Fifty years ago when I was growing up in a small Aroostook County town, if a hunter needed shells or even a new or used gun, he went to the local hardware store. If it was a really tiny hamlet, surrounded mostly by woods or farmland, often a single convenience store served the widespread, rural population. From penny candy to nails and barbed wire to fabric to boots, these shops sold a variety of necessities.
There were 50-cent boxes of .22s for plinking and killing rats, rifle shells for deer and a few boxes of shotgun shells to put partridge or rabbit in the stew pot, which they also sold.
Old green and white boxes of Remington ammo or the yellow and red of Winchester Arms, with an occasional package of Federal shells made up the limited selection. Most scattergun shells were 2-3/4 inches and if you didn’t want buckshot or slugs for big game, birdshot in size 4 or 6 pretty much had to do.
Boy what a difference a half a century makes! Gun shops and sporting goods stores abound, almost every department store and convenience chain store sells guns and ammo and an ID check and paperwork are required for most purchases.
Trap and skeet enthusiasts, small game hunters and game bird gunners are now faced with shelf after shelf of shotgun ammunition in a wide variety of manufacturers, shell lengths, pellet sizes and most confusing of all, the metal or synthetic composition of shot pellets. Confusion reigns – so much for a few choices and simple selection. And don’t even think about the price, certain shotgun shells sell for over $25 dollars for a box of 10.
Whoever the guy was who came up with plastic shell casings, plastic wads and lead pellets, deserves every wingshooter’s praise. That combo is still today’s benchmark for effectiveness. A dependable shot shell must yield an accurate pattern of birdshot, velocity, range and penetration to assure a quick, clean kill at reasonable distances. Twenty five to 40 yards would be reasonable distance to expect effectiveness on flying game birds with factory loads and a practiced shooter. Hunters who hand load their own shotgun shells and use special recipes of powder, primer, wads and pellets can achieve outstanding loads that are efficient in to 50- to 65- yard range when on target.
Matters became even more complicated with the advent of the 3-1/2 inch, 12-gauge shell and the increased use of the big 10-gauge loads for turkey, geese, sea ducks, swans and sand hill cranes. Add to this the federal law banning lead shot for waterfowl and the sudden explosion of steel and non-toxic shot alternatives, and picking the correct shell for your gun and selected quarry becomes a quandry. Let me attempt to simplify shot shell shopping for the confused or less experienced shotgunners.
Youngsters and small-framed women often prefer a .410, 28-, 20-, or the 16-gauge for small game and upland birds, although the 28- and 16-gauge guns are rare. Any of these shotguns will work for squirrel, rabbit, partridge, pheasant and woodcock, and lead pellets are readily available, effective and least expensive. I like size 7 shot for bushy tails and woodcock, size 6 for grouse and size 4 for the snowshoe hare and pheasant.
Although a three-inch 20-gauge, 16-gauge or 2-3/4 inch 12 will work for wild turkey at close range with #4 or #5 lead pellets, to down a big Tom quickly and efficiently out to 50 yards, a more lethal combo is recommended. Several companies use copper- or nickel-plated pellets and heavier than lead metal combinations and a few shells actually combine two sizes of shot to provide a tighter, harder hitting pattern. Tungsten pellets are another choice for lethal turkey loads and many swear by buffered shot loads for tighter patterns.
For ducks and geese, shooters are legally required to use nontoxic shot since the ingesting of lead pellets by waterfowl, shore birds, raptors and other animals was leading to high mortality due to lead poisoning. Steel shot leaped to the forefront as a cost effective substitute, but was far from perfect due to its shorter range and penetration compared to lead. Adjustments have been made and steel shells have improved, I would use size #2 or BB pellets in three-inch shells or jump to 3-1/2 inch 12-gauge for more pellets per load if you can withstand the substantial recoil.
A high percentage of waterfowl gunners favor paying a bit more money for bismuth, Hevi-Shot and tungsten Matrix to name a few choices. The right choke choice in combination with the most potent shot shell are what every conscientious shooter needs to combine to assure a successful and humane hunt.
I hope these suggestions help some of you that may be unsure which shot shells to select. If you have more questions, turn to a more experienced hunter or talk at length to someone with info at your local gun or sports shop. There are also dozens of informative articles online and in many outdoor magazine articles that help us contrast and compare loads. We’ve come a long way from hardware store shell selection. Take full advantage – you’ll be a better, more successful hunter and a true sportsman.
