Practical shell carriers?

[TEXASTACTICAL]

What do y'all use to carry your shells for either self defense or a tactical style shotgun competition?

My main ammo supply is a sidesaddle. I use the side saddle for tac reloads. Secondary is two or more 2 shell carriers on the belt. I use these for either slug drills or for "slidelock" reloads.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Side saddle and shell belt. Mostly buck of choice with 7 slugs, JIC.I

 

[Nippy]

Sidesaddle

 

[MrMurphy]

You saw what happened to my SideSaddle Mike, and my shell pouch.

 

[TEXASTACTICAL]

Hey Mr. M, Hope you had a good time. A little loc-tite will fix up your sidesaddle blues. What happened to your pouch I must've missed that?

I am re-evaluating my gear and reloading system for the thousandth time after that match. My system keeps changing however subtly. A tweak here and a tweak there.

I think that that is one of the biggest benefits to these matches is finding out what techniques and gear work and what doesn't under a little stress.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Just a sidesaddle for defense at home, because I don't anticipate extended problems- and there's more ammo available nearby if needed. On the road there's a small pouch (a Claymore bag) with 30 rounds of buckshot and 20 slugs that goes along with the soft case the shotgun rides in.

lpl/nc

 

[kotengu]

Sidesaddle and two forearm bands (actually buttstock shellhoders) that hold each for matches. When I was playing with an old Ithaca knock-off - it was two sidesaddles

 

[TEXASTACTICAL]

That is too cool

 

[sm]

I don't have a sidesaddle.

I used to have a leather butt cuff like Smoke has on his.

I used to have leather shell pouches, and leather shell holders like the CAS shooters use...anyone finds my two leather shell belts holler - will you please ?

Umm...I have a 10X shell pouch I won years ago with a matching range bag. I use for skeet , 5 stand, sporting clays, trap , quail , doves ...well you get the idea. Once I get used to something I kinda stay with it.

Somewhere I have a dump pouch dealie...I got a pocket ... works for when I go do my thing and run stages. The 10 X shell pouch works too good for me - so far.

For HD ...well if it takes more than 5 I'm going to sidearms...or tennis shoes. Wait , reverse that - tennis shoes first.

Then again another good thing about a full stock on a shotgun....it swings real well , and gathers some momentum before it makes "cranial contact".

Practical , Minimalist , Blue&Wood member here... like the song says I'll never....

....picture on the cover of the Rollin' Stone...

 

[MrMurphy]

Nothing happened to the pouch Mike, but you saw the one I use.

 

[Mannlicher]

loose shells stuffed in a pocket always worked well for me.

 

[Smoke]

As sm indicated my method is this:

The belt used to be stocked with bird shot for quail....but I went back to the old tried and true canvas duck pouches for hunting.

The belt is now slugs and buck only. I can access them fairly quickly since I'm used to it from hunting with it. I removed the piece that holds 3 pairs of shells. I also removed a few loops to make room for a holster for my handgun and it now holds a double mag carrier as well.

It's in the safe for a grab and go situation.

For bumps in the night, I feel pretty comfortable just grabbing the gauge with the +2 extension and 6 rounds on the cuff.

I don't compete, though I do train regularly.

Smoke
Edited to add:
Keep in mind I'm a cross dominant poor sap, that shoots left handed.

Are you THE Iron Mike of Texas Tactical? I keep intending to come shoot with y'all some time. Always wanted to go to the Johnson City range....guess I waited too long on that one ....

 

[MrMurphy]

Yes, he's THE MIKE. I'd post a picture of him at the last shotgun match, but it says the file's too big. They're listed on Glocktalk.com under Non Glock Firearms..... look back about two pages now.

 

[Mesa Tactical]

In a couple months Mesa Tactical will be introducing what we think is a better mousetrap:



These shell carriers are similar in concept to the SideSaddle, but they are aluminum instead of plastic, with a new and effective retention method.

The ones in the photos work with the Mesa Tactical AR Stock adapters, but we will also supply back plates for most major shotgun platforms.

 

[MrMurphy]

If you don't make one for the Benelli Nova, I'm going to be annoyed.

 

[Nippy]

Ok crap, if Mesa is gonna have one for the Nova... I'm gonna have to buy a nova!! Darn just so many things to get...

 

[Zak Smith]

A lot of guys use those Choate belt shell carriers. Each one holds 6.

They seem too "loose" for me, so I use a belt and a bandoleer and do it like this:
[ link to LARGER image ]

I load three at a time, weak-handed, with the shotgun shouldered.

Loading singly is slow because you need one "trip" to the container per shell, and if they are loose you waste time reorienting them.

-z

 

[sm]

Smoke -

Yep, yours is the set up I like.

I still think I'm your long lost older Brother that fell off a truck going through AR...or parents tossed me off ...probably the later.

 

[Mesa Tactical]

If you don't make one for the Benelli Nova, I'm going to be annoyed.

Well, we hadn't planned it, but since the only difference between platforms is the backplate, it's not hard to support additional platforms (usually).

Stay tuned.