How many shells?

M

matto

Well-known member
There was a post in the other thread about vests where someone mentioned a shell belt and 25 rounds. We all hunt different covers and with different tactics, but I'm wondering how many shells all of us carry?

Hunting Kansas for pheasants, I'll grab 8. 2 go in the gun, leaving 6 in my pocket. That's it. One time in the last 3-4 years I almost needed more before returning to the truck. I was down to 1, borrowed a couple from my hunting partner, and never fired again before getting back to the truck. That might be the only day in the last couple of years when I had to go back to the shell box even in between fields. If it's a known spot for quail, maybe I'll throw 8ish quail loads in the other pocket which would get me closer to 16 total. Back in Kansas' heyday I might have grabbed more, but that's been a long time.

It's been about the same in SD for the last two years, although I've gone back to shell box in between fields on occasion. And the left pocket is non-tox instead of quail. The lead from the right pocket go into and out of the pockets in door of the truck as the situation dictates.

For dove hunting it's normally two boxes...
 
Hunting Kansas, 10 #6 shot (blacked out primers), 15 #8 shot. Damn I missed the good years in Kansas. Maybe take a trip to Cuba for memories.
 
Usually 8. 4 in each pocket. Usually shoot tow different loads in each barrel. Right pocket bottom barrel and left pocket is top barrel.
 
I carry about 20-25 on me to start the day and go from there. 5 in the gun, the rest on my right side vest pocket (I'm a lefty). Before I started shooting a 16 gauge, I'd carry about 10 if I was hunting with others. Figuring I can bum a shell or 2 if needed but now I make sure I have enough.

If I go out and shoot one or 2 shots, I don't replenish but if I get into birds and I've shot 5 or 6 times on a walk I'll fill back up. Once this year I ended up almost empty. Had 1 shell in my gun walking back to the truck at the end of the day as I never replenished my shells before taking off in the evening and got into a bunch of birds and some bad shooting haha
 
I have 3 in my shotgun to start and I usually carry about a dozen or more with me. I cannot ever remember running out of ammo in 25+ years of pheasant hunting.

Most of my hunting are on smaller-sized spots in Minnesota so I'm never really that far from the truck where my box of ammo is. I can recall one time last December when I missed 4 roosters with 10 shots and walked back to the truck so upset that I quit for the day lol
 
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I like to start the morning with 15, and hope only need 3. The last Sunday of the season, I was down to 10 shells, I had been shooting real well..."had been", so off I go, full of confidence (or maybe arrogance). I shot 8 shells and no birds in the basket...I decided it just wasn't meant to be my day and headed for the truck. In about 50 yards the dog locks-up and I knock the rooster down, which the dog had to catch, we go maybe another 100 yards and he is locked-up again, this time I manage to get the entire pattern on him with that last shell. At the report of that shot, I have a dozen or so birds all flush together around me, I just had to smile and go find my bird, as the dog got all out of shape from the new birds exploding around us. I have never been happier with a 2 bird morning.
 
I found it pretty humorous when I was taking my buddy's kid out for his first wild pheasant hunt, on late season public land in MN. He took a fresh box of federals and dumped all 25 in his shell pouch, talk about optimism! Thankfully he got his 1st ever wild rooster that day, and a nice one to boot! His is the bird with the longer tail. I managed to get one too. Great day and great memories.20211204_161011.jpg
 
A lot. Grouse and woodcock hunting I've easily burned through a box in an hour. If you hit the woodcock migration right, it is not uncommon to get 30 flushes in a mile and a half long loop. Buggers can be hard to hit, and with them I find myself either in a state of major disarray, or lights out shooting.

For pheasants I found myself carrying about 15. Never used more than 6 or so, but I get anxious when my pockets get light. Purely a mental thing. You never know when it'll get all wild west on you...
 
Usually 20-25….if I’m in SD with a group, 25+….I shot 6-8 birds several times this season, and probably had a miss or two each day…may have shot at 10 birds +/- several days this year…I sometimes resupply once or twice during the day, depending.
 
Usually about 12-15. I will never be caught a mile from my truck with no limit & no shells, whether it's because I had a rough day & shot them all, or a few bounced out of my vest pocket. If I think I stand a chance of getting quite a bit of shooting, & it's likely to be awfully long/challenging, I may start with 20. That's rare.
 
13 to 17. Three in the gun and five to seven in each pocket, right and left sides respectively. I've had to borrow shells twice in the past decade, both times were on a group hunt with the local Pro Pheasants group.
 
I generally carry about a box whether in grouse woods or prairies. I'm such a streaky shooter some days only need 3 to kill my woodcock or phez and other days may take close to a box, more so in the woods than prairie.
 
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