Where to buy 20 gauge shells?

A

Amelia

New member
I am the happy owner of a new Rem 870 express magnum 20 gauge. Finding shells to pattern the gun is well nigh impossible around here in July. Sales guys in Walmart and two local outdoors stores looked at me like i'm a pervert for wanting buckshot at this time of year, much less in 20 gauge (i'm a female! i like 20 gauge!). I have only found a few shells here and all were magnums.

Any suggestions on places to buy shotgun ammo online? Experiences?

Amelia
 
Amelia, congrats on your purchase, a great shotgun. While I've dealt with a couple on line companies, I can get better deals out of the Yellow Pages for the most part. If I cannot get it locally, then I go for the E stuff.

If this is your best option, try Natchez Shooting Supply. Cheaper than Dirt may also have what you want.

Also,unless you're quite trained and experienced, I suggest you practice with lighter loads at the start. Also, if you are new to this, a lesson or two won't break the bank but will help immensely.

Enjoy!
 
Strange...

...that you cannot find 20 GA shells locally. In my neck of the woods every sporting goods store and X Mart store has 20 ga shells available.

Dave's suggestion to start out with light target loads is sound. They will allow you to get used to the gun and test point of impact. If there is a Clays range near you see if they have a patterning board and get some instruction on how to use it. This will teach you more about the gun than you probably want to know.


Geoff Ross
 
All the Wal-marts here in Omaha are quite well stocked this time of year----from shells to bluerock to guns. Maybe its because we're out here in corn country.
 
FLA has an abundance of 20 ga fodder at Wally World. SC**w K-Mart, I don't care if they give it away I wouldn't buy it. Try gunshops, i.e. Yellow pages, Natchez, Cheaper than dirt, Precision reloading sells loaded ammo, also trry a local gun-club, many sell ammo. Go to a bookstore and get a copy of Shotgun News, you will find innumerable sources.

Finally, if you can't find what you want, MAKE IT! (evil grin as we lead another down the winding road of loading their own).

DOC

p.s. welcome to the 20 guage, I wouldn't shoot anything else;)
 
I've always had good luck at Wal Mart. When you find one that is remodeling, you can sometimes even find 3" magnums for $5 per 25. :D
 
Thanks Y'all. Walmart and the local gun/fishing type stores are out of 20g buck and say they won't have it until hunting season.

Dave McC and K80Geoff, i took a 3 day tactical shotgun class a few weeks ago (from Randy Cain) before I actually bought the gun.

DOCSpanky, thank you for agreeing with me that 20g is cool. All the salespeople seem to think it's my fault I can't get ammo because i should have got a 12 gauge!

I have patterned it with the only two buck loads i have been able to find so far.

I bought this, my first shotgun, about two weeks ago now - the day after finishing the Randy Cain's Shotgun I course. I plan to use it for home defense. It's a Remington 870 express magnum, 20 gauge youth model shown here (the stock has been shortened by 1.5 inches already) with a bead sight.

400.jpg


Monday, I went out to the range to check out the pattern on this thing. I got the only buckshot that could be bought locally near my range in B'ham in 20 gauge (what is this not the season for 20 gauge buckshot in stores?): the box said Winchester Double X Magnum, copperplated lead, buckshot loads, 20 gauge, 3 inch, 3 buck, 24 pellets.

Anyhow, here are the patterns from 3, 5, 7, 10, 12.5 and 15 yards.

1stpattern.jpg


3 upper left - blew a tight hole (top part ripped paper because of not enough cardboard target behind it)

5 lower right - eek, it's the donut!

7 lower left - a bit bigger than my palm

10 middle left - size of my hand with fingers splayed

12.5 middle right - bigger than my hand with fingers out

15 upper right - not good enough for a head shot!

For the record, the longest possible shot in my house is 45 feet (i.e. from back door diagonally through living and dining areas then diagonally through kitchen to door that goes from kitchen to garage) and is a highly unlikely scenario.

I hoped to find some different brands of buck (preferably not magnum) and try them out for comparison. I have found only one, which i tried out yesterday, but i still need to take a photo of the target. It was not better than the ammo on Monday (above).

Amelia
 
Amelia,

I bought that exact same shotgun last year for rabbit hunting. I'm 5'-11" but that 1.5" shorter "Youth" stock makes for a perfect fit when I've got my winter hunting clothes on, and the short barrel is handy when flushin' bunnies from tight cover. Did yours come with the sling swivels or did you put them on yourself?

What are you using for a choke? That can have a huge impact on pattern. I believe conventional wisdom is Cylinder Bore for buck. You might want to try Improved and Skeet (don't let the name throw ya, it's just a flashy handle for the choke between Bore and Improved). At Wally World Rem Chokes only cost around $12 IIRC, I bought a bunch when they were on sale for $8. -- Kernel
 
Kernel,

I put the swivels on (well a friend of mine did!). We have since that picture moved the back side forward (it was poking me in the face while shooting).

I thought i was getting a youth model at the time but clearly I didn't because the barrel is way too long.

The only choke i have at the moment is the one that came with it, a "full" i think.

Thanks, y'all.

Amelia
 
Amelia,you've done everything right,I'm quite impressed. I bought a Youth Express 20 ga for the kids a few years ago. While this is intended for training and fun, not as a "Serious" shotgun, it would do well for that also, in trained hands. And, I've shot a few rounds of that buck through it, the combo will certainly work if the shooter does his/her part.

I imagine that the Mags rocked you a bit.The little 870 here is a vicious kicker with heavy loads, a function of weight since it's on the light side, aggravated by the smaller butt a shorter stock has. I'm assuming that Randy taught you proper form and your shotgun fits reasonable well. Maybe a bit of research can turn up a better load. Unfortunately, I've seen no reduced recoil, "Tactical" style buck loads for the 20.

Now,there's an unexploited niche for the ammo makers...

Meanwhile, why not try out a few light field loads for practice? In fact, a 7/8 oz load of 8s will pattern pretty close to what you posted at those ranges, cost less and kick less. A good practice seesion could be those field loads for the most part and a few barnburner buck loads to finish up with.

You also might want to try out Skeet or Sporting Clays with that 870 and light load just for fun and familiarization, hitting moving targets the size of a saucer is a great confidence builder....
 
Skeet and sporting clays will GREATLY increase your enjoyment of the shotgun.

From a tactical perspective, I worked trauma for 10 years and the worst shooting victims I ever saw were 3 guys who broke into a 60 year old man's house. He killed 2 of the three and the third will be breathing through a hose with no left arm for the rest of his pitifull life. All with a full size mossberg in.... 20 gauge! Loaded with #6 rabbit and squirrel loads.


Get into sporting clays, you will never look back;)

ALSO AMELIA,

:D WAR EAGLE! :D
 
I just bought the same gun for my son this afternoon!

He's 11years old and will be 12 in September. We shot it tonight at an indoor range, so 25 yards was the max distance. The only ammo the range had in 20ga was the Federal Personal Defense #2 buckshot. It was expensive and it kicked a little too hard for him. I was really hoping to find low brass field loads, but they don't allow them there.

I shoot Estate Tactical 00 buck in my 12ga Win 1300 and I really, really love the stuff! Can anyone tell me if there is a low recoil alternative for 20ga in the #2 to 00 buckshot range? (I may send the barrel in to be magna-ported and have the forcing cone lengthened… the P.A.S.T. recoil pad is another possibility)

- Don
 
Thanks, y'all.

I have patterned again with two other loads. I'll post the photos in a while.

I shot the side shotgun match at last week's IDPA in Arab and boy is this thing hard to cycle while moving and loading and shooting all at the same time. I had three jams (probably all self induced) in the latter part of the stage (about 20 shot stage) while shooting birdshot and the third one i could not cycle the action no matter what i tried, i'm just not strong enough or my arms aren't long enough for leverage, or something. I did fine with the first shots (slugs on IDPA targets) and got flustered with the reloading and jamming. I did hit all the targets but one, I think, but i was S L O W.

Anyhow, thanks for the advice. Maybe i can find somewhere to shoot clays.

Have a wonderful day!

Amelia

PS. DOCspanky; War Eagle to you, too. I live in Tuscaloosa and teach at UA but my education and heart was/is at AU. :)
 
Amelia, what kind of malf did you have? Short stroking?

Almost all shotguns need a bit of a breakin period before they work best.

And the complex moves needed to fire,reload and move allasametime come easier with practice and only with practice.

My hunch is that both of your probs will disappear with more experience.
 
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