# What is a shotgun shell flat?



## kumma

How many shot gun shells in a flat? 

Im starting to shoot sporting clays and have some giftcards to use for ammo, some one told me to buy flats. What the heck was he talking about.


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## 454casull

If I am guessing correctly when ammo is shipped there are x amount of cases bundled to a pallet or "flat". I thinking that your friend wants you to buy in bulk at the best pricing you can. The more you buy the better the price. That's my story and I'm sticking with it!


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## BigDan

Is 10 box's of 25 shells. A case is 2 flats or 20 boxes.


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## franky

250 shells. In case your mathematically challenged. .410 flats are getting mighty expensive if as well. Over $100 for a flat of AA's


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## steelsetter

kumma said:


> How many shot gun shells in a flat?
> 
> Im starting to shoot sporting clays and have some giftcards to use for ammo, some one told me to buy flats. What the heck was he talking about.


broke" after you visit the ammo store anymore....

I was never big into reloading until I started shooting clays.
This set-up has saved me thousands of dollars through the years since then.








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I now load for handgun, rifle and shotgun in 6 different calibers and gauges. I still buy factory for some rifles and waterfowl hunting ammo, but I try my best to roll my own.

A decent MEC and a few dollars up front will keep LOTS of green backs in your billfold.

Reloading shotgun shells is pretty simple after a thourough study of the subject up front followed with attention to detail during the process.

I was fortunate to find a machine tool company that was offing (hint hint hint)it's supply of lead shot used for counterbalances a few years ago.

I purchased 3,800#'s or so of a tri-mix (9's, 8's, 71/2's) that works well for practice and starling shooting for $200.00.

Sold my "clays buddy" 1,000#'s and kept the rest for myself.

I am down to 38,400 shells or so worth of shot remaining.....

Or about 20 years or so worth of shooting at the rate I am going through the stuff.


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## kumma

"flat broke" your not kidding. With $17 per round of 50 clays and another $8 for shells i'm not shooting everyday. Ill be damned if i'm buying a pallet of shells, might be a good investment considering the crazy commodities market, but Ill spend whole $200 gift card on ammo though.


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## 5PATS

Steelsetter,

Where did you pick up the tri-mix? Is it recycled? How does it load?


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## steelsetter

5PATS said:


> Steelsetter,
> 
> Where did you pick up the tri-mix? Is it recycled? How does it load?


Chilled new shot . Loads excellent and patterns great. I reload this in 20 and 12 with great results. I normally shoot it on the clays range or when the starling migrations come though and have been very happy with it's overall performance. Although at extended ranges it has a tad to be desired, for the price I paid I can live with this minor nuisance. You just don't pull the trigger on long shots/stands, or slip a heavier loading in your gun...

I never realized that lead would skyrocket to these levels back then, or I would have bought a 1,000#'s or so of 4's, 5's, 6's and 7.5's at the same time from a bulk lead dealer. The place I bought this stuff from only used the finer shot for maximum weight to volume for the machine slide counter balances unfortunately. As we bought every single pound they had, and about 1,500#'s pounds of lead plates that are 1.5" thick x 8.5"'s square. I am saving these for bullet/small diameter cannon ball casting when I retire or find the time to start this money saver back up again, and as outstanding bench weights for sight in or woodchuck hunting with a handle mounted on them for ease of use. I even mounted some under a pick up truck for winter driving for a buddy.

I was joking with my main shooting bud that we could sell our shot/lead plate stash right now and pick up a couple nice used M1-A's or go on a guided hunt someplace.

5 or so years ago some of my buddies were scratching their heads when they saw me welding up a 30 gallon drum "lead sled" on industrial castors to move around the pole barn. And by the way, even with this "feat of engineering" a 30 gallon drum filled to the very top with fine lead shot moves HARD even with nice castors under it!!!!!!:lol:

We use 30 gallon sealable drums and detergent bottles with caps to store the stuff in to avoid open lead in these quantities laying around.

I would explore bulk purchases with your buds rather than buying by the bag if you are positive your going to be shooting to the end.

If you or someone you know works in a manufacturing facility you could possibly have it drop shipped there and then divy it up?

Good luck!


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## 5PATS

Steelsetter,

I've been buying bulk for years, but I have never loaded the tri-mix. There are some guys around that apparently reclaim shot from skeet and trap fields and sreen it (7.5, 8,9's). I was thinking of reloading some of the reclaimed stuff as "spreader" loads. I reload mostly 9's, but since the price of lead has come down, I'm not as worried as I was.


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## steelsetter

5PATS said:


> Steelsetter,
> 
> I've been buying bulk for years, but I have never loaded the tri-mix. There are some guys around that apparently reclaim shot from skeet and trap fields and sreen it (7.5, 8,9's). I was thinking of reloading some of the reclaimed stuff as "spreader" loads. I reload mostly 9's, but since the price of lead has come down, I'm not as worried as I was.


A couple guys in my click and me were laughing about the guys who pilfered some golf balls out of course ponds at night while using scuba gear and got caught.

Now with lead as high as it is we are guessing that will be the next scam at gun ranges....:lol:

I would go for it as this tri-mix I have been shooting is darn nice stuff within 30 yards or so depending on gun and choke restriction of course.

It does a phenomanal job on large flocks of starlings during migration or when they are on the picked wheat fields hunting grain droppings and bugs.


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## trapshooter25

to answer your original question a flat of shells definately is a case of ten boxes. (25 shells per box) 250 shells fer flat. they are sold by the flat or in bulk on skids which are calles "skids or pallets" it is worth it to reload if you plan on doing a lot of shooting. If you only shoot every once in a while I would just find someone selling cheap ammo like gun clubs, Rio's, Estates, etc. sometimes you can find them on sale pretty cheap at walmart, rural king, or gander mountain. take advantage of them when they go on sale. i buy all our shotgun shells and clay targets for my trapshooting team of 22 kids from shantz supply in otsego, MI unless I find them on sale. if the cost of lead keeps rising I dont know how it will effect our sport. I have my doubts. When I loaded and shot a lot I bought shot for 16.50 per bag. now if you find it less that $40 you better buy a lot of it. its depressing. only time will tell.


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## Huntsman27

trapshooter25 said:


> to answer your original question a flat of shells definately is a case of ten boxes. (25 shells per box) 250 shells fer flat. they are sold by the flat or in bulk on skids which are calles "skids or pallets" it is worth it to reload if you plan on doing a lot of shooting. If you only shoot every once in a while I would just find someone selling cheap ammo like gun clubs, Rio's, Estates, etc. sometimes you can find them on sale pretty cheap at walmart, rural king, or gander mountain. take advantage of them when they go on sale. i buy all our shotgun shells and clay targets for my trapshooting team of 22 kids from shantz supply in otsego, MI unless I find them on sale. if the cost of lead keeps rising I dont know how it will effect our sport. I have my doubts. When I loaded and shot a lot I bought shot for 16.50 per bag. now if you find it less that $40 you better buy a lot of it. its depressing. only time will tell.


Shooting 20,000 or more shells a year. Its not worth it to load shells at 40 plus a bag for lead. Not just for practice. Wally world still has Fed shells at 17/100 [12 ga] and for 16s and handicap to say 24 yards its not a big deal. Now, when your at the back fence, good shot is great to have to break long range targets.
Grabbing lead at the range is nothing new. we created our own shaker boxes and reclaimed fired bullets and melted them down and recast them for our handgun and rifle applications. I have a hard time thinking some guys are going to crawl around trying to scrape up enough shot to make it worth their time [unless its maybe at Mason at the MTA grounds!]


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