Wolf Wilds › Firearms

Photo Anders Bruun Nørring, CC BY 2.0

Shotgun basics

Gauges, chokes and shells, and patterning the gun so you know where it throws its shot.

What you need

How

  1. Read the gauge and chamber length on the barrel. Buy only shells that match both.
  2. Pick the choke for the job. Open chokes spread the shot for close birds. Tight chokes hold it together for longer shots.
  3. Hang a sheet at about 30 metres with a mark in the middle.
  4. Aim at the mark and fire one shell, the same load you will hunt with.
  5. Draw a circle around the densest part of the pattern and look for gaps a bird could slip through.
  6. Shoot a few sheets with each load and choke, and keep the combination that throws the evenest pattern.
  7. Write the load and the choke down and keep them with the gun.

Do and don't

Do
  • Check the barrel is clear before every loading. A plug of mud or snow can burst it.
  • Keep the chokes clean and snug. A loose choke can be shot out of the barrel.
  • Shoot inside the range where your pattern stayed even.
Don't
  • Do not mix gauges in your pocket. A smaller shell can slide down the barrel and jam there.
  • Do not shoot a shell longer than the chamber.
  • Do not fire steel shot through an old choke or barrel not marked for it.

Watch for

Danger
  • A smaller shell lodged in the barrel, with a proper shell fired behind it, can burst the gun in your hands.
  • Shot travels a long way. Know what is behind your bird, including roads, cabins and other hunters.
  • Handle a shotgun with every rule in Safe gun handling. Treat it as loaded, every time.

Notes

Most missed birds are shot too far, not aimed badly. Patterning shows you where your gun stops being fair.

The rules on shot type, plugs and seasons for birds change. Check the current federal and provincial rules before you hunt.

shotgunchokepatternbirdsgauge

Updated 2026-09-28

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