WO2010025121A1

WO2010025121A1 - Shotgun shell projectiles

Info

Publication number: WO2010025121A1
Application number: PCT/US2009/054848
Authority: WO
Inventors: James Yancey Menefee
Original assignee: Pinnacle Ammunition Company
Priority date: 2008-08-28
Filing date: 2009-08-25
Publication date: 2010-03-04

Abstract

A shotshell pellet and shotshell are disclosed. The shotshell pellet includes: a head portion; a body portion joined with the head portion; and a tail portion joined with the body portion, the tail portion having a center cavity formed therein; wherein the shotshell pellet has a center of gravity that is positioned closer to the head portion than the tail portion. The shotshell includes: a hull; a propellant charge within the hull; a primer carried within the hull; a plurality of head- weighted shot pellets within the hull include a head portion, a body portion joined with the head portion, and a tail portion joined with the body portion, the tail portion having a center cavity, wherein each of the head- weighted shot pellets have a center of gravity positioned closer to the head portion than the tail portion; and wadding between the propellant charge and the plurality of shot pellets.

Description

SHOTGUN SHELL PROJECTILES

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION^)

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/092,674, filed August 28, 2008, which is incorporated by reference as if disclosed herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

(1) Field

[0002] The disclosed subject matter generally relates to shotgun shell projectiles. In particular, the disclosed subject matter is directed to non-round shotshell pellets each having a center of gravity that is closer to a first end and a cavity formed in a second end opposite the first end.

(2) Background

[0003] In the past, round balls have been the preferred projectiles for use in shotgun shells. There have been non-round projectiles used in shotguns shells, such as flechettes, which have a dart- like shape, and linked together balls. All of these prior designs have been either illegal or too costly for use in the field of hunting birds or other small game.

[0004] Known alternative pellet designs often require the use of expensive materials and manufacturing processes. Often, known alternative pellet designs require the use of custom manufacturing equipment and cannot be loaded into conventional shotgun shells using existing loading machinery. Finally, known alternative pellet designs often create interior ballistic problems in the shotguns shells or shotguns used with them.

SUMMARY

[0005] A shotshell pellet is disclosed. In some embodiments, the shotshell pellet includes the following: a head portion; a body portion joined with the head portion; and a tail portion joined with the body portion, the tail portion having a center cavity formed therein; wherein the shotshell pellet has a center of gravity that is positioned closer to the head portion than the tail portion.

[0006] A shotshell is disclosed. In some embodiments, the shotshell includes the following: a hull having a base, a powder chamber and a forward portion; a propellant charge in the powder chamber within the hull; a primer carried within the base of the hull; a plurality of shot pellets within the forward portion of the hull, at least some of the plurality of shot pellets are head- weighted shot pellets that include a head portion, a body portion joined with the head portion, and a tail portion joined with the body portion, the tail portion having a center cavity formed therein, wherein each of the head- weighted shot pellets have a center of gravity that is positioned closer to the head portion than the tail portion; and wadding between the propellant charge and the plurality of shot pellets.

[0007] A shotshell pellet is disclosed. In some embodiments, the shotshell pellet includes the following: a head portion; and a body portion including a first end joined with the head portion and a second end opposite the first end, the second end including a base surface, the base surface of the body portion having a center cavity formed therein; wherein the shotshell pellet has a center of gravity that is positioned closer to the head portion than the base surface of the body portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0008] For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the drawings show a form of the invention that is presently preferred. However, it should be understood that the disclosed subject matter is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the drawings, wherein:

[0009] FIGS. IA- 1C are side, side section, and bottom plan views of a pellet according to embodiments of the disclosed subject matter;

[0010] FIG. 2A and 2B are sequential side views of the flight of the pellet in FIGS.

1A-1C;

[0011] FIG. 3 is a side section view of a shotshell including pellets according to embodiments of the disclosed subject matter; [0012] FIG. 4A-4C are side, side section, and bottom plan views of a pellet according to embodiments of the disclosed subject matter;

[0013] FIG. 5A-5C are side, side section, and bottom plan views of a pellet according to embodiments of the disclosed subject matter;

[0014] FIG. 6A-6C are side, side section, and bottom plan views of a pellet according to embodiments of the disclosed subject matter; [0015] FIG. 7A-7C are side, side section, and bottom plan views of a pellet according to embodiments of the disclosed subject matter;

[0016] FIG. 8A and 8B are side and bottom plan views of a pellet according to embodiments of the disclosed subject matter; [0017] FIG. 9A and 9B are side and bottom plan views of a pellet according to embodiments of the disclosed subject matter;

[0018] FIG. lOA-lOC are side, side section, and bottom plan views of a pellet according to embodiments of the disclosed subject matter; and [0019] FIG. 1 IA-11C are side, side section, and bottom plan views of a pellet according to embodiments of the disclosed subject matter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Referring now to FIGS 1 A-IC and 2, one aspect of the disclosed subject matter is a shotshell pellet 100 having a head portion 102, a body portion 104, and a tail portion 106. Shotshell pellet 100 has a center of gravity 108 that is positioned closer to head portion 102 than tail portion 106.

[0021] Head portion 102 of pellet 100 includes rounded sidewalls 110. In other embodiments, head portion 102 can include sidewalls having other shapes providing they do not adversely impact that ballistics of pellet 100 and the position of center of gravity 108 remains closer to the head portion than to tail portion 106.

[0022] Body portion 104 is joined with or extends rearwardly from head portion 102. Body portion 104 typically, but not always, includes straight sidewalls 112. In some embodiments, body portion 104 includes rounded sidewalls.

[0023] Tail portion 106 is joined with or extends rearwardly from body portion 104. Tail portion 106 includes inwardly angled sidewalls 114 that can be straight or curved. Tail portion 106 includes a substantially flat base portion 116 that is opposite sidewalls 110 of head portion 102. Base portion 116 includes a center cavity 118 formed therein. Center cavity 118 typically has a frusto-conical shape with a center, flat portion 120 but can have other shapes such as a rounded indentation, etc. [0024] Pellet 100 is typically manufactured from one of iron, steel, and other known materials used to make pellets. The geometry of the various elements of pellet 100 can vary depending on the materials selected and desired ballistic performance. Referring now to FIG. IB, in some embodiments, pellet 100 has an overall diameter D of about .1 to .2 and an overall length L of about .08 to .2. Typically, the ratio of length to diameter or L/D is less than or equal to 1. In some embodiments, head portion 102 has a length 11 of about .02 to .05, body portion 104 has a length 12 of about .01 to .03, tail portion 106 has a length 13 of about .02 to .075, and angled sidewalls 114 have a length 14 of about .02 to .07. Angled sidewalls 114 are angled inwardly at an angle A of about 10 to 20 degrees from straight sidewalls 112. Center cavity 118 has a diameter dl of about .03 to .09, base portion 116 has a diameter d2 of about .1 to .2, and flat portion 120 of center cavity 118 has a diameter d3 of about .005 to .05.

[0025] Referring now to FIGS. 2A and 2B, in use, pellet 100 often begins at position A with tail portion 106 facing a target T. In such a case, pellet 100 rotates and self-orients to a final position Z where head portion 102 is facing target T. Referring now to FIG. 2B, pellet 100 sometimes strikes the target with tail portion 106 facing target T. In such a scenario, the forward-weighted center of gravity 108 of pellet 100 causes the pellet to rotate or self-orient within the target thereby introducing a wadcutter-like chopping and slicing action as the surfaces of the pellet move through the target. Unlike spherical shot, flat base portion 116 of pellet 100 introduces a blunt trauma into the nervous system of a game bird while sharp edges chop or slice tissue on impact. The forward action of tail portion 106, which is shown in FIG. 2B and introduced by a percentage of pellets, results in less penetration but creates a much larger permanent wound channel. The shallower penetration associated with blunt impacts is offset by a greater number of pellets that strike and penetrate head portion 102 forward. The net result is a wider range of penetration that is normally the case with round shot.

[0026] Referring now to FIG. 3, some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter include a conventional shotshell 150 having the following: a hull 152 having a base 154, a powder chamber 156 and a forward portion 158; a propellant charge 160 in the powder chamber within the hull; a primer 162 carried within the base of the hull; a plurality of shot pellets 164 within the forward portion of the hull; and wadding 166 between the propellant charge and the plurality of shot pellets. At least some of plurality of shot pellets 164 are head- weighted shot pellets that include a head portion, a body portion joined with the head portion, and a tail portion joined with the center portion, the tail portion having a center cavity formed therein. Each of the head- weighted shot pellets has a center of gravity that is positioned closer to the head portion than the tail portion.

[0027] Referring now to FIG. 4, some embodiments include a shotshell pellet 200 having a head portion 202 joined with a body portion 204. Body portion 204 includes a first end 206 joined with head portion 202, a second end 208 opposite the first end, and outwardly angled, straight sidewalls 210 between the first and second ends. Second end 208 includes a base surface 212 that has a center cavity 214 formed therein. Shotshell pellet 200 has a center of gravity 216 that is positioned closer to head portion 202 than base surface 212 of body portion 204.

[0028] Additional embodiments of the disclosed subject matter are illustrated in FIGS.

5-11. Referring to FIGS. 5-7, some embodiments include pellets substantially similar to pellets 100 and 200, i.e., forward-weighted with a center cavity in end furthest from center of gravity, but with varying geometry and varying sidewall shapes. Referring now to

FIGS. 8 and 9, some embodiments are directed to pellets having a forward- weighted center of gravity but not including a cavity formed in a surface. Referring now to FIGS.

10 and 11, some embodiments are directed to pellets having a forward- weighted center of gravity with a central cavity formed in the portion of the pellet closest to the center of gravity, i.e., the head portion.

[0029] Pellets according to the disclosed subject matter offer advantages and benefits over those known in the art. Pellets according to the disclosed subject matter can be made of inexpensive materials, such as iron/steel, so as to comply with rules and regulations imposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding non-toxic shot for waterfowl hunting.

[0030] Pellets according to the disclosed subject matter can easily and inexpensively be manufactured on conventional stamping and forming machinery presently used in industry. Pellets according to the disclosed subject matter are easy to load on modern automatic shotgun shell loading machinery and do not create any special interior ballistic problems in the shotgun shells or shotguns when used. Methods of fabricating shotshell pellets in accordance with the disclosed subject matter are many and varied. Specifically, existing and conventional stamping and other various methods and apparatus can be converted to the manufacture of pellets in accordance with the disclosed subject matter by replacing the various dyes and other tooling apparatus presently used with ones equipped to stamp and produce pellets having various symmetric or asymmetric cavities on their outer surfaces. In addition, a cavity can be formed in the surface of a pellet by including chemicals or other deposits during steel making operations during initial formation of the pellet. Such deposits can later be chemically or physically removed thereby producing a symmetric or asymmetric cavity.

[0031] Pellets according to the disclosed subject matter include a shape that provides several improvements in practice. The non-round shape and positioning of the center of gravity helps minimize the curvature of the pellets trajectory primarily caused by the Magnus effect, which is the natural flight path curvature of a pellet caused by the round shape, rotation, and crosswind acting on the pellet. These improvements result in patterns downrange that tend to be wider and more uniform. This will result in more hits on flying birds because the center of the pattern is not overly tightly grouped, which is generally the case with conventional round pellets.

[0032] As discussed above, the dimpled end or center cavity within the tail portion of the pellets help establish a tumbling mechanism that cause the pellets according to the disclosed subject matter pellets to tumble when they hit a target. The tumbling mechanism provides a greatly increased energy transfer that is more humane. Birds are killed instantly with far less crippling than when using conventional shot made of the same materials. A number of field tests have confirmed the efficiency of pellets according to the disclosed subject matter. The field tests are supported by ballistic lab type tests that show improved performance in ballistic gelatin by pellets according to the disclosed subject matter in comparison to conventional round pellets made of the same material.

[0033] Although the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and various other changes, omissions and additions may be made therein and hereto, without parting from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMSWHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A shotshell pellet comprising: a head portion; a body portion joined with said head portion; and a tail portion joined with said body portion, said tail portion having a center cavity formed therein; wherein said shotshell pellet has a center of gravity that is positioned closer to said head portion than said tail portion.

2. A pellet according to claim 1, wherein said center cavity has a frusto-conical shape.

3. A pellet according to claim 1, wherein said pellet is manufactured from one of iron, steel, and a combination thereof.

4. A pellet according to claim 1, wherein said head portion includes by rounded sidewalls.

5. A pellet according to claim 1, wherein said body portion includes straight sidewalls.

6. A pellet according to claim 1, wherein said tail portion includes inwardly angled sidewalls.

7. A pellet according to claim 6, wherein said inwardly angled sidewalls are straight or curved.

8. A pellet according to claim 6, wherein said tail portion includes a substantially flat base portion that is opposite said rounded sidewalls of said head portion.

9. A pellet according to claim 8, wherein said center cavity is formed in said flat base portion of said tail portion.

10. A shotshell comprising: a hull having a base, a powder chamber and a forward portion; a propellant charge in said powder chamber within said hull; a primer carried within said base of said hull; a plurality of shot pellets within said forward portion of said hull, at least some of said plurality of shot pellets are head- weighted shot pellets that include a head portion, a body portion joined with said head portion, and a tail portion joined with said body portion, said tail portion having a center cavity formed therein, wherein each of said head-weighted shot pellets have a center of gravity that is positioned closer to said head portion than said tail portion; and wadding between he propellant charge and the plurality of shot pellets.

11. A shotshell according to claim 10, wherein said center cavity has a frusto-conical shape.

12. A shotshell according to claim 10, wherein said pellet is manufactured from one of iron, steel, and a combination thereof.

13. A shotshell according to claim 10, wherein said head portion includes by rounded sidewalls.

14. A shotshell according to claim 10, wherein said body portion includes straight sidewalls.

15. A shotshell according to claim 10, wherein said tail portion includes inwardly angled sidewalls.

16. A shotshell according to claim 15, wherein said inwardly angled sidewalls are straight or curved.

17. A shotshell according to claim 15, wherein said tail portion includes a substantially flat base portion that is opposite said rounded sidewalls of said head portion.

18. A shotshell according to claim 17, wherein said center cavity is formed in said flat base portion of said tail portion.

19. A shotshell pellet comprising: a head portion; and a body portion including a first end joined with said head portion and a second end opposite said first end, said second end including a base surface, said base surface of said body portion having a center cavity formed therein; wherein said shotshell pellet has a center of gravity that is positioned closer to said head portion than said base surface of said body portion.

20. A pellet according to claim 19, wherein said body portion includes outwardly angled, straight sidewalls.