April 18, 2019 -- A Quick Run Around the Web (Shotgun Edition)

"Intro to Tactical Shotgun! Complete Course from Raidon Tactics"--TWANGnBANG (30 min.)

• BALLISTICS:

• "Shotguns"--Brass Fetcher Ballistic Testing. From the article:

When shooting into 10% gelatin, what is recognized as the ‘law enforcement standard’ gelatin concentration in the United States, I feel that the FBI guidelines of a minimum of 12.0” penetration in such a gelatin block is a good rule to follow. 000 buckshot and 00 buckshot offer adequate penetration at 50 yards distance using standard pressure shotshells. #4 buckshot offers inadequate penetration depths but will still do damage to the narrow shotlines and shallow organs. Although not tested, it is likely that the best performance at 50 yards will be provided by the #1 buckshot shell. The penetration depths will be close to the 12.0” mark and the greater number of shot pellets in the air at one time allows a greater hit probability than the larger shot sizes. Heavier tungsten alloy or preferably tungsten carbide spheres can be used in shotguns to increase the sectional density of the spheres. A cubic meter of lead has a mass of 11,340 kg while a cubic meter of tungsten has a mass of 19,250 kg. 

• "Consider the 20-gauge shotgun"--by Massad Ayoob at Backwoods Home Magazine. He writes:

        The formulae I’ve been shown by the ammo companies I have dealt with for decades as one or another kind of gun editor for gun magazines show that the average 20-gauge shotgun load (five-eighths of an ounce of lead) will deliver to the shooter’s body via his or her shoulder only 55% of the recoil as a one-ounce charge of lead from a 20-gauge. Yet the lead delivered on target at the same velocity from a 20-gauge is 62.5% of the payload brought to impact by the one-ounce charge from a 12-gauge.

       Did I mention math was my worst subject? OK…but even I can figure out that 55% of the debit in return for 62.5% of the credit is a 7.5% better deal.

• HUNTING/OUTDOORS:

• "Twelve-Gauge Shotguns For Deer Hunting"--The Sky Above Us. If you are in a state that mandates using a shotgun for hunting, the author suggests using a 12-gauge or larger, and a rifled barrel to make use of the better slugs.

• "Shotgun Shells"--Shotgun Life. A brief introduction to the anatomy of a shotgun shell, the different gauges, the different sized shot/pellets commonly used and the number of pellets for a given weight (ounces). The author explains:

       The larger the shot pellet size, the more of them are packed into the casing. Sizes 9 - 7½ are typically used for the clays sports or small game birds. Anything larger than 7½ is suited for bigger game birds such as pheasants or waterfowl. You want the larger pellets for these birds because you need the extra density to penetrate thick feathers and bones in order strike vital organs for a clean, ethical kill. However, a growing body of environmental legislation is forcing hunters to move away from lead for waterfowl to non-toxic steel and alloys which can have different ballistic properties.

        To calculate the approximate number of shot pellets in your shotgun shell, see the shot charge load on the box. For example, most popular 12-gauge shells are available in 1⅛ ounce, 1 ounce and 7/8 ounce loads and you can divide accordingly.

The author concludes by discussing the four most common types of slugs used in shotguns for hunting: Brenneke, Foster, Saboted and Plumbata. 

• "The Buck Stops at Double Ought"--Big Game Hunt. An excerpt:

       The effectiveness of buckshot in hunting applications is a point of contention within the shooting community. Some swear by it; some swear at it. As with any big game hunting cartridge the effectiveness depends on three variables: energy, penetration and accuracy.

      Buckshot is designed for close range work... period. 12 gauge 00 buckshot is traditionally loaded in a high brass 2 ¾ inch shell with 9 spherical pellets each weighing about 54 grains. Buckshot is designed to allow the shooter to use the aiming mechanism of a shotgun while providing enough knockdown power to ethically dispatch deer sized game.

      The combined weight of the 9 pellets is roughly 486 grains. With an average muzzle velocity of 1,300 fps, the result is point blank energy of 1,800 foot pounds with 1,200 foot pounds being retained at 30 yards. It is important to understand that this energy exists only if all 9 pellets hit the target. For every pellet that misses, the load's energy drops by the energy of one pellet.

       Penetration is hard to quantify for 00 buckshot. A spherical projectile has inherently poor penetration capabilities. A pellet that strikes the chest between the ribs might pass through a deer, one that strikes on the thick part of the shoulder blade might not penetrate the vitals at all - I've seen both scenarios.

      My own experience has indicated that if shots are kept to a distance in which all 9 pellets strike a 9-inch circle (roughly the size of a deer's boiler room), enough penetration is accomplished to cause the tissue damage required to ensure an ethical harvest.

Read the whole thing.

• "THE 3 BEST BEAR-DEFENSE GUNS"--Gun Goals. The author's related that: "Two U.S. Forest Service employees, William Meehan and John Thilenius, tested a variety of rifles, handguns, and 12-gauge shotguns at the point-blank range of 15 yards in 1983 and found that only the .44 magnum pistol, rifles with a larger caliber, and a 12-gauge shotgun with slugs were powerful enough to stop a bear." (Underline added). Since we are only interested in the shotgun for this post, I'll just jump to that section of the article. Although the authors suggests a mixture of slug and buckshot for stopping a bear, they mention this: 

You can’t go wrong with 12-gauge shotgun in stopping a bear. An official 1990 United States government report noted, “12-gauge shotguns are effective on large animals at distances up to about 40 meters [roughly 44 yards].” The report also mentioned that buckshot is only effective at too close a safe distance for defending against bears.

By the way, here is the link to a PDF of the study referenced above. Meehan and Thilenius recommended a 1 ounce slug from a shotgun over buckshot, explaining:

From our tests it would appear the slug is much superior to buckshot for protection from bears. Whether buckshot would be lethal to a bear at ranges beyond 5 yd is doubtful. A mixed magazine load of slugs and buckshot can be used, but there appears to be little advantage to this. To be effective, the 12-gauge slugs must be thought of as similar to the bullets in a rifle. Hitting vital areas is the important thing. Hitting a brown bear with a load of buckshot at ranges beyond 5 yd may mean a nonlethal wound and a very angry, active bear. 

• "Shooting to kill an animal: A sad but necessary skill"--Police One. Although not a hunting article, per se, it does discuss where to shoot to kill an animal for animal control or self-defense. The author notes, for instance, that "Even if an animal drops instantly to a high shoulder shot, a 'finisher' to the brain should be administered from close range to anchor the beast." Obviously, a brain shot is the quickest way to put down an animal. The author writes:

        The simplest way to calculate your aiming point, on almost any animal you may be called upon to kill, is to draw two imaginary lines up across the head, linking an eye to the opposite ear (left eye to right ear, etc.) and X marks the spot. Since the X will be at the top of an animal’s head, you need to shoot from above or use the X to help you judge an appropriate aiming point from the side.

       Generally, but not always, a level shot at the base of the ear angling toward the imaginary center point the X illustrates will do the deed, but be prepared for follow-up shots. Body shots from your sidearm into the heart/lung area will eventually kill the creature, but even with small animals like a pit bull, the death will rarely be quick. As we saw on the recent video of Canadian officers shooting cattle, you may have to empty your pistol (and even a second or third magazine) before the animal goes down. If people are in danger, your handgun is a poor choice of weapon.

And, for our subject of shotguns:

Probably the best all-around weapon for destroying animals is a 12 gauge shotgun. Buckshot can be devastatingly effective at very close range, but rifled slugs are the most consistent performers. Most police rifled slug loads use the “Foster” slug which is a one-ounce lead cup. On big stuff, like cattle and horses ... or elephants, these slugs may not give adequate penetration. An old friend of mine, who was a park ranger in Alaska, recommends the German-made Brenneke slugs for killing large animals with a shotgun. He said a Brenneke slug will blow through both front shoulders of even a large brown bear, generally dropping it on the spot. Keeping a couple 5-packs of Brenneke slugs on hand is cheap insurance for dealing with large livestock, bears, and big cats like the lions and tigers encountered recently in Ohio. (Underline added).

• "SYLLABUS FOR FIREARMS SAFETY TRAINING" (PDF)--The United States Department of the Interior -- Geological Survey. While the manual covers firearms generally, and spends some time on defense against a human, the primary focus is defense against a bear attack. This guide also recommends the Brenneke style of slugs because of its better terminal performance, over the more common Foster style slugs. More specifically, the guide recommends either (1) the Rottweil Brenneke 12 gauge magnum velocity, 2-3/4 inch (or 70 mm), 1-1/8 oz. rifled slugs; or (2) Rottweil Brenneke 12 gauge standard velocity, 2-3/4 inch (or 70 mm), 1 oz. rifled slugs. It also notes (at least at the time of its publication) that "[t]he imported Rottweil Brenneke ammunition, manufactured by Dynamit Nobel, is the only readily available renneke-type slug ammunition sold in the U.S.

• LAW ENFORCEMENT/TACTICAL:

• "Idaho POST Shotgun Instructor Manual" (PDF). "POST" is an acronym for "PEACE OFFICER STANDARDS & TRAINING" and is the training required of law enforcement in Idaho. The manual is 40 pages and illustrated. It covers the objectives or standards that must be met, and then discusses each of these in turn. So, basically, this is a 40-page manual on the tactical use of a shotgun, focusing on the Mossberg and Remington pump action models.

• "Optimizing the Police Shotgun"--Blue Sheepdog. A discussion of various upgrades, including slings, iron and/or optical sights, flashlights, methods of carrying additional ammunition, stocks, and a few miscellaneous modifications to consider.

• "The Police Shotgun: Versatile, Powerful & Still 'The Great Intimidator'"--Police One. From the article:

       The traditional “meat and potatoes” of the shotgun has always been its devastating role in close quarters battle. Loaded with heavy buckshot, the shotgun places multiple high-energy projectiles on the target instantly. Several years ago, I was having a conversation with another SWAT operator about how devastating the MP-5 submachine-gun was. He was discussing cyclic rate and accuracy and boasting the sheer power coming from the sub-gun. He described how he could put 60 rounds (with a mag. reload) of 9mm ammo into a target about five yards away in less than eight seconds. While I agreed with him, I mentioned the similarity of the Benelli shotgun that I was currently carrying. He was puzzled for a moment until I pointed out that my semi-auto Benelli M-1 could hold nine rounds of .00 Buckshot ammo, and that each pellet of buckshot was approximately a .33 caliber lead projectile moving over 1,000 feet per second (slightly smaller, but similar to the 9mm or .35 caliber projectile he was firing).

      I then explained that I knew several officers (including me) who could fire that Benelli fast enough to empty all nine rounds into the target in about two seconds. That meant we could fire 81 rounds of near 9mm ammunition in less than three seconds. In a comparison of fire power and speed, that shotgun was faster than any sub-gun I had ever used or knew of. My point is that in a CQB range, the shotgun (loaded with heavy buckshot) is absolutely the most devastating firearm in the police inventory. 

There is a lot more, so read the whole thing.