The kind of shot used in shot shells also varies and it is important to understand the way shot is sized. Birdshot contains smaller pellets for use on smaller animals or targets, while buckshot rounds are filled with larger pellets for use on larger animals or targets. Slugs are available in rifled varieties, for use in smooth-bore barrels, and “sabot” varieties, for use in rifled barrels.
A 20 gauge shell will fit in a 12 gauge gun, slide about halfway down the barrel and stick if you try to fire it. This can be very dangerous, so it’s critical to make sure you buy the appropriate size of shell, regardless of style.
Regular shells are 2 3/4" long - safely fired in a shotgun with a 2 3/4" or 3" chamber Magnum shells are 3" - safely fired in a shotgun with a 3" chamber Super-magnum shells are 3 1/2"
The diameter of birdshot is equal to . 17" minus the shot number. So, #4 shot is . 13" in diameter. While it isn’t necessarily important to know the exact size of the pellets, it’s important to understand whether you’re getting larger or smaller shot if you’re planning on hunting. Buckshot is somewhat more complicated. Available in increments of zeroes, buckshot is usually referred to as “ought. " 000 is called “triple-ought,” and this buckshot is . 36” in diameter, while double-ought is . 33". To complicate matters, buckshot is also available in #4 sizing, which is . 24" in diameter.
The “rifled” slug, used in smooth-bore shotguns, has rifling or ribs on the slug. These ribs are designed to prevent damage to the gun if fired through a barrel with a choke. A sabot is a covering for an object which is smaller than the bore of which it travels through. Sabot slugs “wear” a plastic jacket that is discarded after they leave the barrel and are generally more accurate than “rifled” slugs, though they require a rifled barrel to be fired accurately.
Small game like birds and ground varmint can be taken with shot as small at #8. Alternatively, some hunters like to use larger shot because it can kill at slightly longer range and reduces the number of pellets you have to remove from your food. Larger animals such as pheasants, turkeys, or rabbits should be taken with slightly larger shot such as #6 or #4. The largest animals are suited for buckshot. Deer and coyotes should be shot with pellets no smaller than #4 buckshot. Slugs are generally only used for home defense, tactical uses, and large game hunting. If you’re hunting deer-sized game, coyote, possibly bear, etc. , you’re going to want to use slugs.
Examine the pattern. How big is the main cluster of holes? Will it be hard to hit a moving target with the pattern? How dense is the pattern in this main cluster? Will enough pellets hit the target to kill/break it? Is the pattern uniform? Are there large holes in the pattern where targets could escape? For slugs, shoot between three and five shot groups at paper at a reasonable range; say 50 yards (45. 7 m) for rifled slugs, 100 yards (91. 4 m) for sabot slugs. Both types of slugs are fairly low velocity, and thus have rainbow-shaped trajectories that are not helpful to long-range shooting. Pick a slug which produces acceptable patterns and satisfies your desire for target damage.
Cylinder bore, which has no restriction, throws open but very uniform patterns. This is useful for close-range shooting. Skeet choke is appropriate for sport and target shooting. Full choke has a lot of restriction and throws very tight patterns when fed quality shot. However, when fed soft lead, a full choke tends to shoot uneven patterns.
Largely, this will depend upon your practice and your shooting style. If you’re a very accurate shooter with hunting ambitions, a narrower choke might be appropriate to narrow the shot and ensure a clean kill. If you’re a novice, a choke is probably unnecessary.
If your patterns are the wrong size or don’t have the density required to kill game, use a tighter or looser choke accordingly. If your patterns are uneven, you are probably trying to push too much soft lead through too small a hole. Sometimes less lead and a looser choke will actually allow you to be effective at longer range.
