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You are shopping for new
shot shells and are standing in front of a wall of shells at the store.
Picking the correct shot shell gauge is easy enough, but what else do you
need to know for CAS events?
Shotgun shot shells used
for Cowboy Action Shooting use a load made up of lead balls instead of a
single projectile. SASS minimum requirements for Cowboy
Action Shooting are a shot size no larger than #4 and the entire shot must
be lead only.
The shot shell boxes have
printed on them important information that describe the contents.
Gauge – Defines
the shotgun chamber bore size. Gauge is an old measurement that refers to
a specific amount of lead shot balls that would equal one pound in weight.
Dr. Eq. – Dram
Equivalent defines how much black powder would be required to replace the
smokeless powder used in modern shot shells for an equivalent shot
velocity. Larger Dram Equivalent numbers equal a higher velocity and
higher felt recoil. One Dram equals 27.34 grains of black powder.
Length – A
measurement of the shotgun chamber length in inches. This is not the
length of the shot shell. The shot shell should always be shorter than the
shotgun chamber to prevent dangerously high chamber pressures when fired.
The shot shell length will actually be approximately ¼ inch shorter than
the length measurement printed on the box.
Shot Material –
May be lead, steel, tungsten alloy or some other material. SASS rules only
allow shot material of lead.
Shot Weight –
Defines how much shot weight, measured in ounces using United States
standards, that is contained in the shot shell.
Velocity –
Defines the shot charge speed at 3-foot distance from the muzzle using
United States standards. European standards measure velocity at the muzzle
end.
Shot Size –
Defines the size or diameter of the shot size. Shot sizes range from 12 to
1 with 12 being the smallest size and 1 being the largest.
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