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The evolution of the shotshell spans 400 years of innovation

Hunters have gone after quail, pheasants and doves for more than a century with evolving forms of shotgun ammunition. The photo above is a box of Winchester 12-gauge shotgun shells with a detailed image of the paper shell in 1901. (Photo by John Felsher)

The shotgun shell is one of the most recognizable forms of ammunition in the world, but its development spans more than four centuries of innovation. From crude paper cartridges carried by soldiers in the 1600s to today’s highly engineered plastic shells, the evolution of the shotgun shell mirrors advances in firearms technology, chemistry, and manufacturing.

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