Types of Ammo: Sabots

A sabot is a specially shaped, two-stage cartridge. It has an outer jacket that helps it travel longer distances, and it has an inner slug or payload. The jacket is designed to fall away in flight after it reaches a certain distance. Several hunting sources suggest that sabot ammunition is only effective at longer distances when shot through a rifled barrel. For a shotgun hunter, this usually means adding on a rifled choke tube.

Sabot can also describe an arrow-like shape of material that fits in a standard shell. One particularly frightening sabot-style payload is the flechette. A flechette round contains hundreds of small, needle- or razor-like projectiles designed to penetrate armor and inflict painful wounds. They are banned by the Geneva Convention but do still see use in combat and counter-terrorism from time to time.

Miscellaneous Ammo Breaching rounds - Shotguns are commonly used in the military to "unlock" doors when troops don't know what lies on the other side. Because traditional ammo tends to ricochet and may end up hitting the shooter or someone inside the room, breakable "breaching rounds" are often used. These shells contain a metallic powder that disperses on contact. Bean bags - Bean bags are used as shotgun ammo in crowd control situations, as in most cases they stun the victim but do not inflict lasting damage. CS gas grenades - Combat shotguns can be used to disperse tear gas and similar chemicals. Rock salt - Rock salt is a popular home defense ammunition because it reportedly causes severe pain but usually no permanent damage. See DesMoinesRegister.com: Suspect shot with rock salt is caught to read about a case where rock-salt-filled shells were used to disable a burglar. People will put just about anything in a shotgun and call it ammo. To get an idea of some of the wacky ammunition produced commercially, check out Everything2.com: Exotic Shotgun Ammo.