SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/hunt-gauge-meaning

What does the '12' in a 12-gauge shotgun measure?

The number of bore-sized lead balls that weigh one pound.

  1. The barrel length in inches
  2. The number of shells it holds
  3. Bore-sized lead balls per pound ✔

Why: Gauge is an old measure: how many lead balls the size of the bore it takes to make one pound. Twelve such balls weigh a pound for a 12 gauge, twenty smaller ones for a 20. Smaller number, bigger bore.

Huh, didn't know that: A 12 gauge has a larger bore than a 16 gauge, which is larger than a 20 gauge.

The dad joke
Why did the shotgun go to the gym? To lower its gauge.
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Sources

  1. Massachusetts Hunter Education Lesson 2B Firearms Basics https://www.mass.gov/doc/lesson-2b-firearms-basics-0/download
  2. CT DEEP Hunter Safety Exam Answer Key https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DEEP/hunting_trapping/pdf_files/Hunter_Safety_Manual/ExamAnswerKey.pdf?la=en

Test yourself in the game

Hunting SafetyWhich common shotgun is named by its actual bore measurement, not by gauge?Hunting SafetyAccording to the NSSF, how far can shotgun pellets travel?Hunting SafetyWhat can happen if a 20-gauge shell is loaded into a 12-gauge shotgun?

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