carrying more than 10 shells while hunting

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birdybritt529

New member
I just purchased a new strap vest and am slightly disappointed that it only holds 10 shells. Anybody ever sew in shell holders to keep things organized? I know some may say 10 shells is enough for a limit, but what about a game farm. Let me know if anybody has ever figured out a good way to hold more shells, instead of loose in the pockets.
 
I might be nuts. I shoot an automatic and shoot a diff shell for my 1,2,and 3rd shot. Thinking of range I change my shot size from 6,5,4. Maybe I am crazy, mentally I feel I have an advantage this way.
 
birdybritt529 said:
I just purchased a new strap vest and am slightly disappointed that it only holds 10 shells. Anybody ever sew in shell holders to keep things organized? I know some may say 10 shells is enough for a limit, but what about a game farm. Let me know if anybody has ever figured out a good way to hold more shells, instead of loose in the pockets.
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The majority of vests out there only have 10 shell loops. 5 in each pocket. You just have to carry the rest loose in your pockets. I actually find grabbing a loose shell in my pocket faster than getting one out of a shell loop. I have a WingWorks strap vest and they do not have any loops to hold shells. Just deep pockets with flaps. Have you looked at the Columbia vest with the shell tubes? That might be an option for you. Otherwise use your pockets like the rest of us. :)
 
5 in the gun and a handful in my pocket if it's just pheasants but typically I've got ducks,geese,turkey,and doves on the menu so I carry quite a bit.

Vest without any shell holders,and nice pockets in the front for loose shells is my preference.
 
3 in the gun, 5 in my shell loops. 8 is enough for pheasants.:D I keep 5 quail loads in the other 5 loops. I keep more shells of each type in the truck to fill up the loops as needed. But lately that isn't much of an issue.

This year I started bringing 2 vests, one with lead, and one with only No-Tox. Best idea I've ever had! Really simplifies pond jumping...

For the game farm, you could carry a whole box of shells in your game pouch if you wanted to.
 
Toad, I do same thing. I carry an extra vest loaded with steel in the truck. It is a good way to break one in. I don't like wearing the new ones.:(

The vest I wear has about 22 shells in the left pocket. Camera, gloves, TP in the right. Its about balance. An empty shell pocket just doesn't feel right.:)
 
I use to carry a box...now I have a bucket full of mis-matched brands and loads because I only pulled the trigger 6-8 times, killed a few birds, came home and emptied pockets. Like Zeb, I use a Wing Works vest and carry 8-10 loose in the pockets. Actually cut the shell holders out of my previous vest. As for changing vest, it's just as easy to pull a few shells and change loads for me. I don't want to double up on other gear in my vest (which may be another topic in itself).
 
I don't think you'll have much luck sewing in more shell loops (unless you can sew a LOT better than I can!). There are those "sleeves" that you put over the stock of a gun that hold another 5, if you don't mind adding that to your shotgun. Otherwise, why not just drop two loose shells in one pocket, and four loose shells in the other pocket. Then once you get afield and load up (assuming a double - sorry, I'm biased!) you'll have 16 shots total with only one loose pair in each pocket. After that - just don't miss! lol!
 
shell loops

can't imagine anybody out there using those loops. thought they were to put cigars in. until i started shooting my super fast 7.5's copper, i would usually load a 7.5 in my cyl. barrel and a #6 in my modified. worked really well for a couple of decades, had the short and long range covered and also at least one shot at quail

cheers
 
You can buy shell holders that attach to your belt-most major stores show them in their catalogs. I have 1 from Cabella's, I think it holds 12 shells in the individual loops.
 
I hunt with a Quilomene vest and I don't use the shell loops. I keep a handful of quail loads in one pocket and a handful of pheasant loads in the other.
 
I carry mine in the bellows pockets of my vest or field coat. Don't really care for holders (loops).
 
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Not a huge fan of shell loops. And I usually put a 6 in the bottom barrel and 5 in the top sp I just have a few 6s in one pocket and in the other a few 5s.
 
shell tubes

i have a friend that uses a vest with the shell tubes, he loves it but to me that is an udder story. they look really dumb. anybody have pockets anymore?
 
I agree with the concerns about external shell loops for pheasant hunting - they are just a good way to lose shells in the field! Fine if you're sitting in a duck blind I guess, but not a good choice for most styles of pheasant hunting. Personally though, I do like shell loops inside my pockets. I find that this keeps my shells nice and quiet and organized, and if I want to put anything else into the pockets it does not get mixed in with the shells. With a form-fitting strap-vest, the shells "pluck" easily out of the shell loops inside the pockets, and I can keep a few steel shells on the far right in my right pocket so I'll know where they are if I see a mallard pitch into a swale and want to sneak up to jump-shoot it.
 
better watch it

just picking!! if you sneak up on a duck and put in your steel loads, ya had better throw away the lead one's. can't have lead on your self while hunting ducks. just trying to keep you out of trouble. there is a technical way around this but you would have to find a warden that was smarter than most of them, more than likely he would issue a ticket.

cheers
 
David0311

SO....YOU FEEL that you are so much more intelligent than all the wardens..and feel.free to insult them....why don't you honor us with your superior knowledge of the law...
 
breaking the law

the law states that you can not hunt ducks etc. with anything but non toxic shot and ya can't have the other stuff in your possession while doing so. you can have it stored someplace other than the immediate area of where you are taking game, like out of the blind, car, boat, or any other place. so here is the deal. the hunter has both type of shot on his person, legal. he see's a duck, disposes of his lead shot, shoots the duck, goes back to his disposed shot and to his hunting pheasants and in that he is not actively involved in the taking of waterfowl, no crime has been committed. try and get a law enforcement officer to understand that. would be interested in your take however

cheers
 
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