Cut shells are stupid.

[Unobtanium]

^Cut shells being effectively used against man-sized target at 100 yards (skip to 8:30).

[Hambo]

Cut shells could turn a depression era squirrel hunt into a successful deer hunt.

It's a great story, but did it really happen often? During the Depression, or maybe even before it where people didn't have much cash (which was any rural area), store owners sold individual shells. If you read old hunting stories or diaries from the South, buckshot for deer is mentioned all the time. Cut shells, not so much.

[Andrew Wiggin]

^Cut shells being effectively used against man-sized target at 100 yards (skip to 8:30).

What do you mean by "effectively"?

[Unobtanium]

What do you mean by "effectively"?

I mean it probably would have hit the gel block as a cohesive, in OP's video.

[Unobtanium]

It's a great story, but did it really happen often? During the Depression, or maybe even before it where people didn't have much cash (which was any rural area), store owners sold individual shells. If you read old hunting stories or diaries from the South, buckshot for deer is mentioned all the time. Cut shells, not so much.

They used to be legal for deer in Michigan, now, they are expressly forbidden to be on your person/in your weapon during a season which you cannot take deer using a shotgun. There are many references to them being used during the depression era, but I find state law specifically mentioning them is a pretty good indicator as to the validity of their historical use, for whatever reason.

November 10-14
It is unlawful to carry afield or transport any rifle (including rimfire) or shotgun if you
have buckshot, slug, ball loads, or cut shells.
Exception:
You may transport a firearm
to your deer camp or to a target range during this period if the firearm is properly
transported see pg. 19. A resident who holds a fur harvester license may carry a
.22 caliber or smaller rimfire firearm while hunting furbearers or checking a trap line
during the open season for hunting or trapping furbearing animals. You also may
target shoot on your own property provided there is no attempt to take game.

Page 20

2016
Michigan Hunting and Trapping Digest
21
EQUIPMENT
REGULATIONS
Firearm Deer Season
It is unlawful for a person taking or attempting to take game to carry or possess
afield a centerfire or muzzleloading rifle, a crossbow, a bow and arrow, a centerfire
or black powder handgun, or a shotgun with buckshot, slug or ball loads or cut
shells,
unless
you have in your name and possession a current-year:
•
Deer, deer combo, or antlerless deer license for the appropriate DMU,
or
•
Deer, deer combo, or antlerless deer license for the appropriate DMU
with
an unused Deer Management Assistance (DMA) permit kill tag, or an unused
managed deer hunting permit.

Page 21
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/d...t_461177_7.pdf

So...obviously people did, or still do, use cut shells for deer. Ill advised or forced upon by hardship, or whatever, or not.

[RevolverRob]

Some places in the world - not the United States - have very restrictive gun ownership policies. Such that basically shotguns, as utility/hunting weapons, are the only weapons permitted. And they often have strict control and regulation of ammunition types, too. Limiting buckshot and slugs to use by Military or Police. In those instances, cut shells may, make a lot of sense and not be "stupid" or "retarded".

Let's also not forget that cut-shells were intended for break action single and double guns - not pumps or semi-autos. So jamming was a non-issue.

[Jeep]

Some places in the world - not the United States - have very restrictive gun ownership policies. Such that basically shotguns, as utility/hunting weapons, are the only weapons permitted. And they often have strict control and regulation of ammunition types, too. Limiting buckshot and slugs to use by Military or Police. In those instances, cut shells may, make a lot of sense and not be "stupid" or "retarded".

Let's also not forget that cut-shells were intended for break action single and double guns - not pumps or semi-autos. So jamming was a non-issue.

Those are fair points that I had not considered. In addition the reference to "cut shells" in the Michigan statute that Unobtanium quotes above makes me think that perhaps in Michigan people were using cut shells when buck and slugs were banned, which is why the cut shells were banned also.

However, they still make little sense if you can buy (and use) slugs relatively cheaply.

[X9VlmF8m]

You declared cut shells to be stupid but only tested cut birdshot shells. I assume that cut buckshot shells would also act like buckshot once it hits a target. Could a cut buckshot shell offer similar accuracy to a slug? Would it provide any advantages over a slug such as limited over-penetration in comparison?

I swear that a few years ago I saw an ad for a factory version of a cut shell but I've never been able to find them again. It had a fully enclosed shot cup that never released and kept the shot together.