Following our tour at Lyavale last week we thought that this week would be a good time to cover Shotgun Cartridges as a whole rather than one specific company. Being new to Cartridges ourselves it can come with it’s own set of jargon completely unrelated to air gunning. Words like Bore, Load and Wad can seem a bit confusing at first but hopefully after reading this blog we can all be a bit more knowledgeable on Shotgun Cartridges.

What’s in a Shotgun Cartridge?

Shotgun Cartridges are typically made out of the following components:

Primer - The ignition cap for the Cartridge

Powder - The propulsion component of the Cartridge

Wad - Usually either a fibreglass or plastic housing that protects the Shot from the Powder

Shot - The lead (or lead free alternative) that will be fired from the Cartridge

Case - The housing for the Cartridge usually coloured Red, Yellow or Blue depending on Gage and cost

What is Bore and Gauge?

The gauge of a firearm is a unit of measurement used to express the inner diameter (bore diameter) of the barrel. Back when shooting meant loading up a cannon full of shot and chucking it at any enemy of the crown it was common to deal with Pounds of lead, for example an 8 Pounder Cannon would fire 8 Pounds of Lead, so when the concept of Small Arms was being introduced it was weighed against this Pound of Lead so a 12 Gauge shotgun shell is 1/12 a pound of lead cannon ball, the same is true with 28 Gauge 32 and so on. The only exception to this rule in modern shooting is .410 Bore, which would be hypothetically 67 Gauge.

Can I shoot steel shot?

Steel has become a popular alternative to lead, along with bismuth, due to its reduced impact on the environment when shooting. As we all work towards making changes in our lives to reduce environmental damage so too has the shooting community been coming up with their own ways of keeping sport alive along with the Planet. But do be carful when picking up steel shot as some guns may not be designed for its use (If you are unsure of what your shotgun can fire look for a fleur-de-lis stamped on your gun to see if it is steel shot ready)

In conclusion there are many different aspects of Shotguns and we’ve only really covered the very basics on this post as with any other firearm or air rifle we always recommend double checking with a shop or supplier if you are unsure about what cartridges your gun uses and if you are making the right choice in ammunition not only know but in the future with all the changes.