Hi:
I have been trying to figure out what constitutes a firearm being a shotgun as opposed to a rifle? I hope someone out there has an answer.

Considering deer hunting here in the Midwest. Some areas allow "shotgun hunting only" Today a hunter can fit a shotgun with a rifled barrel, mount a scope, load it with sabots and fire a 387gn. bullet at 2000fps.....sounds to me like its a rifle now. Not that I'm opposed to it but then why are we limited by the ammo. makers to 387gn. bullets that travel out at 2000fps. Why not 160gn bullets at 2800fps?

Oddly in these shotgun only areas you can hunt with a handgun ...think about the T/C in the available rifle cartriges. So I don't think the ballistics are the reason for shotgun hunting areas because the only thing that is missing is the butt stock...and a shotgun has one of those!

If anyone has some idea as to why: 1 we are limited to large slow bullets in a shotgun. and 2, when does it quite being a shotgun and start being a rifle. I would sure like to hear from you.

Baddog

here in Pa. same deal, dont forget the inline muzzle loaders.

Those formulating the regulations are trying to make sure that you have a bullet whose projectile is limited. That is the case with 387 grain bullets at 2000 fps. They shed velocity like a duck does water and they have a very low BC, rainbow trajectories.

quote:

Originally posted by Baddog:
If anyone has some idea as to why: 1 we are limited to large slow bullets in a shotgun. and 2, when does it quite being a shotgun and start being a rifle. I would sure like to hear from you.

The laws came about because of the small parcels of land in the Midwest and East Coast. Even 90 years ago, it was possible to get a shotgun that was rifled in some manner, eg, a paradox gun.

The limiting factor is the allowable pressures. A shotgun is only proofed to about 20,000 or 25,000 psi. Most center fires are much higher. So combine the low muzzle velocity together with the aerodynamically inefficient slug and you have a short range weapon that is better suited to a 120 acre farm.