From my "donated" ammo pile comes another interesting find... Remington Express Long Range #5 Shot shotshells. I've been shooting and reloading shotshells for about 25 years and I've never seen #5 shot anywhere. I know Elmer Keith really liked #5 shot and that it has not been offered for many years. Is it making a comeback? These are made with modern plastic hulls and look like they were made yesterday so they can't be all that old.

Dave Sinko

Well, it's hard to say if they're new production without looking at them, but my grandpa was a big proponent of #5 loads, and I have several boxes of Remington factory loads with #5 shot in plastic hulls. They were probably manufactured and sold in the mid-60s to early-70s, I'd say.

I have a box of them in my desk drawer right here, in fact.

They are "Express plastic" loads with "'Power Piston' for extra power" and "'Kleanbore' priming". They're in the green over yellow box with a black stripe in the green area saying "Remington" and the big white R. Box has the DuPont oval and Remington Arms stampings on it, so this is when DuPont owned the Remington Ammo & firearms companies.

The shells themselves are high-brass w/ ribbed green plastic bodies and 8-point crimp. Headstamp is "Remington" curved along the top with "Peters" curved along the bottom and "12" and "GA" sideways in a horizontal line with the primer.

The box flap on mine is marked "SP12-5 3-3/4 - 1-1/4 - 5" Lot number on the tongue of the flap is "AF14C6B" (The B could be an R - the ink smeared.)

Grandpa bought these on sale apparently, as the sticker says: "World Drug Stores - Reg. price: $3.70 - Discount Price: $3.48"

These are absolutely AWESOME loads for Squirrel, Pheasant (what grandpa used them for), and basically all your "heavier" upland shooting.

I've created a handload of 1-3/8 oz of #5s based on some information published in Handloader Magazine by Don Zutz or Wallace Labisky. Basically, the 1-3/8oz load of #5s seems to combine better patterning with higher down-range velocity better than #4s and #6s. It's kind of a magic combination. This load goes about 1250fps and takes game very cleanly. So, yes, #5 shot is available for reloading, but it's a hit-and-miss thing so you have to buy a few bags whenever you get the chance!

Have been using #5 shot since at latest 1970. Used it for ducks, geese, coyotes, rabbits, grouse, pheasants, etc. Much prefer it to either #6 or #4. Back in 1970s it was easy to find soft, quite irregular #5 shot for reloading and that patterened 45% and 55% in my Browning Citori and was deadly in 1 1/4 oz loads on decoying ducks and geese. Finally found some Cu-plated #5 shot and used it in 1 3/8 oz loads in 3,0 inch hulls for pass shooting and longer-range jump shooting -- patterned so tightly (80+%) that it put a real premium on careful pointing to get dead-in-air kills to well over 40 yards.

Now with bismuth #5 shot I get consistant kills on ducks to about 40 yards and geese to about 45+yards with 1,0 oz, 1300 fps loads in 12X67 and 16X67 chambered old hammer doubles. Kent TM #5 shoot also preformed well in same guns in 1,1/16 oz, 1300 fps loads. FYI, these are standard European hunting loads for these old hammer doubles.

Niklas

I have been using #5 for about 30 years. I bought a M12 Winchester 16 ga. a while ago with a 26" cylinder barrel. I am an avid pheasant hunter and was concerned this combo would only be good for VERY close shots, as it had no choke. I found Fiocchi shells with 11/8 oz #5. Bought some as nothing much else available in 16 ga. This gun with this load is a DEATH RAY on pheasants! Even at about 35 yds. #5 is one of the best shot sizes as far as I'm concerned. I see it quite often in every gauge.

I have been hunting pheasants in SD for the past 14 years. The family that I hunt with kills more pheasants in a year than most Eastern states see. the only thing they load is #5 shot. I bought a bag of #5 shot several years ago and it works just fine.

I'm holding a full box of it right now, 3 1/4 - 1 1/8 - 5, Remington ShurShot. Excellent for rabbits and squirrels.

all I use on pheasant. Factory loads available from Federal, Fiochi. Available at Scheels Allsport. I like the copper plated 1 3/8 oz.