Emperor_MA
New member
The thing the velocity folks always seem to forget is that shotgun patterns are three-dimensional. What we see on a pattern board or a piece of paper or even breaking a clay is distinctly not the same thing the game bird sees in the real world. The bird is moving, the pattern is strung, wind speed and so many other variables affect the actual energy that gets delivered to the bird. Patterning in the real world is a balancing act between sufficient energy and adequate density.
High velocity does deteriorate pattern density. High velocity also worsens shot stringing. I'll simplify here and use easy math (not exact but close enough so the point comes across):
Let's say we are shooting wild pheasants with 1 1/4oz loads of equal-quality #6 shot. One leaves the barrel at 1,400 fps and the other at 1,200 fps. We'll call the downrange energy at 30 yards for our loads at 3 ft. lbs. and 2.5 ft. lbs. per pellet. It is probably closer than that, as atmospheric resistance to pellets varies with the square of velocity, meaning the faster the shot travels, the more resistance it meets and the faster it slows down. Therefore, the differences in retained energy at long ranges between high and low velocity shot are not as dramatic as they are up close. However, we'll keep it at the numbers listed above to make this exercise easy to follow.
Next, we must also accept the fact that the second, slower load will have greater pattern density at 30 yards. We must also accept the fact that the shot string will be shorter, as we're not forcing all that shot down the barrel at as great a speed as load #1 is.
We have a couple of things to help us argue in favor of the slower load. First, we'll get more hits due to pattern density. Second, we'll get more hits arriving at the bird at he same time due to decreased shot stringing.
Accordingly, we may get 10 hits with our slower load vs. 8 hits with the faster load due to pattern density. If that is the case, the light load wins when it comes to energy at the bird, with 25 ft. lbs. vs. 24 ft. lbs.
Now, factor in shot stringing, and we may have perhaps 7 of our slower load's pellets arriving simultaneously vs. only 4 from our faster load. Now, the energy differences become even more pronounced. The slow poke smacks the bird with 17. 5 ft. lbs. vs. 12 ft. lbs. from our faster load.
Because shot stringing can't be seen on a pattern board, it often doesn't make it into the discussion, especially when "speed kills" it the argument one is trying to make. And ...we aren't even considering the effects that greater recoil and muzzle blast have on the shooter, either.
Now, I am not a 100% believer in energy as what kills birds. I think it helps, but I'll take more hits from a denser pattern over deeper penetration from fewer hits every time, and twice on Sunday. In my 42 years of upland bird hunting, I just see more birds fall and come to bag that were hit with a denser pattern than I 've seen that were hit fewer times but with more velocity. It is the chukar hunting that has me convinced of this, as those devil birds can make it off the cliff when only hit with a few pellets, and once that happens, the bird is gone forever even if it dies mid flight. They have to come down when you hit 'em, right now and right there or else you have a lost bird. I want them to die right then amid a big puff of feathers if I'm going to be happy!
If you want to argue higher velocities and smaller shot charges, now you may be on to something. The smaller (lighter than "usual") charges of shot ... say 7/8oz - 1oz in 12ga ... help to mitigate both pattern density issues and shot stringing. Of course, there are far fewer pellets to begin with, but what we do have is a larger percentage staying in the pattern and a larger percentage arriving at the target simultaneously (my favorite).
OK ... ramble over. Just thought I'd add my two cents about minimal shot stringing and optimum pattern density killing better than velocity on its own accord.
High velocity does deteriorate pattern density. High velocity also worsens shot stringing. I'll simplify here and use easy math (not exact but close enough so the point comes across):
Let's say we are shooting wild pheasants with 1 1/4oz loads of equal-quality #6 shot. One leaves the barrel at 1,400 fps and the other at 1,200 fps. We'll call the downrange energy at 30 yards for our loads at 3 ft. lbs. and 2.5 ft. lbs. per pellet. It is probably closer than that, as atmospheric resistance to pellets varies with the square of velocity, meaning the faster the shot travels, the more resistance it meets and the faster it slows down. Therefore, the differences in retained energy at long ranges between high and low velocity shot are not as dramatic as they are up close. However, we'll keep it at the numbers listed above to make this exercise easy to follow.
Next, we must also accept the fact that the second, slower load will have greater pattern density at 30 yards. We must also accept the fact that the shot string will be shorter, as we're not forcing all that shot down the barrel at as great a speed as load #1 is.
We have a couple of things to help us argue in favor of the slower load. First, we'll get more hits due to pattern density. Second, we'll get more hits arriving at the bird at he same time due to decreased shot stringing.
Accordingly, we may get 10 hits with our slower load vs. 8 hits with the faster load due to pattern density. If that is the case, the light load wins when it comes to energy at the bird, with 25 ft. lbs. vs. 24 ft. lbs.
Now, factor in shot stringing, and we may have perhaps 7 of our slower load's pellets arriving simultaneously vs. only 4 from our faster load. Now, the energy differences become even more pronounced. The slow poke smacks the bird with 17. 5 ft. lbs. vs. 12 ft. lbs. from our faster load.
Because shot stringing can't be seen on a pattern board, it often doesn't make it into the discussion, especially when "speed kills" it the argument one is trying to make. And ...we aren't even considering the effects that greater recoil and muzzle blast have on the shooter, either.
Now, I am not a 100% believer in energy as what kills birds. I think it helps, but I'll take more hits from a denser pattern over deeper penetration from fewer hits every time, and twice on Sunday. In my 42 years of upland bird hunting, I just see more birds fall and come to bag that were hit with a denser pattern than I 've seen that were hit fewer times but with more velocity. It is the chukar hunting that has me convinced of this, as those devil birds can make it off the cliff when only hit with a few pellets, and once that happens, the bird is gone forever even if it dies mid flight. They have to come down when you hit 'em, right now and right there or else you have a lost bird. I want them to die right then amid a big puff of feathers if I'm going to be happy!
If you want to argue higher velocities and smaller shot charges, now you may be on to something. The smaller (lighter than "usual") charges of shot ... say 7/8oz - 1oz in 12ga ... help to mitigate both pattern density issues and shot stringing. Of course, there are far fewer pellets to begin with, but what we do have is a larger percentage staying in the pattern and a larger percentage arriving at the target simultaneously (my favorite).
OK ... ramble over. Just thought I'd add my two cents about minimal shot stringing and optimum pattern density killing better than velocity on its own accord.
