Multi-range shotshells with multimodal patterning properties and methods for producing the same
View Patent ↗Shotshells are provided which are loaded with at least two different shot charges, at least one of said charges being comprised of shot pellets with short-range shape(s) and at least another of said charges being comprised of shot pellets with long-range shape(s). Said shotshells are thereby capable of producing shotgun patterns that are suitable for both short-range and long-range shooting.
1. A shotshell comprising:
a shotshell casing having a head portion and a mouth portion;
a primer contained within the head portion;
a propellant contained within the casing and proximal to the primer;
a wad contained within the casing and proximal to the propellant; and
a payload of shot pellets located within the casing and proximal to the wad, wherein the payload of shot pellets includes a plurality of shot pellets with overall shot pellet shapes, and further wherein the plurality of shot pellets includes at least short-range shaped pellets adapted to provide an effective shot pattern at short ranges and long-range shaped pellets adapted to provide an effective shot pattern at long ranges; wherein the long-range shaped pellets have a different overall shot pellet shape than the short-range shaped pellets, wherein the short-range shaped pellets have an oblique cylinder overall shot pellet shape.
2. The shotshell of claim 1 , wherein the long-range shaped pellets include at least one overall shot-pellet shape selected from the group consisting of spheres, teardrops, round-ended cylinders, bullets, and polyhedrally faceted spheres.
3. The shotshell of claim 1 , wherein the mass of an individual short-range shaped pellet is within 10% of the mass of an individual long-range shaped pellet.
4. The shotshell of claim 3 , wherein the mass of an individual short-range shaped pellet is within 1% of the mass of an individual long-range shaped pellet.
5. The shotshell of claim 1 , wherein the mass of an individual short-range shaped pellet differs from the mass of an individual long-range shaped pellet by more than 10%.
6. The shotshell of claim 1 , wherein the payload of shot pellets has a total mass and further wherein the short-range shaped pellets comprise 10% to 20% of the total mass.
7. The shotshell of claim 1 , wherein the payload of shot pellets has a total mass and further wherein the short-range shaped pellets comprise 20% to 50% of the total mass.
8. The shotshell of claim 1 , wherein the payload of shot pellets has a total mass and further wherein the short-range shaped pellets comprise more than 50% of the total mass.
9. The shotshell of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shot pellets comprise a plurality of stratified domains within the payload of shot pellets and further wherein at least one of the plurality of stratified domains includes a different overall shot pellet shape than the other of the plurality of stratified domains.
10. The shotshell of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of stratified domains are interengaging and interfitting domains.
11. The shotshell of claim 9 , wherein the shotshell includes a longitudinal axis and further wherein the stratified domains comprise a plurality of longitudinally stratified layers.
12. The shotshell of claim 11 , wherein a stratified domain containing the short-range shaped pellets is disposed proximal to the head portion of the shotshell relative to a stratified domain containing the long-range shaped pellets.
13. The shotshell of claim 11 , wherein a stratified domain containing the short-range shaped pellets is disposed distal from the head portion of the shotshell relative to a stratified domain containing the long-range shaped pellets.
14. The shotshell of claim 9 , wherein the shotshell includes a longitudinal axis and further wherein the stratified domains comprise a plurality of layers that are disposed radially relative to the longitudinal axis.
15. The shotshell of claim 14 , wherein a stratified domain containing the short-range shaped pellets is disposed radially outward of a stratified domain containing the long-range shaped pellets.
16. The shotshell of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shot pellet shapes are intermixed within the payload of shot pellets.
17. The shotshell of claim 1 , wherein the payload of shot pellets does not contain lead.
18. The shotshell of claim 1 , wherein when the shotshell payload is discharged from a shotgun to produce a shot pattern, at a distance of 20 yards from the shotgun, the shot pattern of the discharged short-range pellets has at least a 25% greater diameter than the shot pattern of the discharged long-range pellets.
19. The shotshell of claim 1 , wherein the short-range shaped pellets comprise lengths of cut wire.
20. The shotshell of claim 1 , wherein the oblique cylinder overall shot pellet shape has a cut angle of approximately 45 degrees.
21. The shotshell of claim 20 , wherein the short-range shaped pellets comprise lengths of cut wire.
22. The shotshell of claim 1 , wherein the short-range shaped pellets are adapted to place less than 45% of the short-range shaped pellets within a 30-inch diameter circle at 40 yards, and further wherein the long-range shaped pellets are adapted to place more than 50% of the long-range shaped pellets within a 30-inch diameter circle at 40 yards.
23. A method of manufacturing the shotshell of claim 1 , the method comprising:
providing the shotshell of claim 1 and
cutting low-carbon steel wire to form the short-range shaped pellets.