| There are basically 3 ballistics in rifle, pistol and | | | | Gun in hand I asked Joe to pull a few. I was having a |
| shotgun shooting. 1) Internal ballistics, or what takes | | | | good day and the birds were hit hard. |
| place inside the chamber and barrel; 2) external | | | | Early the following morning, Joe told me he’d |
| ballistics, what takes place during the shot string | | | | gone back to the last field and laser ranged the |
| flight; and 3) terminal ballistics, what happens when | | | | distance to the target. 80 yards! He moved the trap |
| the shot string impacts the target. | | | | slightly so we had our 60-yard bird. We then |
| It was a sunny, crisp day at Upper Nisqually Gun Club | | | | discussed the terminal affects the load had on the |
| in Eatonville WA. Joe and I were putting the finishing | | | | targets yesterday. Impressive considering they were |
| touches on the target presentations before I began | | | | essentially Lite loads. |
| teaching the next day. The last Field was a lengthy | | | | Old myths die hard. There are untold thousands of |
| crossing bird. | | | | examples where 1 oz loads at approximately 1,180 to |
| On my way to Eatonville I’d purchased some | | | | 1,220 fps devastate targets at all reasonable shotgun |
| Winchester 1 1/8 oz, 2 3/4 dram Lite loads of 7 1 | | | | ranges. Do yourself a favor. Stop the relentless |
| 2’s. I bought them particularly for the recoil | | | | punishing of heavier loads and remember, it’s not |
| reduction and because I have tremendous confidence | | | | how fast or how many # 8’s leave the muzzle. |
| in loads such as these. Because the bird was against | | | | It’s how many are still available to arrive on |
| the sky for a long flight period, we’d been | | | | target, i.e., better terminal ballistics. Your body and |
| forced to estimate the distance to the target. We | | | | your scores will thank you for it. |
| guesstimated 60 to 65 yards, possibly a little more. | | | | |