Rifles And Shotguns example essay topic

David Bourgeois English 1010 Mrs. McNeely March 9, 2005 Use of a rifle / Use of a shotgun All guns serve different purposes. Guns have been a part of American history for many years. Many different kinds of guns have been used for many different types of jobs. In like manner hunters have different guns for different game.

Just as police use guns for law enforcement, hunters use guns to harvest game. The two most commonly used firearms of hunters, are the rifle and the shotgun. Both the rifle and the shotgun are used for hunting, but the two have some major differences. The main differences between the two firearms are cost, range and the type of ammunition that each firearm uses.

Most gun manufactures sell shotguns much cheaper than they sell rifles. Shotguns are not as complex internally, and have fewer parts than rifles. The simplicity of a shotgun also makes them easier to clean and maintain, which cuts down on cost. Being that shotguns have fewer parts than rifles, this helps with expense also. No matter how well a hunter takes care of his gun, over time internal parts will either brake or need to be replaced. If there are fewer parts, there is less to replace and less money to spend.

Rifles on the other hand, seem to cost much more than shotguns. Rifles are much more complex internally than shotguns and therefore cost more to produce. Also when hunting with rifles some type of vision enhancement is required due to the long-range shots. Most people tend to purchase a scope with their rifle to help them conquer those long shots. Scopes are very expensive and also require a lot of maintenance.

Maintenance is more costly for rifles due to more moving parts internally. Rifle ammunition is very expensive due to the high cost of the brass casing that holds the gunpowder. Ammunition can also be harder to find for a rifle because of the many different brands and calibers. This can add to cost, due to the fact that some ammunition has to be special ordered.

Shotguns are always used in short-range situations. After only thirty-to-forty yards the shotgun bullets loose velocity and accuracy. If a person has a shot with in those short thirty-to-forty yards; the shotgun is most effective at taking down game. The shotgun shot has several bullets moving at the target at once that spread out and cover a large area. This is why the shotgun is used in situations when the game is moving. It is easier to hit a fast target with dozens of bullets instead of just one.

Rifles are made to be accurate at long ranges. Rifles are the total opposite of shotguns. Rifles can take down game at extreme ranges. Being able to take longer shots gives the hunter the unfair advantage of being further away from the game. This distance between the hunter and the game puts the hunter out of the animal's sight, allowing him to have a better chance of harvesting his game. Rifles have rifling in their barrels, which makes the bullets twist through the air like screws.

Barrel rifling gives the rifle a much greater accuracy then the shotgun. Shotgun bullets have many more parts than rifle bullets. Shotgun bullets are actually called shotgun shells. Shotgun shells have many bullets inside of them instead of having just one like that of the rifle. The number and size of bullets in the shotgun shell depends on the shot size. Numbers classifies shot size, if the shot size is seven the shell will have smaller but more bullets than a shell with a shot size of six.

Shot sizes range from triple-0-buckshot (which is the largest load with the fewest amount of bullets) to the No. 9 shot (which is the smallest load with the most bullets). Picking the right shot size all depends on the type of game a person is hunting. Rifle bullets are far less complex compared to shotgun bullets, yet they deliver a much more intense impact. Rifle ammunition consists of a casing, which holds the gunpowder and is topped off with the bullet. The grain number distinguishes rifle bullet sizes; the higher the grain numbers the larger the bullet. Rifle bullets have a greater impact or (knock down) because there is just one large projectile hitting the target instead of several small ones like shotgun ammunition.

Rifles and shotguns are alike in many ways. Depending on a hunter's pocket book and the type of game the hunter plans to stalk are the key factors in determining which firearm to use. The fact still remains that the two firearms are both very useful in different and sometimes the same situation. Deciding which of the two to use all comes down to the hunter's preference of cost, range, and ammunition.