Photo-luminescent shotgun projectiles

Abstract

Disclosed and claimed are pellets for a shotgun shell which are covered with a light transmissive coating that contains pigments which photo-luminesce visible light, of selectable wavelength (color), in response to excitation by long wave ultra-violent light (“black light”). The trajectory of such pellets during flight is able to be visualized and captured on camera during night, indoors or under shooting conditions where ambient light is low. When lodged in a target the visibility of the pellets can be enhanced by illumination by black light, thereby facilitating the task of locating shot pellets, for removal from the target, scoring or other purposes. By assigning several shooters shotgun shells having pellets which photo-luminesce a color which is distinctive to each, one is also able, by visual inspection of the pellets lodged in a target, to determine which of said shooters struck a target and other information relating to the accuracy of each shooter's efforts.

1 . Shotgun pellets comprising:
 a photo-luminescent coating encapsulating the shot pellets to permit tracking of the pellets' trajectory to the target situs, the coating being the residue of a liquid mixture comprising a pigment which photo-luminesces visible light of a selected color in response to excitation by black light and a carrier medium which adheres to the surface of the pellets and is transmissive of black light and light of said selected color.   
     
     
         2 . The shotgun pellets of  claim 1  further comprising an adherent undercoating, disposed between the surface of shotgun pellets and said photo-luminescent coating, which is highly reflective of black light. 
     
     
         3 . The shotgun pellets of  claim 1  further comprising an adherent undercoating, disposed between the surface of shotgun pellets and said photo-luminescent coating, which is highly reflective of light of said selected color. 
     
     
         4 . The shotgun pellets of  claim 2  wherein said undercoating is also highly reflective of light of said selected color. 
     
     
         5 . The shotgun pellets of  claim 2  wherein said undercoating is white. 
     
     
         6 . The shotgun pellets of  claim 3  wherein said undercoating is white. 
     
     
         7 . The shotgun pellets of  claim 1  where said medium has a volatile component comprised of water. 
     
     
         8 . The shotgun pellets of  claim 1  where said medium has a volatile component comprised of petroleum based solvents. 
     
     
         9 . The shotgun pellets of  claim 1  where said medium is comprised of a catalytically cured resin. 
     
     
         10 . The shotgun pellets of  claim 9  where the resin is an epoxy resin.