Professionals do not even have the question “how to choose 12 gauge cartridges”, since they already know everything they need, the very fact of choice is very easy for them. However, novice hunters are lost in the diversity of all possible options and can not always make the right choice, which depends, rather, on the type of purpose of the hunt, the conditions of its conduct and the weather.
Types of ammunition 12 gauge
To decide how to choose cartridges of 12 gauge, you first need to figure out what types of such ammunition generally are. First, you need to know that factory cartridges with metal, plastic and paper shells are currently being manufactured, can be equipped with smoky or smokeless gunpowder and are divided by type of charge into bullet, card or shot. In addition, the powder charge itself can be standard or increased, and the fraction used can be steel or lead. The length of the cartridge case for such ammunition is also different: 65, 70, 76, 89 mm.
Classification
In addition to the above, they are also divided according to the type used. That is, shotgun cartridges of 12 caliber, depending on the type of game that it is planned to hunt, come in shots from 1.5 mm to 5 mm. Card cartridges use a fraction with a diameter of more than 5 mm, while the fraction itself may be consistent or inconsistent. Bullets are used for hunting big game and are divided into switch, turbine and turn-turbine. The arrow bullets resemble an arrow in their design, as the name implies. They are equipped with a special tail-stabilizer and have a weighted head that allows you to achieve the correct flight and prevent somersaults. Turbine type bullets compensate for the absence of cuts in the barrel with their design, which allows the projectile to rotate around its axis, which significantly increases the accuracy of the battle and lethal power. The arrow-turbine type of ammunition has the advantages of both of the previous types, flies further, in heaps, hits harder, but also costs much more.
Shot and cartridges
A similar type of ammunition is used for firing at a distance of up to 50 meters. It is divided according to the size of the fraction from No. 11 to No. 0000. No. 11 is the smallest fraction of 1.5 mm, which with each subsequent number increases by 0.25 mm and as a result reaches a maximum size of 5 mm by No. 000. How to charge 12 gauge cartridges with a shot - see below. Also, the fraction is coordinated and inconsistent. Consistency is determined quite simply. It is driven into the barrel of the weapon to the end of the muzzle of the wad, on which pellets are poured into one layer. If they all lay down equally and fit in this layer, then the fraction is consistent. If the weapon has two barrels, the procedure is checked for him. It should be remembered that in the case when the fraction is placed in the container, you do not need to perform these actions. In addition, the fraction is divided in its hardness into hunting and sports hard and soft hunting. Soft is used for shooting at short distances, has a greater dispersion, but more pollutes the barrel. Solid, in turn, has a large accuracy and is not so harmful to the trunk, but the disadvantage is the small spread angle. All of the above applies to cartridges, except for the fact that the fraction in them is larger than 5 mm. Thus, when a hunter decides how to choose a 12-gauge cartridge, he must also consider at what distance the hunt will be predominantly.
Shot charge
The larger the caliber, the more pellets. This is an axiom. It would seem that here to choose? We take the maximum and rejoice. But in reality, everything is not so simple. As the caliber grows, the weight of the gun, ammunition and recoil increases, which is not so small for 12 caliber. With increasing returns, accuracy decreases. And as the charge grows, its initial speed decreases and, as a result, the maximum firing distance. In practice, the increased charge is used when it is required to compensate for the small accuracy of shooting at a short distance, but at a far distance it is practically not used.
Containers
They tried to put a fraction (12 gauge) packed in containers into the cartridges for a long time. There are certain pros and cons to them. Of the pros, an increase in accuracy when shooting can be noted, and of the minuses - a high cost. In addition, it makes sense to use the container only when hunting is conducted at a distance of more than 25 meters, and at a closer distance, you can use ordinary shot. The principle of operation of the container is simple. Despite the fact that it is believed that it opens at a certain distance from the hunter and thereby increases the accuracy of fire, in fact, he performs most of his work even when the shot was not fired, coordinating the charge. This increases accuracy and effective shooting distance by default.
Bullet ammunition
As with the shot, choosing 12-caliber bullet cartridges, you must first determine the type of hunting and the firing range. To shoot large dangerous animals it is better to take heavy bullets (about 37 g), which have the ability to deform when hit by a target. For smaller and less dangerous game, it is optimal to use lighter (26-28 g) bullets that do not deform when hit. Also, depending on the hunting conditions (at a short distance, in thickets, etc.), the optimal type of bullet changes. Due to the fact that in most cases, game is shot in forests, where the firing distance rarely exceeds 50-60 meters, it is recommended to use heavy caliber bullets with belts. They have increased lethal power.
Cold sighting
The mere fact of buying weapons and optics for it is only half the battle. After that, you need to shoot, which can simply take an indecent amount of ammunition, which is not so cheap. In addition, after that, when the sight is shot, if you remove it and put it on again, you will most likely have to shoot the weapon again. To avoid such unpleasant and costly procedures, it is recommended to use a 12-gauge cold shooting cartridge. Using it is so elementary that anyone will figure it out. You need to insert the included cartridge into the chamber - and immediately find the place where the axis of the barrel channel looks. It remains only to combine with it the aiming point on the optics - and you can use a rifle. This device, although it is not very cheap, but space money is not worth it. And if you compare with the amounts that will be spent on ammunition when shooting, and also take into account that this is bought once and for all, the benefit will be incredible.
Manufacturers
It is impossible to name a specific company that produces 12-gauge cartridges, reviews of which are all positive. Each of them has its own fans and opponents, each in his own right. Here it is impossible to advise anything and you can only recommend trying various ammunition and choosing the company that produces the best 12-caliber cartridges from the point of view of a particular hunter. It should be remembered that recently the quality of ammunition of domestic production is not inferior to foreign counterparts, and in some cases even surpasses that allows you to purchase the required ammunition at much cheaper prices.
How to charge 12 gauge cartridges?
The first thing to say about such charging is that you should not use cartridges with unknown charging. The second - when charging, you should use special devices that greatly facilitate and improve it. Ammunition is loaded independently in most cases precisely because factory ammunition does not always meet the individual requirements of this particular hunter. That is why it is better for beginners to use "basic" cartridges, and only with time, when there will be more experience, and the disadvantages of standard ammunition will become clear, to engage in self-loading. There are a lot of devices that facilitate this process, and each has a detailed instruction explaining the principle of their action. By the time the hunter understands all the advantages that self-loading cartridges of 12 caliber provide, he will be able to determine the tools of this process himself.
Ammo and game
Various types of ammunition have been described above that are suitable for different conditions of hunting and its distance. However, the choice of cartridges does not stop there. How to choose 12 gauge cartridges? The type of game also affects the choice of how to shoot it. Bird game - for hunting small fraction is used, the size of which can vary from 11 to 1, depending on the hunting conditions. It is recommended to use the smallest possible, since 4-5 small pellets hit the target better than 1-2 large ones. Hares - No. 4-5 from under the hounds, in the fall from approach No. 3-4, in winter - No. 2-3. Hunting for wolves and lynxes is optimal when using small buckshot (7 in a row) at a distance of 50-70 meters, and for roe deer and saigas with the same buckshot, but at a distance of 35-40 meters. For larger game it is preferable to use bullets, especially if it represents a potential danger. In general, the choice of the type of ammunition, depending on the type of target of the hunt, is as individual as the other parameters for selecting a bullet.
Summary
The various features of different types of ammunition are described above. You can get the answer to the question "how to choose cartridges of 12 gauge" only after the hunter determines the location, weather, distance and type of game that he will shoot at. Buying a certain cartridge in advance that will suit all conditions is simply impossible. In addition, one should not forget that if an optical sight is used, it must first be shot, or, more simply, cheaper and faster - use a 12-gauge cold-shot cartridge.