Now that my daughter has a shotgun for competitive shooting let’s talk a little about practicing and using the right shells for the job. You know how to get better, right? Practice. Practice. Practice.
When my husband and I were at SHOT Show last winter, we were lucky enough to visit with Kim Rhode to get some shotgun tips from one of the most successful clay shooting athlete in history. Among the many questions we asked was how often she practices. She told us she shot a minimum of 500 rounds a day.
Not long ago I mentioned to a friend how often my daughter is practicing for competitions. It is not nearly as much as Ms. Rhode, but my friend about died. She said: “My goodness. I bet that little girl’s sore.”
What my friend doesn’t understand, and many unexperienced don’t, is the difference in shotgun loads. I obviously wouldn’t want to go to the range and shoot 3-1/2” turkey loads 500 times. My shoulder would probably fall off before I made it half way through. The different shells produce different power. Therefore, we use some for blasting clays and others for knocking down bit tom turkeys.
(Mia Anstine photo)
Shotgun Shell – 101
If a first-timer heads to the local gun store and look for shells, it can be a bit overwhelming. There are boxes lined up with numbers all over them. Not to despair. The numbers are there to help.
The box gives important information you need to know in order to choose the proper shell for your proposed activity. From left to right, the box lists the gauge, shell length, velocity, amount of shot and number of projectiles.
The shell length will vary depending on the shot size and charge in the shell. Velocity also varies depending on the charge as well as the shape and weight of the shot.
The numbers on the box help you find the proper shell size for your shotgun. They also provide information so you can find the appropriate shell for the intended use. If you take a large, 3-1/2” turkey load to the skeet field, you will most likely not be allowed to shoot because it is too powerful a load. If you did shoot it, your shoulder would become sore quite rapidly.
When you look at various shotgun shells side-by-side, you notice some differences. One you may note right off is that some shells have a lot of brass at the bottom. The metal at the bottom of the shell is called brass because years ago, brass is what was used. Over time brass became very expensive. Since then manufacturers have switched to less expensive metals such as aluminum and tin.
You will hear the terms “high brass” and “low brass” when discussing shotgun shells. Its height needs to be large enough to contain the amount of charge in the shotgun shell. The charge (gun powder) used varies depending on the shot being used. Smaller shot needs less charge than larger/heavy shot so it would have low brass. To put it simply, the higher the brass, the stronger the recoil.
In the picture below you will see cutaways of shotgun shells. Note the various size of projectiles. The size is important and needs to be matched up with your intended use.
Target loads are what we shoot in practice each day. They have low brass because there is no need for a lot of charge. They hold smaller shot and are used for shooting clays and small birds.
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The Women's Outdoor News, aka The WON, features news, reviews and stories about women who are shooting, hunting, fishing and actively engaging in outdoor adventure. This publication is for women, by women. View all posts by The WON
