Shotguns Vs. Rifles

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