The quality most inherent and valued in the sport of shotgunning is the social aspect of the community. A large part of the sport entails trekking through wilderness for hours, and sometimes days at a time. Having trusted, loyal companions at one’s side through whatever may arise is part of the foundational experience of shotgunning. Shotgunning is a dignified, noble pastime with a fascinating history and rich tradition. Let’s explore the details of this beloved sport.

The History of Shotgunning

A history of shotgunning is really a history of the shotgun, the hunter’s choice weapon. Before the shotgun, guns were fairly small, handheld weapons that were called hand cannons by the soldiers who used them. The first large gun available to the common citizenry was the musket, which was also a more accurate shot to the delight of the soldiers and hunters who used it. However, loading the musket was still as tedious and time-consuming as arming the smaller hand cannons.

Then the royals in England developed sport-shooting. Primarily, the royal family and cultural elite preferred hunting birds, which were tricky to shoot with muskets. While muskets were the most accurate guns of the time, they were still not accurate enough to knock a quick bird out of the sky.

The new bird-hunting craze went by the name Fowling. In order to make this type of hunting easier, manufacturers came out with a new sort of ammunition, which replaced the standard single ball with several smaller pellets. That way, depending on what game they hunted, they could adjust what type of ammunition they used. Instead of using large, heavy balls to blast quick birds, they used smaller, lighter pellets that shot through the air faster, improving the accuracy of the guns.

Even the great General, George Washington used this type of ammunition. During the Revolutionary War, he instructed his men to use nothing but this type of ammunition called “buck and ball” to improve their shooting accuracy.

There formed a new demand on the marketplace. The ammunition was more accurate and aerodynamic, but the old-fashioned musket was outdated. Manufacturers invented a new kind of weapon, one with a longer barrel. It was called the Fowler, and it was lighter than the musket, and the barrels were even longer than those of the modern shotgun. Sometimes, the barrels of the old Fowler could be longer than six feet.

The six-foot barrel phenomenon spawned from the myth that a longer barrel made the bullets go faster. In fact, the opposite is true. A short barrel makes the shot scatter sooner and provides a more deadly blast. Also, swinging a six-foot long barrel through the air, trying to catch a bird in your sight, is a lot harder than maneuvering a small shotgun. The new compact Fowler went by the name The Blunderbuss. Everyone from the Queen of England to treasure-plundering pirates used the Blunderbuss.

As the years progressed, people began to call the Blunderbuss by the more suitable name: shotgun.

The double barrel shotgun

Two shots are better than one. That was the logic that inspired the double barrel shotgun. Instead of having to pause to reload after every shot, the double barrel shotgun permitted an individual two shots, and consequentially a more deadly blast, instead of having to stop and reload after the first shot.

The Civil War

A major advantage the Union had over the Confederacy during the Civil War concerned the modified shotgun, a new model that broke open, which allowed faster reloading time. Because the gun opened differently, new self-contained cartridges also needed to be invented. The result was a new, easy, fast way to reload the guns, which gave the Union a major firing power advantage.

The most feared cavalry units during the Civil War where the soldiers on horse back who were armed with shotguns. Between the speed they obtained whilst on horseback, and the deadly accuracy and stopping power of their shotguns, the shotgun-armed calvarias could decimate almost any foe. Indeed, that is why shotguns appear in almost every legendary war. Even the men at The Alamo used shotguns during the Texas’ War of Independence with Mexico.

Daniel Myron LeFever was the genius behind the hammerless shotgun where external cocking levers first appeared on the side of the shotgun breech. The invention was so popular that LeFever was able to open his own company in 1880, The LeFever Arms Co., and he later patented the very first automatic hammerless shotgun. LeFever would also later invent the mechanism that automatically ejected the shells when the breach opened.

The next major improvement to the shotgun came when John Moses Browning, the most famous and excellent gun maker in the history of the world, invented the pump-action shotgun. In pump-action shotguns, a person pumps the handle which extracts the spent shell and inserts a new one in the chamber.

Shotguns were the primary weapon during the Civil War because most soldiers brought their own weapons from home, and most civilians owned shotguns because they were ideal for hunting and protection against intruders. The guns were also easy to repair, clean, and maintain because of their basic structure.

Shotguns were so essential for protection that many stagecoaches in the Wild West had a man who sat beside the driver with a sawed-off shotgun resting on his lap. He was the Wild West’s version of a security alarm. If trouble arose, he protected the driver, riders, and their possessions. This is where the term “riding shotgun” comes from.

During World War One, soldiers were issued shotguns with the added feature of a bayonet strapped to the top of the barrels. The weapons were so effective against the enemy that the Germans tried to outlaw their use so as to prevent further casualties among their ranks.

The shotgun in late 20th century

The shotgun was still used in modern battles such as the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The navy still uses shotguns, especially when boarding hostile ships. Just as the pirates knew during the prime of the British Royal Navy, the United States navy is well aware that shotguns are excellent weapons for close-range combat.

Now, modern military and police have access to fully and semi-automatic shotguns. The same mechanisms that fire lethal ammunition are used by modern law enforcement to discharge non-lethal forms of inhibitors such as tear gas shells, explosive sonic stun rounds, rubber projectiles, and bean bags.

In the hunting world, the popularity of the shotgun is actually increasing because of advancements in slug rounds and new forms of riffle barrels.

Trapshooting

Trapshooting is one of three major forms of competitive clay pigeon shooting. Clay pigeon shooting, also known as Inanimate Bird Shooting, involves shooting (usually with a shotgun) at a flying target known as the clay pigeon or clay target. The other major forms of competitive clay shooting are skeet-shooting and sporting clays.

Essentially, trapshooting and skeet-shooting replaced games where live pigeons were the target. The sports have been around since the late 18th century, but at that time, the targets were live birds. It wasn’t until the Civil war that people began to use the clay targets because the Passenger Pigeon was nearing extinction.

Trap equipment

In trapshooting, participants use a 12-gauge single, such a Perazzi MX-15, or a double-barrel shotgun such as the one named after gun mastermind John Moses Browning, the Browning XT. In American trap, the ammunition is lead target ammo, the sizes falling between 7.5 and 9.

Commands

Commands are important during trapshooting. The scorer and other shooters must communicate in order to keep the flow of the shooting going successfully. The shooter asks the squad and puller if they’re ready, usually by asking “Squad ready?” and then “Puller ready?” Then, in order to see one free target, the shooter says, “Let’s see one.” If a target is missed by the shooter, the scorer says “Loss.” At the firing of the last shot during a shooter’s turn, the scorer says, “End.”

Trapshooting and the youth

Now, more than ever, trapshooting is popular with American youth. The Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) provides younger shooters with Junior classes for shooters younger than 18. There are even sub-junior classes for shooters younger than 15. Thanks to the ATA, trapshooting enthusiasts can begin their education younger than ever.

Clay shooting history

In 1860, the poorer shooting enthusiasts in Britain shot balls of glass with feathers attached to them instead of live game. This type of device was called the glass ball trap. Thus dawned the age of the artificial target. Hunting and shooting weekends were expensive in Britain, and many shooting enthusiasts preferred to pay for the artificial game. Even the Victorians got in on the action, though they primarily used artificial targets for practice before pursuing live game.

In order to more accurately simulate the pattern of a bird-in-flight, clay targets were introduced in the early 1900s. The flying targets soared through the air in an arch that greatly mirrored the patterns of quick birds, which allowed shooters to improve their shooting accuracy.

Olympic shotgunning

Shooting events became an Olympic sport in 1900 and are one of eight original Olympic sports. The shooting events have been a part of nearly every modern Olympic Games since 1896. Now, there are 17 Olympic shooting events for men and women in four different categories: shotgun, rifle, pistol, and running target. The shotgun events are skeet, trap, and double trap.

A history of United States shooting Olympians

The United States shooting athletes have won six medals in the last two Olympics. Five of those medals were in the shotgun event – three bronze, a silver, and one gold. United States shooters have won 72 individual medals in the Olympics since 1896, which is more than any other Olympic sport except for swimming and athletics.

The clay targets used in the Olympics are flatter and more durable, which makes breaking them far more difficult than the targets used in the United States. The targets are thrown faster over wider angles, and to a farther distance.

Olympic firearms

In Olympic shotgunning, athletes use any 12-gauge shotgun that holds two rounds. The ammunition is a lighter load of pellets to increase the difficulty of breaking the targets.

Shotgun events – Trap and Skeet

One of the shotgun events, trap, has been a sport since the late 18th century, and it has been an Olympic sport since 1900. In trap, squads of six shooters fire rounds of 25 targets. Each shooter is presented with the same targets during the round, though they are thrown in a different order each time, so no shooter can anticipate where the clay target will be. A shooter can shoot once or twice at each target. The top six shooters from the round proceed to the medals final round where they fire another 25 target round. The final score is added to the qualifying score, and that’s how the medalists are determined.

A newer sport to the field, Skeet, was invented by Charles E. Davies, a grouse-hunting enthusiast, in 1915. At the time, Davies called it Clock shooting. Skeet first became inducted into the Olympics in 1968. Squads of six shooters fire at 25 targets from eight different stations during each round. Shooters begin with the shotgun’s butt stock kept at their hip level. They call out for their targets, which launch from each side of the field. Shooters may only shoot once at each target. The top six shooters from the qualifying round go onto the medals final where they shoot 25 more targets. Each shooter’s final round score is added to the qualifying round score, which determines the bronze, silver, and coveted gold medalists.

From the British royal family to Civil War soldiers, to pirates and Olympians, shotgunning and its daughter sports share a rich history. Shotguns are still the most reliable, affordable way for individuals to protect their families. Modern law enforcement not only uses the reliable weapons to protect the citizenry, but they also use shotgun devices in non-lethal ways, such as tear-gassing and rubber bullets. More than ever, hunters utilize the shotgun as part of a proud tradition of hunting and sportsmanship that will remain with us for many centuries to come.