why do shotguns have a shorter range?
In: 0
Well, first of all, the range is relative to the type of shotshell being used and some other variables.
I’m assuming that you’re comparing it to a rifle, though, more specifically a high-powered rifle. These guns can be accurate out to ludicrous distances because of 2 key factors. 1) The shape of the bullet is designed for aerodynamic efficiency, and 2) the rifle’s barrel has spiraling grooves cut in it (the rifling) that spin the bullet as it makes its way out of the barrel. This is much like throwing a spiral in football. It stabilizes the object in flight helping it to travel more efficiently.
On the flip side, a shotgun traditionally shoots shot shells, which is just a cup like container of anywhere from a few to dozens of loose spherical projectiles. The entire premise of a shotgun is to scatter a lot of projectiles over a certain area to increase the likelihood of hitting a small or moving target like a rabbit. Instead of having to aim precisely with a single chance of hitting it, you get to vaguely point at the target and have multiple chances of hitting it.
So the point of each gun is entirely different.
So when a shotshell is fired, the little cup full of projectiles flies down the barrel, and almost immediately upon exiting the gun just falls away leaving a bunch of little pellets flying though the air, possibly colliding with each other, and gradually spreading out in a conical shape (if the end of the gun is the point of the cone).
Not only are the pellets not aerodynamically optimized in shape, but they also were never stabilized by rifling to fly straighter either. Lastly, they usually have less mass than a bullet and less mass means less momentum, which means it will fall out of flight sooner.
Plus, the fact that there are two different types of range: effective range and just range. Range is just how far a pellet will travel. Effective range is how far a pellet will travel with enough energy to kill the game you’re shooting at. And those are two very different figures.
Far enough out, bird shot will just bounce off off of skin.
Latest Answers