Originally Posted by
CookieMonster
Explosives work by applying a large amount of force to a significant part of the snowpack, and getting good results from explosives is an excellent indicator of snowpack instability. It should be noted that explosives, including large charges, do not always cause avalanches.
Based on my understanding of the physics of snow, and the physics of the impulse loads applied by explosives, I'd have to say that a shotgun is not the right tool for the job. The pellets from a shotgun probably can't do a better job of applying force to the snowpack than a ski cut or a good, hard stomp.
You might get good results for small patches of highly unstable snow, but in those conditions, you certainly don't need a shotgun ( a ski cut or cornice trundle will suffice ). Further, in such conditions it is ill-advised to stand beneath cornices.
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