That's interesting Mike.

So that's the assumption the calculator programs use. I wonder if it's a valid one, and if so what experimental evidence it was based on. The dymanics seem problematical.

Upon shot charge exit, the barrel pressure of a shotgun approximates 500 PSI. Being pressure, it is of course acting in all directions until being released. After the wad clears the muzzle, at which time the leading edge of the pressure wave HAS to be moving at the exact same speed as the wad, the velocity of the expanding gas apparently is assumed to increase to 4,000 FPS as the pressure bleeds to zero from about 500 PSI.

I'm reminded of the stop action photos of the shot mass and wads immediatley after muzzle exit. Do we see any effects from the pressure wave acting on the payload after muzzle exit? I'd expect some scattering or at least random wad interference as the gasses out run the payload in the few inches ahead of the muzzle.

If anyone has any photos of such effects, or information on the actual dynamics of muzzle exit and pressure equalization I'd be interested in reading the info and seeing the pictures.

Interesting stuff, thanks for the discussion.


"The price of good shotgunnery is constant practice" - Fred Kimble