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  • From: Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Shotgun size for homestead
  • Date: Tue, 05 Dec 2006 09:34:25 -0700


Thank you James, this is exactly the kind of information on ammunition
that I need.

I agree with the assertion that a 20-gauge can kick harder than a 12-gauge shotgun. I have a 20-gauge long-barrel full choke that kicks harder than my 12-gauge open choke with short barrel, which is designed for short-range personal defense. The 12-gauge also has an energy-absorption butt piece. The point is that gauges are not the primary factor in how hard a shotgun kicks. The choke, the load, the barrel length, the butt design, are all factors.

What has been alluded to but not fully stated is the issue of BB numbers in a shotgun shell. The 12-gauge shell contains more BBs than a smaller gauge, so at any given range you have a tighter pattern of BBs, making the odds of a hit better. Number four, or larger shot, which carries a smaller number, is usually adequate to kill or stop most critters but if several BBs hit and especially if one hits the head, the odds are greater of a stop. So the logic is to use the bigger gauge.

Bev, I think you also asked about slugs and that didn't get a response. Shotgun slugs make sense if you need strong stopping power but need to shorten the range for safety reasons. But slugs are a single piece of metal and unless you are highly expert you will miss more shots than not at targets the size of coons. If you need seriously strong stopping power you can use buckshot but with only about twenty or thirty BBs, it's easier to miss the shot than with number fours.

There is no gun or shell that is ideal for everything. What is ideal for hawks is inadequate for coyotes. So you have to decide what your primary target is and know that the chosen gun and load are a compromise for other targets. For an all-around homestead weapon I think a 12-gauge is best. The choke depends on your homestead layout. If you will mostly shoot from the house out to the chicken area, then measure that distance and find out which choke is appropriate, then buy a gun with that choke. Then practice and with paper targets determine the shot pattern. Then practice shooting safely in a hurry.











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