How much Shotgun ammo do you keep on hand?

D

Deja vu

New member
I have been stocking up on ammo for several years. People use to give me crap about stocking up on 22lr but now they dont. ;)

Any way lately I have been stocking up on 12ga because its price has not changed as much when compared to other rounds.

So the question is how much do you think makes a good starting point? I have found that I can put a little under 300 rounds in a 50 caliber ammo can. I Currently have an ammo can of bird shot and been working on an ammo can of buck shot, next is slugs. I also have about 700 rounds of random target loads just for practicing.

How much do you think would be a good starting point incase 12ga ever does what Rimfire ammo did and basically dries up?

p.s. What is a good inexpensive slug in 2 3/4 inch 12ga? It will be shot from smooth bore barrels.
 
As always the amount to store depends on how much you practice and/or compete with it. The clay sports can eat up 100 shells quickly. Hunting needs depend on the game and limits. And of course sports like 3gun and Cowboy can also eat up lots if shells. For high volume use you may want 1,000 shells stocked up.

For more casual and less frequent use I have near the same as you. About 300 rds buckshot, 250 slugs, and 800 various hunting and target shells.
 
.


When I was shooting competitively, I used to buy shotshells by the case (2 flats of 250 shells ea), because the more you buy (aka: in bulk), the less you pay (per box/whatever).

Nowadays however, I don't buy anywhere near as much, since I only use a shotgun occassionally for deer (slugs) or small game/birds.

My HD shotgun really only needs what it holds, since I don't contemplate fighting an extended battle with it - but I do keep a small resupply.



.
 
I try to have 50 12 Ga Buckshot shells and at least 5 Slugs.
For my 20 Ga SxS, I am still building-up. I finally found some #3 20 Ga Buckshot loads and was able to get 5, 5 shot boxes and a 5 round box of 20 ga Slugs. I am going a little slow building that supply of #3 Buck up. but the way my sight is going bad, I wnt more!
I figgure 50 Buckshot loads is reasonable for each Gauge.
Like was said above, I don't plan on an extended Shotgun fight! If I ever need it to work,and if I can hit with it, I figgure one plus one "more" to be sure is enough per bad guy!
ZVP
 
Over Stocking up on ammo ...is what is causing these shortages ( like .22 )...unless you're stocking up on what you will shoot say in 6 months....then it makes sense..../ or these shortages will just get worse....

Personally, I shoot about :
a. 400 12ga shotshells for clays a month / I don't need any slugs...
b. 100 20ga shotshells for clays a month..
c. 100 28ga shotshells for clays a month..
d. 100 .410 shotshells for clays a month...

with a flat of 12ga holding 250 shells...I would need about 10 flats of 12ga on hand.. but shotshells are not in short supply and while I doubt prices will come down, I would not overstock. ( same philosophy on 20ga, 28ga and .410)
-----------
9mm I shoot about 30 boxes a month / 1,500 rds a month or 9,000 in 6 mos.
and so on, thru all my calibers...
----------
but then I also invested in reloading equipment for 12ga, 20ga, 28ga, 410 and for all of the metallic I shoot in 9mm, .40S&W, .45 acp, .38 spl, .357 mag and .44 mag... and I keep 6 months supply of shot on hand / and about 6 months supply of powder, primers and bullets...

Right now, the only reloading component that is hard to find is powder...so I do stock powder for 12 mos instead of 6 mos ....but I'm also combining my loads, using one powder where I can, like Hodgdon Universal that has a lot of applications.

Overstocking on primers....when they were pushing $70/1,000....is costing some of those guys a bunch of money right now ....with primers back in inventory and costing $ 27 - $ 35 / 1,0000 now... so I'm glad I didn't overdo it on primers....
 
Last edited:
I have been way over stocked on all sorts of shotgun ammo for years, I won't take any blame for the current shortages as I was a "sock piler" way before it was cool. I have actually cut way back on my new ammo purchases (and shoot much less) since all this panic buying started.

I have cases of different shotgun shells depending on use, (different shot sizes and Dram eq.) also a stock pile of slugs and 00 buck. Some of the more used types, say for Trap, I have 1K on hand. I would buy new and shoot up my oldest stock so my stock stays the same size.
 
Last edited:
i reload all the shells i need,but when dunams has a sell for rem target loads for 59.00 a flat, i buy two. i think i have at least 10 or so flats in the garage right now. eastbank.
 
I'm with iraiam on this, I too was stocking up long before it got fashionable. However, my shot shell inventory is by far the smallest of any other group. While I have two HD and four hunting 12 gauges here, I can only hunt with one at a time. That and the fact the my local suppliers always have plenty of stock.
 
Between 5 & 10 lbs. of 700X.
About 100 lbs. 0f #8 shot.
10 trays of primers.
1500, 1 oz. wads.
1000 to 1500, once shot "AA" hulls.

Don't keep slugs, but do have 100 rounds. loaded with #4 buckshot.
 
Ammo Response

I have just under 2,000 rounds of shotgun ammo on hand right now. Various gauges (.410, 20, 16 and 12). As I mainly use it for hunting and some target / sporting clay shooting I mainly have shot shells and not much in slugs or buckshot. I have some .410 buck for my judge and also some of the Winchester PDX1 Defender ammo. I also have 45 rounds of 12 ga. 000 buck on hand.

I tend to buy ammo when I can find a good deal on it. I recently was able to pick up 3 cases of Federal Wing Shok (predecessor to Prairie Storms) 3" #5's for $100.00 / case! Great load for the wiley Dakota Roosters in the fall. At $10 / box it was a great deal as I can't find this shell any longer except on line an then they are $30+ / box.

I generally carry more rifle and handgun ammo than shotgun. I have .22LR as it is still the most cost effective way to shoot alot. I have quite a bit of .223 /5.56 and 45acp and 9mm.
 
Since I reload it is not that big of a deal. I have components ready to make about 5000 rounds and I try to keep at least 2000 ready to go. It is surprising how quickly you can burn 2000 rounds if you and a buddy or two go sporting clays shooting.

I try to supply the ammo and they pay the range fees. In general it works out well for both of us.
 
I usually keep a 100 rd bulk box of target ammo on hand for clays or cheap blasting along with one full load of buckshot. i recently went to the local gun shop and bought all the aguila mini buck and mini slug they had since my KSG feeds them, nobody else seems to want them, and they have been discontinued. So currently I have 280 12ga mini shells and 100 target shells.

edit- as for cheap slugs try gunbot, i have found (have yet to buy) slugs for $.51 a shell.
 
Shotgunning requires practice, and it's fun.

I like the Fiocchi 12 ga. reduced recoil 00 buck.

When the ammo shortage hit I had about 100 rounds on hand and because they were not available anywhere I did not want to shoot too many of them at the range.

When they became available again I bought enough to have 200 rounds on hand.

At $5.99 for a box of 10 shells, 200 rounds is not a major investment.
 
i buy 500 shells at a time, probably buy 3 times a year, this is for clays only.

have assorted other 25shells boxes of various hunting ammo, 100or so slugs for practise. A box of good ones for hunting
 
I ussually keep roughly 150 rounds of buckshot 100 slugs and about 750-1000 birdshot..the buckshot is for home defense and large animal protection around the house and I shoot about 10 rounds every trip to the range just to keep in practice with it..as for the birdshot it gets shot all the time so I can blow thru 500 rounds in one day with ease it also pulls double duty with varmint control..as for the slugs well I don't have a use for them high on my list that another rifle can't fill for me but I still like to have them incase the need ever arises

All in all shotgun ammo especially 12 gauge is probably the most common round in the world and there is such a high production rate if you feel the need to have 25,000 rounds of it go for it..12 gauge is so commonly produced it never fell out of stock even in the midst of the shortage
 
Not a whole lot. I rarely use a shotgun but man am I looking to change that! Still other than HD & a yearly quail / bunny hunt I don't need many. A box of game loads will last more than a year, but I need to practice more.

I've got about 60 rounds of 12ga 00 buck for things that go bump in the night & around double that in various light game loads for the birdies. Personally, I never understood the need for slugs, unless your local hunting laws restrict you to using them. For sending a single projectile, seems like almost any rifle / caliber would work better & reach farther.

Considering, shotgun ammo is still readily available & its price point hasn't gotten as ridiculous as the other ammuntion, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to buy some more.
 
Last edited:
I have less ammo now than ever before. I'm down to my last bag of shot and only have about 1,000 rounds for the 12s and 28s combined. :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top