How many boxes of shells...?

[Wags]

All the boxes of shells.....

 

[Redjones]

I try to keep a few flats of steel and lead,always seems to be somebody running short on ammo during season.

Greg

 

[CorbLand]

My theory with ammo is buy as much as you can and still say "well that sucks" if it magically went down 50% in price the next day.

I always try to have a case of duck load and a case of goose load at all times. About half a case of pheasant load and a case or two of target load.

I waterfowl hunt with a guy that buys a case of duck load and a case of goose load each year. He buys them no matter how many he has. Some years he shoots two cases, some years only a half. Last time I talked to him, he had 10 full cases of 12 gauge, 7 cases of 20 and a couple cases of 10 gauge. He watches for good deals in the off season and picks it up.

 

[Wags]

My theory with ammo is buy as much as you can and still say "well that sucks" if it magically went down 50% in price the next day.

I always try to have a case of duck load and a case of goose load at all times. About half a case of pheasant load and a case or two of target load.

I waterfowl hunt with a guy that buys a case of duck load and a case of goose load each year. He buys them no matter how many he has. Some years he shoots two cases, some years only a half. Last time I talked to him, he had 10 full cases of 12 gauge, 7 cases of 20 and a couple cases of 10 gauge. He watches for good deals in the off season and picks it up.

I’m that guy… but I average a few cases a season. Our duck season is over 100 days & I hunt a lot. I always try to go into the season with 6 cases between 12,20&16ga. I have 2 sons that hunt as well so we need more ammo than most.

 

[spur60]

I keep pretty good track of shotgun ammo consumption in the fall. Last fall was my least amount of time spent in the field in 10 years due to work. For waterfowl and pheasant last fall, I shot 11 boxes of steel, 3 boxes of bismuth, and 3 boxes of lead. Shot just under 1 case of 3" steel BB for snow geese this spring.

I always have a minimum of 5 cases of steel shot on hand, and a case of heavy lead pheasant loads. I used to shoot 3-5 cases of steel shot just in the spring for snow geese.

I'll probably shoot quite a bit more lead and steel this fall since I likely won't draw any deer tags and my elk hunt isn't until late december.

 

[RC305]

I go through about a case in a week hunting bobwhite in SW GA. Lol

 

[arock]

I went through just over a case last year, 6 and 7.5 shot. Should be fine there for the club and planted birds when feeling lazy or friends want to come or whatever.

Picked up a case of #4 bismuth just now since I didn't get even try for waterfowl last year when i procrastinated that order. That should be fine for just about anything there. Maybe #3 would be better but I kinda took what I could get.

Next priority is grabbing some #5 bismuth for non toxic upland adventures and then go from there. I'd like a case of #5 lead as well but we'll see how the rest of the year pans out.

 

[49ereric]

Local duck numbers have shrunk here real bad and northern birds are rare anymore. I might shoot 4 boxes and last year I shot 5 shells as nothing around but a knee went bad so my October hunting was finished.
I reload steel shot for ducks and glad I bought lots of shot,powder & primers 25 years ago cuz prices crazy now.
I also bought steel & lead shells off armslist from people getting out of duck hunting or getting rid of old shells that are perfectly fine and were cheap. I got a case of 12 gauge mixed steel and lead for $20 once. Old 410 shells etc. 20 gauge buck and slugs all cheap.
bought 8 cases monarch 12 & 20 gauge lead shells from acedemy during a sale for $3.50/box and a case of AA 410 #8’s for just over $5/box All shipped for free and still Internet tax free then.
should be set for life as also bought shot,primer & powder for the 410 AA hulls and I mostly use the 410 for small game.

 

[dtrkyman]

I scoped a couple places this week, best ammo selection I have seen in a couple years.

I grabbed a couple cases of stuff I was low on.

 

[dkell]

I do a lot of bird hunting and as such I have 3 ammo boxes loaded up with HD waterfowl loads, regular waterfowl loads, and an upland box. I have probably 4-5 boxes on the shelves of extra stuff. Now when I go on a trip or running out I just grab the corresponding ammo box and have everything I need. Most of the waterfowl stuff is steel with a couple boxes of bismuth but I honestly cannot tell that big of difference to warrant the price difference of steel. For someone that goes through a lot of shells it’s really not worth the extra $ and it definitely adds up over time. Upland I still predominantly shoot lead when I can but have a few boxes of steel for when I have to have it.

 

[Mcolson]

It all depends on what you are hunting. When I hunt pheasant I typically on need a few more than the limit for that days, duck usually the same or slightly more. Dove...I need a case.

 

[WRO]

Depends on bird numbers, if numbers are good it's easy to shoot a box a day upland hunting, (except for ditch chickens where 9 should cover you) if they're poor a box will go a long ways.

 

[2ski]

How does everyone feel about Boss shells?

 

[WildBoose]

A lot less than I use too. I'm much more selective than I use to be. I can usually get by with 2-2.5 cases...and that's quite a bit when shooting a double gun

 

[dkell]

@2ski Too rich for me... I really have yet to be blown away by the performance of any "premium" shotshells. My curiosity has gotten the better of me for those shells a box at a time and I really just don't care about the difference enough to spend the extra $. It adds up quickly.

 

[49ereric]

@2ski Too rich for me... I really have yet to be blown away by the performance of any "premium" shotshells. My curiosity has gotten the better of me for those shells a box at a time and I really just don't care about the difference enough to spend the extra $. It adds up quickly.

Most steel shot reloaders stick to 2 3/4 length gold medal hulls or equivalent @1450 fps. Plenty of penetration for normal range.

 

[2ski]

Thanks guys. I kind of wish I could find some steel in 2 ³/⁴ and 3 or 4 shot. I plan to hunt some federal land where I need it and all I've really found in 2 ³/⁴ is 6's. In 12 gauge. I feel the recoil enough in my o/u with 2 ³/⁴ . I'd rather not shoot 3's. In my 870, I'll shoot 3's.

 

[dkell]

I grew up reloading with my grandfather but it is something I haven’t invested in yet as an adult. Hard enough to hide my hunting purchases from the wife the way it is .

 

[WCB]

Totally dependent on how much you hunt or shoot in general. I try to keep 1 case (10 boxes) of ammunition per Big game rifle/caliber depending on what the rifle likes. If multiple guns in the same caliber like the same load just the 10 boxes. The 10 box rule is just a baseline. Some I have double. A couple I only have 8 or so but need to buy some more.

I have 8500+rds of .223, double that in .22lr, 1500rds of .17hornet

Handgun:
I always have 200rds or so of my Self Defense load and about 500rds of practice ammo for each my 45 auto and 9mm

Shot shell:
5 cases+ of trap/dove loads. I also shoot these for early season pheasant, grouse, sharptail etc. (20 and 12 ga)
5-6 cases of heavier game loads #4-#6s for later season hunting (20 and 12 ga)
8 or so cases of Waterfowl loads #2-#4 (12ga)
3 cases of 20ga waterfowl/nontoxic
4 cases of .410 mix of #7.5, #7, #6

Muzzleloader:
I have enough bullets, powder, primers for about 150 loads.

I have never understood how even after 2 years of ammo shortages how the average guy that duck hunts 1 or 2 weekends a year, deer hunt 1.5 days and maybe walks for upland 2 or 3 days a year, runs out of ammo.

 

[dkell]

I have never understood how even after 2 years of ammo shortages how the average guy that duck hunts 1 or 2 weekends a year, deer hunt 1.5 days and maybe walks for upland 2 or 3 days a year, runs out of ammo.

I hunt 45+ days a season for waterfowl and upland and have never ran out of shells or even come close to it really.

Every time I walk into a sporting goods store I come out with 1-2 boxes of shells regardless if that’s what I am there for or not.

The other guys in my group would be consistently scrounging up rounds during the shortage to go kill birds.

Takes just a little bit of forethought and cash to be prepared.