turk101 Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 Hi all What exactly does the weight of the cartridge mean or stand for ? Is it more gunpowder ? Is it heavier pellet's ? More or less pellet's ? ect: I ask this as i had a debate with a friend who said there was less pellets of different sizes, i disagreed saying that would be the size of the carts ie 7 6 5 4 etc: Any1 know better ? Regards turk101 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 The weight in grams on a shotgun cartridge is the weight of shot in it. i,e 28g is 1ounce of shot. The number on it ie 5, 6 71/2 etc is the size of shot. The larger the number the smaller the shot. So for the same load ie 28g, there would be more no. 9s in a cartridge than no.4s but there would be the same weight. The powder will vary from different types and makes of cartridge and doesn't really matter, unless you are loading your own. The powder to shot weight is calculated to maintain velocities and pressures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 Bit of light reading... 28 grams = 1oz 30 grams = 1 1/16th oz 32 grams = 1 1/8th oz http://www.hrwscothunt.ndtilda.co.uk/info/data.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vegeta Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 yup the weight of the cartridge tells you how much shot or lead is in the cartridge (in units of grams i.e. weight) The number of the cartridge 7, 6, 5, 4 etc tells you the size of the pellets Well this is how I have understood it anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonp Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 Interesting reading (for a newbie) and explains why pin suggested I bought those 28gm size 9 white golds for the skeet at LH the other week. ie, more shot in the air = better chance of a hit. I guess since the shot is smaller, the momentum, is less so it doesn't travel as far (fine for skeet) but larger shot better for sporting/game since distances are more important. I assume the higher the weight in grams of the shot, the more gunpowder is used (for previously stated reasons) and therefore more recoil ? Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 Heavier load = more recoil, more to do with newtons 3rd law than the amount of gunpowder though. For skeet no9 shot is advisable, as well as open or "skeet" chokes. The distance the targets are shot at make it a perfect choice - the shot is almost like dust, but its more that sufficient to kill those birds. You can shoot skeet with "sporting" chokes and 7 1/2 shot, as with all clay sports a good shot will kill the bird almost regardless of what you use, but when you can give yourself an advantage (and all good skeet shooters will) you might as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 I assume the higher the weight in grams of the shot, the more gunpowder is used (for previously stated reasons) and therefore more recoil ? Not necessarily, the heavier shot charge means it would take longer to start moving, therefore more time for pressure to build up and so more time for more powder to burn and therefore create more pressure within the barrel. I would expect magnum loads to have more powder, but that is further into ballistics than I know. The heavier the shot load the harder the recoil, also this is offset by heavier guns etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 Powders are best described as fast medium and progressively burning and generally fast burning will be for light loads <32 gm, medium<34/36 prog <36+ and this is just a general rule for 12 bore and lead shot, non tox is a law unto itself. Prog powders have to push a heavy weight up the barrels so they need to burn quite slow, fast powders throw lighter weights so burn fast to produce speedy loads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floating Chamber Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 One gram is the weight of 1cc (ml) of pure water. One GRAIN = one 7000th of 16oz (1lb) In the days of Blackpowder, (gunpowder) the powder charge would be in DRAMS and 1 dram = 27.3 grains. America still grade their shells in DRAM EQUIVALENT. eg 3/32/9 (3 dram = charge of smokeless powder equivalent to 82 grains of 'black'/ 32 grams of shot/ Skeet 9s) And primer type is important, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookie Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 This is all hurting my head.... Can someone talk English, or should I just read the link that StuartP posted? Actually, on a more serious note, if a progressive powder takes longer to burn, surely that means that it would suit a longer barrelled gun. Unless of course, the 28+ inch barrels are way over the top for what that sort of powder (and therefore the heavier loads) actually require to build up pressure and project the shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floating Chamber Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 It's called 'Education' I was asked the question. The gram began its life in 1789 as the length of an arc from the North Pole to the Equator; divide this distance by ten million and we get the Metre. From the metre, we get the centimetre - from a centimetre cube we get the volume 1 cu. cm. Fill this with pure water and it becomes the gram. ...and that is how the Metric System was born; invented by the French because they were sick of being given short measure! It took 200 years for the thick peasants in this country to understand it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitebridges Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 Give me imperial weights and measures anyday. So tell me FC how are shotgun bores (12, 16, 20 etc) derived? Anyone else know the full explanation? .... that's why references to cartrige loads should be in ounces and fractions, I feel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 The gauge number is intended to be the number of lead balls per pound, the balls being of a size that will just fit into the barrel. With some smaller gauges (.410) it is simply a reference to the diameter in inches Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 I beg to differ on that PIN, The .410 is actually 4/10 of an inch which is just over 10mm. .410 is actually the same measurement so ignore the first bit. Still makes for an interesting friday afternoon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 Eh? .410 "The .410 caliber is a bore and not a gauge because the barrel diameter is .410 inches (10.4 mm); a true gauge is a measurement of the number of lead balls of bore diameter that constitute a pound (454 gram). The .410, when measured by gauge, is a 67 gauge. A true gauge measuring .410 would have a 2.25 inch (57 mm) bore; a 410 gauge would measure .225 inches (5.7 mm). .410 is the only popular shotgun cartridge named by bore rather than gauge, leading to some confusion." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 I think it is in the BASC handbook which says that it is 4/10 of an inch. But hey I am not going to debate it, I am just bored at work. I had always thought that the .410 was a 36 gauge though. Still that is my one thing learnt today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 I learned mine earlier today, actually I re-learned it proving conclusively that humans can't remember pain. Always keep one hand in your back pocket when poking about inside a recently switched off monitor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 That is now 2 things I have learnt today, and as I have spent most of the day in a training course that probably isn't a good thing 36 gauge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookie Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 There was a thing in some book somewhere about .410 v. 36 guage. I think it was people on the continent that started it. Was just trying to think of something else for you to learn, but ran out of ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floating Chamber Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 Right on! The .410 bore (67 bore) is referred to as 12mm and sometimes 36 gauge on the continent! The first known mention of it dates back to 1896 in W.W. Greener's book, The Breechloader and How to Use It' The classic English loads are 7/16oz. for 2.5" chambers and 5/16oz for 2" chambers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floating Chamber Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 By the way folks if there are 437.5grains to an ounce and 15.43 grains to the gram, then 1 ounce = 28.35 grams! (Taken by professionals as 28.4 grams) Therefore 1 1/16 oz = 30.1 grams. But then I'm splitting hairs now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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