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For anyone interested in shot string
- Thread starter canvasback
- Start date
Falconflyer
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Fascinating video, thanks for posting!
I've always found shot string was something people didn't want to know about, or didn't care. I do though, because Michael MacIntosh explained it very well in one of his books. And since it greatly improves what understanding I had, thanks for the video.
Falconflyer
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Almost..... yet it happens a lot!
winchester12
CGN Regular
- Location
- Chatham ontario
A shooting buddy of mine just ordered a 32 gauge shotgun from italy.He showed us some 32 ga ammo.The ammo has 1/2oz. We were thinking why have 32ga?. Then it occurred me. The 32ga would have a shorter shot string than 410.
Just got to watch the video end to end. Very interesting of course, but early on I learned that when wing shooting you have to work with the shot string. On grouse with my old Browning BSS I used to visualize trying to hit them with the water from a garden hose, with adjustments for the speed of the lead of course. Experience gave me a conviction that low brass shells are best and I think it was from Michael Macintosh that I picked up the conviction that high brass shells would 'blow a hole' into the string, making it less effective (I won't dispute that the 'hole' notion may be just a visualization). This led to disagreements with hunting companions who were almost to a man 3" magnum believers, but they weren't doing a lot of wing shooting either, mostly using their guns like a rifle. Anyway, looking for more from Mr Surviving Duck Season. And, what is a Mountain Dew Throwback? Damn covert advertising.
Falconflyer
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I think that the velocity is such that the "stringing" plays a very insignificant roll when it gets to the target. Try watching the stringing effect or have a friend watch while you fire a shot at a slough or pond while swinging the gun as fast as you can (use steel shot of course) and I think you'll find that you cannot see the stringing because it happens so quickly. The difference between the first pellet arriving at the target and the last one in a 10 foot string is almost imperceptible, we're talking nano seconds! I'm not saying the stringing doesn't happen, just that it's effects are negligible.
huntingfish
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Quebec City
Excellent video! Thanks for sharing
X2 the long shot string is a bonus on hard crossing shot on all other presentations it does not matter if you are on with your shot. Thanks for the video very interesting.
Gerald Burrard conducted experiments in this back in the '20's/30's. They attached a steel pattern board to the side of a car, and had it drive past the shooter at various speeds. They could discern no difference in the shape of the pattern regardless of how fast the car was moving, or how hard the shooter was swinging the gun. The difference in the time of impact between the first pellet and the last pellet is minimal. If it weren't, the patterns would have a distinct oblong or oval shape, not round.
I personally don't think a long shot string is anyway helpful in hitting a clay including hard crossing shots. You are much better off having a wide flat pattern then a long string. Some of the shells shot in the video show much shorter strings which is information i think is very helpful and would be the shell i would go for. The reason for me is the math on a 90 degree crossing shot with a target velocity of 60mph:
60 mph = 88ft/s target speed
1000 ft/s shot speed at the target to keep the math easy!
10 ft length of a long shot string from the video
0.01 sec time it takes for the shot string to pass by the 10ft
.88 ft or 10.5 in distance the crossing target moves in 0.01 sec
So target only moves 10 inches into the pattern from the start of the string to the back. If you are shooting ahead of the target and expecting it to fly into the shot string you are putting a lot to chance. The random distribution of the pellets and how noticeably the pellet density thins out further back in the sting will mean the target very well could have moved into the string length but not been hit.
A 30" wide pattern regardless of string length will give you a 3X larger margin of error in lead compared to trying to shoot in front and have a target fly into the depth of the pattern.
For me I'd much rather have a short wide pattern then a long thin one. The relative velocities are just too different. To get the shot string comparable to the pattern width in terms of hitting the target, on a 10' long string, the target would need to travel around 180mph. This is also at 90 degrees. It gets worse for any other angle and lower target speeds.
60 mph = 88ft/s target speed
1000 ft/s shot speed at the target to keep the math easy!
10 ft length of a long shot string from the video
0.01 sec time it takes for the shot string to pass by the 10ft
.88 ft or 10.5 in distance the crossing target moves in 0.01 sec
So target only moves 10 inches into the pattern from the start of the string to the back. If you are shooting ahead of the target and expecting it to fly into the shot string you are putting a lot to chance. The random distribution of the pellets and how noticeably the pellet density thins out further back in the sting will mean the target very well could have moved into the string length but not been hit.
A 30" wide pattern regardless of string length will give you a 3X larger margin of error in lead compared to trying to shoot in front and have a target fly into the depth of the pattern.
For me I'd much rather have a short wide pattern then a long thin one. The relative velocities are just too different. To get the shot string comparable to the pattern width in terms of hitting the target, on a 10' long string, the target would need to travel around 180mph. This is also at 90 degrees. It gets worse for any other angle and lower target speeds.
Falconflyer
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I agree, the chances of a clay target flying into the side of a long shot string are pretty remote in my opinion. Having said that, I also think that a long string of pellets vs a short one are probably the least of your worries for hitting the target.
Agreed.
As the video illustrates well, a patterning board only tells part of the story. Beyond that, the rabbit hole is dangerously deep, with many branches. lol. Putting a few shots onto a patterning board is never a bad idea, but I’ve always found that observing how your given choke/load performs in the field is the best way to find a preferred combo - either looking at how “hard” you’re breaking clays or downing your game of choice.
