Tips for loading rifle cartridges yourself. Characteristics of Sokol gunpowder. The ratio of the mass of the shot and the charge

If you skip this step, you won't have any problems.

• We decapsulate the cartridges.
• We insert the primers into the cases manually.
• We press the capsules with the UPS until they stop.
• We remove everything from the table except the prepared cartridges.
• Now you need to get the weighing devices. The ideal measuring instruments are special ones electronic balance, since even pharmaceutical analogues are too inaccurate for measuring ammunition. Let's talk about weighing. The recommended measurement for the weight of gunpowder is total weight wads, shot and spacers, but not only shot separately. Don't forget this when taking measurements.
• We place the scales in front of us, the jar with the Falcon on the right.

How to properly load 20 gauge ammunition

If there is no caliber, we use our hunting rifle.

How to load 20 gauge ammunition?

MTs20-01" has the advantage of classic design and reliability, and has a bolt reloading system. And the ammunition for this type of weapon is cheaper than for the Saiga. In general, it should be noted that the “twenty” is always more enthusiastically perceived by those who like experiments and changes in emotions.

After all, magnum ammunition is used here, and this is a completely different shooting experience, although the potential and capabilities of the 12th “classic” are preserved. When hunting big game, of course, you should make sure that you have 20-caliber bullet cartridges in your arsenal, both homemade and magazine-fed. Some experienced hunters single out Fetter products from all ammunition.
Since shooting is most often carried out at a distance of 35-40 meters from the game, the choice of ammunition is very significant.

Gunpowder falcon

When loading, the shot must be properly compacted, as otherwise the accuracy of fire and scree will suffer.

• If there is no special stand for cartridges, then it is better to carefully put the cartridges somewhere. For 12, 16, 20 gauge cartridges, the center of gravity is shifted upward, and by hook or by crook they tend to fall and knock down the rest.
• We form an “asterisk” and press the cartridge with a matrix. If the height has been chosen correctly, then the “star” will perfectly merge with the edges, without cracks or other defects, and will also fit tightly to the table.
  If the surface is humped - there is a lot of shot, if it falls - not enough.
• Now we insert the cartridge into the twist and make a side of 1-1.5 mm.

Voroshokhotrybolovsoyuz

Apparently, in this regard, the price of 410 caliber cartridges ranges from 45 to 79 rubles (experimental, for Magnum). How to equip weapons for hunting at home Hunters who decide to experiment, moving away from the more usual 12- and 16-gauge “sizes” consider equipping 20-gauge cartridges at home as commonplace as everyone else. The same specificity is present here, since, as many amateurs and professionals joke on the forums, the only difference is the diameter of the barrel.
Respectively:

• You can add more shot to 20-size cartridges:
• hence the advantage over the same 12-gauge is that with a “twenty”, when shooting with shot, you can hit more game.

Of course, this is a rather relative advantage, especially if the projectile is fired closely and at a short distance.

Important

On this moment This is one of the most popular gunpowders, meeting all international standards in its characteristics. Content:

• Characteristics of Sokol gunpowder
• Falcon's hitch
  • Independent loading of 12, 16 and 20 gauge cartridges
• Brief summary of the article:

The Falcon is not used only in gas-operated hunting rifles with a fixed barrel, due to sparking as a result of the emission of unburned particles.

All about loading cartridges

When choosing from the 20th and 410th types of guns, one should pay tribute to the “twenty”. After all, such a weapon can be considered a universal tool. Although the requirements for it are an order of magnitude higher than for the traditional 12-gauge, nevertheless:

• more comfortable shooting;
• association with low weight;
• strength characteristics of the structure as a whole,

play a significant role in the final choice.

In comparison, 410 caliber weapons have more complaints. At the same time, one cannot discount:

• performance of the gun as a whole;
• theoretical multi-charge;
• rapid fire effect.

The quality of this type of gun is far from perfect. Automation does not always work reliably; misalignment of cartridge cases occurs.

20 caliber, loading (20x70,20x76)!!!

If the fraction is small, then a yardstick is suitable for measuring it. The large one should be weighed down, since shots with it are very responsible. After the shot is laid, you need to put a thin puff of cardboard on top and roll the edges with a twist. #3 And how to choose 12 gauge cartridges can be found in the corresponding article. If the sleeve is metal, then it is better to take larger diameter gaskets made of brittle cardboard and pour paraffin on top. Already loaded and rolled cartridges are driven through a crimp if the cartridges are made of paper or plastic.
If the sleeve is made of metal, they should be crimped before loading. You also need to know how to load magnum cartridges. When shooting at long distances It is better to load cartridges with increased accuracy characteristics. #4 To increase the accuracy, you can sprinkle the shot shell with regular potato flour.

How to load a 20 gauge cartridge

Attention

Without this side, after some time, a 12, 16, 20 caliber cartridge may open up.

• The cartridge is ready!
If you took the wrong measurement and the “Star” did not work out, then you can use simple twists. Both cardboard and cut parts of wad containers are suitable for this. In this case, the twisting will be noticeably simplified, and the cardboard spacers can also be signed.

It is worth signing and marking cartridges with a nitro marker; it is clearly visible both day and night, and besides, it can be used to mark not only the cardboard spacer, but also the 12, 16, 20 gauge cartridge itself. As you can see, there is nothing complicated about equipping cartridges.

How to load 20 gauge cartridges watch video

Eg:

• Fetter-magnum cartridges equipped with shot No. 5 are used for shooting late-autumn mallards from 35 meters;
• Foxes and hares can be confidently shot with this type of ammunition, with shot No. 1, from 40 meters.

It is believed that a confident hit with magnum products using 20-gauge shotguns will be optimal for a distance of no more than 45 meters. This, by the way, is lion's share shooting format (up to 90 percent) using shot. A big role in independently equipping ammunition for hunting is played by a twist for 20-caliber cartridges, which every experienced hunter should have. Of all these types of products available for sale, experienced professionals distinguish imported analogues - MEC, LEE, Hornady, RCBS and Ponsness. One such press is enough to ensure that you can independently equip yourself with cartridges for a lifetime.

How to load 20 gauge ammunition with buckshot

Published March 30, 2013 | Author: Igor Pelikh Magnum-type shotguns and shotguns are very popular and sought-after barrels by our hunters. This weapon has mass positive aspects, many features that are always of interest to hunters. Published February 16, 2013 | Author: Dmitry The question of whether you are afraid of a shot or not worries almost every hunter to one degree or another. And this millet actually needs to be taken very seriously, because if you have such a fear and you don’t get rid of it, then in the end it can lead to you completely stopping shooting accurately. Published January 25, 2012 | Author: Sotnichenko Alena Nikolaevna The very first step in the process of cleaning a gun: it must be unloaded and disassembled.

Now in hunting stores a great variety of all kinds of cartridges. For every taste and for any gun. “Magnums”, “sportings”, shotguns, bullets... Shots, wads, primers - the most varied. Companies “dress” their products in beautiful packaging. Multi-colored cartridge cases eliminate the possibility of confusion in finding the right cartridge during hunting. Magnificence at its finest!

But despite this, many hunters prefer to load cartridges with their own hands. And the point is not only that “rolled cigarettes” are cheaper than their factory counterparts, although for some this plays a big role. It’s just that a cartridge assembled with your own hands and specifically for your gun is often more suitable for productive and comfortable shooting. After all, an experienced hunter knows exactly what he needs.

For example, you are going to hunt hazel grouse and you want to assemble a cartridge for your “choke” gun with a polyethylene “bio” wad or a simple felt wad with a reduced shot load. To make the scree wider, you have to shoot more often at short distances. And in the store, even with the current variety of products, you don’t always find exactly what you would like.

By the way, in addition to being relatively cheap, making cartridges with your own hands is creativity in its purest form. Within the framework of generally known safety rules, you can safely select the charge components. Some hunters buy only the essentials - what they cannot make themselves: gunpowder, primers, cartridges. You can do everything else, including the fraction, yourself.

And if difficulties may arise with the fraction, because... to make it you need a special device - a shotgun, which our smart fellow citizens sometimes construct from an ordinary frying pan, because you can still try rolling large buckshot by hand, but this procedure will not work with shot. For example, you can easily make wads and gaskets yourself by purchasing a die cut for the required caliber in the store (craftsmen make the die cuts themselves from pipe sections).

By abandoning purchased wads, you can start making rifle cartridges with your own hands. Gaskets for gunpowder and shot are cut out of thick thin cardboard, and gaskets for shot are cut out of porous cardboard. Gaskets and wads must fit tightly into the sleeve, with tension. If they do not lie tightly, powder gases can break into the shot charge, which greatly affects the accuracy and sharpness of the gun’s fire.

Someone also cuts out pads from hard, thin polyethylene, which are additionally placed on cardboard pads that cover the gunpowder, separating them from the greasy felt wads.

In stores now, unfortunately, you can buy heavily “oiled” wads, the impregnation of which can get on the gunpowder and ruin the charge. God knows what they are impregnated with, but when pressed, some kind of crap like waste oil just flows out of such round ones. I wrap these wads in old newspapers and place them on the radiator for two to three days. After this they become dry.

This practically does not affect the quality of shooting, but when using dry high-grade materials, the barrels are actively leaded. I have to scrub the gun with a metal brush more often. In general, to impregnate wads, they usually use paraffin (or beeswax) and solid oil, which are melted and mixed approximately three (wax) to one (solid oil). Sometimes spindle oil is used instead of grease, and lard is used instead of paraffin.

So, felt pieces are cut out with a sharp die cut, for lack of anything else, for example, from the thick top of an old felt boot. Although, here we need to remind you that in order for the wad not to turn over in the barrel when fired, its thickness must be at least one third of the diameter of the barrel. Dry wads are also cut out of the fiberboard, which are usually placed in a sleeve on top of the greasy wad, separated by a spacer.

The quality of the shot largely depends on the manipulation of wads and spacers. This is an endless experiment, the results of which are checked when zeroing the gun and directly during the hunt. By changing the components and combining their order and quantity, experienced hunters find the optimal cartridge suitable for their weapon in a given situation.

We must not forget about the little things. There is no need to press the gunpowder in the cartridge with a gun, but it is necessary to press it tightly over the gasket. Compressed powder burns better.

Nobody now stuffs cartridges with improvised tools in the form of a hammer and a wooden peg. For this there are many various devices. For example, the old and cheapest Barclay device will help you prepare cartridges directly during the hunt. It is, of course, outdated, but if necessary, you can do something on your knee. Although "Barclay" was originally invented for metal cartridges.

Here is UPS-5 (a universal device for equipment hunting cartridges) is relatively inexpensive and quite acceptable for producing a small number of cartridges. Initially, it was designed to close cartridges using an “asterisk” and has one six-ray matrix. True, sometimes, especially in inept hands, it is not always possible to close the cartridge properly. Therefore, many citizens use tabletop or hand-held screws together with this device. By the way, the newer UPS-7 device already has a twist.

Many hunters use cartridges several times to save money. UPS-5 and UPS-7 allow you to easily remove the primer from a spent cartridge case and install a new one. And then everything is in order.

Scales, calibration rings and ferrules are required.
And for those who are not used to saving on hunting and do not experience difficulties with money, there are a large number of special “cunning” press machines for loading cartridges. True, their price sometimes reaches a hundred thousand rubles or more, but they do almost everything themselves. Collet crimping of the sleeve bottom. Powder and shot are dosed after appropriate adjustment. Just sit and pull the lever. In an evening, you can get enough ammunition for an entire team of hunters.

How to make a cartridge is a purely individual matter. Everyone has their own rules here. In the huge variety of shot charges, wads, spacers, and primers, everyone chooses their own. There is also a choice of gunpowder, cartridges for every taste. The main thing is to follow safety rules so that during the actual loading of cartridges and subsequently when shooting while hunting, there are no incidents with serious injuries or gunshot wounds.

However, hunters now are entirely adults, tested by narcologists and psychiatrists, of sound mind and understand that “fire games” are always associated with some danger.

For example, I, like many of my reasonable compatriots, will never hammer a primer into a loaded cartridge with a piece of iron, because I forgot to insert it earlier. This is sheer idiocy, which can end in self-harm or even murder.

But more seriously, when making cartridges yourself, you need to be extremely careful. And, of course, know what, where and how much to put. Remember that increasing the amount of gunpowder increases the pressure in the barrels, and the initial velocity of the shot increases. And an increase in the mass of the charge also increases the pressure, but the initial speed decreases. The higher the pressure in the barrels, the shorter the life of your gun, especially if it is not new.

It's a good idea to do some simple arithmetic before you start loading a cartridge and figure out what's right for you.

It is common knowledge that the weight of the charge is tied to the weight of the weapon. So for the 12th gauge the weight of the shot relative to the weight of the gun is 1/94, for the 16th - 1/100, for the 20th - 1/112, for the 28th - 1/136, for the 32nd - 1/148 .
This means that if my 12-gauge gun weighs 3 kg 200 g, then the shot needed is 34 g (3200: 94 = 34). The shot weights for shotguns of other calibers are calculated in a similar way.

Gunpowder (“Falcon”) for the 12th caliber requires approximately 15 times less shot, for the 16th and 20th calibers - 16 times, for the 28th and 32nd - 17 times.

Hunting gunpowder Sokol has long been successfully used by Russian hunters to equip their guns. Cartridges using this high-quality smokeless powder meet modern world standards. Many domestic manufacturers of popular ammunition equip their cartridges with this type of gunpowder.

This substance is used in all shotguns. For gas-operated "self-loading" guns with a fixed barrel this type gunpowder is not used. The reason is sparking occurring in the cartridge case window of the receiver as a result of the release of unburnt particles.

Characteristics

For Sokol gunpowder, the characteristics are as follows. Grains of this smokeless powder look like plates having a rectangular shape. The base is nitrocellulose. The ballistic material is stable and has a stable chemical composition.

The surface of the powder plates is graphitized and gelatinized. Ribs length: from 1.28 to 1.7 mm. Thickness: 0.13mm.

Powder plates are produced using complex roller technology. There are two grades: highest and first. The muzzle pressure is quite high, which leads to a loud sound of the shot and the appearance of a strong flame. The recoil is strong, the hunter gets tired quickly.

Positive point: the accuracy of the plumbing is low, only 0.05g. Recommended this indicator reduce.

The average pressure in the chamber during the firing of heated powder gases ranges from 630 kgf/sq.cm for 12-gauge shotguns to 650 kgf/sq.cm for 20-gauge shotguns. The bulk density of the substance is 0.510 kg/l.

Shelf life of Sokol gunpowder

The substance is packaged in metal jars of 200g and 250g. The mass of gunpowder, enclosed in galvanized boxes, which are packed in a wooden box, ranges from 45 to 50 kg.

Gunpowder can be stored in original packaging in jars up to 6 years. If the substance is in a galvanized box, the storage time reaches 25 years. The properties of Sokol do not change during the guaranteed storage period.

Thanks to the tolerances accepted in the industry, the barrels of hunting rifles, even of the same caliber, differ from each other in the diameters of the bores, the size of the choke and projectile entrances (we have already talked about this in the chapter “Barrels of Hunting Weapons”). All these differences in the parameters of the barrels lead to the fact that the best fight from each specific gun can be obtained only if it is carefully sighted and charges that are optimal for certain types of hunting are selected for it.

It is especially important to carefully zero the gun and properly load the cartridges for those hunts in which extremely close and sharp combat is necessary, for example, on the fly, when shooting foxes and hares from the approach, as well as for all hunts in which buckshot and bullets are used. Special projectile cartridges are also required for short-range shooting, for example from under a dog in a swamp or in the forest.

Learning to load cartridges ourselves

All this suggests that every hunter should be able to properly load cartridges at home. When starting this operation, you should once and for all abandon the false belief that the more gunpowder you pour in, the stronger the battle will be. No, gunpowder should be used, as experienced hunters say - and this is confirmed by laboratory shootings - “in moderation.” At the same time, firmly remember that cans of gunpowder often indicate not the average, working weight of gunpowder, but the maximum.

What happens when some hunters in warm weather load cartridges with maximum weights of Sokol powder (2.5 g) and shot (35 g)? First of all, there is unbearable recoil, a significant drop in the accuracy of the shot, and often such deformation of the shot that it is not ball pellets that fly at the target, but shapeless lumps of lead 1 . They lose speed so quickly that at distances of 35-40 m, wounded animals become not the exception, but the rule. But deformation reduces not only the speed of flight of pellets, but also the accuracy of the battle. That is why gunsmiths long ago came to the conclusion that “the fewer deformed pellets in the charge, the better” 2 .

Charge and projectile

Charge - a certain amount of gunpowder necessary to impart the required initial speed to a projectile (shot, buckshot, bullet).

The term "charge" has another meaning. When they say that so-and-so shoots with “strong charges of buckshot” or, on the contrary, “he has weak charges - only for a squirrel,” then in this context we are not talking about powder loads, but about the cartridge as a whole, in which the strong (or weak) ) and a charge of gunpowder, and a shell of shot (buckshot).

The term "projectile" means something that is intended to hit a target.

Ammunition shelf life

The shelf life of Sokol gunpowder is 5 years; Under ideal conditions, when gunpowder is stored in a dark container, in a dry room with slight temperature fluctuations, it retains its quality for up to 10 years.

The guaranteed shelf life of black powder, according to GOST 1028-79, in sealed packaging is 20 years, in non-sealed packaging - 2 years from the date of manufacture. If black powder does not get wet, it can be stored almost indefinitely; If black powder gets wet, it loses its properties, and when dried, they are not restored.

The guaranteed shelf life of Barsa is indicated in the instructions included in the can of gunpowder.

Capsules "Zhevelo-M" and "Tsentroboy" have a guaranteed shelf life of 3 years, "Zhevelo-N" - 6 years. In practice, capsules do not lose their properties for 10-15 years.

There is no guaranteed shelf life for loaded cartridges, since the validity period of the cartridge depends on the validity periods of the elements that make it up, and their periods may not coincide, for example, a cartridge may be equipped with old gunpowder and fresh primers.

Some factors affecting the quality of the shot

Many factors influence how a gun fires. Increasing the weight of gunpowder increases both the pressure in the barrel and the speed of the projectile, and decreasing the charge reduces both. Increasing the projectile of shot increases the pressure and reduces the speed of the projectile. Reducing the mass of the projectile reduces the pressure and increases the speed of the projectile.

Wads and air temperature have a huge impact on the action of a gun. The hunter must ensure that the wads and gaskets fit tightly into the sleeve; if they enter completely freely, or even fall through, then wait good fight It’s not necessary: ​​powder gases will break through into the shot shell, the sharpness and accuracy of the battle, and the uniformity of the scree will be significantly reduced.

A good cartridge should give average speed shot flight 10 m from the muzzle (v 10) not lower than 310-320 m/s; in this case, the average maximum pressure should not exceed 663 kgf/cm 2 for the 12th gauge; 694 kgf/cm 2 - for the 16th; 734 kgf/cm 2 - for 20 and smaller calibers 3.

Currently, the hunter has a large selection at his disposal components for loading hunting cartridges. In the store you can buy felt greased (or non-greased) wads, wood-fiber wads, thin or thick pads made of thick or loose cardboard, polyethylene seals, polyethylene concentrators, polyethylene wads with concentrators. What to do when loading cartridges if it is possible to use only a certain type of wad?

The shooting was carried out with 12-gauge cartridges filled with plastic cartridges. Gunpowder “Falcon”, shot weight No. 6-32 g. All polyethylene wads and seals fit tightly into the plastic sleeve under light pressure. The optimal, in the authors' opinion, shooting results were assessed by shot velocities 10 m from the muzzle of the barrel, the highest and average pressures of powder gases in the barrel bore during firing. Each result was determined by ten shots. The accuracy and other parameters of the shot scree were not determined.

Cartridge equipment options:

1. The first option, the most common, the most famous. Two one-and-a-half-millimeter cardboard wads (in the old terminology, gaskets) are placed into a cartridge case with a Zhevelo capsule and Sokol gunpowder, and then a greasy felt wad is placed above them. An additional (if necessary) non-greased felt wad is placed on it. Next, as usual, shot plus a thin cardboard spacer made of loose cardboard, rolling the barrel of the loaded cartridge case. What shooting results were obtained when equipping such cartridges can be seen from the table. 37. Perhaps the best option equipment can be considered a variant with a gunpowder charge of 2.25 g.
2. The second option for loading the cartridge. Everything is the same as in the first one, only instead of two cardboard gaskets, one polyethylene seal with a small hole in the center was placed on the gunpowder. The best results were obtained with a powder charge weight of 2.15 g.
3. The third option differs from the second in that one cardboard pad 1.5 mm thick (thick cardboard) is placed on a polyethylene seal with a hole in the center, and a felt wad is placed on it. The optimal result was obtained with a gunpowder weight of 2.05 g. The same amount of shot, but gunpowder is saved.
4. Fourth option. A polyethylene seal without a hole is placed on the gunpowder, and then a greased felt wad and then everything, as in the previous versions. The best option- at 2.05 g of gunpowder, that is, this option is identical to the third option based on the shooting results.
5. Fifth option. Gunpowder, a new polyethylene wad without a concentrator, shot and a cardboard wad on it, followed by rolling the barrel of the case. Optimal results with a powder charge weight of 2.05 g. That is, the same results as in the third and fourth options.
6. Sixth option. Gunpowder, a polyethylene wad with a concentrator in which the shot is located. Everything else is the same as in the fifth option. The desired result is with a gunpowder weight of 2.05 g.
7. Seventh option. The wood-fiber wad is placed on two cardboard wads with a total thickness of 3 mm. The best result is 2.35 g of gunpowder.
8. IN eighth version wood fiber wad is used with one cardboard pad 1.5 mm thick. And what? The mass of gunpowder must be increased to 2.4 g with the same shot weight.
9. Ninth option. A polyethylene seal without a hole, a felt wad, and shot are placed in a polyethylene container. The best result is with a powder weight of 2.05 g.
10. Tenth option. A polyethylene seal without a hole is sent to the gunpowder, then a wood-fiber wad is sent. The best option is a powder weight of 2.2 g.

The following conclusion can be drawn from the shooting results. A polyethylene seal without a hole in the center (separate or manufactured integrally with a polyethylene wad with or without a concentrator) has a major role on gas pressure and shot speed. When using it, the weight of the Sokol powder charge should be reduced by 0.2 g in relation to cartridges using one cardboard spacer for gunpowder with a thickness of 1.5 mm, and by 0.15 g when using two cardboard spacers for gunpowder. A polyethylene concentrator with a hole in the center is best used with a 1.5 mm thick cardboard spacer.

Table 37. RESULTS OF SHOOTING CARTRIDGES OF 12-CALIBER SHOTS (shot No. 6, weight - 32 g, temperature 15°C)

Equipment option	Powder charge mass, g	Maximum pressure of powder gases from 10 shots, kgf/cm 2		Average shot flight speed 10 m from the muzzle, m/s
		average	greatest
First	2,15 2,25 2,35	537 586 638	593 653 691	316 323 332
Second	2,05 2,15 2,25 2,35	525 595 643 723	573 649 701 802	314 321 329 333
Third	1,95 2,05 2,15 2,25	529 599 683 726	577 651 796 831	315 322 331 335
Fourth	1,95 2,05 2,15 2,25	546 602 677 719	576 650 783 805	316 325 337 339
Fifth	1,95 2,05 2,15 2,25	539 603 675 721	580 659 785 809	315 326 338 340
Sixth	1,95 2,05 2,15 2,25	531 598 674 718	573 649 781 800	317 328 339 342
Seventh	2,25 2,35 2.4	519 593 642	559 641 780	311 321 326
Eighth	2,25 2,35 2,4	518 578 596	560 600 638	308 313 318
Ninth	1,95 2,05 2,15 2,25	533 595 670 719	581 648 783 801	316 322 322 331
Tenth	2,15 2,2 2,25 2,35	543 599 673 723	584 651 779 809	315 323 327 330

Working with the table 37, you should pay attention to the fact that the pressures at certain “Falcon” loads go beyond the permissible limits, that is, 663 kgf/cm 2 . For example, in options 3 and 4 too high pressure gave powder weights of 2.15 and 2.25 g. In option 8, on the contrary, a 2.25 g weight is not suitable, since v10 is insufficient - only 308 m/s. Therefore, the minimum weight here will be 2.35 g, and the optimal one will be 2.4 g.

From the table 37 it is obvious that even with minimal amounts of gunpowder, the speed v10 is, as a rule, sufficient to reliably kill game. Therefore, when shooting a 12-gauge shotgun for summer-autumn hunting, with 32 g of shot, the “Falcon” charges should be selected (according to Table 37) between the smallest and optimal ones indicated for each equipment option.

Well, how do you select charges for guns of other calibers? To do this you need to use the table. 38. She also shows how to vary powder charges for guns of all calibers depending on the air temperature.

At one time, A. Mozharov provided the following data on the effect of cardboard spacers loaded with gunpowder on the firing of a gun: with 2.0 g of “Falcon” and a shell of shot No. 7 in 1933-v10 with a cardboard spacer 1.8 mm thick was 331 m /With; at 0.5-0.6 mm - 311 m/s; in the absence of a gasket - 269 m/s.

So, in the absence of spacers, the speed of the projectile drops sharply, and if the spacers are too thin, it decreases significantly. But that's not all: thin cardboard gaskets for gunpowder, allowing gas breakthrough, increase muzzle pressure to 90-104 kgf/cm 2 and reduce the uniformity of shot fall 5 .

Taking into account these and other shootings, based on the experience of many hunters, it has long become clear that it is necessary to use one or two cardboard wads with a total thickness of 2.5-3.0 mm or a plastic seal for gunpowder. The felt wad for gunpowder should have a diameter 0.1-0.2 mm larger than the diameter of the barrel bore, and the height should be half to two-thirds of the barrel diameter.

The wad should not be “sent” to the “Falcon” hitch, as is sometimes recommended, but should be compressed with a force of 5-6, but not more than 10 kg. As a result, the gunpowder burns better and the quality of the fight increases. Black powder should also be slightly compressed, but not to such an extent that you can hear the crunch of crushed grains. Bars gunpowder should not be compressed - the wad is only sent to it.

The capsules give the following pressures: “Zhevelo-M” - 42 kgf/cm 2, “Tsentroboy” - 19 kgf/cm 2. You cannot fill Zhevelo with black powder. Experiments have shown that if black powder No. 3 is poured into this capsule, then “Zhevelo” gives a pressure of not 42, but 96 kgf/cm2. This causes accelerated combustion of gunpowder, which is dangerous for weapons 6 .

When equipping brass cartridges of 10, 12, 16 calibers under the “Tsentroba” with smokeless powder “Falcon”, the combustion of the powder slows down, the muzzle pressure increases, the sharpness and accuracy of the fire drop, and the uniformity of the scree deteriorates. Therefore, Russian hunters have been pouring black powder under the “Tsentroba” for about 90 years. You need to add gunpowder into the primer socket, just under the primer, but not to the bottom of the cartridge case. And you need to sprinkle several (6-10) powders. This greatly improves combat. When equipping the “Falcon” with brass cartridges of 20, 24, 28, 32 calibers, black powder should not be added under the “Tsentroba”: in medium and small calibers sufficient pressure is already created.

Capsules provide the necessary pressures only with normal firing pins. If the striker is too long and thin, the result is a narrow, long flame that does not provide intense ignition of the gunpowder. A weak spring and a thick striker produces a low-power flame. “Shooting capsules under a glass cover and photographs of flame torches allow us to conclude that the most rational is a firing pin with a diameter of 2.4 mm with a spherical processing of the end part with a radius of 1.6 mm. The force created by the mainspring should be as large as possible, but a firing pin of a certain length (with an exit from the hole where it is placed, ranging from 1.7 to 1.8 mm) should not pierce the primer right through” 7.

When sealing the cartridge case neck, it is necessary to remember that the “star” gives greater pressure and speed than conventional rolling 8. With experimental smokeless powder weighing 2.3 g, shot shell No. 7 weighing 34 g, when the barrel is rolled, v 10 is 341 m/s, ρ av -718 kgf/cm 2 ; when pressed with an asterisk, v 10 = 361 m/s, ρ avg - 837 kgf/cm 2 . If the cartridge case is not tightened at all, then the pressure and speed will decrease, the combustion of gunpowder and the firing of the gun will worsen.

When starting to load cartridges, the hunter should keep in mind that the cartridge cases should be slightly shorter than the chambers (0.2-1.0 mm), since the cartridge case lengthens slightly during the firing process. In guns with 70 mm chambers, 65 mm cartridges can be used: this worsens the combat performance, but so slightly that when shooting while hunting practical significance does not have. In guns with 65 mm chambers, 70 mm cartridges cannot be used, because this significantly increases the pressure in the barrel.

General rules for loading cartridges. To equip cartridges at home, you must have some kind of device (“Barclay”, “Diana”, UPS); scales with weights (they are sold under the name “Amateur Set”); measures for measuring gunpowder and shot; dispenser (it is indispensable when equipping large quantities of ammunition); twist for rolling the cartridge case; calibration rings for crimping paper and brass sleeves; board with slots for cartridges.

You should not load each cartridge separately from start to finish, from pressing primers to rolling. The most convenient thing is to immediately equip a large batch of cartridges, 50-100 pieces, if these are not bullet or grape cartridges, of which only a small amount is usually equipped. All operations are carried out sequentially: first, all primers are inserted, then gunpowder is poured into all cartridges, etc.

The table must be cleared of foreign objects and large enough to accommodate everything necessary for the first operation, i.e., for pressing primers. During this operation there should be no gunpowder nearby: the primer may explode for one reason or another. While loading cartridges, you must not smoke or strike matches.

In general, it is best to load cartridges alone, so that no one distracts you with conversations. Otherwise, errors in equipment are almost inevitable. The most common among them: a person either forgets to pour gunpowder into the cartridge case, or pours it twice.

Shotgun Loading

Everything needed to press primers is placed on the table and work begins. Used cartridges are first put in order. The primers are removed from old, spent cartridges, the muzzles of paper and plastic cartridges are straightened, the capsule sockets and priming holes of metal cartridges are cleaned.

If the edges of a spent paper cartridge are very wrinkled or torn, the barrel of the cartridge, after straightening its edge, can be dipped into molten paraffin; It will be easier to equip such a sleeve. To straighten the barrel of a spent plastic cartridge case, it is necessary to make a cylindrical mandrel with a diameter equal to the internal diameter of the cartridge case, with lead-in cones. Sleeves are placed on such a mandrel on both sides at once and ironed through paper with a hot iron with a thermostat. The temperature of the iron is selected experimentally.

All paper sleeves that have cracks or burnouts must be thrown away; Before re-loading, metal cartridges should be checked against the chamber of the gun: if they enter freely, they can be loaded, but if they are swollen and enter the chamber with difficulty, they should be passed through the calibration ring. Paper cartridges can be reused, and metal and plastic ones even need to be reused, but for especially important hunts (wolf, bear, ungulates) only new paper or plastic cartridges should be used.

As has been said many times, brass cartridges are multi-shot. However, often these cartridges quickly fail, it happens after 5-10 shots. This happens not because the case body wears out (it can withstand 100 shots or more), but because when removing the spent capsule, the hunter often unfolds , deforms the capsule socket. That is why, when removing a spent primer, you must act very carefully.

If the pin you use to knock out the capsule is sharp, it will pierce right through the capsule, and removing the latter after that is not so easy. When trying to remove a capsule that has been pierced through, damage to the capsule socket most often occurs.

Upon completion of the preparatory work, the primers begin to be pressed in. They must be inserted either flush, or so that the capsule is buried in the capsule socket by 0.1-0.2 mm. When the capsules are distorted, misfires are common. If the capsule protrudes from the socket, then a premature shot is possible; It happens that such a primer is pierced through by the striker, and a breakthrough of powder gases occurs into the percussion mechanism of the gun.

Having pressed the primers into all the cartridges, they move on to the next operation - adding gunpowder. For critical shots, gunpowder must be weighed (with an accuracy of 0.01 g) on ​​a scale. For ordinary cartridges, it can be weighed and measured with a dispenser and even poured with a measuring stick. The most accurate thing is to weigh out each charge, but this is very troublesome. Therefore, it is a good idea to have a dispenser that needs to be adjusted so that it measures the required charge, for example 2.1 or 2.2 g of Falcon. Just in case, when loading a batch of cartridges, you need to check the operation of the dispenser after 10-15 loads, hanging the powder charge measured by it on the scales. The dispenser works more accurately if you add gunpowder more often to the dispenser cup so that the amount there does not change sharply.

The question of measuring smokeless powder arose a long time ago. To solve this question, it is necessary to formulate it somewhat differently. Until now it has been put in this form: can or cannot one measure out smokeless powder? To an incorrectly (or inaccurately) formulated question, any answer will be incorrect (or inaccurate). Therefore, the question that interests us should be formulated as follows: in what cases is it possible and in what cases not to measure smokeless powder?

According to N. Zemlyakov and A. Sokolov 9, at 17°C, a shot shell of 34 g, a Sokol charge of 2.0 g, the maximum pressure was 501 kgf/cm 2; at 2.1 g of “Falcon” gunpowder - 580 kgf/cm 2 . Under the same conditions, a 2.4 g sample of Sokol gunpowder gave a maximum pressure of 751 kgf/cm2, and with 2.5 g - 789 kgf/cm2. The pressures obtained are lower than those at which guns are tested for strength, but nevertheless it is not worth the risk. The fact is that some changes in the cartridge’s equipment, for example, the use of denser, heavier wads, increased compression of gunpowder, “star” pressing instead of conventional rolling, etc., can significantly increase the pressure even with the same amounts of gunpowder and shot .

From this follows the conclusion: if cartridges are loaded with “Falcon” weights of 2.0 or 2.1 g, then the gunpowder can be measured, because fluctuations during measuring do not exceed ±0.1 g. If cartridges are loaded with gunpowder weights of 2.5 g, the gunpowder must be weighed, precisely weighed , and not use a dispenser: it gives approximately the same deviations in the mass of the charge as when measuring.

This same issue should be approached from the other side: smokeless powder can be measured when loading a cartridge for shooting that does not require extremely stable combat, for example, for snipe hunting. But if they are preparing cartridges for shooting elk, then there can be no question of measuring them: on such a hunt, maximum stability of the battle is necessary.

Thus, it is possible to measure smokeless powder when equipping a cartridge with such weights of gunpowder in which, even with an error of +0.1 g, the maximum pressures do not exceed 663 kgf/cm 2, and if the stability of the fire is not a determining factor. In other cases, smokeless powder should be weighed out.

Before use, the measure must be carefully adjusted so that it holds exactly the amount of gunpowder needed. If you are careful, collected, and constantly pour gunpowder into the measure using the same uniform movements of your hands (without compacting the gunpowder in the measure), you can measure the “Falcon” with an accuracy of 0.05-0.1 g; black powder is dosed more accurately, so it is easier to measure. Thus, with modern guns, measuring “Falcon” gunpowder with a measure is safe, observing the specified conditions. For old, worn or very light guns, smokeless powder charges must certainly be weighed. But when measuring gunpowder even for the most reliable guns, you should check yourself every 10-15 loads, carefully hanging the powder charge on the scales.

When equipping hunting shot cartridges With Bars gunpowder, one should take into account the fact that this gunpowder occupies a volume 1.8-1.9 times less than Sokol gunpowder, with the same mass of the powder charge. This is especially important to take into account when measuring volumetric Bars gunpowder, since a measure adjusted to 2 g of Sokol includes 3.6-3.8 g of Bars. Based on the fact that Bars gunpowder is almost twice as dense, and that with the slightest error during volumetric measurement the mass of gunpowder changes greatly, this gunpowder should only be weighed.

In accordance with TU 84-720-77, the maximum permissible charge weight for a 12-gauge is 2.6 g with 35 g of shot, for a 16-gauge - 2.2 g with 30 g of shot and for a 20-gauge 2 .0 g with 25 g of fraction. However, unless there is a special indication on the label, in practice you should adhere to next rule: start zeroing your gun not with the maximum allowable charge of Bars gunpowder, but with a powder reduced by at least 0.4-0.5 g for each caliber, that is, for 12 gauge from 2.1-2.2 g, for the 16th - from 1.7-1.8 g, for the 20th - from 1.5-1.6 g.

Since one batch of gunpowder can be quite different from another, the main starting point for starting zeroing should be the minimum data available in the included instructions for using the gunpowder or on the label. For example, on the label of one of the batches of Bars gunpowder the following instructions are given: charges for a 12-gauge gun: gunpowder - 2.1-2.4 g, shot - 35 g; charges for a 16-gauge gun: gunpowder - 1.7-2.1 g, shot - 30 g; charges for a 20-caliber gun: gunpowder - 1.4-1.8 g, shot - 25 g.

Based on the above, based on the label instructions, you should start zeroing with minimum charges of gunpowder, i.e. for the 12 gauge take 2.1 g of gunpowder, for the 16 gauge - 1.7 g, and for the 20 gauge - 1.4 g of gunpowder. This rule should always be followed.

When adding gunpowder, all empty cartridges should be on one side. The cartridge case with gunpowder is placed in the opposite side, take an empty cartridge case, pour gunpowder into it and again set it aside in the other direction - and so on for the entire batch. Then the can of gunpowder is removed, the wads are taken out and the next operation begins. Cardboard wads with a total thickness of 2.5-3 mm must be sent directly to the gunpowder. You should not press them too hard against the gunpowder, as the pressure in the barrel may increase during the shot. You need to act like this: with your left hand you hold the cartridge case (it stands on a stand with a hole in the middle so that the capsule does not press against the table), and with your right hand you send the wads to the warrior without lifting your elbow from the table. With this equipment, the pressure of the right hand will be approximately 5-6 kg, which is what is required. Before inserting a cardboard wad into the case, you need to lightly tap the case with your fingernail to shake off the gunpowder, and only then insert and send the wad.

If the cartridge is loaded with polyethylene wads, then cardboard spacers are not needed: the polyethylene wads are sent directly to the gunpowder.

One or two felt wads are placed onto the cardboard spacers (the height of the main wad must be at least 9 mm), selecting their total height in such a way that after filling the shot, 3-5 mm remains before the cut of the barrel for rolling the sleeve. To ensure that the edges of the sleeve are not rolled, but crimped with a “star”, you need to leave more space: for 12 gauge 11 mm, for 16 gauge - 10, for 20 gauge - 9 mm.

Shot shells are poured onto felt wads. It is enough to measure small fractions with a measuring stick, large ones, starting from No. 3, are weighed out, so as to shoot coarse shot It happens rarely, which means that these shots are especially important, so cartridges with large shot are loaded especially carefully.

In paper and plastic sleeves, caliber wads are used, in metal ones - 2-4 calibers more, since the internal diameter of the metal sleeve exceeds the diameter of the paper sleeve and the caliber wads fall into the metal sleeve. Therefore, for a 12-gauge brass sleeve, 10-gauge wads are used, for 16-gauge - 14-gauge, and if they are not available, then 12-gauge, etc. 10

When the shot is poured into all the cartridges, it is covered with a thin (0.7-1.0 mm) cardboard wad and the edges of the paper or plastic cartridge are rolled up with a twist (by the way, table-top twisting is better than manual twisting); if the cartridges are crimped with a “star”, then the wad is not placed on the shot. In metal cartridges for shot, it is good to use wads of increased diameter made of cork or brittle cardboard with a thickness of 2 mm, which must be filled with a mixture of paraffin and rosin 50% each or smeared along the edges with BF-2, BF-4 or BF-6 glue.

The 10-gauge wads needed to load 12-gauge brass cases are rarely commercially available; There are no die cuts for 10-gauge wads in stores at all, since their production is not provided for by TU 90-583-80. But it’s easy to make a 10-gauge die-cut from a 12-gauge die-cut, increasing the internal diameter of the latter boring to 19.9-20.0 mm.

On shot wads they write the number of the shot, sometimes the year the cartridge was loaded. Loaded and rolled cartridges in paper and plastic casings must be driven through a crimper; metal casings are crimped before the cartridges are loaded.

To shoot at extremely long distances, you should equip special cartridges with increased accuracy. There are many ways to increase the accuracy of the battle. Of these, the simplest and most effective are the use of a heavier projectile with the same charge and sprinkling the shot with potato flour; the most modern is the use of a polyethylene container in combination with press-fitting the cartridge case neck with an “asterisk”. If you need short-shooting cartridges, you can reduce the shot weight while maintaining the gunpowder charge or divide the shot shell into 3-4 parts using cardboard wads.

Don't get carried away with very strong charges. When using such cartridges, recoil increases sharply, quickly tiring the hunter and reducing shooting accuracy. In addition, the frequent use of charges for which this weapon is not designed and may damage it. If the recommended weights of smokeless powder are significantly exceeded, the pressure may increase not in proportion to the increase in the weight, but to a greater extent, and in leaps and bounds.

So, once there was a case when, when fired from an IZH-18E 12-caliber gun, the gun box was destroyed, and the hunter’s fingers were damaged. The investigation of this case showed that the hunter equipped the cartridges with 3.4 g (!) and shot loads of 3.4 g (!) shot. He filled the shot shell in a metal case with paraffin. The box broke at about the 400th shot. The maximum pressures during firing were in the range of 882-1237 kgf/cm2.

The reason for the very high pressures in the described case was not only the sharp excess of the gunpowder charge, but also the filling of the shot shell with paraffin. This is confirmed by other shootings. So, hunter B. Klyukin suggested filling a buckshot shell with paraffin. The weight of the projectile with seals and paraffin is 35 g, the "Falcon" weight is 2.3 g. Shooting such cartridges at a temperature of 20 ° C on a ballistic barrel showed that the average maximum (operating) pressure was equal to 857 kgf/cm 2 (instead of 663 kgf/cm2), which is unacceptable 12.

At one time, experiments with shot shells filled with alloys of lard, stearin, paraffin, and wax were carried out by A.P. Ivashentsov. Experiments have shown that the shot, as a rule, hits the target as a bullet or is carried away to the side 13.

From the above it follows that you should not fill the shot shell with anything, as this increases the pressure in the barrel and reduces the stability of the shot. The same applies to rubber wads, which should never be used 14.

Shot number/diameter (in millimeters)

Game

• 10
  1,75
  Great snipe, snipe, quail
• 9
  2,0
  Great snipe, snipe, quail
• 8
  2,25
  Great snipe, snipe, quail
• 7
  2,50
  
• 6
  2,75
  Woodcock, pigeon, partridge, duck, black grouse, etc. (in summer)
• 5
  3,00
  Woodcock, pigeon, partridge, duck, black grouse, etc. (in summer)
• 4
  3,25
  Black grouse, wood grouse, hare, duck
• 3 2
  3,50 3,75
  Black grouse, wood grouse, hare, duck
• 1
  4,0
  Goose, bustard, fox, hare
• 0 2/0
  4,25 4,50
  Goose, bustard, fox, hare
• 3/0
  4,75
  Wolf, bustard, wild boar, etc.
• 4/0 5/0
  5,00 5,25
  Wolf, bustard, wild boar, etc.
• 6/0
  5,50
  Wolf, bustard, wild boar, etc.

In table 38-39 show the recommended masses of gunpowder and shot. Using these tables, it is necessary to take into account the weight of the gun, air temperature, and type of wad. Wood-fiber wads, as already noted, reduce pressure and speed, while plastic ones increase them compared to felt ones. Both wood-fiber and plastic wads do not work reliably enough at sub-zero temperatures, why in very coldy It is better to use paper sleeves with felt wads. Of course, these tables do not give the optimal weights of gunpowder and shot, but only the initial ones, based on which the gun should be sighted.

When loading cartridges with black powder, you need to keep in mind that fine powder is stronger than coarse powder, and selected powder is stronger than usual, so the charges must be selected by sighting, using the table. 39 as a support for work.

Half charges

To shoot small animals (for example, squirrels) from 12- or 16-gauge rifles, it is most rational to use reduced charges of gunpowder and shot, or, as hunters often call them, half-charges 15. The main task facing the hunter who equips such cartridges is to force the powder charge to completely burn out with a smaller mass of shot, and to slow down the wad flying behind the shot as soon as possible in the air so that it does not break the shot shell. This is achieved by placing cardboard pads (hard) with a total height of 4 mm on the gunpowder, a felt wad cut lengthwise into four parts (crosswise), but not completely (the cut part is directed upward). Additional wads are also cut. It is most rational to use the “Zhevelo-M” capsule, since it will cause the gunpowder to ignite faster throughout the entire mass, which means that, despite the reduced mass of the shot, the gunpowder will burn all in the barrel bore. The gasket on the shot should be secured with glue (as is done in metal cases ) BF-2, BF-4, BF-6 Then roll up the cartridge case, the deeper the better.

Zeroing 12-gauge shotguns should begin at 15-20 m with 1.1-1.2 g of Sokol gunpowder and 15-16 g of shot. By varying the charges, you can select the best powder and shot weights for each barrel separately ( if it's a double-barreled shotgun).

Table 38. RECOMMENDED WEIGHTS OF CHARGES OF SMOKELESS POWDER “FALCON” AND SHELLS

Weapon caliber	Gun weight, kg	Wad type			Shot projectile, g
			+20	-20
12th	3,2-3,5	d V PC	2,3 2,2 2,0	2,3	32-35
12th	2,8-3,1	d V PC	2,2 2,1 1,9	2,2	30-32
16th	3,0-3,2	d V PC	2,1 2,0 1,8	2,1	28-32
16th	2,7-2,9	d V PC	1,9 1,8 1,6	1,9	27-29
20th	2,6-3,1	d V PC	1,7 1,6 1,4	1,7	26-31
20th	2,4-2,5	d V PC	1,6 1,5 1,3	1,6	24-26
28th	2,2-3,1	V	1,3	1,4	19-24
32nd	2,2-3,1	V	0,95	1,1	14-22
Note. D - wood-fiber wad, V - greasy felt wad, P-K - polyethylene with a concentrator

Table 39. RECOMMENDED WEIGHTS OF CHARGES OF SMOKE POWDER AND SHELLS WHEN LOADING CARTRIDGES WITH FELT WADS

Weapon caliber	Gun weight, kg	Powder charge (g) at air temperature, °C		Shot projectile, g
		-20	+20
10th	3,5-4,0	5,8-6,7	7,0-8,0	35-40
12th	2,8-3,5	5,0-5,8	6,0-7,0	30-35
16th	2,7-3,2	4,5-5,3	5,4-6,4	27-32
20th	2,4-3,1	3,7-4,8	4,4-5,6	24-31
24th	2,4-2,7	3,7-4,2	4,4-4,9	24-27
28th	2,2-3,1	2,7-3,4	3,2-4,0	19-24
32nd	2,2-3,1	2,0-3,1	2,3-3,7	14-22

Selection of charges and shells for 24-gauge shotshells

Smoothbore shotguns and 24-caliber rifles in late XIX- early 20th century were produced in many countries of the world, including Russia16. Gradually, the number of calibers decreased, since similar calibers duplicated each other in terms of weights of gunpowder and shot, and the removal of one caliber from two duplicates did not in any way affect the capabilities of hunters. In the USSR, 24-caliber shotguns ceased production in 1948, cartridge cases for them - in 1955, ceased in last decade production of weapons of this caliber in other countries. However, there are 24-caliber guns on hand, they continue to be used for hunting, and the question of equipping cartridges of this caliber continues to worry hunters.

When starting to zero in 24-caliber shotguns, it should be borne in mind that the vast majority of them are old, often worn-out weapons. Therefore, smokeless powders should not be used in guns with da-mask barrels (see the chapter on the manufacture and operation of barrels), as well as in very light or worn guns with steel barrels.

The shot shell should be 100 times less than the weight of the gun. If, say, a gun weighs 2.6 kg, you take 26 g of shot for the initial projectile, if 2.4 kg - 24 g. If the gun is very worn, and even with Damascus barrels, then it is better to take a projectile not of 100, and 112 times less, that is, 23 g and 21 g, respectively.

Black powder No. 2 should be taken to start zeroing in 7 times less shot shell in summer, and in winter - 6 times. If you have determined that the shot shell is 24 g, then in the summer you start zeroing with 24:7≈3.4 g, in the winter - 24:6 = 4 g. If the sharpness turns out to be insufficient, you gradually increase the powder weight by 0.1 g, so in summer it may no longer be 7, but 6.5 times less than a shot shell (24:6.5≈3.7 g), and in winter, not 6, but 5.5 times (24:5.5≈ 4.4 g).

If you fail to achieve the required sharpness and accuracy of the fight, you need to replace black powder No. 2 with gunpowder No. 3 or even No. 4. These gunpowders are stronger than No. 2, so gunpowder No. 3 and No. 4 should be taken 5-10% less than No. 2.

In well-preserved guns with steel barrels that are stamped with smokeless powder, the Falcon can be used. With a gun weighing 2.4 kg and a shot shell of 24 g of Sokol gunpowder, to start zeroing you should take 17.5 times less shot shell - 24:17.5≈1.37 g. If the sharpness turns out to be insufficient, increase the amount of gunpowder by 0.01 g and bring it (if necessary) to 1.4 g. In winter - with the same shot shell - the "Falcon" charge can be brought to 1.5 g without going beyond this limit, that is, a coefficient of 1/16

Based on these coefficients, you can select shot shells and powder charges for 24-caliber shotguns of any weight.

The loading of 24-caliber cartridges does not differ from the loading of cartridges of other calibers.

Loading 28 and 32 caliber cartridges

When loading small-caliber cartridges, hunters should not forget one important circumstance: the ratio of gunpowder charges and shot shells in small calibers is different than in large ones. In guns of 12 and 16 calibers, smokeless powder is taken, as already mentioned, approximately 15-16 times less than shot; for shotguns of 28 and 32 calibers this ratio is not suitable. Shots of cartridges showed that normal speeds are obtained already with a ratio of 19/1-20/1 - This is with the Zhevelo capsule. With the “Central Shooter” capsule, you need to take more gunpowder and the ratio to start zeroing the weapon can be 17/1 or 18/1 17.

When loading 28- and 32-caliber cartridges with black powder, the loads should be looked for by sighting within the following limits: in summer - 7 times, in winter - 6 times less shot loads.

If we talk about shooting bullets from small-caliber guns, then we should dwell on the experience of Yu. Litvinov'8, who used a 2 g load of Sokol gunpowder and a round bullet weighing 16-17 g. When shooting at 50 m from a TOZ-34 gun 28-caliber bullets were placed in a circle with a diameter of about 20 cm. There was almost no recoil felt when firing. Two grams of “Falcon” with a relatively light round bullet is the limit that should not be crossed when shooting even from such a heavy gun as the 28-caliber TOZ-34, and when shooting from lighter guns, cartridges of such a round are completely should not be used.

When shooting ball bullets from cylindrical barrels of 32 and 28 calibers (metal sleeve), hunters in Krasnoyarsk use next way equipment. As usual, a cardboard pad 3 mm thick is placed on the gunpowder, then a felt wad is placed, and small dry sawdust is poured onto it. Then a ball bullet is placed and the muzzle of the cartridge case is slightly compressed with a special matrix so that the bullet does not fall out of the cartridge case and is firmly held in it when fired from an adjacent barrel or, if it is a repeating gun, when the cartridge is in the magazine.

This method allows you to get good accuracy of the bullet. Some craftsmen even make transverse grooves on their guns at the end of the barrel, such as those shown in Fig. 8 (for policemen). This also helps improve the accuracy of the fire, as it reduces muzzle pressure and recoil when fired.

When using heavier bullets of other types, the powder charge must be reduced, as recommended, for example, by A. Astafiev 19 when loading cartridges with a bullet of his design. The bullet is a cylinder with a diameter of about 14 mm, a height of 23.5 mm and a mass of 24 g. The cylinder on the tail side has a cone-shaped cavity with a rounded tip. The depth of the cavity is 21.5 mm, the diameter of the base of the cavity cone is 12.2 mm, the radius of its apex is 6 mm.

A bullet cartridge with an Astafiev bullet is loaded as follows. Metal cartridges should only be taken that have already been fired from the gun with which you are going to hunt. Such cartridges provide a more stable and accurate fire than those loaded with new cartridges. At least three gaskets 2-2.5 mm thick made of thick cardboard are sent to the gunpowder. The weight of “Falcon” gunpowder, depending on the air temperature at which you will have to hunt and on the type of gun, is in the range of 1.2-1.4 g for the 28-caliber. The first cardboard pad, convex, is sent to the gunpowder with a special gunpowder with the selected core side facing the cartridge case muzzle. The remaining two gaskets are sent with the convex side to the bottom of the sleeve (the gaskets are 0.6-0.7 mm in diameter larger than the inner diameter of the sleeve). Next, greased felt wads are inserted, taking into account that the bullet does not reach the upper edge of the cartridge case by 3 mm. Before being seated in the cartridge case, the bullet is wrapped in thin plastic film. The bullet is secured with tabs carved into the muzzle of the cartridge case and bent inward. Wads and gaskets are made by cutting a diameter larger (0.6-0.7 mm) than the inner diameter of the sleeve. Cartridges equipped with the proposed method have a sharp and stable fire.

All these recommendations are suitable for use in TOZ-34 28-caliber shotguns. If you have a 28-caliber gun that is not so durable and heavy, then when loading bullet cartridges you should use normal charges of smokeless powder (see Table 38).

We remind you that in accordance with GOST 7840-78, a 28-caliber cartridge, loaded into a paper sleeve with smokeless powder and a Zhevelo primer, must give a maximum operating pressure in the chamber of 690 kgf/cm 2 (average pressure of 10 shots), and the highest the maximum pressure from the same 10 shots should not exceed 734 kgf/cm2. In this case, the flight speed of a shot with a diameter of no more than 2.75 mm (No. 6) 10 m from the muzzle of the barrel must be at least 305 m/s, and a shot with a diameter of more than 2.75 mm must be at least 310 m/s. The average accuracy of fire at 35 m for a barrel with a choke of 0.5 mm should be at least 45%.

When selecting the maximum power cartridges for the 28-caliber TOZ-34, you need to look for loads somewhere in the range of 1.4-1.5 g of “Falcon” and 28-29 g of shot, without exceeding this limit. This is, if necessary, to shoot at extreme distances (35-40 m). You need to shoot at a closer distance or normal shells fractions (19-24 g), or - for squirrel, hazel grouse, quail - even reduced (10-14 g). If you constantly use cartridges with powerful charges (the pressure in which develops about 900 kgf/cm2), then the gun will fail much more ahead of schedule. And lastly: let us remind you once again that strong cartridges that can be used in TOZ-34-28 shotguns can under no circumstances be used in conventional shotguns of the same caliber.

Buckshot cartridge equipment

To load cartridges with buckshot, you need to take new paper or plastic cartridges and fresh gunpowder; the charge of gunpowder is certainly and very carefully weighed with an accuracy of ±0.01 g. The most rational equipment for buckshot cartridges for a choke should be considered matched buckshot, stacked in a column, sprinkled with potato flour.

Matched Buckshot- this is one whose diameter is selected in such a way that when laying one layer in the muzzle of the gun there are no gaps between the buckshot and the walls of the barrel. This is done like this: from the side of the chamber, a wad is sent into the barrel with the greatest muzzle constriction with a ramrod, which should not reach the muzzle by approximately one diameter of the stacked buckshot. Then one layer of buckshot of the selected diameter is placed on the wad. If the buckshot is placed loosely, it is necessary to slightly increase the diameter of the buckshot, and if it fits tightly or the last buckshot does not even fit in, the diameter of the buckshot should be reduced.

Scheme of loading a 12 gauge cartridge with 8.2 mm buckshot

After establishing the size of the buckshot approved for a given gun, you should shoot the gun with it, choosing the optimal ratio between the masses of the powder charge and the buckshot shell.

When laying buckshot in a column, the buckshot of the top row is not placed in the spaces between the buckshot bottom row, and one above the other. When laying in this way, matches or hollow, triangular-section polyethylene or cardboard inserts are placed in the spaces between the buckshot and the wall of the sleeve.

When shooting at a wolf, the best buckshot cartridge for strong chokes of 12-gauge shotguns is considered to be a cartridge with buckshot with a diameter of 5.8 mm (the number of buckshot is 28, the weight of the projectile is 33 g) with a ring or cup to match the choke with the buckshot. The cup or ring is made of paper or plastic film. To do this, cut off a strip with a width equal to the height of the buckshot projectile (ring) or greater, taking into account the bending of the cut edges of the film under the grapeshot projectile (cup). For shooting at a wild boar, it is best to use a 12-gauge cartridge with 9 buckshots with a diameter of 8-8.5 mm, 3 pieces each. in 3 rows, matching the diameter of the buckshot with the choke.

It is best to press cartridges with an asterisk. When selecting powder charges for buckshot cartridges, the initial data should be taken from the loads recommended for shot cartridges.

It should be noted that grapeshot shooting during hunting aims to hit relatively more reliably large animal due to more damaging elements than is the case when firing a single bullet. In this regard, a hunter may be interested in three cases of shooting large buckshot with approximately the same amount of buckshot dispersion at the desired distance. When shooting at a distance of up to 20-25 m, at 35-40 m, at 50-55 m, it is necessary that the buckshot fits in a circle of no more than 30 cm. Based on this, the hunter must be able to equip three types of buckshot cartridges with different spreads of buckshot.

When shooting at 20-25 m, any of the methods of loading buckshot cartridges is suitable.

To shoot large buckshot at 35 - 40 m, you should equip a cartridge with three seals, with their skirts turned upside down. This method was proposed by hunter B. Klyukin 20. It's done like this. Take buckshot, matched to the bore, 3 pieces each. in a row and three polyethylene seals, deployed with the sealing skirt up. 3 buckshots are placed in each seal. A charge of gunpowder is poured into a paper or plastic primed cartridge case, and one or two pads with a total thickness of 3 mm and a greasy felt wad are placed on it from hard cardboard. The first seal is placed on it with the skirt up with three buckshots, which are filled with paraffin in a sleeve 1-2 mm above the buckshot. While the paraffin has not hardened, a second polyethylene seal with three buckshots is sent onto it, also with the skirt up, and also filled with paraffin. Then they send in a third seal with buckshot, but the buckshot is no longer filled with paraffin, but only rolled with a twist. This method gives a very high accuracy of combat, but, as already mentioned, the pressure is too high. Therefore, with such a load of cartridges, “Falcon” gunpowder should be taken not 2.3 g, as B. Klyukin did, but no more than 2.1 g.

Linked buckshot for shooting at 50-55 meters

For shooting at a distance of 50-55 m, you can use connected buckshot 21. Hunter from Khabarovsk Territory V. Voronin suggests equipping tied buckshot as follows. A nylon thread slightly larger than the thickness of thread No. 10 is cut into pieces about 20 cm long in an amount equal to the number of buckshots in the projectile. The diameter of the buckshots does not need to be coordinated with the diameter of the barrel bore or choke. On one side, the entire bundle of threads is tied with one common knot, and on each thread, on the other side, a buckshot is placed. They do it like this. Using a knife and a hammer, cut the buckshot to a depth of about 2.5 mm. A thread is placed in this groove and the lead is bitten with pliers.

Then they take photographic film and cut out a piece the height of the buckshot shell, and the length - a little more than half the circumference of the cartridge case.

As usual, two cardboard wads with a total thickness of about 3 mm, a greasy felt wad and, if necessary, an additional felt wad are added to the cartridge case with a powder charge. A cardboard pad 2-3 mm thick is again placed on it. After this, two pieces of photographic film are inserted symmetrically into the sleeve. Then the buckshot is laid so that the threads and the knot are located on top. A gasket made of transparent photographic film is placed on them (the emulsion has been washed off) and rolled with a twist.

A cartridge equipped in this way gives a spread of about 12 cm when fired at a distance of 50 m.

Equipment of bullet cartridges

When starting to load bullet cartridges, it is worth remembering the advice of the Russian hunter-naturalist of the last century A. A. Cherkasov:

Shooting with a bullet requires incomparably greater accuracy both in loading and in everything else than with shot. Do it somehow, and the shot will be false 22.

In order for a shot at an animal to be effective, so as not to scold yourself for a poorly loaded cartridge if you miss, you need to have a good understanding of the methodology for loading a bullet cartridge for shooting from a smoothbore gun.

First of all, you should never use bullet cartridges of unknown equipment. To get a good bullet shot, you should adhere to certain rules for equipping bullet cartridges and test them by shooting from the gun with which you will be hunting.

A good bullet cartridge for a smoothbore gun is considered to be one in which the pressure of the powder gases in the barrel does not exceed 663 kgf/cm 2, the dispersion diameter of the bullets when shooting at 50 m is within 10-15 cm, and the aiming point and point of impact when shooting at distance of 50 m are the same. To achieve this, you must first prepare the elements for loading the cartridges. The capsules must be from the same batch or at least the same year of manufacture, the length of the sleeve must correspond to the length of the gun chamber, the internal diameter of the sleeve must correspond to the diameter of the bore, the gunpowder must be from the same batch, the mass of cardboard and felt wads should not differ greatly from cartridge to cartridge, the mass of bullets are selected the same.

If the bullet has a felt wad, the height of the wad should be the same for all bullets. If the bullet is with a polyethylene wad, then its obturating part (in contact with the walls of the barrel bore) should be 0.05 mm in diameter larger than the diameter of the bore bore. The diameter of the bullet body should be 0.4-0.5 mm smaller than the diameter of the strongest choke of the gun from which it is to be fired.

The diameter of the leading ribs of the bullet should not deviate from the actual diameter of the bore by more than 0.05 mm, i.e., with a barrel diameter of 18.5 mm, the leading ribs should have a diameter ranging from 18.45 to 18.55 mm. The bullet should not have burrs, gouges, or dents, since all this affects the displacement of the bullet’s center of gravity from the axis of symmetry and the amount of resistance of the bullet head to the oncoming air flow. Only use a new paper or polyethylene sleeve.

One of the most famous and widely used shotgun bullets around the world is the Brenneke bullet. Even though this bullet is made by our enterprises from lead that is too soft, which increases its deformation in the barrel, it still gives good results.

We did the following experiment, using elements purchased in hunting stores, and loaded cartridges with a Brenneke bullet:

• sleeve - polyethylene;
• capsule - “Zhevelo-M”;
• gunpowder "Falcon" - 2.3 g;
• two cardboard spacers with a total thickness of 3 mm;
• felted felt wad 8 mm thick;
• a 1.5 mm cardboard spacer was placed on the felt wad;
• Brenneke bullet;
• the cartridges were rolled.

Shooting was carried out at a temperature of 17°C at a distance of 50 m from the right barrel of an IZH-54 12-gauge; muzzle constriction - 0.4 mm. 6 shots were fired. All bullets fit into a circle with a diameter of 18 cm; one hole has been sealed. The gun (we emphasize this!) was not shot with these cartridges, which were deliberately loaded as some kind of average, suitable for any 12-gauge smoothbore. There is no doubt that better results can be achieved by shooting 23.

It should be taken into account that double-barreled shotguns with horizontal barrels are more difficult to shoot with bullets than double-barreled shotguns with vertically positioned barrels; The most accurate shooting with bullets is, as is known, given by single-barreled guns. At one time, Leningrad hunter A. Zavadovsky conducted an interesting experiment: he shot a “BS” bullet (weight - 32 g) from four 12-gauge guns. The shooting was carried out at a distance of 50 m, 10 shots were fired from each barrel. The results were as follows: all the bullets from the MTs21 self-loading rifle fit into a circle with a diameter of 10 cm; from a single-barrel IZH-18 - 15 cm; from the lower trunk of IZH-12 - 15 cm; from the top - 22 cm; from both IZH-54 barrels - into a circle with a diameter of 30 cm 24.

Some hunters use the Brenneke bullet without a stabilizing wad, that is, they shoot with one bullet head, and claim that this results in improved combat. We took Brenneke bullets from the same Odessa plant, removed the wads, and filled the hollow lead heads with paraffin. The weight of the bullets “without a tail” turned out to be 31.5-32 g. The loading of the cartridges was exactly the same as in the case described above, only two felt greased wads were installed, 9 mm each.

The shooting was carried out under the same conditions, from the same weapons. 6 shots were fired. All bullets fit into a circle with a diameter of 29 cm, all holes had an oval of up to 20 mm. As you can see, removing the stabilizing wad increased the spread of bullets from 18 to 29 cm, all the holes turned out to be oval. So it makes no sense to use cartridges with only Brenneke bullet heads.

Moscow hunter V. Staroe made bullets of approximately the same type that were used in the ramrod rifled weapons mid-19th in., and presented them to the authors of this book.

According to his proposal, the cartridges were equipped as follows:

• sleeve - paper, capsule - "Zhevelo-M";
• gunpowder "Falcon" - 2.5 g;
• a bullet weighing 33-33.5 g was sent directly to the gunpowder;
• the sleeves were not rolled.

First, the cartridges were fired on a ballistic barrel; 6 shots were fired with cartridges from each series. The cartridges of the first series, that is, with 2.5 g of “Falcon”, gave maximum pressures (Pm) of 607-1137 kgf/cm 2; speeds 10 m from the muzzle (v 10) were 354-406 m/s. The cartridges of the second series (with 2.3 g of Falcon) gave Pm 571 - 1045 kgf/cm 2, v10 - 341-393 m/s.

Then the cartridges were shot from the lower barrel of the IZH-27 with a drill bit; distance - 50 m, temperature - 17°C; shooting was carried out while sitting, from a rest position. The cartridges of the first series of 5 shots gave a spread of 29.5 cm; 4 bullets fit into a circle with a diameter of 10 cm; two bullets hit the target flat. With three shots, pieces of torn cartridge tubes flew out of the barrel along with the bullets; 4 cartridges were torn lengthwise; two have their heads torn off; Only one cartridge was intact. The cartridges of the second series gave a spread of 45 cm; 4 bullets fit into a circle with a diameter of 14 cm; 4 bullets hit the target flat; one cartridge has its head 25 torn off.

This shooting did not produce anything new, confirming what had long been known: the absence of the shock-absorbing effect of the wads sharply increases the pressure in the barrel 26 .

Everything that has been said irrefutably indicates that each bullet works well only in the form in which it was created by the designer, and in the conditions for which it is designed. Therefore, we strongly discourage hunters from “improving” known types bullets or shoot bullets of an unknown design, this does not do anything good, and can even become (and sometimes does) cause the barrel to swell or rupture.

Many hunters are interested in which of the bullets available for sale can be used in shotguns with choke constrictions. We answer: any, because they are all created specifically for shooting from guns with choke constrictions. However, given that the constrictions are different, and the sizes of bullets in different batches may differ slightly from each other, each bullet must be measured before equipment. The body of the bullet should pass freely, with a gap of 0.4-0.5 mm, through the largest choke; the leading belts of the bullet or its aerodynamic ribs must pass freely or with slight tension along the bore; in the muzzle constriction, these belts and ribs are crushed without harm to the gun.

What bullets should be used to shoot large ungulates and bears? And how to load bullet cartridges from elements that can be purchased in hunting stores?

Types of bullets for hunting cartridges

1. Sauvestre
2. Poleva 3
3. Poleva 2
4. Poleva 1 (Soviet-made)
5. Poleva 1 (modern edition)
6. Something homemade based on Polev 1, definitely not mass-produced
7. Kirovchanka
8. Arrow
9. Remington Premier® Copper Solid™ Sabot Slugs
10. Premier® AccuTip Bonded Sabot Slug
11. Bala Expansiva (Vyrobnik Saga Spain)
12. bullet "Zenith" produced by Sokol LLC
13. Kelly-McElveena (trade name Federal BRI Sabot Slug)
14. Poleva 6???
15. Gualanda 32g.
16. Tahoe - 12
17. Parenyuk
18. Oz-Kara
19. Bala MG (manufacturer RIO Spain)
20. Royal Slug (produced by RIO Spain)
21. Nitrogen model 2002
22. Nitrogen combi
23. Hexolit 32 (Manufacturer dduplex Latvia)
24. Dupo 28 (Manufacturer dduplex Latvia)
25. Elephant Steel-R
26. Elephant Gold-R
27. Elephant Gold
28. Jacana
29. Yakana (Produced by KZORS)
30. Brenneke (German made???)
31. Brenneke (Ukrainian production)
32. Vyatka
33. Vyatka - 2
34. VVOO - Ilyina
35. Treffer
36. Gorbanthesa (Diabolo)
37. Cap (possibly Shashkova - it has 5 ribs)
38. cap variants, most likely without a specific name and author
39. also variations of the cap, most likely without a specific name and author
40. Vortex
41. Sport (manufacturer: Tahoe)
42. Cap
43. Foster
44. Paradox
45. Satellite
46. Round
47. Blondeau
48. Blondeau
49. Some homemade lead clone of Blondeau
50. Rubeykina option 1
51. “Blondo” - has little in common with the original Blondo bullet No. 62 and No. 63
52. Monolit 32 (Manufacturer dduplex Latvia)
53. BS (Sokolov brothers)
54. Stendebach ideal
55. Mayer
56. Mayer
57. Mayer

Among those produced by our industry, we can recommend the Brenneke, Vyatka, Sputnik, Mayer, and Polev bullets. “Kirovchanka” cannot yet be recommended due to low shooting results 27 . We do not have exact data on the combat performance of the pseudo-Jacan (with a plastic shank).

Cartridges with caliber bullets Brenneke, "Vyatka", "Sputnik" We recommend equipping it this way.

Equipment items:

• sleeve - plastic;
• capsule - “Zhevelo”;
• gunpowder - "Falcon";
• the weight of gunpowder at sub-zero temperatures and with a plastic seal is 2.3 g, with two cardboard spacers with a total thickness of 3 mm - 2.5 g;
• at positive temperatures, the weight for both equipment options should be reduced by 0.1 g.

A felt wad is sent to the seal or gaskets. All types of gaskets and wads must fit into the sleeve with tension, but not push it apart.

Equipment method: gunpowder is weighed to the nearest 0.01 g; the powder charge is compressed with a force of 6-10 kg; a plastic seal or two cardboard spacers are placed on the gunpowder, on which is a greasy felt wad, cut crosswise from the top (almost to the end) into 4 parts; then the bullet is sent in and the cartridge case is rolled. Under no circumstances should you place a wad on a bullet or fill it with anything (stearin, paraffin).

Sometimes in guns with large choke constrictions (more than 1 mm in 12 gauge) cartridges with so-called sub-caliber bullets are used. For example, 12-gauge shotguns use 16-gauge bullets. It is most rational to use them as sabots in 12-gauge shotguns. Brenneke 1 6-gauge bullets. The fact is that this 16-gauge bullet weighs 32 g, its wads have a slightly increased diameter and fit well into a 12-gauge cartridge case. The cartridges are loaded in the same way as in the case described above. Before a 16-gauge bullet is sent into a 12-gauge cartridge case, a part of the tube is cut off from the 16-gauge paper cartridge, equal in height to the metal part of the bullet. A piece of tube is cut lengthwise into 4 parts, take 3 of them and cover the lead part of the bullet. Then the bullet, lined with three parts of the tube, is sent into the sleeve and rolled.

The use of lighter sub-caliber bullets in 12-gauge shotguns often worsens the burning of Sokol powder, so that the shots are defective.

Load 12 gauge ammunition Mayer caliber bullet its creator, engineer A. Mayer, recommended 28 as follows:

• 2 g of Sokol gunpowder are poured into a paper cartridge with a Zhevelo primer (with a bullet weight of 33 g and at a temperature not lower than -4 ° C);
• compress the gunpowder with a force of 4-5 kg. Cardboard pads with a total thickness of 2.5-3 mm are sent to the gunpowder;
• then - a felt wad half-caliber thick, cut into 4 parts along the height;
• fine sawdust is poured onto the felt;
• a cardboard wad 0.6-0.7 mm thick is placed on them, and on it is a cardboard pad 3 mm thick and with a diameter equal to the diameter of the bullet body without guide oblique ribs. This wad should be positioned exactly in the center of the sleeve tube. Then the bullet is lowered so that the thick cardboard wad of reduced diameter does not move to the side;
• the sleeve is rolled. The sawdust layer is selected at such a height that there is 5-6 mm left for rolling the sleeve. It makes sense to increase Sokol samples to 2.1 g only at temperatures of -20°C and below.

It is most advisable to use the Mayer bullet in light guns, say 2.9-3.0 kg with a 12 gauge, since with this bullet and the described loading method the pressure in the barrel is small.

Table 40. WEIGHTS OF “FALCON” POUNDER FOR GUNS 16 AND 20 GAUGES AT MINUS TEMPERATURES

Weapon caliber	Gun weight, kg	Bullet weight, g	Powder weight with felt wad, g
			with two cardboard spacers	with plastic seal
16	2,9-3,2	21-32	2,1-2,3	1,9-2,1
20	2,6-3,1	17-21	1,7-1.9	1.5-1,7
Note. The lowest weight of a powder charge is indicated for shotguns lightest weight, the largest - for shotguns maximum weight, from those indicated in this table. At positive temperatures, the powder weight should be reduced by 0.1 g.

The easiest way to load cartridges is with a Polev bullet. A 2.2 g “Falcon” charge is poured into a 12-gauge plastic case (for guns weighing 2.9-3.0 kg - 2.1 g). A bullet is sent to the gunpowder and the cartridge case is rolled. In no case should you increase the charge of gunpowder for a Polev bullet: thanks to the powerful seal, the Polev bullet significantly increases the pressure in the barrel. Thus, already with the Sokol weighed at 2.4 g, the average maximum pressure29 jumps to 750 kgf/cm 2 instead of the permissible 663 kgf/cm 2 .

For shotguns of 16 and 20 calibers, you should use - with the described methods of equipment - the "Falcon" attachments indicated in the table. 40. When using this table, it should be remembered that the largest recommended powder charges can only be used in the heaviest guns of a given caliber.

Shooting large ungulates and bears from small caliber rifles (28 and 32) with commercially available bullets is not recommended. We have already talked about how to equip small-caliber bullet cartridges with bullets for shooting medium-sized animals.

Shooting a gun with bullets

Shotguns should be zeroed with bullets at the same air temperature at which you will be hunting. If there is a strong spread of bullets, the mass of the powder charge should be reduced (the same must be done when the bullets are located 15 cm or more above the aiming point). When the bullets are positioned below the aiming point, but with good accuracy, the mass of gunpowder should be increased, and if this does not help, replace the type of bullet with a lighter one or change the method of equipment (you can change the aiming point).

Exceeding the point of impact depends on where the muzzle end of the barrel is pointed at the moment the bullet leaves. Some flip-barrel shotguns have a tendency to drop, more so the stronger the load.

Particular attention should be paid to equipping bullet cartridges for self-loading shotguns with a tubular under-barrel magazine (MTs21, Browning, etc.). In such a magazine, the cartridges are located one after another, which leads to the need to recess the bullet in the cartridge case so that its tip is 3-5 mm below the rolled barrel. If the tip of the bullet rises above the rolled barrel, then it will bury itself in the primer of the previous cartridge. This can lead to the fact that at any moment of the shot the bullet will pierce the primer, it will work, the cartridge (or cartridges) will explode and the magazine will rupture.

Notes:

Izmetinsky N. Deformation of shot when fired. - Hunting and game management, 1982, No. 5.
Civil Engineer. Modern shotgun hunting weapon. M., 1912, pp. 51, 94.
Paramonov V., Puchkov M. Testing of hunting rifles. - Hunting and hunting management, 1981, No. 6, p. 18.
Krechetov V., Sokolov A. Equipment of shot cartridges. - Hunting and game management, 1985, No. 8.
Mozharov A. The influence of wads on the quality of the shot. - Hunting and hunting management, 1966, No. 12, p. 25.
Mozharov A. The influence of the primer on the shot. - Hunting and hunting management, 1967, No. 2, p. 26. Mozharov A. The influence of the primer on the shot. - Hunting and hunting management, 1967, No. 2, p. 26.
Chuvikov A. Cartridge components and their ballistic characteristics. - Hunting and hunting management, 1963, No. 6, p. 38.
Zemlyakov N., Sokolov A. Equipment of shot cartridges. - Hunting and hunting management, 1978, No. 8, p. 22. 10 Morozov A. Loading cartridges into metal sleeves. - Hunting and game management, 1981, No. 5.
Izmetinsky N. Gun, cartridges and safety. - Hunting and hunting management, 1973, No. 7, p. 27.
Klyukin B., Blum M. Two methods of loading cartridges with buckshot. - Hunting and hunting management, 1979, No. 10, p. 19.
Ivashentsov A.P. Combat and service of a shotgun. St. Petersburg, 1911, p. 159.
S. A. Buturlin believed that the use of rubber wads, filling shot with wax, etc. could even lead to swelling of the barrels (S. A. Buturlin. Shotgun and shooting from it. 8th ed. M.-L. , 1937, p. 224).
Handbook for hunter-sportsman. T. 1. M., 1955. P. 197; Morozov A. Cartridges for whitening. - Hunting and game management, 1981, No. 11.
Shishkin I. 24-caliber shotguns. - Hunting and game management, 1984, No. 12.
Krechetov V., Sokolov A. Indebted to hunters, - Hunting and hunting management, 1984, No. 9.
Litvinov Yu. Use of TOZ-34 28-caliber in the mountains. - Hunting and game management, 1979, No. 7.
Astafiev A. Small caliber bullets. - Hunting and game management, 1984, No. 9.
Klyukin B. Two methods of loading cartridges with buckshot. - Hunting and game management, 1979, No. 10.
Bound buckshot. - Hunting and game management, 1981, No. 10.
Cherkasov A. A. Notes of a hunter-naturalist. M., 1962, p. 17.

Zavadovsky A. Shooting with a bullet from MTs21. - Hunting and hunting management, 1978, No. 8, p. 46.
Blum M., Shishkin I. How to load bullet cartridges. - Hunting and game management, 1985, No. 9.
Blum M., Volnov A. Bullet cartridges of 12 gauge. - Hunting and hunting management, 1978, No. 1.
Unfinished "Kirovchanka". - Hunting and game management", 1985, No. 4.
Mayer A. New bullet for smoothbore guns. - Hunting and hunting management, 1965, No. 9; Steingold E. About the Mayer bullet. - Ibid., 1966, No. 10.
Blum M., Shishkin I. How to load bullet cartridges. - Hunting and game management, 1985, No. 9.

How to unload a cartridge

The cartridges have to be not only loaded, but also unloaded. Old (or damp) cartridges should not be thrown away; they should be unloaded. Old, no longer useful gunpowder must be burned, and the shot, sometimes the cartridge case, and wads must be used.

When discharging a cartridge, you should remember the basic rules: never place it on a table or any flat surface, but certainly on a stand with a hole in the middle, so that there is emptiness under the capsule; never lean over a cartridge being unloaded (or over a cartridge being loaded), but be sure to move the cartridge slightly away from your face.

Using a knife blade, scissors, or anything else, straighten the rolled edges of the cartridge case, pry up the shot wad, pull it out and pour out the shot. Then, using some tool like a corkscrew, the powder wads are removed. Gunpowder is poured out and burned, taking necessary measures precautions. It is better to place cartridge cases with primers in heavily lubricated barrels, break the primers, and only then knock them out; Don’t forget to clean the barrels after this - soot from the primers greatly rusts them. It’s even better to coat the barrels with a thick lubricant like CIATIM-201 before shooting with primers alone.

The most difficult thing is to remove the bullet, as it is very wrinkled. If this is necessary, you should cut the cartridge case, after which you can pull out the bullet intact.

Published March 30, 2013 | Author: Igor Pelikh Magnum-type shotguns and shotguns are very popular and sought-after barrels by our hunters. This weapon has a lot of positive aspects, many features that are always of interest to hunters. Published February 16, 2013 | Author: Dmitry The question of whether you are afraid of a shot or not worries almost every hunter to one degree or another. And this millet actually needs to be taken very seriously, because if you have such a fear and you don’t get rid of it, then in the end it can lead to you completely stopping shooting accurately. Published January 25, 2012 | Author: Sotnichenko Alena Nikolaevna The very first step in the process of cleaning a gun: it must be unloaded and disassembled.

How to properly load 20 gauge ammunition

Published October 19, 2011 | Author: Zinchenko Vladimir Aleksandrovich Ammunition is such weapons that are intended to hit a target and contain expelling, pyrotechnic, propelling or explosive charges. Now we will look at the rules and recommendations for storage hunting ammunition. After all, if they are stored incorrectly, a lot of troubles can happen.

Info

Published October 13, 2011 | Author: Zinchenko Vladimir Aleksandrovich Many hunters like to load their cartridges themselves. Most of them do it according to the principle: it shoots and it goes! Only a few approach this matter with due trepidation and skill. These cartridges are used in great demand Among hunters, they are even exchanged for store-bought ones.

Published on March 23, 2008 by A. AZAROV Currently, “Sunar-Magnum” and “Sunar SF-Magnum” gunpowder have appeared in stores.
You can weigh it in any container convenient for you (don’t forget to subtract how much it weighs).

• To add gunpowder, experienced cartridge loaders recommend using a sheet of paper, so nothing will spill on the table.
• Pour the Falcon into the cartridge case and move it to the left. This way you can avoid charging the same cartridge twice. Even if we did not notice the “overcharge,” then later it will be easy to find out how much was overfilled.
• Now we catch up with the wad using a special device, and we do this without lifting the elbow from the table; the cartridge must stand on a special stand that prevents accidental puncture of the primer, and, accordingly, accidental detonation of gunpowder.
  If the wad is greasy, then we install cardboard spacers; if it is polyethylene, then we do not install it.
• Now we close the sleeves with containers.
• We push the containers into the sleeve.

Gunpowder falcon

The same specificity is present here, since, as many amateurs and professionals joke on the forums, the only difference is the diameter of the barrel. Respectively:

• You can add more shot to 20-size cartridges:
• hence the advantage over the same 12-gauge is that with a “twenty”, when shooting with shot, you can hit more game.

Of course, this is a rather relative advantage, especially if the projectile is fired closely and at a short distance. Thus, in the question of how to load 20-gauge cartridges, the best option would be 28 grams, plus or minus the manufacturer and shelf life on the day of the equipment.

How to load 20 gauge ammunition?

The sequence of actions must be followed. The first step is to prepare the table: make enough space for work. You need to make sure that there is no gunpowder nearby, and you should not use matches. Common mistakes: the hunter does not add gunpowder or repeats the action twice.
First, you need to bring the sleeves into proper condition, if they are not new: clean and remove all excess, straighten the barrel. Before loading 20-gauge cartridges, you should take into account that as the amount of gunpowder increases, the speed of the projectile increases and, accordingly, the recoil, the pellets lose their shape, and the gunpowder does not burn completely. #2 The primers are inserted so that they completely fit into the socket, then you need to start adding gunpowder. It is better to weigh it first. Then you need to put wad gaskets (2-3 mm) and press them to the gunpowder. You should also know how to store ammunition. The next step is filling the shell with shot.

Voroshokhotrybolovsoyuz

If you skip this step, you won't have any problems.

• We decapsulate the cartridges.
• We insert the primers into the cases manually.
• We press the capsules with the UPS until they stop.
• We remove everything from the table except the prepared cartridges.
• Now you need to get the weighing devices. The ideal tools for measuring are special electronic scales, since even pharmacy analogues are too inaccurate for measuring ammunition. Let's talk about weighing. The recommended measurement for powder weight is the total weight of the wads, shot and spacers, but not just the shot separately.
  Don't forget this when taking measurements.
• We place the scales in front of us, the jar with the Falcon on the right.

All about loading cartridges

Attention

Unlike Sunar, Sokol is not so demanding on weights and can forgive errors in calculations, although the requirements for it are the same - weighing accuracy up to 0.05 grams. In addition, a novice self-loader will find it much easier with this type of charge. Because there are a lot more manuals out there about how much powder to put in and what to do next.

Characteristics of Sokol gunpowder Gunpowder is produced in rectangular-shaped plates. Their base is nitrocellulose. This powder is stable, has a stable chemical composition, and does not stick together. The surface of the plates is graphitized and gelled (just to protect it from sticking and electrification).

Length varies from 1.28 to 1.7 mm, thickness 0.13 mm. Gunpowder is produced in two grades - highest and first. How much gunpowder is in a pack? Release form – cans for 200-250 grams. If you purchase the option in a galvanized box, then its weight is 45-50 kg.

When loading, the shot must be properly compacted, as otherwise the accuracy of fire and scree will suffer.

• If there is no special stand for cartridges, then it is better to carefully put the cartridges somewhere. For 12, 16, 20 gauge cartridges, the center of gravity is shifted upward, and by hook or by crook they tend to fall and knock down the rest.
• We form an “asterisk” and press the cartridge with a matrix. If the height has been chosen correctly, then the “star” will perfectly merge with the edges, without cracks or other defects, and will also fit tightly to the table. If the surface is humped - there is a lot of shot, if it falls - not enough.
• Now we insert the cartridge into the twist and make a side of 1-1.5 mm.

How to load 20 gauge ammunition with a bullet

When choosing from the 20th and 410th types of guns, one should pay tribute to the “twenty”. After all, such a weapon can be considered a universal tool. Although the requirements for it are an order of magnitude higher than for the traditional 12-gauge, nevertheless:

• more comfortable shooting;
• association with low weight;
• strength characteristics of the structure as a whole,

play a significant role in the final choice. In comparison, 410 caliber weapons have more complaints. At the same time, one cannot discount:

• performance of the gun as a whole;
• theoretical multi-charge;
• rapid fire effect.

The quality of this type of gun is far from perfect. Automation does not always work reliably; misalignment of cartridge cases occurs.
You don't need to press hard, gunpowder doesn't like that in any caliber, be it 12, 16 or 20. You'll develop muscle memory pretty quickly. In addition, the “overloading” of the cartridge is easy to see by the non-standard position of the wad.
Dust-filled cartridges can be safely stored.

• We make a shot measure from a trimmed cartridge case (very convenient and allows you not to weigh the shot every time before loading). The height of this measure should be such that the required volume of shot fits into it completely and without slides. You can make several of these measurements if you plan to equip cartridges different quantities fractions
• Now you can pour the shot into the cartridge case and press it properly with a hammer.