The most common combat load is 00 shot, pronounced 'double-aught.' A typical 12 gauge shotgun shell loaded with 00 Shot contains nine to fifteen pellets (nine for standard, 12 or 15 for magnum shells). Sizes of shot is the individual lead or steel pellets that are fired from the weapon, which vary as well. The smaller the number, the larger the bore.
The gauge number is the number of lead balls of that gun's bore diameter that would weigh a pound.
A 12 gauge shotgun has a bore size of 18.53mm (.729', or 72 caliber). Most civil, police, and military shotguns are 12 gauge weapons. 410 shotgun that measures in caliber) are the most common bore sizes, with 12 gauge leading the group in popularity. Although bore sizes range incrementally from 1.5 up to 32 (with an aberrant 67.5 topping the scale), 10, 12, and 20 gauge (aside from the. 'Gauge' is used to describe the bore size of a shot-firing weapon.
