Long brass, short brass, tall brass...

offeror

My hunting cousin apprised me of something I wasn't aware of. There are long and short brass shotgun shells. I'm sure I'm putting a target on my back here for sounding dumb, but it hasn't come up before. I guess all you hunters were aware of this, eh? Yet when I go to buy name brand ammo for my home defense guns (which I haven't done lately), I haven't seen this designation before on a box of 00 or #1 buck shells, nor on slugs. Is this a topic?

T. Jefferson: "[When doing Constitutional interpretation], let us [go] back to the time when [it] was adopted. [Rather than] invent a meaning [let us] conform to the probable one in which it was passed."

NRA Life Member

H.S. 10-X

Short brass are for light loads, with less powder. Tall brass are for heavier loads that are loaded with more powder.


"If I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know"- Kansas

offeror

So short brass is lighter than average and tall brass is "normal"? What is the difference in the stats? Spread over distance, etc?

T. Jefferson: "[When doing Constitutional interpretation], let us [go] back to the time when [it] was adopted. [Rather than] invent a meaning [let us] conform to the probable one in which it was passed."

NRA Life Member

H.S. 10-X

Hell, I don't know that. All I know that is if the brass is taller the shotgun shell has more powder. I shoot alot of the short brass when I'm shooting clays just because they have less recoil, but when I go hunting I shoot the heavier loads with the tall brass.


"If I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know"- Kansas

Hangfire

Don't know the stats. I've always referred to them as High base and Low Base.High base were always magnum loads.

Love them Pre-64's!!!!-Bob

Tailgunner1954

This dates back to the paper shell days, the higher (longer) brass (about 3/4" up the sides) was needed to hold the higher pressure shells together, the low base (shorter) brass (about 3/8" up the sides) was adaquate for the lower pressure shells.
Since than people have come to believe that High = power, and low = target/bunny loads. The truth is that with todays 1 piece construction the brass (if used, there are some no brass shells also) is only needed for extraction as the internal pressures are almost equil between factory target and duck loads.

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Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.

select-fire

Low brass - Field loads
High brass- Use to be High Velocity loads, Magnum loads

Today one can find low brass high velocity loads

All in all just more powder in the high brass with more shot