What is The Best Shotgun Shell For a Beginner Sporting Clay Shooter?

Posted on May 08, 2017, 11:44 pm
2 mins

After years of suggesting our department teambuilding activity should include a round of sporting clays, it’s finally been approved!!!
Now I’m assigned to supply some shotguns (which I can do), but I also have to purchase the shells.
We have a dozen folks on the team so we’ll need about 2.5 cases.

Questions: Which shell should I get & from where? Order online or purchase local?

We’ll also have a 2 or 3 in the group with no shooting experience, so please also share ideas on how to best handle that (besides the obvious – safety first).
Thanks in advance for any advice you share.   -Esjay-

 

Bass Pro or Cabelas will have the best prices. Remington “Gun Club” shells (1 0z) or the other promotional line shells (Federal and Winchester have them, too) are the best bang for the buck for the non-tournament shooter. On-line places have good pricing, but ordering just a couple cases will kill you on freight charges.   -Gulfcoast-

 

Dicks and Academy both have decent quality 12 ga shells (1 1/8oz) every day for $65-70/case, and sometimes better if you catch a sale. That’s about as good as you can get these days. As mentioned above, shipping will kill you with online purchase. Remington, Winchester and federal, it doesn’t really matter. Be sure to get #8 and not #7.5. A lot of the available stock locally is 7.5, but 8 has a lot more shot and breaks them just the same.
Only other thought I have is if available, you need to use a 20 ga for your inexperienced shooters.    -country_20boy-

 

I have shot a gazillion of the Gun Clubs (and similar “bargain” shells) through a 391, and never had any issues. I think you would be fine, unless you are shooting Benelli/Inertial guns with 3.5″ chambers. In that case, bite the bullet and get Winchester AA Super Sporting or Super Handicaps to be totally safe.  -Gulfcoast-