By Aiden ArmstrongOne of the benefits that many shooters enjoy, with this sport is the history and the meaning behind the various terms and materials used. In general, shot is used to describe the small lead pellets that were the original options for use in shotguns as well as in other types of pistols.
The History
Originally, the shot was formed by pouring molten lead through screens to create droplets rather than a stream of molten lead. When dropped from a height into water, the droplets formed a fairly uniform shape. Additionally, the temperature at the bottom of these “shot towers” was carefully maintained at a specific cold temperature. This allowed the droplets or spheres of molten lead to be immediately cooled to prevent deformation of the shots. Cold air was also blown across the towers, contributing to the uniform shape and rapid solidification in the water.
When the lead shot is dropped rapidly into cold water using this process, it is known as chilled lead shot. In addition to preserving the shape, the rapid chilling of the shot creates an additional hardness to the pellet, which is highly desirable to prevent any deformation of the shot during the firing process. Ideally, chilled lead shot is used for long distance shooting, or at least firing at targets greater than thirty yards from the shooter.
Buying Chilled Lead Shot for Sale
When buying chilled lead shot for sale, the antimony level will be between two and three percent from most manufacturers. This provides a harder shot as well, but not as hard as the magnum lead shot will have four to six percent of antimony in the lead.
New options in chilled lead shot for sale include uniform round shape through more precise manufacturing techniques. Additionally, the shot should be uniformly dense and also be accurately sized for ease of use and consistency.
