $500, so after two years, I’ll have spent more on ammo than on the shotgun!

And this is a shotgun I expect to last many years.

You should be able to see now why part of your budgeting should be the ammo.

What Makes Certain Gauges Cheaper than Others?

Shotshells are made of multiple components:

• Hull
• Shot
• Wad
• Powder
• Primer

Larger gauges require more raw materials. A 12 gauge hull needs more plastic than a .410 hull, a 10 gauge shell carries more lead shot than a 28 gauge shell, etc.

Following this, you’d think that the smallest gauges such as 28 or even 32 gauge, plus .410, may be the cheapest ones to shoot.

This isn’t the case if you’re buying ammo off your store’s shelves.

That’s because of the economy of scale. There are many more 12 gauge shotgunners than there are 28 gauge shotgunners.

So, while I could find 28 gauge ammo for sale even during ammo-buying panics, that doesn’t mean they were cheaper.

I just checked the prices of some 12 gauge and 28 gauge ammo, both by the same company. The 12 gauge with 7/8 oz of shot was $8.99.

Want to guess the equivalent 28 gauge’s price?

$14.99!

For 3/4 oz of shot, too!

Which is the Cheapest Shotgun Gauge to Buy?

12 gauge is just so much more popular than any other gauge that it’s almost always going to be the least expensive shotgun ammo you can buy.

This is the case whether you’re buying cheap target rounds in bulk or a single specialty hunting shells to knock down those darn kevlar-armored turkeys in one shot.

Notice that I said, “Almost always.”

I’ve found that 20 gauge ammo is often similarly priced to 12 gauge.

For example, Browning Tungsten Turkey Shotshells are the same price whether you’re shooting 1-3/4 oz out of a 12 gauge gun or 1-1/2 out of a 20 gauge gun. 

You get 1/4 oz less shot in the 20 gauge shotshell but it’s the same price to shoot either.

And 20 gauge is easier to find during runs on ammo, though not as easy as 28 gauge in my experience.

So, you can shoot 20 gauge as economically as 12 gauge. If you are careful when selecting your ammo and don’t mind a little less shot in front of your wad.

Which is the Cheapest Shotgun Shell to Reload?

When you’re into shotgun reloading then sub gauges start to become more economical.

Wads are about the same price between all the gauges. Primers, too.

Powder and lead, though?

You’ll use a bit less powder per charge and a significant amount less lead per shell when you drop several gauges.

It’s hard to overstate how much of an effect this has.

A quarter-ounce difference in lead can gain you 100 more rounds out of a 25-pound bag of lead!

1-1/4 oz of shot gets you 320 loads from one bag. 1 oz gets you 400 shells. And 3/4 oz? A whopping 533 reloads!

With the price of lead these days I appreciate squeezing every little bit of value from my money.

You can experiment with this type of price/value calculation yourself by using a reloading calculator. I use the one from anycalculator.com.

“But wait!” I hear you say.

You can load 12 gauge shells with 3/4 oz shot loads! Doesn’t that make them cheap shotgun shells?”

This is true. The small gauge advantage, if you’re a frugal shotshell reloader, is quite small.

You’ll probably have to spend a few cents on padding out the load with cardboard or fiber discs to get the components to the proper length.

And the initial cost of the reusable hull can take advantage of the economy of scale if you reuse your used shells, too.

Generally, though, the smaller the gauge, the cheaper it is to reload.

I prefer 20 gauge for reloading. It’s not as specialized as 16 or 28 gauge so the components are more common and, thus, cheaper.

It’s also able to comfortably carry less powder and less lead than bigger gauges.

I’m a fan of being environmentally responsible when shooting, which means using non-toxic ammo.

A Note About Shells for Vintage Shotguns

Since I’m using a mid-70’s shotgun and I don’t know if the barrel can handle steel shot, this means using the expensive non-toxic ammo.

Shotgun barrels used to be made with only lead shot in mind, which meant using softer steels.

The environmental movement lead to the introduction of steel shot, which can be harder than some shotgun barrels. This can lead to bore dings and scuff.

Worse, steel shot doesn’t compress well, which can stress the choke and cause a ring or bulge, potentially leading to a cracked barrel!

All modern-made shotguns are safe to use with steel shot so long as the choke is also steel-rated. Vintage guns should only be used with lead or soft lead-free shot. Bismuth is the best choice in my opinion because tungsten is too close to steel in hardness for comfort.

Hevi-Shot and Federal both produce excellent vintage-shotgun-safe bismuth hunting loads.

Every little bit of money saved here goes even further!

A Note on Reloading Safety

If you come from the world of metallic cartridge reloading then the wheels in your brain are already spinning, trying to come up with your own loads to shoot as cheaply as possible.

Here’s a word of caution:

Reloading shotshells is different from reloading metal cases.

Load development isn’t really a thing for common folks like you or me. That’s because of several factors.

The most important one is that, unlike with a rifle or pistol case, there are no overpressure signs that tell you when you are approaching dangerous pressures.

If you see signs of overpressure after firing your shotgun then you’re already in the danger zone. Lucky you that it didn’t explode!

And the way pressure builds in the wider chamber of a shotgun means that substituting one component for another, such as wads from different manufacturers, can have unexpected results on the peak pressure value.

Hospital visits are expensive, so stick with published load data. Both wad and powder manufacturers offer load data. I use Claybuster wads, so I get my recipes from their website.

What About Reloading Equipment?

Naturally, reloading involves purchasing the tools you need to reload those empty hulls.

This can be a large upfront purchase and should be taken into account when determining whether you should reload or not.

However, your choice of gauge will have little to no effect on the press’s price.

The only exception I’ve seen is the Mec 600JR Shotshell Reloading Press. The 12 and 20 gauge models are $15 cheaper than the .410 and 28 gauge versions.

I tend to roam the nation as much as possible, which means that my reloading kit needs to move with me. So, I have a Lee Load-All 2 Reloader.

It’s light, fits into a smallish box, and more importantly for me, can be easily changed from one gauge to another using an inexpensive conversion kit.

The Load-All isn’t as fast as the bigger, fancier shotshell presses, but it’s inexpensive and works well for me.

It’s bolted to a piece of wood so I can use several clamps to turn anything, even my truck’s tailgate, into a work bench.

Though, I do want to start loading 3/4 oz light loads for those long trap days. The Load-All’s bushings only go down to 7/8 oz. I’ll have to make my own bushing or modify an existing one.

This isn’t a problem I’d have with a more expensive loader like the Mec 600, but fringe desires like that are something to keep in mind when choosing your reloading press.

Does Shotshell Performance Affect Price?

Whether you’re hunting or sport shotgunning, you’ll typically only get one shot per target.

So, technically, I’d say that no, a shotshell’s performance doesn’t affect how much it costs to buy shotgun ammo.

I’ve found high-performance ammo, whether it’s specialty turkey shot or home defense loads, to be roughly equivalent in price between the most common gauges.

Note that this is the price per shell, not per ounce of shot.

The cost savings of reloading heavy-hitting non-toxic hunting shells is counterbalanced by how this type of shot is never found in stores so you will have to pay dearly to get a few pounds shipped to you.

I’ve calculated that it’s still cheaper for me to load my own 20 gauge non-toxic hunting shells than it is to buy them, though it isn’t much savings.

Do Accessories Make Some Gauges Cost More?

What about other aspects of your shotgun?

Will a 12 gauge shotgun cost more to operate than a 28 gauge shotgun while ignoring ammo?

Not that I’ve seen.

Most shotgunning accessories don’t care what you’re shooting. Your shell pouch doesn’t care if you’re throwing 10 gauge or .410 hulls into it. And your shooting vest doesn’t care what gauge shells it’s packing around.

Even choke tubes are almost always the same price regardless of which gauge shot you’re sending through them.

Overall, Which is the Cheapest Shotgun Shell?

1,000 shells per year is a good round number for a shotgunner who likes to do some trap, skeet, or sporting clays shooting and a little bit of hunting.

If you shoot that many rounds per year, then you’ll spend approximately:

• 12 Gauge – $360
• 16 Gauge – $560
• 20 Gauge – $360
• 28 Gauge – $600
• .410 Caliber – $600

(As of the time of writing: Prices presume the cheaper of Herter’s target or dove loads as of late 2021, but don’t include taxes or shipping.)

Then, if you saved all of those hulls and reloaded every one with #8 lead shot bought locally, that would cost you:

• 12 Gauge (1-1/8 oz) – $266
• 16 Gauge (1 oz) – $250
• 20 Gauge (7/8 oz) – $220
• 28 Gauge (3/4 oz) – $198
• .410 Caliber (1/2 oz) – $162

(As of the time of writing: Prices include primers, Claybuster wads, and powder, but don’t include hulls, taxes, or shipping.)

Please note that this doesn’t include the price of shipping lead, which can cost as much as the lead itself.

For example, including shipping ups the cost of reloading .410 to $217 and the cost of reloading 12 gauge to $392.

Based on the shipping cost the closest gun store quoted me before saying they would not order the lead. Be sure to scout around and visit other stores because I found another store that did carry lead shot.

Their loss.

Shotgun clubs sometimes order lead in bulk for their members if you need to get shot shipped to you and do not want to pay an exorbitant online shipping fee.

As you can see, buying a more common gauge saves you money, unless you reload, in which case shooting a smaller gauge saves you money.

20 gauge ties with 12 gauge for purchasing expense without giving up utility. I’ll gladly hunt pheasants with a 20 gauge gun, but not with a .410!

What I Recommend

The cheapest shotgun shells you can buy are almost always 12 gauge shells. 20 gauge is often just as cheap, though.

When my wallet starts feeling light I turn to Herter’s or Rio for my inexpensive shotgun shells.

When it comes to reloading, however, the smaller the gauge, the less lead and powder you’ll use, so the less money you’ll spend.

However, since you can load larger gauges with light loads, this isn’t as much of a savings as you’d expect. I know trap shooters who only put 7/8 oz of lead downrange each time they shoot and they still hit 25s.

This can save your shoulder, too.

12 gauge shotguns are heavier than sub-gauge shotguns, which means they’ll absorb more recoil. My 20 gauge over/under kicks harder than my 12 gauge semi-auto shotty!

So, my recommendation for a budget shooter is 12 gauge. It has the largest variety of ammo available and is generally the cheapest shotgun gauge to shoot despite being the largest of the common gauges.

If you want to reload your spent hulls then 20 gauge is more economical. Any smaller and you start to give up too much lead per shot for practical shooting.

Related: Should You Install an Optic on a Shotgun?

The post What’s the Cheapest Shotgun Gauge to Shoot? (Most Bang per $) appeared first on Outdoor Empire.