Can someone school me on the different shotgun gauges?

[elloco07]

This is great, learning a few things. I will need to continue this thread tomorrow. Thanks again guys, be back tomorrow.

 

[Cobalt 60]

It's great for home defense because it can hit a wider target with its spray of pellets, and not have the likelihood of going through a wall and hitting someone in the next room, next apartment, next house.

That is mostly correct, but at the distances inside a house, the shot won't spread much at all, and it will be like shooting a 12 gauge rifle. The pelletized load definitely helps preventing overpenetration, but if using buckshot, that is largely negated.

 

[bambam]

Thanks Blake for your guage size and shot answer. Learned something. So a 1 guage will hold 1 ball in the barrel and weigh 1 pound. I guess they never made these. To bad.

 

[blakejohn]

Thanks Blake for your guage size and shot answer. Learned something. So a 1 guage will hold 1 ball in the barrel and weigh 1 pound. I guess they never made these. To bad.

right, relative to diameter not lenght, with the exception of 410. But you can still get a hold of a blunderbuss. That might fit your fancy

 

[sassmonkey]

Thanks Blake for your guage size and shot answer. Learned something. So a 1 guage will hold 1 ball in the barrel and weigh 1 pound. I guess they never made these. To bad.

They did. They are called "1 pound cannons" "pounders" or in England the "Pom Pom"

 

[bambam]

I have one Climax shotgun shell. When did they stop making these?

 

[blakejohn]

They did. They are called "1 pound cannons" "pounders" or in England the "Pom Pom"

didnt know that.

 

[chadgilbert1]

If anyone could have only one weapon for all purposes they would be a fool not to take a shotgun for all the reasons listed above. The wide range of ammo and the fact you can kill everything from a bird on the wing to a bear, make it stand alone as THE do all weapon.

 

[dougiemac]

My favorite gauge is 16g however they don't make many varieties in that gauge anymore. So by default I'll go with a 12g. Don't mistake a 20g is just as practical and a 410 is a great varmint gun. Many a squirrel has been taken down by a well placed 410.

 

[BHJ]

No one has mentioned the sheer stopping power of a shotgun. A shotgun blast at close range is truly devastating. this is true with everything from birdshot to slugs. Numbers especially to those who have not seen the actual results on flesh/ game usually are not very meaningful but this may give you a rough idea of what a 12Ga does. A 45acp is considered an excellent manstopper due to its large bore which is 45/100s of an inch. Generally a good defensive load choice in .45acp is a 230gr federal hydrashock at around 900 feet per second and generates 414 ft/lbs of energy. There are many 12 gauge loadings but for inside my home I choose a 3" magnum Turkey load with 2 oz of copper plated #4 shot. The bore diameter is about 72/100s of an inch. The 2 ounce payload is equal to 875gr and travels at 1300fps. It produces 3283 ft lbs of energy. about eight times that of a 45acp. A typical heavy birdshot load such as thast used on doves with 1 1/8 oz payload at 1250fps is still producing 1706 ft/lbs of energy and will devastate most things at typical ranges found inside the home say around 15'-40'. here's what happens to a bucket full of water