Charlie,
Yes, I calculate the price of each loaded shell before I purchase any non-toxic shot. My favorite Short 10 load for Canada Geese and large ducks is:
1 3/8 oz Nice Shot #2
SP10 Wad
35 grains of 4756
Cheddite Primer
Overshot Card
Roll crimp
I reduce costs by buying everything in bulk and on sale when available.
The non-toxic shot is the most expensive component which thanks to the sales at BPI and Precision Reloading will this year cost me per shot:
ITX: Sold at $17 per pound plus about .50 shipping per pound = $17.50 or a little less than $1.10 per ounce.
Nice Shot: Sold at $25.55 per pound with free shipping or $1.54 per ounce.
IMR 4756 cost me about $20 per pound. At 35 grains there are 200 round in a pound. Powder costs $.10 per shell.
Today I bought 1000 SP10 wads at $.058 each. The overshot card cost $.012 each. Primers are $.03 each.
$2.1175 = 1 3/8 oz Nice Shot
Or
$1.5125 = 1 3/8 oz ITX
$0.06 = SP10 wad
$0.03 = primer
$0.10 = 35 gr 4756
$0.012 = overshot card
Total cost per shell Nice Shot = $2.3195 or $57.99 per 25 rounds
Total cost per shell ITX = $1.7145 or $42.86 per 25 rounds
Last year’s Nice Shot loads were shot sparingly with devastating effects of Canada Geese and Mallards. My kill ratio with this load was high because I waited for easy shots. The reward was the performance of lead from a 115 year DH which I dubbed my “Big Friend Ten”. I let geese come in over decoys at 60 yards and laid them out with every shot!
PS: One ounce of Nice Shot will kill Mallards at long range. An ounce and an eighth will kill certainly geese. But my Big Friend Ten likes to throw a little shot more down range. One must respect their favorite gun!
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