Shotgun Shells...what do you use??

[rod locker]

Need to find a new shell with the smooth sides.  Been payiing less than $7.oo per box for Winchester 12 gauge shells with the ribs.  What do ya'll use that is economical?

[litl rooster]

I mostly reload what ever I pick up at the range.   When I buy- I buy the Win AA....They're pretty spendy these days that's why I reload, that and I use mostly Black Powder

[Bugscuffle]

I use the Winchester AA's for smokeless powder and I have a big stash of Federal Gold Medal paper shells that I reload with BP and a roll crimp. Try Gunbroker for your shells. You can get once fired shells pretty cheap there. Plastic shells are probably good for at least five reloads.

[Burt Blade]

The ones that work best for me are the Winchester "featherlight" low noise / low recoil shells. Part number is AA12FL8.  Just under one ounce of #8 shot (26g) at jsut under 1000 fps. Enough oomph to knock down plates, but very little recoil. The hulls fall out of my side-by-side guns.

[Jefro]

Remington STS or Nitro hulls are the best and slickest, WinAA are also good. If you're buying ammo the Remington STSLR Low Recoil is the one to get. Save your empties for when you start reloading, or you can send them to me WinAA switched to a two peice hull a couple years ago (heaven knows why ) and they produce a slight ring about 1/3 the way up. No big deal, I use thoose for BP Good Luck
Remington Low Recoil

Jefro Relax-Enjoy

[Pay Dirt Norvelle]

If you have a trap or sporting clays range in the area you might try them as they should have once used shotshells for sale.  As for myself I use the cheapest 12GA ammo I can find.

[Fingers McGee]

Remington STS or Nitro hulls are the best and slickest, Jefro Relax-Enjoy

+1, that's all use for my BP reloads.  They just fall out of my TTN, and I can get 3, sometimes 4 reloads out of them befoe they're too burnt to crimp.

[Burt Blade]

A bit more info, now that my CAS match plans were rained out.

Steel-hull cheapo shells stick in some doubles. I have yet to find a Stoeger that likes these. My two guns lock up hard if I fire Winchester Super-target or Universal. If your gun works with these, be sure to test any previously-untried brand or hull type before shooting them at a match.

The Winchester AA and WinLite/Featherlite smooth-hull shells run  about $7.50 +tax at my local Wal-mart. Remington STS smooth-hull "good" stuff runs about the same. Dicks is more expensive by $1 or so, but is more likely to have what I want in quantity.

The Winchester Universal and Super-target ribbed hull 'cheap" stuff runs about $6.50 +tax at my local Wal-mart. Remington ribbed-hull "cheap" stuff runs about the same as Winchester U/ST. Dicks is more expensive by $1 or so, but is more likely to have what I want in quantity.

Check your local trap/skeet/clays gun clubs. Some of them may sell new shells by the flat or case. If so, prices are often quite reasonable. (might be members only sales, or guest-shooter prices) They often take orders for non-stock items, if you buy enough and are a member. Some clubs also sell components, if you reload.

Hulls are also often available at clubs, especially right after a match. The shells on the ground typically belong to the scorekeepers, who usually cherry-pick out the AA and STS hulls for sale or reloading for personal use. Most competitors do not reload the cheap hulls, so there is often a big box of them that get tossed out after the match. Also, you will find "ancient" hulls, multi-time-reloaded AA or STS hulls that are shot out. Be wary of these.

If someone is hard up for hulls to reload, and money is tight, talk to a local shotgun club about working as a scorekeeper for a Trap match. Some clubs pay a nominal fee to a decent scorekeeper, and you usually get to keep the hulls dropped on your field. For Trap shoots, I fire at least 300 shells in a day (100x for each of the three events). Fifty shooters can drop quite a pile of hulls. If you are one of four scorekeepers, and 1/4 of the shooters drop their hulls, you are looking at ~600-900 shells, at least some of which will be once-fired AA and STS. (Best Trap game to score is Doubles. More shooters drop hulls, as it is a very fast game.) But be sure you can score properly, including knowing the rules of Trap.  (No clue how it works for Skeet or Sporting Clays.)

You might even decide you like Trap/Skeet/Clays.

[litl rooster]

Steel-hull cheapo shells stick in some doubles. I have yet to find a Stoeger that likes these. My two guns lock up hard if I fire Winchester Super-target or Universal. If your gun works with these, be sure to test any previously-untried brand or hull type before shooting them at a match.









It's not just Storeger

[August]

I can't answer your question.

For me, however, Remington STS are the only hulls that NEVER stick in the gun.  The Winchesters stick one out of ten times.  Never sticking might not be important to you.  But, several years ago I realized most all the time in this game is in the shotgun.  I'm not going to ruin any more thousand dollar weekends with cheap shotgun shells.  Makes no economic sense to me and certainly makes no sense from the perspective of the game.

Remington has had substantial rebates each of the past three years.  If you can get in on one of those, and max-out your purchase, you will be in business for a while.

[rod locker]

Yea...the main trouble I have bneen having....and it is just when the shotgun has to be reloaded during the stage.....is breaking it down to reload.  It breaks down very easily when it is empty.  I was told that the AA's...something aboutn the base...would be easier to break the shotgun down during the reload.  I have taken it apart...cleaned it....lubed it....and it is still gives trouble between targets.  Maybe I am getting in too much hurry.  I don't know.....but it is killing my times. 

[Jefro]

Yea...the main trouble I have bneen having....and it is just when the shotgun has to be reloaded during the stage.....is breaking it down to reload.  It breaks down very easily when it is empty.  I was told that the AA's...something aboutn the base...would be easier to break the shotgun down during the reload.  I have taken it apart...cleaned it....lubed it....and it is still gives trouble between targets.  Maybe I am getting in too much hurry.  I don't know.....but it is killing my times. 

Howdy Rod next time you fire a few rounds look at the primers for drag marks on the bottom half. If you see little scratches your firing pins are prodruding to far, or better yet the shotgun needs to be retimed to start retracting the firing pins sooner. Often when a shotgun has had an action job to allow the shotgun to open wider it will need to have the timing reset. Find only the best shotgun gunsmiths for this. Good Luck 

Jefro Relax-Enjoy

[wildman1]

Yea...the main trouble I have bneen having....and it is just when the shotgun has to be reloaded during the stage.....is breaking it down to reload.  It breaks down very easily when it is empty.  I was told that the AA's...something aboutn the base...would be easier to break the shotgun down during the reload.  I have taken it apart...cleaned it....lubed it....and it is still gives trouble between targets.  Maybe I am getting in too much hurry.  I don't know.....but it is killing my times. 

If ya open it when it is empty the hammer springs are all ready cocked. Try dry firin it once and see if it still opens easy. WM

[Tuolumne Lawman]

I shot anything that is cheap. My 97 doesn't care what I use.  Usually the Federal 100 packs at K Mart or Wally World.