I have been feeling an urge to shoot my Remington 870 Express tactical some. I mostly shoot handguns and occasionally rifles but rarely shoot my 870. While I have a lot of ammo for my handguns and rifles I don't have many shotgun shells. And most of what I do have is buckshot which is not allowed on most ranges at the club I shoot at.

The good news is 12 gauge birdshot shells are still available. The bad news is they are about $.40/shell. I am thinking they were about $.25/shell the last time I bought some but that was years ago. If the $.40/shell is the COVID panic price I can wait.

I am talking about nothing fancy, just 2.75 inch shells with 1.125 ounces of 7.5 or smaller birdshot.

On my last trip to Cabala’s, they were just about out of Shotgun Shells.
On previous trips, they were out of almost everything else but still had plenty of Shotgun Shells, including full cases.
But that was Two Weeks ago, Back in the Good Old Days.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Case of target loads I bought preelection was $60. Up $10 from the old normal.
Don't skeet shoot during winter so haven't looked to see what's in stock at the local big box.

For many years they were $4.95 for 25. Maybe a bit more for Premium loads.

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No baby we aint

When I was looking at 12 gauge shells last year they were $0.24-$0.32 a round ($5.99-$7.99 a box).

$10 a box may look expensive, but on the bright side its still not even close to the markup on .223/5.56 or 7.62 x 39mm. Those are going for 3-5 times more than what they were selling for this time last year. If you can even find them.

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

My last trip to big box there was plenty of shotgun ammo. Can't confirm price though as I am ok on my stock.

Thanks everyone. That's about what I remembered. Its not that much money but I didn't want to feel like I was contributing to the panic buying and pricing.

A year ago you said.

I bought my 20 and 12G shells by the case for skeet shooting. They come to about $5.50 per twenty five round box. Due to the Covid thing and our ranges closed for months I still have plenty of those rounds on the shelf!
Hopefully get a chance to start shooting shotgun again in the spring.

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

I honestly do not remember when I last bought shotgun shells. I've loaded my own for years and am so backed up I have no idea when I will need to load some more. Two years ago I was loading 28 & 20 gauge shells but thats it. I stopped buying shells when 28 gauge hit $20. a box and started loading my own. I refused to pay the price gouging then, and refused to pay them today, which of course is much worse than we thought they would ever be. Of course I have no way of knowing and I am too old for it to do me any good but I wonder when people will start selling stuff they cant shoot because there is no ammo. I can hear it now, some of those who are, 'hen pecked', will start being told, you cant shoot it so sell it. But then, with no ammo, who's buying?? JMHO

In the old days a bag of shot was around $18.

In 2006 or so it was up to $42 a bag.

I have five 25 lb. bags of trap shot and have not looked at what it cost now but
I do feel the pain for those that have to buy Factory shotgun ammo, today.

$7 a box sounds about right for trap loads with #8 or 7.5 lead shot but I
would not be shocked to see a box for $10 for the Quality stuff.

The local trap club was getting $5.50 a year ago. Mid summer they went to $6.50. A local retail chain ran it between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2 boxes for $10 which was what they were getting a year ago. 1 pallet per store sold out in 2-3 days. I had plenty on hand but went ahead and picked up a couple of cases.

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"Tastes just like chicken"

Wait for the imminent ammo taxes to be applied. These prices now will be the good old days.

Bought both Winchester and Federal five packs of #8 for $28 ea. ($5.60/box of 25) three months ago at Walmart. Local gun store had no boxes of 12ga. three days ago.

Right now, availability may be the bigger issue rather than price for small quantities.

I looked and found Remington 12 ga #6 shot with price tags at $6.99

Robert

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

I track the cost of my ammo - what can I say - and in May 2018

#8 Bird from Winchester cost me 21.74/shell
#6 Bird Super Speed cost me 21.92/shell
Federal Truball Deep Penetrators were 79.8/shell
Federal Power-Shok Magnum 00 Buck was 59.8/shell

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Who watches the watchers?

I don’t have any buck shot. Not legal in Ohio for deer. I’ve got lots of slugs and heavy 2.75” 4-5-6 sho 12g & same in 20g both 2.75” & 3”. In 410 good shape but only a few 16g.

12-gauge 2-3/4" target loads, about $4 to $5 per box of 25.

Field loads 2-3/4" lead shot, about $6 to $7 per box.

Waterfowl loads, steel shot, about $10 to $12 per box.

Specialty loads (buckshot, turkey loads, drone loads, 3" magnums, etc), add 50% to 100%. Right now, 00 buck seems to be hovering around $1 per round; couple of years ago they were $1.99 for a 5-round pack.

Shotgun shells are the only ammo type I never got into reloading. Always intended to do so, even purchased a press set up years ago, but never followed through with that. For my uses a box or two of target loads, maybe a box of field loads every year or so, all I ever needed. I have a 25-round box of Winchester Super-X 2-3/4" magnum 00-buck shot, purchased about 35 years ago for $6.95, still has 18 rounds remaining.

Couple of days dove hunting, couple of quail hunts, day or two of pheasant hunting, I'm probably good for several years with what I have now in the ammo locker.

The occasional rattlesnake doesn't seem to care whether I use #8 target loads, #4 or #6 field loads, or the BB-shot I usually keep my 870 loaded with. At 5 or 6 feet it probably doesn't make any difference, and a shovel works just as well.