Shotgun shell assembly and method of use

Abstract

A shotgun shell assembly having a shotgun shell, a wad with a maximum width sized to be removably inserted within an internal cavity of the shotgun shell and including a firing surface disposed at a distal end of the wad and being of a material harness different than a material hardness of the body of the wad, and an arrow-like projectile with a firing position along a projectile loading path that includes the arrow-like projectile disposed within the internal cavity of the shotgun shell and with the proximal end of the arrow-like projectile abutting the firing surface without being encapsulated by the wad.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shotgun shell assembly comprising:
 a shotgun shell having a primer and a shell case defining an internal cavity;   a wad having a body with a maximum width sized to be removably inserted within the internal cavity of the shotgun shell, the wad including a firing surface disposed at a distal end of the wad, the firing surface of a material harness different than a material hardness of the body of the wad; and   an arrow-like projectile with a distal end and a proximal end, the arrow-like projectile having a firing position along a projectile loading path that includes:
 the arrow-like projectile disposed within the internal cavity of the shotgun shell; and 
 the proximal end of the arrow-like projectile abutting the firing surface without being encapsulated by the wad. 
   
     
     
         2 . The shotgun shell assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the body of the wad is of a cylindrical shape.   
     
     
         3 . The shotgun shell assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the wad further comprises:
 a firing disc coupled to the body of the wad and including the firing surface, wherein the firing disc is of a circular shape and has a cylindrical shape corresponding to the cylindrical shape the body of the wad.   
     
     
         4 . The shotgun shell assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the firing surface is substantially planar.   
     
     
         5 . The shotgun shell assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the firing disc is concentrically disposed in relation to the wad of the body.   
     
     
         6 . The shotgun shell assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the material harness of the firing surface is lower than the material hardness of the body of the wad.   
     
     
         7 . The shotgun shell assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein:
 the firing surface and the body of the wad are both of a polymeric material.   
     
     
         8 . The shotgun shell assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the wad further comprises:
 a spherical tip that tapers upwardly from a circumferential point on the body of the wad and terminates into the firing surface.   
     
     
         9 . The shotgun shell assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the material harness of the firing surface is greater than the material hardness of the body of the wad.   
     
     
         10 . The shotgun shell assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the body of the wad further comprises:
 a platform with a circumferential outer diameter that defines the maximum width of the body, wherein the circumferential point on the body from which the spherical tip extends is a radial length from the circumferential outer diameter of the platform.   
     
     
         11 . The shotgun shell assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the spherical tip is concentrically disposed in relation to the body of the wad.   
     
     
         12 . The shotgun shell assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the arrow-like projectile further comprises:
 a plurality of fins, wherein the plurality of fins are slidably and directly coupled to an inner wall of the shell case when the arrow-like projectile is in the firing position.   
     
     
         13 . The shotgun shell assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the wad further comprises:
 a distal end, a proximal end, and a wad length separating the distal and proximal ends of the wad, wherein the wad length is less than approximately 1 inch.   
     
     
         14 . A shotgun shell target practicing kit comprising:
 a shotgun shell having a primer and a shell case with an inner wall defining an internal cavity;   a wad having a body with a maximum width sized to be removably inserted within the internal cavity of the shotgun shell, a distal end and a proximal end, the wad including a firing surface disposed at the distal end of the wad and a wad inner wall spanning from the proximal end that defines a volume for housing a main propellant charge; and   an arrow-like projectile with a distal end, a proximal end, and a plurality of fins, the arrow-like projectile having a firing position along a projectile loading path that includes the arrow-like projectile disposed within the internal cavity of the shotgun shell without being encapsulated by the wad and with the plurality of fins slidably and directly coupled to the inner wall of the shell case.   
     
     
         15 . The kit according to  claim 14 , wherein:
 the firing surface is of a material harness different than a material hardness of the body of the wad.   
     
     
         16 . The kit according to  claim 15 , wherein the wad further comprises:
 a firing disc coupled to the body of the wad and including the firing surface, wherein the firing disc is of a circular shape and has a cylindrical shape corresponding to a cylindrical shape the body of the wad.   
     
     
         17 . The kit according to  claim 16 , wherein:
 the firing surface is substantially planar and the firing disc is concentrically disposed in relation to the wad of the body.   
     
     
         18 . The kit according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the material harness of the firing surface is lower than the material hardness of the body of the wad.   
     
     
         19 . A method of target practicing with a shotgun comprising:
 loading a shotgun shell, defining an internal cavity, with a wad, the wad including a body and a firing surface of a material harness different than a material hardness of the body of the wad and disposed at a distal end of the wad;   inserting a proximal end of an arrow-like projectile with a plurality of fins into the internal cavity until the proximal end abuts the firing surface without being encapsulated by the wad;   loading the shotgun shell, the wad, and the arrow-like projectile into a firing chamber of a firearm, the firearm having a barrel defining a distal opening; and   firing the firearm so as to discharge the arrow-like projectile from the distal opening of the barrel and leaving the shotgun shell and the wad disposed within the firearm.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising:
 inserting the proximal end of the arrow-like projectile such that the plurality of fins are slidably and directly coupled to an inner wall of the shotgun shell.