Messing about at the range yesterday and....

[bswiv]

Took my 20ga rifled double barrel to the range yesterday. Wanted to check to be sure regulation had not been compromised by some work done to it.

Before I set about shooting the sabots through it I went over to the sand test pit and fired a light #8 out of each barrel into the pit. Wanted to be sure mechanics were good before bothering with the sabots.

Distence from the muzzle to the pit was about 10 feet.

Now I already knew that when you fire shot from a rifled barrel the rotation imparted by the rifling tends to spread the shot out much faster. But I will say that I had no idea how much faster!

The shot covered about a 1 1/2 to 2 foot circle at that distence.

Now I realize that you'd have to do some testing with different shot sizes to find out if this was a useful thing but here is what I am thinking.

For you guys who have shotguns stored for HD what about, if you've got choke tubes, trying a rifled choke tube and see how much that opens the buckshot pattern up at close range?

It might not have as much effect on bigger shot but it's worth a try. Seems to me that 18" at 10 feet as compared to 4 or 5 inches gives you a much greater margin for error.

If any of you test this I'd like to see results.

 

[hogdogs]

I am personally not wanting any more spread at HD distances. It increases the potential for pellets to miss my target critter causing 2 potential problems. First I am not going to get the full affect of the 9 pellets and second I have potential for an errant pellet to make it into and thru a wall. I also am a believer that all them pellets in a 2-4 inch pattern has higher likelyhood of STOPPING the intruder right there compared to a 12-14 inch pattern across his torso. I am after a single devestating wound channel per each of my first 2CoM shots.
Brent

 

[bswiv]

Never really thought about it that way.......................... Does make some sense.

But then you must ralize that as a marginal marksman in most instances and most likely in a panic situation a marksman of no count what so ever my greatest concern is missing..................

In fact Louann keeps the guns, yes she has 2 revolvers over there, on her side of the bed............which come to think of it does raise all sorts of questions.......