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Projects on Shotgun Shell Splatter

Shotguns are long guns used by the military, civilian police and hunters. Shotguns are versatile weapons that can fire many different types of ammunition. With the exception of less lethal ammunition such as bean bag rounds and rubber pellets, shotguns fire two types of round: slugs and shot. "Shot" rounds contain a number of small pellets that spread out as they leave the barrel. You can do a number of projects to learn more about how shotgun pellets spread.

Distance and Spread
- An easy project with shotgun shells explores the effect of distance on the spread of the pellets. Measure distances of 5, 10, 20 and 30 yards. Prepare four targets for each distance. Fire the shotgun from the 5-yard line, once at each of four targets. If you are not a great shot, use large targets so you can see the entire spread pattern. Repeat these steps for each distance. Draw a circle around the resulting spread patterns and measure the diameter of the circle. Take the average of the diameter for each distance to see how much distance affects the spread of the pellets.
Gauge Versus Pattern
- The gauge of the shotgun shell may also affect the spread of the pellets. The "gauge" determines the size and number of the pellets inside each shell. It is the number of pellets of equal diameter required to weigh one pound. For example, a 12-gauge round would require 12 pellets to equal a pound. There are many different gauge sizes. To determine if the gauge affects the spread of the pellets, use four shells of varying gauges. Prepare four paper targets for each gauge. Measure a distance of 10 yards. Fire four rounds of each gauge, using a fresh target for each round. Measure the diameter of the spread and take the average from each type of round to determine of there is any correlation.
Barrel Choke
- Most shotguns come with a "choke" in the barrel. This means the diameter of the bore--the inside of the barrel--is smaller where the pellets exit than it is at the chamber. The choke reduces the spread of the pellets. You can determine to what extent the choke really affects the spread of the pellets. Using interchangeable barrels with varying chokes, fire four rounds from each choke at clean targets. Fire from a distance of 10 yards. Measure and average the diameter of the spread pattern to determine whether the choke had any effect on the spread.
Spread and Depth
- You can also determine if the spread of the pellets affects the depth of penetration. To conduct this test, you will need access to ballistics gel or some other material you can fire into and measure the depth. Fire at least one round each into four undamaged blocks of ballistics gel. Analyze the material and use a ruler to see if there is a difference in the level of penetration of the pellets on the outside of the pattern versus the center of the splatter.

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