A question about shotguns?

The gauge number is determined by the number of solid spheres of a diameter equal to the inside diameter of the barrel that could be made from a pound of lead. By far the most common gauges are 12 and 20. Next most common are .410, 16 and 28 gauge shotguns.

You are correct that the 12 gauge is the most common and used for the widest range of tasks. I have taken squirrel, rabbit, dove, ducks, geese, alligators, hogs and deer with a 12 gauge by using different shot sizes and slugs. They are also excellent for home defense and skeet shooting. If the recoil is to much (which I doubt) you can add a recoil pad to the gun.

The 10 gauge has traditionally been a goose and turkey hunting gun. The difference between 12 gauges and 10 gauges is the diameter of the shell, the recoil, and the difficulty finding shells. The 10 gauge has a wider shell and more gun powder which results in more recoil. Also a significant concern is the fact that 10 gauge shells are more difficult to find and more expensive than 12 gauge shells.

Regarding the 8 gauge, I have never actually seen one. However, they are larger in diameter than the 10 gauge, resulting in more powder, more recoil and more difficulties finding and affording shells.

To be honest, the 8 and 10 gauges are overkill for most game. While the 28, 16, and .410 are not quite powerful enough to kill everything on the list I mentioned. The 12 gauge falls right in the middle. That is why the American sportsman began buying the 12 gauge in waves. Ammo makers also responded by offering more varieties of 12 gauge ammo. Mass production and competition made the ammunition more reasonable.

The effective range of all shotguns is affected more by the size of the shot used. All shotguns have almost the same effective range; the difference is the size of the lead pattern being moved through that range. That being said, because lower gauges generally have more powder, they would probably have a slight increased effective range.

I would suggest purchasing a 12 gauge shotgun that can shoot 3.5 inch shells with a screw in choke. This gun will kill anything that walks flies or swims on the continent if loaded with the proper size shot and fired by a marksman who has practiced with their gun.

Shotguns are different than rifle bores, why imnot sure.

The gauges are...

410(which is equivalent to like 67 gauge)

28

20

16

12

10

and 8.

The bigger the number the smaller the gauge.

any shotgun above the 20 gauge will kill big game because the bullet is soo big. the 12 and 20 are the most common because thats what they make and thats the bullet calibers they make the most of. Some people like the 20 because it doesnt kick as hard, and some like the 12 because its just a bigger gun. No gauge is easier to care for really, but the bigger ones id say are easier just because the barrel is bigger and can be cleaned easier.

The only reason bigger gauges are more powerful is because they haev bigger bullets. A 410 has no kick and a 10 kicks like a mule, so the biiger the gauge the kick is more.

The smaller gauges have more range becuase the bullets are lighter. If you atre shooting shot, then it just depends on the choke tube. The 8 probly isnt a double barrel because its so big of a barrel in the first place, the gun would weigh too much. Have you held a double barrel 10 gauge!?

I think i answered everything adn then some.

Shotguns are catagorized in gauges, not calibers. The gauge is determined by how many lead balls of a certain diameter it takes to make a pound. The diameters vary from .775 in. for a 10 gauge to .550 in. for a 28 gauge. The diameteres are the same as the bore size. The smallest shotgun is the .410, which is actually not a guage but the "claiber" or bore size. 12 and 20 ga. are the most popular and 12 ga. probably is the most versitile.

You don't see many 8 or 10 ga. guns, I don't recall ever even having seen shells for an 8 ga. sold anymore. The larger bore sizes would generally have more range than the smaller since there is more shot and powder in the shells, however, the range is also dependent on the size of the choke tube. These can vary from a full, which provides a small shot pattern but longer effective range, to improved cylinder and modified cylinder, which provide larger patterns but with a shorter range. There are also other more specialized choke sizes as well.

Large game is generally not hunted with shotguns, except for deer and in this case slugs are used instead of shotshells. They are designed for flying targets. A 10 ga. would most likely be used for geese and ducks, your higher flying targets. 12 ga. is also good for geese and ducks but with lighter loads can be just as effective on upland game birds as well. 20 and 28 ga. are good for upland game too, the advantage with these is that they are lighter, which makes a difference if you are out hunting all day.

As far as the kick goes, I have never shot a 10 ga. but I know people who say they kick like a mule when using heavy goose loads. Generally the larger gauges will kick more, but it also depends a lot on the type of shell you are using.

As for the last question, I have never seen a double barreled 8 either. This is a pretty rare gauge to begin with so I suppose that is why. My guess would be after one shot with an 8 gauge your shoulder would be too sore from the recoil to take another shot!

When we talk about shotguns, we use "gauge" as the measure of bore rather than "caliber". The way this works is this..... The number of lead balls it would take to fit a certain diameter bore and weigh the equivilent of one pound of lead. For example, a 12 gauge......given that bore diameter, it would take 12 lead balls to equal one pound of lead. So the smaller the gauge, the larger the bore.

In most countries, the shotgun bores are as follows:

10, 12, 16, 20, 28, and .410 gauge. The most popular being the 12 gauge.

The 10 gauge and 12 gauge are generally the all-purpose shotguns, used for everything from small game, birds, to deer hunting. Also used for self-defense, because they are both powerful loads.

The 16 gauge is good for small game, light deer hunting, as well as birds, etc. The same can be said for the 20 gauge.

Anything smaller than a 20 gauge, and they are generally used for target shooting or small game hunting.

The 8 gauge or "8-Bore" is an obsolete shotgun load. These guns haven't been produced commercially in decades. They would have a very large shot load, and much higher recoil than the 12 or 10 gauge shotguns.

The "range" of a shotgun depends mostly on the barrels "choke", or the barrels ability to keep the shot pattern together longer. They range from Full, Modified, Improved Cylinder, to Cylinder Bore. Full being the tightest pattern. The general method for measuring shot patterns is to fire into a target ( 30" circle ) at 40 yards. Then count the percentage of the shot hits, based on the number of pellets in that shotguns shell. The percentage will determine the type of choke the shotgun has.

Generally, most shotguns are effective from 25-50 yards. That would be the range of best performance. But it is not uncommon to still put pellets ( speaking of buckshot ) into a target at 100 yards, but that is pushing the envelope of effective range. Other factors influencing range of the shot pattern is gauge size, type of shell ( low brass, high brass, or magnum shells ), shot size, etc.

Hope this helps you.

Ten guages have made a minor comeback since the banning of lead shot for waterfowling. Eight guages have been relegated to the collector by regulation; they aren't allowed for hunting. But the 12 still remains most popular, and the longer magnum 12 guage shells hold about the same shot charge as the 10 guage, so there's really no need to go to the larger bore. Twelve just seems "right" to most everybody, with the proper balance of shot capacity, weight, handling, etc., and the shells are ubiquitous, whereas you may have to hunt for the ten-guage shells more than you hunt for the game you're after.

As far as I know you cant hunt any migrarory bird with anything larger than a 10 ga, sure of it. Shells for a 10 ga are expensive too. I own 12's 16's and 20's and they will kill anything within range. I have killed deer with birdshot on my place while bird hunting. You just need to be close. A 12 will kill anything using the right load at a decent range.

the smaller the gauge, the larger the diameter of the barrel and the more powerful the gun. 8 and 10 gauge have a powerful kick that is too much for most people.

you would use it for larger targets, like geese.

i use a 12 gauge for clay pigeon shooting and hunting

ten guage shotguns have gained some popularity with the advent of steel shot for migratory bird hunting. In my opinion they are not the gun you want to carry all day in the woods. Fine in a duck blind but other than that heavy. I have never seen any eight guage shotguns other than a few "market hunter weapons". The twelve has been and will continue to be the most popular shotgun made. A twelve is versatile and can in theory be used to hunt virtually any animal legal to hunt.

12 are you are right very common, standard fair. I use my mossberg 500 for everything from deer hunting to rabbit hunting.

10 gauge's are in my opion way over powered, and used for large foul when hunting...

8 gauge i have never seen and would never want to shoot because i like my shoulder it raises my arm and so on..

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