How a Shotgun Works

A shotgun is a specialized weapon made to spread shot out over an area.  This is different than a rifle.  A rifle shoots one big bullet instead of a payload of many shot pieces.  The way a shotgun accomplishes this is by using a different kind of cartridge called a shotshell.  The firing pin on the shotgun hits the primer which ignites the gun powder.  The gun powder builds up an enormous amount of pressurized gasses that push the wad with the shot in the shot cup through the gun barrel.  Once outside the barrel the wad spreads out in the air and the shot continues flying through the air in a deadly cloud of lead that spreads out the farther it gets from the guns barrel.  The advantage in this is that the target is hit with many smaller projectiles carrying a huge amount of force over a larger area.  The disadvantage is that the relatively smaller pieces of shot loose their energy at a much shorter distance than a rifle bullet.  Shotguns are used for turkey hunting because turkeys are so tough and have such small vitals that they often die far away from where they are shot when hit with a single bullet.  But if you hit them in the head with a cloud of lead shot, you can expect a quick clean kill.