I've done my best to avoid commenting in this thread, but now it's just impossible to ignore.
The hose nozzle analogy always fishes me in.
The effect of the choke is near exactly analogous to a nozzle. The shot is spread logitundially by the choke, and stop action photographs prove that.
The shotstring starts in the shotcup. Some pellets are ahead of others. Only if the bore was big enough to accomodate a single layer of pellets would there be no shotstring.
The length of the shotstring at the target is effected by, as mentioned, the degree of choke, the roundness of the pellets, and the TIME OF FLIGHT.
The possible effect of muzzle motion on spreading the pattern radially is not illogical to consider. In fact, if the shot charge took a long time to exit the muzzle the effect would be measureable simply because trailing pellets would be given a different vector at exit. The key is relative motion and time. Since the charge which is very short, passes the muzzle very quickly at exit, the pellets are given essentially the same vector. It's impossible for the gunner to move the gun fast enough to create any measureable spread. It's not a dumb question, it's just not something that can be measured because the effect is tiny at our muzzle speeds.
The 'follow through' is neurological. It takes time, quite a bit of it actually, from the time your brain says 'fire' to the exit time of the shot charge. The 'follow through' so necessary to hit the target assures the launch point is as intended and not 10 feet behind like it is if you fail to 'follow through'. This is experimentally proven every time I miss a bird.
Excellent! Thank you shotgunjones. That's exactly what I was looking for.
Wonko, you however have still merely given a statement with, until now, no explination. Thusly your statement was taken as opinion, one I happened to not understand. Rather than explain it you chose to chastise me as ignorant and an idiot. I hope to heaven you're not a teacher. You'd be a miserable failure if you were.
Thank you again shotgunjones.
