RE: what is a magnum shotgun shell?
We don't use actual drams of powder any more. Dram measurements were used with black powder. However, the word"dram" is still used to describe the velocity that you can get from any given shot shell load.
What all this means is this... Back when drams ofblack powderwere usedit was measured in drams. "X" drams produced "X" velocity with "X" amount of shot.Modern smokeless powder that produces "X" velocity with "X" amount of shot is listed with the same "dram" rating as was used with black powder cartridges.
Basically all this dram stuff is just a modern equivalant velocity rating with any given weight of shot.