How far do BB's go?

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Quick question,

How far do BB's go when fired out of a shotgun @ 45 degree. Does 3.5 inch mean greater range than 3" or 2 3/4"?

Lets just say this question is prompted by certain unwanted home visits concerning the hunting of a semi populated area.
 
canadiankestrel said:
How far do BB's go when fired out of a shotgun @ 45 degree. Does 3.5 inch mean greater range than 3" or 2 3/4"?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure about the distance...that's not a load I use often. But to answer your second question, no 3.5" doesn't necessarily mean greater range than 3" or 2 3/4", it just means more BBs.
 
multifactorial....

Well... there is quite the factors involved... Shot size, load, powder velocity, etc.

It's simpler with solid bullets since you can calculate the potential energy from the equation K = 1/2 MV(2) where the kinetic energy is equal to 1/2 of the mass (in grams) times the velocity squared. (That's why a .223 or 22-250 can pack such a wallop!)

Shotguns however are not solid (unless using slugs) so there are variables... but generally a 7 1/2 shot fired from a cylinder choke 12 guage 2 3/4 inch chell with a velocity of 1200 fps will reach about 60 yards distance at a 45 degree angle. However, their power of penetration falls off exponentially after 66% of that distance, such that the final velocity when the shot hits the ground is on the order of about 240 feet per second. (there are calculated tables on the web - will send references if you really need them)
That will still sting!

Now take a heavier shot - say 00 buck shot where you have 41 pellets in a 3 inch shell and you have an initial velocity of 1200 fps the kinetic energy (since the mass of each pellet is more that a 71/2 shot) will travel a little farther but the final velocity will be on the order of 600 fps, so it can penetrate skin! It wont, however, penetrate past the subdermal layer, and will not hit any vital organs, but can definitely put out an eye or two.

hope this starts you off...

Best

Dr.O
 
Send me the calculator/tables please. I can look up the load.
 
Thanks Sharptail,

I didnt know we had this posted here on gunnutz. I guess the thread title misled me.
 
Another question, does steel go farther than lead at the same velocity/same mass? The reason I ask is that steel is lighter than lead and thus slows down differently and also drops differently as (if I remember correctly from physics) the terminal gravity will take a different length of time to occur.
 
For the same mass, a steel pellet will have a greater diameter than one made of lead, and therefore will have greater wind resistance (coefficient of drag) and slow down quicker. Ergo, at the same velocity, lead will have a further effective reach. Gravity acts the same on both. This is why most steel shot loads are manufactured with higher velocity than lead.

Sharptail
 
By the time it makes it to 300-400 yards, it's not going to be moving much at all. It'd have about as much kinetic energy as a hailstone :p
 
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