Shotgun

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Shotgun pellets from a shotgun cartridge
Series image of shotgun pellets being fired from a shotgun

Shotgun pellets are small balls of metal, in the form of of numerous individual projectiles existing sheaf of guns are fired.

material

Shotguns traditionally consist of lead alloyed with arsenic and antimony , whereby this toxic heavy metal is increasingly being replaced by other materials for reasons of environmental protection . In some countries there are now bans on lead shot ammunition. In Norway, for example, on January 1, 2005, the use of leaded shot ammunition for hunting was generally prohibited; however, this ban was changed in July 2015 so that the use of leaded shot ammunition for hunting certain animal species was again permitted. This approval only applies to animals that live outside of wetlands.

Animal welfare reasons are also essential for the increasing conversion. It is known that lead shot leads to symptoms of poisoning and death in both rooting water birds , which ingest the pellets as grit , and birds of prey that eat shot animals. Scientists assume that around a third of all sea ​​eagles found dead can be traced back to lead ammunition directly (death from lead poisoning ) or indirectly (behavior disorders due to lead poisoning and the resulting accidents with trains or windmills).

Inexpensive soft iron balls are now often used instead of lead balls . But balls made of other metals such as bismuth , tin , tungsten or alloys of these metals are also produced. The harmful effects of bismuth, tin and tungsten on the animal world are not yet fully understood. For soft iron it is known that, due to the lower density of this material, animals are significantly more often not killed but seriously injured at distances of more than 30 meters.

Another problem is the higher hardness of these materials compared to lead. Barrels from which shot made of a material that is harder than lead must be designed for this, since higher radial force peaks occur in the choke at the barrel muzzle when the sheaf passes through, which can damage the barrel in this area. Iron and tungsten-based shot in particular is harder than lead. During the fire test , suitable runs are marked with a lily. Some manufacturers embed tungsten particles in a polymer matrix, whereby the proportion of tungsten can be adjusted so that the density of the composite corresponds to that of lead. Bullets made from this material have almost the same mechanical and ballistic properties as lead.

In some cases, the more dangerous rebound behavior resulting from the higher hardness of this meal, especially in frost and on water, is described as a problem.

As a preform of the shotgun pellets , the hail pellets can be considered, which was shot from muzzle-loading shotguns and consisted of chopped lead. Today's shotguns shoot shot using shot cartridges made of cardboard or plastic . Shot ammunition has a high scattering effect, which makes it suitable for shooting at small and moving targets. Shotgun pellets are therefore mainly used for hunting smaller game and for sport shooting in the discipline of " clay target shooting ".

production method

Originally shotguns were cast in spherical shapes; the casting burrs had to be subsequently removed . The tower casting process is more advantageous , in which shotguns are made from liquid lead by eliminating the force of gravity and using the force of cohesion . In the past, this process was also used in so-called pouring shafts, in which lead was allowed to drip down through a sieve, where it formed into spheres and cooled as it fell. In 1772 the Englishman William Watts patented a sorting process based on the specific running properties of differently shaped pellets: the uniformly shaped bullets move faster on a flat surface than irregularly shaped lead bodies. The ballistic properties of the shot produced and sorted in this way were thus considerably improved. A modern method of manufacture of lead shot in small amounts is the 1961 by Louis W. Bliemeister patented bliemeister method .

Shot thickness and sizes

In Germany, the diameter of the shotgun pellets contained in a cartridge is given in millimeters. The list with international shot size numbers from shot size no. 1 (4 mm) to no. 10 (1.7 mm). The lower the number, the larger the grain, i.e. the diameter of the pellets. These terms are mostly used in hunting and sport hunting.

Numbering according to the shot diameter - shot diameters are differentiated by numbering.

Shot No. 1 = 4 mm shot diameter

Shot No. 2 = 3.7 / 3.75 mm shot diameter

Shot No. 3 = 3.5 mm shot diameter

Shot No. 4 = 3.2 / 3.25 mm shot diameter

Shot No. 5 = 3 mm shot diameter

Shot No. 6 = 2.7 mm shot diameter

Shot No. 6½ = 2.6 mm shot diameter

Shot No. 7 = 2.5 mm shot diameter

Shot No. 7½ = 2.41 mm shot diameter

Shot No. 7¾ = 2.3 mm shot diameter

Shot No. 8 = 2.2 mm shot diameter

Shot No. 9 = 2 mm shot diameter

Shot No. 10 = 1.7 mm shot diameter

Post

Shotgun pellets with a diameter of 6.1 mm or more are called items ( English "buckshot" ). They were, among others, for the hunting of ungulates used (eg. As Sauposten, Buckshot). The English names include 00 for 8.5 mm and 000 for 9 mm. Today their use on hoofed game and seals is prohibited in Germany. Shooting with guards at these game species is an administrative offense and can be punished with a fine of up to 5000 euros.

Bird haze

As bird Dunst ( English "bird shot" ) refers to very fine meal with a diameter of 1.5-1.75 mm. Bird haze is mainly used to hunt small animals.

Lead shot

Shots of different ball sizes are used in a wide variety of ways as ballast in flight and ship models as well as in water-permeable bags or in the pockets of diving jackets, which can be opened at the bottom if necessary. When fishing, very soft and slotted shotgun pellets are pressed onto a nylon line with pliers in order to weigh down the leader with the hook.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Entry on hard meal. In: Römpp Online . Georg Thieme Verlag, accessed on April 19, 2014.
  2. ↑ Deutsche Jagd Zeitung 10/2002, p. 56.
  3. ↑ wildundhund.de: Norwegian Parliament partially lifts ban on lead shot
  4. ↑ Kennner, Norbert and Torsten Langgemach: Danger for sea eagles - high losses due to lead poisoning in sea eagles, in: Unser Jagd 12/2001, pp. 30–31.
    • Kennner, Norbert, Frida Tartaruch and Oliver Krone: Heavy metals in soft tissue of white-tailed eagles found dead or moribund in Germany and Austria from 1993 to 2000, in: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 20 (8) 2001, pp. 1831-1837 .
    • Consiglio, Carlo: From the absurdity of hunting, Frankfurt / Main 2001.
  5. ↑ Kennner, Norbert, Frida Tartaruch and Oliver Krone: Heavy metals in soft tissue of white-tailed eagles found dead or moribund in Germany and Austria from 1993 to 2000, in: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 20 (8) 2001, p. 1831– 1837.
  6. ↑ Streitberger, Joachim: Lead or not lead ?, in: Wild and Hund 19/2001, pp. 34–37.
  7. ↑ Wild und Hund 21/2001, p. 70.
  8. ↑ http://www.deutsches-jagd-lexikon.de/index.php/Schrotgr%C3%B6%C3%9Fe, accessed July 5, 2015
  9. ↑ cf. Seibt, Siegfried: Basic knowledge of the hunter examination , Kosmos Verlag, Stuttgart 2011; ISBN 978-3-440-12530-4
  10. ↑ BJagdG §§ 19 Abs. 1 Nr. 1, 39 Abs. 1 Nr. 5, Abs. 3.

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