Shotgun

A cross-section of a shotgun shell, with the gunpowder charge on the left, and birdshot projectiles on the right.

Shotguns are firearms that fire shells, that differ from conventional bullets, in several ways.

Shotguns are used by hunters, to shoot birds, firing a cloud of hundreds of small round projectiles.

Larger shot sizes are used in buckshot, which is used for hunting deer and other large mammals.

Shotguns can also fire slugs, which are solid pieces of metal. Slugs can be smooth or rifled, which gives them some spin when they are fired. Although not as accurate as rifles, they are effective at short ranges. A specialized type of rifled slug is the sabot, which is designed for better long-range ballistic flight.

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  This shell contains rubber bullets, described as "less lethal", for use in riot control
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  Shotguns are produced that fire shells of multiple sizes