MULTI-RANGE SHOTSHELLS WITH MULTIMODAL PATTERNING PROPERTIES AND METHODS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME

• US 20100175575A1
• Filed: 01/13/2010
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amick Family Revocable Living Trust
• Original Assignee: Amick Family Revocable Living Trust
• Inventors: Amick, Darryl D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,171,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 102/460
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 7/043 with shot-scattering means
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 7/046 Pellets or shot therefor

Abstract

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.

Claims

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 and a plurality of shot pellet shapes, and further wherein the plurality of shot pellet shapes 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.

2. The shotshell of claim 1, wherein the long-range shaped pellets have a different shape than the short-range shaped pellets.

3. The shotshell of claim 1, wherein the long-range shaped pellets include at least one shape selected from the group consisting of spheres, teardrops, round-ended cylinders, bullets, and polyhedrally faceted spheres.

4. The shotshell of claim 1, wherein the short-range shaped pellets include at least one shape selected from the group consisting of right cylinders, diagonal cylinders, and pancake shapes, wherein the pancake shapes have a diameter-to-length ratio of between 1.5:

1 and 3.5;

1.

5. 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.

6. The shotshell of claim 5, wherein the mass of an individual short-range shaped pellet is within 1% of the mass of an individual long-range shaped pellet.

7. 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%.

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 10% to 20% of the total mass.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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 shot pellet shape than the other of the plurality of stratified domains.

12. The shotshell of claim 11, wherein the plurality of stratified domains are interengaging and interfitting domains.

13. The shotshell of claim 11, wherein the shotshell includes a longitudinal axis and further wherein the stratified domains comprise a plurality of longitudinally stratified layers.

14. The shotshell of claim 13, 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.

15. The shotshell of claim 13, 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.

16. The shotshell of claim 11, 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.

17. The shotshell of claim 16, wherein a stratified domain containing the short-range shaped pellets is disposed radially outward of a stratified domain containing the long-range shaped pellets.

18. The shotshell of claim 17, wherein a portion of the shot pellets contained within a first stratified domain may intermix with a portion of the shot pellets contained within a second stratified domain.

19. The shotshell of claim 1, wherein the plurality of shot pellet shapes are intermixed within the payload of shot pellets.

20. The shotshell of claim 19, wherein the intermixing is random.

21. The shotshell of claim 1, wherein the payload of shot pellets does not contain lead.

22. The shotshell of claim 1, wherein the shotshell payload may be discharged from a shotgun to produce a shot pattern and further wherein, 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.

23. 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 shotshell and proximal to the primer;

a wad contained within the shotshell and proximal to the propellant; and

a payload of shot pellets located within the shotshell and proximal to the wad, wherein the payload of shot pellets includes a means for providing at least a short-range shot pattern and a long-range shot pattern.