If you're getting into shooting, ether to hunt, to enjoy some target practice, or simply to better protect your family in the event of a home invasion, you might soon be adding a shotgun to your collection. Shotguns are highly versatile firearms that are capable of firing anything from small birdshot to heavy slugs. It's important to familiarize yourself with the different types of ammunition that are available for your shotgun, as doing so will make you an informed and responsible gun owner. Unfortunately, there are plenty of misconceptions about different types of shotgun ammo that are important for you to understand. Here are three.
Shells Have Universal Applications
When you buy ammo for your shotgun, you shouldn't just see shotgun shells for sale in your local gun shop and buy them. What you might not know is that there are many different types of shotgun shells, and each has its own specific application. Birdshot, for example, is smaller and lighter. Buckshot, meanwhile, is made up of larger balls that are heavier. You should only use these two different types of ammunition for their intended purposes, which means using birdshot for hunting birds, geese, and duck, and buckshot for hunting deer. The size and power of buckshot would completely decimate a flying target, while birdshot against a deer might seriously wound the animal but not immediately kill it.
Anything Works For Home Defense
A shotgun can make a threatening weapon for home defense, but beyond the gun itself, you need to consider its ammunition. Different types of ammo have different strengths and weaknesses in this application. Birdshot is may injure, rather than kill, an intruder, for example. A slug can immediately kill an intruder, but its immense power may also cause injuries or kill others in your home after it leaves the intruder's body. Lots of people opt for buckshot as a suitable medium for home defense.
The Spread Is Immediate
Some people make the mistake of assuming that because the shot in a shotgun shell spreads as it flies through the air, this happens immediately. The reality is that the shot doesn't begin to dramatically spread as soon as it leaves the barrel of the shotgun. Although different types of shotgun ammunition can have different intended results, it's common for the shot to fly close together for a number of yards before the individual pellets begin to spread out. This can make a shotgun an effective weapon for hunting.
For more information, contact a company like Wilcox Bait & Tackle today.
