While stumbling around yesterday in the large walk in closet the family calls, "Daddy's Store",dropping coins in choke tubes, once more the tremendously complicated logistics of my shotgunning became apparent to me.Bear with me a second....
There's shells everywhere. Just in 12 ga, there's large quantities of two kinds of slugs,00, some #4 buck, high brass 6s, low brass 7 1/2s AND 8s, turkey loads of divers makes,and more.
A long time dedication to bulk buying hasn't helped, especially since it took a while to realize that bulk buying works best when it's something one really needs.That's why I still have some #2 lead,2 3/4" "Short Magnums".
Steel shot in BB and T sizes, lead 2s that were excellent goose loads but now lack a purpose, some high brass, max dram 4s that were my presteel mallard load and now occasionally serve for spooky late season ringnecks. Low brass 6s that are great upland loads for the modified tube on squirrels and bunnies,and a plethora of orphan loads including some homebrewed fletchette loads from a guy who I regarded as less tightly wrapped than needful for a ballistics researcher.
H*ll, I still have some paper case WWs that must be older than I. And then there's the ammo for the 20 ga I got the kids...
And the point to these maunderings?
Just that it can get real complicated, and expensive, buying shells you may or may not need.
Just what are your shotgunning ammo needs? Of course,for the purposes of this discussion, wants equate to needs(G).
Are you doing clays,three gun,IDPA,CAS,trap, skeet,live pigeon, and/or turkey shoots? Does your bird hunting(if any) cover doves, grouse of many species and conditions, quail, waterfowl, turkey, or do you also hunt ground game like rabbits?
Or, do you not hunt,but use a shotgun and have same because it's an uncertain world out there,and not everyone is as nice and well behaved as we?
If you hunt quail and grouse, shoot some fun clays with your buddies, and figure your Sterlingworth Fox is enough shotgun for HD as it is(And you're probably right), you'll get by just fine on a case of low brass 8s and some 6s, maybe.
Or, if you're more concerned about self defense,and your more careless friends think of you as a tad paranoid, maybe buck and slugs are your thing, and birdshot is of limited value.
Trouble is,shotgunning in all its myriad forms leads to doing other of its forms. The WIHTF types find banging away at ringnecks is fun, and a local crime wave may find that bird hunter above loading his Fox with a heavier load.
So how do we keep it simple?
Let's say that we've found a good patterning clay load,7 1/2 shot,3 1/4 dram. This works on clays, but also for skeet,maybe trap when suitably choked,smaller birds and even close pheasants and teal if I do my part.And at typical HD ranges, it makes the same size wound as a 15 pellet 00 load.
Or make it 8s, if you like.
One good load of 5s or 6s for larger birds, one steel load, the right slug and buck load, and there's the lot.
As for bulk buying, my rule is, keep a year's supply around, more for the shells one needs only on occasion, like slugs or buck.
If a years supply gets into a case or so, buy in bulk, or so buy when a real deal comes along. That's why I've what's probably a lifetime supply of those KO Brennekes.
Questions, comments, donations?
There's shells everywhere. Just in 12 ga, there's large quantities of two kinds of slugs,00, some #4 buck, high brass 6s, low brass 7 1/2s AND 8s, turkey loads of divers makes,and more.
A long time dedication to bulk buying hasn't helped, especially since it took a while to realize that bulk buying works best when it's something one really needs.That's why I still have some #2 lead,2 3/4" "Short Magnums".
Steel shot in BB and T sizes, lead 2s that were excellent goose loads but now lack a purpose, some high brass, max dram 4s that were my presteel mallard load and now occasionally serve for spooky late season ringnecks. Low brass 6s that are great upland loads for the modified tube on squirrels and bunnies,and a plethora of orphan loads including some homebrewed fletchette loads from a guy who I regarded as less tightly wrapped than needful for a ballistics researcher.
H*ll, I still have some paper case WWs that must be older than I. And then there's the ammo for the 20 ga I got the kids...
And the point to these maunderings?
Just that it can get real complicated, and expensive, buying shells you may or may not need.
Just what are your shotgunning ammo needs? Of course,for the purposes of this discussion, wants equate to needs(G).
Are you doing clays,three gun,IDPA,CAS,trap, skeet,live pigeon, and/or turkey shoots? Does your bird hunting(if any) cover doves, grouse of many species and conditions, quail, waterfowl, turkey, or do you also hunt ground game like rabbits?
Or, do you not hunt,but use a shotgun and have same because it's an uncertain world out there,and not everyone is as nice and well behaved as we?
If you hunt quail and grouse, shoot some fun clays with your buddies, and figure your Sterlingworth Fox is enough shotgun for HD as it is(And you're probably right), you'll get by just fine on a case of low brass 8s and some 6s, maybe.
Or, if you're more concerned about self defense,and your more careless friends think of you as a tad paranoid, maybe buck and slugs are your thing, and birdshot is of limited value.
Trouble is,shotgunning in all its myriad forms leads to doing other of its forms. The WIHTF types find banging away at ringnecks is fun, and a local crime wave may find that bird hunter above loading his Fox with a heavier load.
So how do we keep it simple?
Let's say that we've found a good patterning clay load,7 1/2 shot,3 1/4 dram. This works on clays, but also for skeet,maybe trap when suitably choked,smaller birds and even close pheasants and teal if I do my part.And at typical HD ranges, it makes the same size wound as a 15 pellet 00 load.
Or make it 8s, if you like.
One good load of 5s or 6s for larger birds, one steel load, the right slug and buck load, and there's the lot.
As for bulk buying, my rule is, keep a year's supply around, more for the shells one needs only on occasion, like slugs or buck.
If a years supply gets into a case or so, buy in bulk, or so buy when a real deal comes along. That's why I've what's probably a lifetime supply of those KO Brennekes.
Questions, comments, donations?