How many gauges of shotguns are there

For example, take a look at the photo below of a box of 20 gauge shotgun shells. Winchester markets this particular ammunition for upland bird hunting, sporting clays, skeet, and trap. The shell lengths and gauges listed below are standardized by SAAMI and are therefore the most widely available and easy to find.

Sizes other than those listed below are sometimes available in limited numbers. Look on the barrel or chamber of your shotgun to determine the proper length shell it can use.

A shotgun with a longer chamber can generally safely use smaller shells, but the opposite is not true. Aside from shotgun slugs, shotgun shells are loaded with a large number of pellets. The exact number of pellets depends on their size and composition as well as the weight of pellets loaded into the shell. To determine the size of birdshot, just subtract the shot size from. This is not the case with other types of shot like BB and buckshot. That being said, while there are exceptions, those other shot sizes larger than.

Reference the table below to see the diameter of some of the most common shot sizes as well as the approximate number of lead pellets of that size that weigh one ounce. As you can see, the number of individual pellets in an ounce decreases as the pellets increase in size.

Some boxes of shotgun shells state the composition of the pellets. For instance, lead free, non-toxic shot is mandated for waterfowl hunting in North America. Of the materials commonly used to produce shot, lead is the most dense with a handful of exceptions, like tungsten. This means that a given number of individual lead pellets will weigh more than the same number of pellets of the same diameter made out of some other material.

A dram is a unit of mass from the British Avoirdupois weight system that still remains in varying degrees of use in some of the former colonies. Back in the days of black powder, drams were commonly used to measure the amount of black powder in a particular load.

Most people probably know that there are 16 ounces in a pound. Well, there are 16 drams in an ounce. So therefore, there are drams in a pound. Additionally, many gun enthusiasts know that there are 7, grains in a pound. This means that there are For that reason, companies are making the transition away from listing dram equivalents on shotgun shells and instead publishing the actual velocity of the load like on the boxes below.

Lets be clear here: dram equivalents should only be used for a general comparison between two different shotgun loads. ONLY reload shells in accordance with the data supplied by a good reloading manual. Of all the shotguns in the United States, 12 gauge guns are by far the most popular.

The 20 gauge comes in second, followed by the 28 gauge and the. The 10 gauge and 16 gauge are much less common than the rest, but are by no means rare. The shot pattern of a shotgun gradually expands as range increases. This makes it easier to hit a target, particularly one that is moving, out to a certain range. Hunters can tighten up the shot spread to a certain extent by using a choke, which is a constriction on the muzzle of the shotgun. However, there always eventually comes a point where the shot pattern is too spread out to guarantee a hit on an object that passes through the shot column.

Additionally, the individual pellets all slow down as they leave the barrel. In general, heavier pellets retain more velocity at longer range and cause more damage than smaller and lighter pellets.

However, increasing the size of shot results in fewer individual pellets. So, increasing the shot size comes at the expense of a thinner shot pattern if the total shot weight remains the same. Certain shotguns pattern better with particular loads. However, the shot weight can only be increased to a certain degree for a particular gauge and shell length. This is further complicated for North American waterfowl hunters when using steel shot. Remember when we talked about how lead is more dense than steel earlier in the article?

Well, this is why that matters. Since individual steel pellets weigh less than lead pellets of the same size, hunters must typically use larger diameter steel shot or suffer degraded terminal performance.

However, using larger diameter shot results in thinner shot patters. All other things being equal, a larger bore shotgun with a heavier load of shot will throw more pellets and therefore produce a denser shot pattern at a given range than a smaller bore shotgun with a lighter load of shot. Hunting larger game animals, like turkey and goose, usually requires heavier loads of larger sized shot.

The same goes for taking longer range shots. However, there is such a thing as overkill though and hitting a small creature with a heavy load of shot will cause substantial damage resulting in the loss of much or all the meat. At the same time, the heavier load fired from a larger bore shotgun comes at the price of more recoil. The skill level of the hunter also plays into the equation. The gauge of the gun is an index to the ability of the man to prove his manhood…If it is a gauge, he is so-so.

But this is not always the case — 12 Gauge shotshells do tend to offer a faster average muzzle velocity. Muzzle energy is simply a factor of muzzle velocity and projectile weight. Take a look at this chart where we compare very similar shells by Winchester and Federal. The shells primarily differ in terms of their projectile weights — not their velocities — but that alone accounts for a staggering difference in how much energy either one can put out. Hunters and homeowners frequently put it to use just as effectively.

In practice we see either shell capable of reaching the same distances as effectively as the other. Yet the 12 Gauge has a trick up its sleeve. To put it simply, as more shot exits the muzzle, more shot is going to make its way to the target.

Finally, the 20 Gauge gets a leg up in this face-off! By sheer virtue of its lighter projectile s , the smaller shell exerts significantly less recoil back against its shooter. Less recoil makes the 20 Gauge better in two important ways. Second, lesser recoil helps a shooter line up their follow-up shots more quickly. Whether you want to fire two shots in rapid succession while target shooting or dump a whole magazine into an advancing threat, a 20 Gauge will make the endeavor easier than a 12 Gauge could have.

Surprisingly enough, analogous 12 Gauge and 20 Gauge shotshells are comparably priced. You would expect a 12 Gauge shell which contains more lead, brass, plastic and propellant to cost more, but perhaps its greater popularity compensates for that disparity. This is its greater popularity at work again — manufacturers have more incentive to cater to the bigger audience. The 12 Gauge and the 20 Gauge are the most popular shotguns for good reason. Either will let you hunt deer and birds, play trap and skeet, and make a home invader wish he picked a different home.

If you would prefer a shotgun with less recoil for better comfort, easier follow-up shots, or to train a younger shooter, then the 20 Gauge is your shell. Because of the snowballing demand-production cycle, the gauge shotgun is king in virtually all field. While the gauge,. A 12 gauge shotgun is easier to find a wider variety of ammo for than the somewhat rare 16 gauge shotgun. Price is heavily dependent on where you buy, how you buy, and obviously what you buy, but in general you will find that gauge ammunition is usually more affordable than gauge when the two products are similar.

Winchester makes Super-X ammunition with 1 ounces of 6 shot for both the 16 and the 12 gauge. Of course, prices can change over time. See site for current pricing. This difference is due to the mass availability of gauge shells. Because manufacturers make them in larger amounts and sell in bulk, they can offer gauge ammo at lower prices.

Different products in both the 12 and 16 gauge will have different velocities, but in general you will find that gauge shells deliver greater velocity. For example, the Winchester rounds that we referenced above have similar loads but slightly different velocities.

The gauge shell has a listed muzzle velocity of 1, feet per second, while the gauge, which also has an ounce of 6 shot, fires at 1, feet per second.

Because velocity is generally higher assuming the same-sized load , you can reasonable expect gauge shells to deliver slightly better range. Even with a larger slug, it appears that the gauge delivers superior down-range accuracy, although the difference is minimal. For example, the gauge Power-Shok with a grain slug, when zeroed to yards, drops 3. At the same distances, the gauge Power-Shok with a grain slug drops 4. The popular 12 gauge shotgun is available in over configurations for consumers.

For shotgun ammunition with bird and buckshot, energy can be difficult to gauge, so you have to look at slugs for reliable information.

In this case, you will generally find that gauge delivers stronger energy than the For the Power-Shok slugs we referenced above, the gauge has a muzzle velocity of 2, foot-pounds; at yards is maintains 1, foot pounds.

For the gauge, the muzzle energy is 1, foot-pound; by the time it reaches yards, the energy has dropped to foot pounds. This lighter recoil can make the gauge slightly easier on your shoulder, which is beneficial if you are participating in high-volume target shooting, duck hunting, or any sport where you fire dozens of shots in a single day.