Shotgun

:This article is about the firearm. For alternative meanings of shotgun, see: Shotgun (disambiguation).

Common uses

In hunting circles, the shotgun is used for bird hunting, although it is also increasingly used in deer hunting in semi-populated areas where the long-distance travel of the rifle bullet may pose too great a hazard. Many modern smooth bore shotguns using rifled slugs are extremely accurate out to 75 yards (70 m) or more, while the rifled barrel shotgun with the use of sabot slugs are typically accurate to 100 yards (90 m) and beyond -- well within the range of the majority of kill shots by experienced deer hunters using shotguns.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

However, given the relatively low muzzle velocity of slug ammunition typically around 1,500 feet per second (450 m/s) and blunt, poorly streamlined shape of typical slugs (which cause them to lose velocity very rapidly, compared to rifle bullets), even a very skilled marksman will find it difficult to make a humane killing shot on a deer much past 110 yards (100 m) due to the rapid drop of a slug's trajectory past that point. Firing slugs at 150 meters or more, the marksman is very nearly dropping bullets onto the target like mortar shells and must know the exact range within a few meters (and have the slug's trajectory memorized) if he is to hit anything at all. Fortunately, shotguns are normally used to hunt whitetail deer in the thick brush and briars of the south-eastern US or places like the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where, due to the dense cover, ranges tend to be very close--25 meters or less. At any reasonable range, shotgun slugs make massive and lethal wounds due to their tremendous mass. A typical 12 gauge shotgun slug is a blunt one-ounce hunk of metal that could be described as a .750 caliber (19 mm) that weighs 432 grains (28 grams); For comparison, a common deer-hunting rifle cartridge is a .308 that weighs 150 grains (9.7 g).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the US, law enforcement agencies often use combat shotguns, especially for crowd and riot control where they may be loaded with less-than-lethal rounds such as rubber bullets or bean bags. The shotgun is also commonly used for home defense in the United States and Canada. It has excellent stopping power, is easier to aim than a handgun, and has an intimidating reputation for deadliness. When loaded with smaller shot, a shotgun will not penetrate walls as readily as bullets or slugs, making it safer for non-combatants when fired in or around populated structures.

Related Topics:
Combat shotgun - Less-than-lethal - Rubber bullets - Bean bags - United States - Canada

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~