Help with shells

[O'Brien]

So I am starting to get into skeet shooting as well as trap shooting and I am overwhelmed by how many different types of shells there are. I am currently looking to order some and I am trying to decide between two different types

Game-shok http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/67210

and the top-gun http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/45806

other than the FPS of the load and the "high brass" (which I still don't quite understand) is there any difference between the two? Thanks

(PS I am a poor college student so please don't say "but xxxx brand because it is better but costs your left nut")

[Happydad]

When I go out throwing clays I just grab a case of the Federal 2 3/4" 1 1/8oz 7shot. I think I paid just over 70 for my last case and they do just fine for me.

[O'Brien]

When I go out throwing clays I just grab a case of the Federal 2 3/4" 1 1/8oz 7shot. I think I paid just over 70 for my last case and they do just fine for me.

At this point I am just trying to find shells at a decent so I can go out and shoot. Everyone is out of stock.

[Happydad]

I'm not sure what that site charges for shipping but those prices are about the same as they should be in your local gun shop.

[jamespres2001]

http://trapshooters.com/

The above site will have 1,000's of opinions about 7 1/2 or 8, 1 oz or 1.25 oz.
I would go to walmart and get what they have. Have Fun. Lots of places to shoot here in the Bay Area.

[O'Brien]

http://trapshooters.com/
The above site will have 1,000's of opinions about 7 1/2 or 8, 1 oz or 1.25 oz.
I would go to walmart and get what they have. Have Fun. Lots of places to shoot here in the Bay Area.

Thats where I normally go, however them, as well as most of the gun shops in my area are completely out of stock. All these people hoarding ammo have made it difficult for people who actually want to go out and shoot their christmas present

[AAShooter]

Either would probably work fine. Generally people shoot #8 shoot for the clays sports. If they are shooting longer distances or it is windy, some prefer shooting 7 1/2 shot since it is a little heavier. For skeet or close fast moving birds, some will use #9 shot. For a beginning clays shooter, you can't go too wrong with any of those.

Most people shoot 1 1/8 oz loads. Many people using the promotional shells find they are loaded pretty hot. The DRAM rating gives you an idea of how hot the shells are loaded.

The first ones you show have velocity of 1290 fps as I recall. It is pretty hotly loaded and using a 1 oz loads. With 1 oz of shot, you have less shot in the air so you chances of hitting are reduced slightly; however, if you are on target, they are fast so the bird has less chance to deviate from its expected path.

The second ones have a slower velocity and larger shot. For what you are doing either will probably work fine.

For beginners, I would suggest shooting 1 1/8 ounces loads if you can find them but 1 ounce loads will work fine too. Reloaders often shoot 1 ounce loads for practice to conserve shot but almost always compete with 1 1/8 ounce loads. Of course, all this discussion is assuming we are talking about a 12 gauge shotgun.

[AAShooter]

Many ranges sell ammo so it might be worth a call to the range you are planning on shooting at.

[r1ghtw1ng]

Step away from cheaperthandirt. No reason to support those Cali-hating D-bags.

Plenty of cases of target 12Ga for $65/ea at cabelas even in this environment: LINK

#8 shot is the most versatile for beginners, since you are not shooting doubles/handicap. Estate and Federal have been consistent for me. I've heard some bad things about Winchester in semi-autos. AAShooter has good advice regarding dram vs loads.

[epic1856]

If you are in the Los Angeles area check out Philips Wholesale. $57 a flat (case) and he's got every type of target load you need: 1, 1 1/8 oz, #7.5, 8, 9, light, heavy loads. He's got it all for the most part.

http://www.phillipswholesale.net/

For online I like to use Ammo seeker.

http://ammoseek.com/

[M27]

Step away from cheaperthandirt. No reason to support those Cali-hating D-bags.

Plenty of cases of target 12Ga for $65/ea at cabelas even in this environment: LINK

#8 shot is the most versatile for beginners, since you are not shooting doubles/handicap. Estate and Federal have been consistent for me. I've heard some bad things about Winchester in semi-autos. AAShooter has good advice regarding dram vs loads.

Another for staying away from cheaper than dirt!

I have a list of price gougers that have taken advantage of people in the panic buy. I will never buy from them again now or after panic buying calms down.

I am a fan of fast #7 1/2 shot 1 oz loads. Even though they can be a little unforgiving.

#8 shot, 1 1/8 oz loads seam to be the most popular.

I would not order online unless you can get flat rate shipping. 250 shells is something like 20lbs and can be expensive to ship.

I just bought 250 winchester AA from sportsman's warehouse in rocklin for $88 they had shells similar to the ones you are looking at for around $70 with not as big of a stalk that they usually have but they still had a very good selection.

[ysr_racer]

It's the Indian, not the arrow.

Go to WalMart, buy a 100rd value pack, go break some birds.

It's just that simple.

[paratroop]

Yo chief, he said walmart is out, as is everywhere else.

[Rover]

What kind of lame Walmart are you guys shopping at? The one near me has stacks and stacks of target and bird loads in stock, just waiting to smash clays.

I like 1oz #8 loads because they offer slightly less recoil than 1.125oz, carrying 100 of them around the sporting clays course sucks 12.5oz less, they're generally a little cheaper, and I can score the same with either load, so there are no drawbacks for me.

Look into Federal Top-gun, Estate sporting, Rio sporting, or anything else you can find right around $60-70/flat. The Federal Top Guns are $60+tax at Walmart.

Cabelas has a few options in stock, and there's usually a $5 shipping, or free shipping code around

Estate, a few flavors ready to ship

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Ammunition/Shotgun-Ammunition|/pc/104792580/c/104691780/sc/104567580/Estate-SuperSport-Target-Shotshells/741174.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fshooting-ammunition-shotgun-ammunition%2F_%2FN-1100191%2B4294751475%2FNe-4294751475%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104567580%3FWTz_l%3DUnknown%253Bcat104792580%253Bcat104691780%26WTz_st%3DGuidedNav%26WTz_stype%3DGNU&WTz_l=Unknown%3Bcat104792580%3Bcat104691780%3Bcat104567580

B&Ps are good

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Ammunition/Shotgun-Ammunition|/pc/104792580/c/104691780/sc/104567580/BP-Competition-One-Shotshells-Per-Case/1358984.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fshooting-ammunition-shotgun-ammunition%2F_%2FN-1100191%2B4294751476%2B4294751475%2FNe-4294751476%2FNo-48%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104567580%3FWTz_l%3DUnknown%253Bcat104792580%253Bcat104691780%26WTz_st%3DGuidedNav%26WTz_stype%3DGNP%26recordsPerPage%3D48&WTz_l=Unknown%3Bcat104792580%3Bcat104691780%3Bcat104567580

Feeling patriotic?

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=1307328&destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fproduct.jsp%3FparentCategoryId%3D104792580%26categoryId%3D104691780%26subCategoryId%3D104567580%26productId%3D1358984%26type%3Dproduct%26destination%3D%252Fcatalog%252Fbrowse%252Fshooting-ammunition-shotgun-ammunition%252F_%252FN-1100191%252B4294751476%252B4294751475%252FNe-4294751476%252FNo-48%252FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104567580%253FWTz_l%253DUnknown%25253Bcat104792580%25253Bcat104691780%2526WTz_st%253DGuidedNav%2526WTz_stype%253DGNP%2526recordsPerPage%253D48%26WTz_l%3DUnknown%253Bcat104792580%253Bcat104691780%253Bcat104567580&WTz_l=YMAL%3BIK-218392

Not sure what sets these apart as 50th anniversary, but they probably still like killing clay

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Ammunition/Shotgun-Ammunition|/pc/104792580/c/104691780/sc/104567580/Cabelas-50th-Anniversary-Federal-Field-Target-Shotshells-150-Per-Box/1201071.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fshooting-ammunition-shotgun-ammunition%2F_%2FN-1100191%2B4294751476%2B4294751475%2FNe-4294751476%2FNo-48%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104567580%3FWTz_l%3DUnknown%253Bcat104792580%253Bcat104691780%26WTz_st%3DGuidedNav%26WTz_stype%3DGNP%26recordsPerPage%3D48&WTz_l=Unknown%3Bcat104792580%3Bcat104691780%3Bcat104567580

How about Rio?

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Ammunition/Shotgun-Ammunition|/pc/104792580/c/104691780/sc/104567580/Rio-Super-Game-Loads-Per-Case/735153.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fshooting-ammunition-shotgun-ammunition%2F_%2FN-1100191%2B4294751476%2B4294751475%2FNe-4294751476%2FNo-48%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104567580%3FWTz_l%3DUnknown%253Bcat104792580%253Bcat104691780%26WTz_st%3DGuidedNav%26WTz_stype%3DGNP%26recordsPerPage%3D48&WTz_l=Unknown%3Bcat104792580%3Bcat104691780%3Bcat104567580

Failing that, check local clubs, mine has a 4ftx4ftx20ft mountain of inexpensive shells, they never run out.



Edit, for some tech.

Dram is a measurement that dates back to black powder shells, it denotes how much powder is in the shell as an equivilent to a black powder load. It's actually a pretty good piece of info, even if it is antiquated. Feet per second is useful, but, it can change with different barrel lengths. You don't know if Winchester and Federal both rate their shells out of the same length barrel, if they're both the same dram equivilent, you can be reasonably sure they'll shoot the same speed out of your gun.

High brass is just the length of the base, high is, as the name suggests, higher than low. For target loads, it makes no difference. However, some new Remington 870 Express' have tight sticky chambers that don't like ejecting low base steel target shells. You can usually work out the kinks with a few hundred expensive brass shells, or just polish it.


Welcome to clay shooting!

[prc77]

organize a group buy save some $$$

http://www.jswholesaleinc.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=70