Cheap Shotshell Question

[Gary G23]

I've been using AA shells for years for skeet and sporting clays shooting but am turning into a cheapass in my old age and would like to find some more reasonably priced shells (No I don't want to reload). Has anybody tried Sellier & Bellot, NobelSport, Estate, or Wolf? What do you think of them? BTW I shoot a pump gun.

[sm]

I hope you at least are saving the hulls for when you do decide to reload again...AA are great hulls.

Currently taking a break from reloading myself. I have had very good results with the Federal MP 12 8. This is Federal's Multi-Pack of 12 ga 2 3/4" shell with 3 dr eq. , 1 1/8 oz of #8 shot. Basically the old handicap trap load. This shot seems to be "hard shot". Patterns very well, and the brass is ...brass, not that shiny cheap looking shiny stuff like the Win loads ( and I'm a big Win ammo fan) nor does the brass get all corroded like the Rem inexpensive stuff.

Admit I have not tried many cheap loads, the ones I did at the time in less load offerings ( 7/8 and 1oz) didn't pattern to my standards...I was using a pump and O/U...some folks naturally couldn't get a gas gun to run.

[A pet peeve of mine- is folks have nice guns and use "infereior ammo"...the gun won't run, pattern, worth a flip shoot POA/POI , and they blame the gun]...and hey with an 1 1/8 oz...somtimes that "golden BB " is included...nice to have. ;)

Available locally from Sport's Authority, Academy Sports, I'm told Wally World has it as well.

Saves shipping.

HTH

[kudu]

Iv'e used the Nobelsports and Estates, all shoot well in my gun. The estate shells are a very dirty burning powder, but shoot well. The Nobelsports in paper hulls shoot very well, with a softer recoil like the Federal paper target loads. I know guys that shoot the S&Bs but they hven't commented on them.

[PJR]

There's only one way to tell and that's to get thee to the patterning board. Some of the cheap stuff works for me and others didn't. Lower-priced shells usually save on the lead quality. It's softer and generally doesn't pattern as well but YMMV.

For a pump put a box or two through for functioning, some of the stuff I have won't always feed smoothly but each gun is different.

Note to sm: Is the Federal base actually brass? The loads I have are steel based as are Challenger, Kent and the cheaper Winchester.

[sm]

Well these Federals don't turn funky like the Win and Rem, no corrosison and the like.
Hang on...
< gets knife and some Federal shells that have been in truck tool box for 6 months...scrape, scrape, scrape>

Well , humm, well if I scrape hard enough it appears these Federals are "white" under the "brass". I'll be darned PJR.

Now the Remington shells that were in the same bag for the same length of time are, rusty, bad rusty and/or green moldy, and quite rough. Heck I think a couple might have "rusted through". These will not be shot.

Well I learned something...Thanks PJR.

I just hate the fact I have some shells that are still in great condition. I mean old Peters, Western,Wicnchester's in white boxes... Federals in red and blue boxes, and the Remingtons I bought 3 months ago for mom's shotgun, sitting in her desk drawer at home, never exposed to anythng but the desk drawer...had corrosion on them when I took a look the other day.

Arggh

I have some OLD Target loads I did with AA and Rem green hulls some 10 -15 yrs ago. some have been in and out of my vehicle over the years. Still look and shoot as they did back then...sigh!

[Black92LX]

i get the value pack of 100 federal or remington from wal-mart it cost
$14.44