[Charlie Becknell]

A couple of photos. In the A.,B., & C. Photo marks:
A. Shot cloud?
B. Wad?
C. Smoke? Shot string?

 

[Hunt1gsp]

A. Yes
B. Yes
C. Vapor trail

 

[derbyacresbob]

I am pretty sure "B" is the wad and "A" is the shot.

I am not sure what the long line in both photos is.

The shot string "the front pellets to the back pellets" in the shot cloud will be very short at those distances.

2016-05-11 16.22.16-5 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/156463377@N08/, on Flickr
In the above Skeet Low House #8 target, you can see that the shot string is very short about half way to the target.
2016-05-11 16.22.16-6 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/156463377@N08/, on Flickr

 

[JBrooks]

Shot string is a misnomer. Shot cloud is better.

 

[Charlie Becknell]

Shot string is a misnomer. Shot cloud is better.

I've read where "the cloud " could be 10-12 feet in length but it shortenswith over-bored barrels.

 

[perazzidave]

You want to see the affects of shot string go to a club with a shot curtain. What is really amazing is how big the pattern is at shot curtain distance. A cow could walk through your pattens at shot cutrain distance. I would say just guessing the patern is at least 15 feet in diameter. I have no idea how long the shot string is but it's atleast 1/2 a second give or take that the pettets are striking the shot curtain.
PDave

 

[tomk2]

Shot cloud, wad slowed down, and wad/shot going fast. I like the idea of a vapor trail, I just think what is shown is a function of shutter speed, lighting differences, and high velocities? Notice how the tenuous image after the muzzle blast but before the bright wad trail has two separate trajectories, one wad and one shot. The wad is on the left, the shot on the right.

 

[derbyacresbob]

From KPY Shotshell Ballistics.

If the shot curtain is 100 yards from the 16 yard line 1290 fps lead #7-1/2 shot will take .603 seconds to hit the shot curtain and it will be going about 252 fps.

1600 fps lead #7-1/2 will take .560 seconds to get to the curtain that is 100 yards away and it will be going about 270 fps.

So the lead #7-1/2 shot that starts out 310 fps faster is only about 18 fps faster at 100 yards away where the shot curtain is.

 

[JBrooks]

I've read where "the cloud " could be 10-12 feet in length but it shortens with over-bored barrels.

6 feet at most regardless of choke..

 

[JBrooks]

I would guess that C is light refracting off the shock wave/ vapor trail, like from jet wingtips, from the shot going plus speed of sound.

 

[docbombay]

Via my photo enhancement profilameter I have positive proof as to what the white streak labeled "B" contains.

 

[pheasantmaster]

I've read where "the cloud " could be 10-12 feet in length but it shortenswith over-bored barrels.

Iam not sure where that 10-12 feet initially emitted from other than Bristers book but the few times that I’ve witnessed actually seeing the cloud and the imagery that I’ve seen taken with high shutter speed cameras, I like Jk80 believe it’s more in the 4-6ft range in the area of target execution.

 

[Drew Hause]

Ed Lowry’s articles 79’ & 89’ American Rifleman

"The Effect of a Shot String" by Ed Lowry

The Truth About Shot Stream

Pretty short at 18 feet

Don't believe everything you read Charlie

 

[Drew Hause]

Short range shot cloud videos which seems to show a similar 'contrail' behind the shot cloud

Super Slow-Mo Skeet-Trap Shotgun - See the Pellets - YouTube

slow motion shotgun shots - YouTube

 

[Drew Hause]

Longer range shot clouds. Advance to about 2 minutes to get past the Blaser promo stuff

Clay shooting with the Blaser F16 / unbelievable scenes / slow motion - YouTube

 

[Chichay]

A couple of photos. In the A.,B., & C. Photo marks:
A. Shot cloud?
B. Wad?
C. Smoke? Shot string?
View attachment 1825999
View attachment 1826002

A tough guess. I'm inclined to think the answer is highly dependent on the speed of the camera shutter when the picture was taken. A faster speed would show the shot cloud and wad clearly, while a slower speed would show them as a streak. Note their distance from the shooter. I find it hard to believe that the fastest and slowest pellets have already separated that much at such relatively short distance from the muzzle.

 

[timb99]

Most of the length of what you see is caused by a slow shutter speed on the camera which needs more time open to allow more light in to have an image.

 

[timb99]

Pretty short at 18 feet

Yeah, but those images don't tell you much about what's going on 100 feet downrange.

 

[timb99]

A tough guess. I'm inclined to think the answer is highly dependent on the speed of the camera shutter when the picture was taken. A faster speed would show the shot cloud and wad clearly, while a slower speed would show them as a streak. Note their distance from the shooter. I find it hard to believe that the fastest and slowest pellets have already separated that much at such relatively short distance from the muzzle.

Exactly this ^^^^

 

[timb99]

I've read where "the cloud " could be 10-12 feet in length but it shortens with over-bored barrels.

Until someone provides evidence, using a trap gun with trap ammunition, high speed photography and actual yardage measurements in the background (which is how I would do it if I had the time, equipment, and inclination) I am going to stick with "a trap shot string is somewhere between 1 inch and 100 feet."