Choosing hunting cartridges is not easy, especially for a novice hunter. The choice of this ammunition is influenced by a large number of factors - weather, landscape conditions, variety of animals and game.
Hunting cartridges of both domestic and foreign production, mainly 12 gauge, are widely used. The most common cartridge models are Magnum and Poleva. These types of ammunition, as well as well-known manufacturers, will be discussed in more detail below.
Magnum model cartridges
Most hunters prefer Magnum cartridges. This type of ammunition owes its popularity to the fact that its power is an order of magnitude higher than that of its competitors. They have a high ability to kill game, making it possible to hunt large animals. There is a special range of models for special guns whose muzzle power is best suited to the projectile. Gun barrels are durable and can withstand high levels of stress during shooting.
Also, this type of ammunition differs in appearance; their cartridges are longer. Common options are 89 and 76 mm. Eighty-nine millimeter cartridges first appeared in 1987, created by a well-known company called Federal, and cartridges 76 mm long appeared even earlier, after the end of World War II.
Now in the USA Magnum ammunition is manufactured in diameters equal to 10, 12 and 20 calibers, the longest length of these cartridges is 89 mm. Manufacturers of other companies began to follow this sleeve size. The first to produce 89 mm cartridges was the American company Mossberg. These cartridges were originally manufactured for bolt action rifles. Subsequently, other companies began to follow these manufacturers and produce ammunition with a diameter of 89 millimeters, instead of the usual seventy-six.
Not so long ago, Magnum ammunition with caliber 410 appeared, they became famous for even more accurate hits on the target. Such bullets have less weight and miniature dimensions, which are 89 millimeters long and are not produced. The same applies to 20 gauge ammunition. Many manufacturers produce ten- or twelve-gauge Magnum bullets for chamber lengths of 76-89 millimeters.
After the advent of Magnum ammunition, the number of smoothbore weapons became smaller. Manufacturers in this way were able to equip hunters with cartridges that differ in power and compact dimensions.
However, not all hunters in modern life prefer to use Magnum cartridges, not recognizing their high efficiency. Upon closer examination, it seems that Magnum cartridges perform the same function - hit the designated target. But the effectiveness of Magnum ammunition in use has proven to be the best. The shot in these cartridges weighs heavier, which affects the increase in the size of the entire shot projectile as a whole. As a result, the spread of pellets becomes smaller. In order to hit a target, you need at least three pellets in it, with Magnum ammunition you can hit the target from a further distance than with other pellet-based projectiles.
Magnum cartridges are by far the most powerful ammunition that is excellent not only for hunting animals, but also serves as a means of self-defense.
Magnum cartridges for hunting
Recently, more and more attention has been paid to Magnum class cartridges in the rifle press and hunting publications. The domestic industry, represented by the Izhevsk Mechanical and Engineering Plant, began producing hunting rifles of 12/76, 12/89 caliber. In addition, hunting stores offer a large selection of imported weapons chambered for cartridges with cartridge case lengths of 76 and 89 mm. The advantage of such cartridges is obvious and widely advertised. But no one rushed and stormed special stores in the hope of purchasing a gun chambered for 12/76, 12/89. Why? Some people simply don’t need this cartridge; For some, it is problematic to go through the procedural issues of the Ministry of Internal Affairs related to the acquisition of another gun; some are hampered by economic issues... Therefore, the main contingent of owners of hunting smoothbore weapons remain hunters with 12/70 caliber guns. And this article will focus on Magnum cartridges of 12/70 caliber.
As soon as the manufacturers of hunting cartridges do not name them! These are “Mini-Magnum”, “Baby Magnum”, and finally “Semi-Magnum”. I just want to say that you can’t be half pregnant. Specialists and hunters who are experienced in this matter focus primarily on the caliber and length of the cartridge case, and secondly on the mass and number of the shot. Why sophisticated and confusing names?! “Magnum” is “Magnum”, and since we borrowed this foreign name, let it remain without any prefixes. produces Magnum cartridges in 12/70 caliber with shot from No. 4 to No. 0000; projectile weight 38-42 g. This cartridge has a special design, the main element of the equipment is a special wad container of our own production, 44 mm high; cup height 30 mm. The container cup is divided into four petals, the tightness of which allows you to completely eliminate the abrasion of pellets along the bore. When loading Magnum cartridges, igniter caps of the KV-21 or Zhevelo type are used, and Sunar-42 (Magnum) gunpowder is used as a charge. The cartridge is rolled using the rolling method. To securely fix the shot shell in the cartridge, a transparent polyethylene gasket is used as a shot gasket, which in turn makes the cartridge moisture resistant. The density of the cartridge also affects the initial moment of formation, necessary for complete combustion of gunpowder and all ballistic characteristics. We will not go deep into the ballistics of Magnum cartridges, since it differs sharply from conventional cartridges, we will note one thing: the use of special powder “Sunar-42” (Magnum) allows you to develop the initial velocity of the projectile 10 meters from the barrel V)0= 330-360 m/s, at average pressure Рср =500 kgf/cm2; muzzle pressure Rdul = 50 kgf/cm2. The maximum pressure developed in the chamber does not exceed 714 kgf/cm2. This cartridge is certified at the state testing station in Klimovsk and has a safety certificate of conformity in accordance with GOST R-50530. The cartridge is designed for use in conventional hunting rifles, such as IZH-27, TOZ-34, MTs 21-12, TOZ-120, TOZ-87, and of course Magnum class shotguns: MP-153, Saiga-12 , - as well as similar guns of foreign and domestic production. The Magnum cartridge produced by Pozis allows you to make wider use of the capabilities of your 12/70 caliber gun when hunting. Of course, Magnum is not a panacea, but often 42 g of shot simplifies the shooting situation. Tests and experience using 12/70 Magnum cartridges for hunting shows that equipping cartridges smaller than shot No. 4 (3.25 mm) makes no sense. Shot shell No. 5 weighing 33 g contains an average of 250 pieces. pellets, which is quite enough to reliably kill game. Increasing the mass of the projectile to 42 g will lead to severe deformation of the pellets and, as a result, the appearance of wounded animals at medium distances, to which unbearable recoil will be added. Let me make a reservation right away: the Magnum cartridge produced by Pozis has a more moderate recoil compared to others. The cartridge, as they say, is for real men. All these points must be taken into account! Therefore, it recommends using Magnum cartridges when hunting ducks and geese, brown hare, fox from the approach and wolves. From personal experience: Pozis-Magnum cartridges performed excellently during autumn duck hunting, during late flight, where the most powerful and long-range shot is required. Magnum cartridges are especially good for goose hunting in the spring. Spring hunting is fleeting, only 10 days, and getting the coveted trophy becomes a tempting idea. I first used Magnum cartridges produced by Pozis on a spring hunt in 1999. If, when shooting with conventional cartridges loaded with Sunar gunpowder with a projectile weight of 33-35 g, at a distance of 35-50 m they often produced wounded animals that had to be retrieved the next shots, then Magnum cartridges did not allow this to happen. This is explained by a more saturated shot sheaf and an increase in shot scree. With the same accuracy of shooting at a target with a diameter of 750 mm, there were 15-20 more pellets, and the killing circle increased by one and a half times. When testing Pozis-Magnum cartridges for accuracy from a MC 16-12-70 ballistic barrel with a choke of 0.5 (half-hour), the accuracy (K%) at a distance of 35 m was no less than 55-65% (shot No. 4-0000 ), naturally, with the use of guns with a 1.0 mm choke, the accuracy will increase. Shooting Magnum cartridges at a distance closer than 30 m through the choke will lead to a miss or the target will be broken in the literal sense of the word. In the 2002-2003 season, in winter, I used the Pozis-Magnum cartridge to hunt hare and fox. The condition was to shoot only Magnum cartridges. The very first hunts showed the advantage of my shooting compared to other hunters, and I spent on average only 2 rounds of ammunition per hunted hare, while others spent 3-5. It was also revealed that the hare needs to be “let go” a little, i.e. shoot no closer than 30 m. It was noted: the farthest effective shot (I was not shy about the distance - test condition) was fired at a hare at a distance of 65 m. The animal was beaten cleanly, and during cutting, 4 hits of shot No. 0 were found in the carcass. The shot was fired from a semi-automatic MTs-21-12. From a TOZ-87 shotgun with a Pozis-Magnum cartridge, a fox was taken at a distance of 60 m with shot No. 0. When removing the skin, 5 hits were found on the body, and the pellets passed through the carcass and got stuck under the skin on the other side; the pellets were round in shape without significant traces of deformation when fired. The Magnum cartridge is also effective for shooting in dense bushes. While hunting on the hunting farm, the gamekeeper of the farm, from under a hound in the forest, took two foxes with an interval of 10 minutes, and because of the dense thickets, no one shot at the foxes: they waited for the animal to come out in the open. The huntsman, without waiting, killed the fox with the first shots. The shooting was carried out at a distance of 30-35 m; during inspection and removal of the skins, many hits were discovered. From the experience of using Pozis-Magnum cartridges, I would recommend using cartridges according to shot numbers: - For duck hunting - shot No. 4-3 - For goose hunting - shot No. 3 to No. 00 - For hunting hare - shot No. 2 to No. 0 - For fox hunting - shot No. 1 to No. 00 - For wolf hunting - shot No. 00 to No. 0000 Do not forget that shooting at extreme distances can lead to wounded animals! Pozis-Magnum cartridges function reliably in domestic and foreign shotguns with an automatic reloading system at temperatures down to -50 ° C (for which special tests are carried out for trouble-free operation). In our hunting company, owners of semi-automatic weapons are especially positive about; in shotguns MTs-21-12, TOZ-87 (all models), Browning-GOLD, MR-153, Bekas-AUTO, the automatics worked flawlessly - no complaints. In conclusion, I would like to say that Pozis-Magnum cartridges are recommended for both professional hunters and beginners. It will help a hunter who rarely visits the hunting grounds to get the coveted trophy, eliminating errors in shooting associated with the inability to shoot often; It will help a professional get more game, and a young hunter will quickly get involved in hunting, learn the capabilities of his gun, thereby improving the culture of hunting. Specialists are developing new hunting ammunition. Pozis-Magnum cartridges of 16/70, 20/70 caliber will be available soon.
Polev model cartridges
Polev's ammunition was popular in the USSR. They were named in honor of the developer Viktor Vladimirovich Polev. These ammunitions are classified as point-type ammunition; they contain lead with a plastic tail. The ammunition head has a plastic container that separates when fired. Thanks to this, the Polev cartridge easily passes through the weapon channel.
Polev's ammunition is more suitable for hunting big game: elk, wild boar and bear.
Experienced hunters prefer this domestically produced ammunition. However, this type of cartridge has not only positive characteristics, but also negative ones:
- You cannot make them yourself;
- Due to its low weight, twenty-eight to twenty-nine grams, the ability to hit a target is significantly reduced;
- With a minor obstacle, the bullet may deviate from the desired course; this is a consequence of a low level of stabilization.
For each gun, you need to select Polev bullets that can provide the best convergence of the midpoints of impact from each barrel.
