4 inch shotgun shells
- Thread starter bearslayer56
- Start date
1963beretta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
Yup!
Good question.
The simple answer is that there are precious few 12 ga loads that can't fit into a 2 3/4" shell. Let alone a 3". Let alone a 3 1/2".
In the early days of cartridge shotguns, 2" shells were common. Then, cartridge vendors developed "long range" loads and such and 2 1/2" became common. But, it should be pointed out that this was in the days of black powder, when more powder was the solution for achieving more power. Next came 2 3/4" shells.
But this was around the time nitro powders were commercialized. Nitro powder is so hot it needs to be dumbed down. Various "filler" powders are mixed with nitro granules, both in a variety of granule sizes and ratios, to produce powder blends meeting 'volume of gas creation' and 'speed of burning' specifications. The significant difference, though, is that nitro powders occupy less volume. This leaves more room for shot. Plenty of room, in fact. So the world continued to turn without complications.
However, there has always been, and there continues to be in irrational circles, the notion that more shot is better (ie. If 7/8 of an ounce is good, then 1 ounce is better, etc). The same theory holds that a given measure of powder need be increased to provide more speed. These kind of beliefs influence marketing types to create longer shells and use names like MAGNUM. There was plenty of this kind of marketing nonsense going on already, but the evolution of wetlands management and mandate for non-toxic shot made some of this less ridiculous. Steel shot is noticeably lighter than lead and so requires larger shot sizes which, in turn, take up more space in the cartridge.
Still, 3" should be adequate for most everything except maybe specialty military rounds. Having said that, sometimes we have to buy what the manufacturers are making.
There are no stoopid questions.
Only stoopid answers....
So, if they did make a 4'' shot shell, would it be able to shoot into space ?
Maybe if they had one like this.
the spank
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Planet Earth Wearing My Tinfoil Hat
Shhh! Don't let the secret out...let the dummies who think you need 3.5" BBB to take down a duck or goose suffer their headaches from concussions from firing those loads through too light of guns for them.
It's entertaining when some of those people show up to shoot skeet, and they can't understand how people are shooting a 410, and shooting higher scores than they are.
Whenever I miss, be it a bird or a clay, I never think “Damn, I need a bigger, longer shell, shooting a greater load much faster”. I think “damn, I need to work on my shooting”.
sharp shooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Essex county (Ontario)
Just how big are the bears you want to shoot?
- Location
- Western Manitoba
There is a sporting goods store out west that stocks a lot of 3.5" 12 g in field load out west sells out every year so who's the fool ,
HaHa! - I think I had read it first about fishing lures - does not have to actually work very well - but it has to sell - why it was made - then hire marketers to convince potential buyers that they will catch more fish if they buy that thing. Appears to apply to many more things, than just to fishing lures.
I believe there was several studies about the marketing campaign for the "new" Ford Mustang car - did not even focus on the merits of the thing - was mostly about a "life style" that would result if you bought that item. And, apparently, they sold well.
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There is a sporting goods store out west that stocks a lot of 3.5" 12 g in field load out west sells out every year so who's the fool ,
That says nothing about 3-1/2" loads being best , it only tells us that their customers have been conditioned to believe that they need 3-1/2" loads.
There is a sporting goods store out west that stocks a lot of 3.5" 12 g in field load out west sells out every year so who's the fool ,
The people buying 3 1/2" shells believing that's the solution.
4 " in unnecessary, just get a 3" double gun with two triggers, My two are double triggered hammer guns, and if you need the awesome knock down power that is available jus pull both triggers at the same time., I have done this several times and it is quite effective!!
