CURMUDGEON explains offshore standards.
As printed on manufacturers’ boxes – foreign versus domestic
If we take Sporting Clays
type shotshells as our example using shot sizes #9 (.080”); #8.5 (.085”); #8
(.090”); & #7.5 (.095”)… this is AMERICAN & CANADIAN standard size shot.
CURMUDGEON needs to point out some imports of English and continental
loaded shells feature DIFFERENT shot sizes and expected velocities than American
& Canadian “standards.” Even if the
PRINTING ON THE BOX says it is #7-1/2, #8 and so forth… WHAT YOU GET MAY NOT BE
WHAT YOU EXPECT.
You must compute/convert what
the actual shot size may be. Which
standard is printed on the box!
American/Canadian standards or… something else!
Otherwise you are NOT firing the shot size you THINK you are firing at
the velocity you imagine you are firing.
(Some foreign sounding names such as Fiocchi are made in America – using
American/Canadian standards. So buy with confidence).
Traditional American/Canadian
standard velocities are measured THREE feet from the muzzle.
(This will be in the quiz).
Does velocity matter where it is measured?
Hell yes! You are looking at
300 feet per second or slightly more of a phony INCREASE in FEET PER SECOND on
the box when velocity is measured AT the muzzle or ONE FOOT from the muzzle.
At zero range, the pesky little pellets
have yet to become oriented in dense air and to begin forming a stream.
It is the slipstream that permits the
even pellet deceleration over a longer curve.
The first three to five feet of launch into dense air is like hitting a
pillow. Pellets lose a big bite of
velocity on the launch.
Please class, do note that
differences in shot diameter and material density has a profound impact upon
pellet ballistics, downrange. For
instance at the point of impact - at the target.
So our two subjects for this morning are pellet velocity and pellet mass.
Mass as defined by a lead pellet and its diameter.
A brief description of various shot size standards will make my point.
Let us say you pick up a box of shotshells and examine the descriptive
content. Ah, a box of one ounce (or
30 grams) #8’s driven at 1440 Feet-Per-Second!
This should be a smacking good load!
But wait, the box was put up on the Continent.
The #8’s are French! So what?
The French, UK, Italian, Belgium, Spanish #8’s measure .087” in diameter.
American/Canadian #8’s measure .090” or a difference of 40 pellets LESS
per ounce. The Continental labeled
#8’s are 2.20mm in diameter and much smaller.
They are close to the American/Canadian #8.5 (.085”)!
So you are really buying #8.5 pellets, NOT #8.
SO KNOW THIS!
And the 1440 FPS?
Most UK and Continental velocities are taken at ONE-foot from the muzzle.
American standard velocities have traditionally been taken at three-feet
from the muzzle. The difference? In
this case, about 220 FPS becomes added to the UK/Continental velocities as
printed on the box. This reflects
the taking the shell’s velocity reading one-foot from the muzzle.
So, if matched to American/Canadian standards THREE-feet from the muzzle,
the FPS on the box it would read 1220 FPS and NOT 1440 FPS.
So, do know what you are buying and then fit them into your scheming.
All shotshell have a proper fit.
Here is a table you can use
for shot sizing.
US/CANADA
Continental
#9
.080”
#9 .078”
(2 mm)
#8.5
.085”
Not available
#8
.090”
#8 .087”
(2.20mm)
#7.5
.095”
#7.5 .091” (2.30mm) About #8
Am/Can
#7
.100”
#7 .094”
(2.40mm) About #7.5 Am/Can
Got it?
Well then consider the mental conversion required when shooters in
foreign counties buy American/Canadian shotshells.
They must do the same conversion - in reverse.
CURMUDGEON