Shells for the SxS events?
 

There's increasing talk here and on other sites regarding the Southern, Northeast SxS (Hausmann's) and Rock Mountain's Northern SxS event. Great! And of course that's with the camaraderie, buying/selling/trading guns, and the shooting. Regarding the shooting I'm wondering what gents are thinking about having enough shells to shoot your vintage guns as usual? Me, I'm pretty well set with shells on hand to include RST's and reloads. What say you?

If my shot supply holds up, I am set with powder and primers. What is everyone paying for shot?

I'm good Frank. Same as you with factory and reloads.

Bill, $35+tx.

I'm just finishing up loading for this year. I may have enough supplies to cover next year as well except for wads. But you can bet I'll be stocking up this year if the opportunity arises.

Current local shot price is $34.95 and there seems to be an adequate supply. Powder and primers are another story.

25lbs of the good stuff 42.00

I am hoping usual doesn’t turn out to be like last year!

I'm not a high volume shooter and I have enough and can load enough for this year, including the couple of boxes I'll need for next fall's hunting excursions.

I haven't bought any components for a couple of years so whatever I paid back then is irrelevant at this point.





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I'm OK, won't be at Ernies but at Mike's. But if only RST would take an order now and I'll wait MONTHS for it. Tried to order 8 flats but no return email and the phone is never picked up. I would have ordered it in December if I could get a return call. I even would have pre paid. I have made the decision to reload but I might be dead before anything is available.

Bill, I just paid $49 in Millbrook, NY. I bought the last four bags they had, #8 and three bags of 8 1/2. I bought the 8 1/2 only because it was there. I've never used 8 1/2 for trap. I think it might be ok at the 16 yard line. I'll find out. Does anyone have experience with 8 1/2 at trap?

I am well stocked for the time being with both factory and reloads. Having said that I hope that Morris will be making delivery as usual to some of the events as I would like to stock pile a few more 2.5" 20'sand 16's,.
Now would be a good time for me to fire up the MEC again if I really needed to. The weather girl was calling for 1 to 3" of snow overnight last evening. We had 8" at the house and some are reporting 11" :eek:

I've got plenty of hunting shells and enough target loads to get through spring trap league an maybe a bit more. After that...?

I've got enough for a couple of years in factory + reloads. Got 10 cases of 16 ga 1oz loads to shoot in my "modern" guns like my 4E 16 NID, Utica Sterlys, and 1 frame VH 16. Have so many 2 1/2" low pressure 7/8 and 3/4 oz 16's loaded that I cant seem to make myself hit the reloading bench. Should probably order some more SG 16 wads, have a thousand DR16 wads which seem impossible to get now. Have several bags of old R16 wads, SP16, and Claybuster WAA 16 clones that I never use--but will if wads dry up.
Not quite so flush in 20 ga, but 6 cases of factory 7/8 oz, and lots of 3/4 oz reloads.
Dont shoot 12 ga much, except for my WW Greener side lever hammer, and have a good many 7/8 oz loaded for it.
After shooting my Ugartechea 28 a little more last year on birds and clays, thought I might shoot it a little more this year. Thinking about getting a 28 Mec.
24 lbs of powder, 9 bags of shot, and 5000+ primers in the cupboard, but will
certainly look to pick up more if it presents itself..
It is 7o miles to shoot sporting clays, so I dont shoot all that often, but would certainly like to shoot more.

As written in the opening post I'm ok for a while. In the past I've only loaded for 10 and 12-gauge but decided last month to get into 16 and 20. Also my 12 ga MEC 9000 progressive is getting tired. I’ve got presses now on order to include a 12/20 Ponsness 800 that’s quoted to ship in 2-3 months, and a 16 MEC Sizemaster and short kit that’s 2 weeks out. Both ordered directly from the respective factories. Have plenty of components right now with 209 primers being the limiter and I'll pay whatever I have to when they get to a low trigger point. I like shooting too much to be otherwise sitting around next year wondering why I didn't spend a few bucks extra for this or that.

Between factory loaded stuff , my handloads and the components I have on hand I should be good for perhaps five years :bigbye:

I’ve stock piled enough factory loads to get my 5000 registered trap targets for this target year and put a dent into next year. And enough reloads to keep up practice for several months. But I’m worried about shells for events like the Southern. Don’t do many of those and really don’t have the extra shells to spare, particularly when you consider how poorly I shoot Sporting Clays.

Tom, I always shoot 8’s in singles and doubles and 7.5’s in handicap. ALWAYS.

I do too John. My problem is that I can no longer get 7 1/2s and 8's. I don't want to use 8 1/2's for Trap but I might have to.

I'm in good shape for 2 years at my current rate of usage of 3000 per year for target loads. Duck loads are good for the rest of my life and my son's. LOL
My first shortage will be primers.
I load 8ga,10ga,12ga 3/4oz, 12ga 1 1/8oz for my model11, 20ga 3/4oz.
A friend just bought 500 boxes of BP target loads for $7.75 per box. Rochester Brooks has been selling BP's for $7.75 to members on a two flats per week allowance.
Even if I have to pay outrageous prices for components I won't stop shooting.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

My club finally received primers so I grabbed 4000. For powder I have an 8lb. jug of clay dot and half of another. Just had a case of wads delivered so that totals 6000. I make my own shot. I just ran 40lbs. this past Sunday nd have about 200lbs. of ingots and 150lbs, of wheel weights to use so I set for a while. Planning on Rock Mountain in August.

I was well prepared for last year which didn't happen so I've got shells. I just scrounged 4lbs of 7625 for the 16ga so no needed changes there. I have 20lbs or so of Clays and International clays IF I decide to load 12's during my down time. I have at least 10 flats of new stuff in 12,16. and 20 if push came to shove. The only thing I'd like is a couple of flats of RST 2 inch 12's just because it's better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them.
Regardless of the ammo situation I'm just hoping I can make a shoot or two this year.

I bought nearly two flats of low pressure 20 ga. 2 1/2" 3/4 oz. loads recently, plus about five boxes of 2 1/2" non-tox 20 ga. loads, from a friend who sold his short chambered 20 double.

Got bunches of old 16 ga. ammo for my two 16s. Plenty of powder and primers for reloading .410s, 20s, and 12s. But, I'm not planning to use up all my reloading stuff. i'm going to save it for the time, which may or may not come, that I cannot buy factory stuff. I consider it my ace in the hole. I may reconsider that decision as future events unfold.

I'll be buying any factory stuff, and reloading supplies, as it becomes available at decent prices. But, I will not be paying exorbitant prices for any of it. I refuse to be a part of the problem at this time.

Before I make a decision to go to the range for a round of sporting I will call ahead and see if they have shells on hand. If not I will have to decide if it's important enough for me to use up part of my "stash".

SRH

Ammo is going from hard to find to ridiculous. We have a lot but we go through a lot.

Many use 8 1/2 for the first shot of doubles. They should be ok for 16 yard as long as you don't ride the target too far.

Couple of the clays courses I frequent have shells for customers don’t sell to walk in hoarders. Looking at the recent Federal video and listening to the Shotgun sports Fiocchi interview both say shells are being produced and available question is who do they sell to.

Event organizers are significant customers & should be able to make sure supply is available. Southern SxS probably very important to RST.

William

Tom Archer and I are monitoring the Southern situation closely. Both of us want it to happen, but are aware of the uncertainty of these times.

A few weeks ago a number of people came in to my club, Backwoods Quail Club, and wanted to buy shells. Rick Hemmingway said "I will sell you as much as you want as long as you shoot all of them here on my courses. Apparently they were not happy with that answer. Rick explained further. "My business is throwing targets for my customers. If I don't have ammo for them I don't have a business." When I ran out of primers a few months ago I purchased shell from Rick. They were definitely higher priced than just about everywhere else, but I would rather purchase from Rick mainly because I am loyal to my club and I have been treated quite well in the last ten years I have been a member.

Our club is the same way. Purchase targets and they will sell you shells. Can't blame them for that

RST website is down today so that they can "catch up on backlogged orders".

If I can make Hausmanns or Mikes shoot I'll try and get two more flats of 2 inch 12's. I'm not a 12ga guy but have a British light game gun thats sub 6lbs and for grouse, woodcock, pheasants and of course quail it's just about perfect.

That's been on and off for a while like that Reggie. Even when they're up and running the stock is very sparse. Seems like they have one person handling all the correspondence and emails, I do feel bad for her.

I ordered a case of 28 gauge last week, which was the only time I have visited their site until today.

As mentioned earlier I’d ordered a 16 ga MEC Sizemaster along with a short kit for 2-1/2” shells. That was after searching for a good used 16 press and only finding a few that looked to be tired and/or missing parts. The larger distributors all showed out of stock on the entire line of 16 MECs but MEC’s site stated 2-3 weeks delivery after direct order and I called to confirm that. My web order was 10 days ago and I just got a UPS alert that the press and kit were shipped. Yep the Sizemaster isn't a progressive press but I'm not loading 16's for volume shooting. That's what I do for 12's with a progressive. All this is jfi to those positioning to load 16 ga whether 2-3/4 or 2-1/2” shells.

All I load are the 2 1/2 inch in 12,16,20 &410. The 28's are 2 3/4. I bought Mec 9000 for all of them except the 12. When I decided I wanted the 9000 in 2 1/2 inch they quit making them. One reason I don't load the 12 anymore is the sizemaster with the short kit is just slow.

Tom Ive shot trap at the 16 yard line with 1 oz #9 with no problems. Averaging scores of 23 and 24

In recent years when I started loading 16 again I ended up doing the new press route . First got a 600 JR from Shirk , then later decided I needed a progressive so I got a 650 16 from Gamaliel . Later I found an unused 9000 16 . Not to long ago I sold the slightly used 650 to a friend . Then about two months ago when I got the pile of 16 gauge AA hulls and SP16 wads a 650 was included . That one is an older one that’s set up for AA hulls SP16 wads with an ounce and SR4756 . I initially planned to turn the 650 loose but they shells looked so nice I decided to keep it just for the AA SP16 combination .