2 1/2 12 gauge shells

Wholesale Sports in Lethbridge, AB had them in last year. The ones available here are made by Kent and are rather expensive at almost $20 per box of 25. As far as I know they are the only ones available in Canada at the moment.
If you reload for shotgun, you might wish to look at Balistic Products in the USA. They have a Canadian outlet for the majority of their products through Bilozir.net in Alberta, near Calgary. Will Bilozir can advise you on what you will need to reload for short shells. I have dealt with him and he is knowledgable.
 
Yep, they're marketed by Kent in Canada. The shells actually are made by Gamebore in the UK and sold under the "Pure Gold" label (in 12 ga.). These are low pressure, 2 1/2" shells.

Top quality product. I highly recommend them.
 
A dealer should be able to order in Kent shells for you.
They are easy to load. I made a trim die from a scrap 12 ga. chamber, cutting it to 2 1/2 inches. Put the shell in, cut it off with a utility knife. I load black, with card and cork wads I cut. Shell is closed with a topwad and a roll crimp formed using an antique crimping tool.
 
curthilde said:
Does anybody know where I can buy 2 1/2 inch shells for a 12 gauge I have been looking for about a month and can only find them in the states.
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I see you are in Manitoba. Wholesale Sports in Winnipeg has 12 gauge 2 1/2" pure Gold in felt or fibre wad. I just bought some last week at $17.99 per box of 25. I didn't see any other gauges but they could maybe order? Don't know about Cabela's as I didn't go there.
 
gunsaholic said:
I see you are in Manitoba. Wholesale Sports in Winnipeg has 12 gauge 2 1/2" pure Gold in felt or fibre wad. I just bought some last week at $17.99 per box of 25. I didn't see any other gauges but they could maybe order? Don't know about Cabela's as I didn't go there.
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Wholesale (or any other dealer) may or may not have other gauges in stock, but I know for certain that Gamebore makes them. I bought a flat of 16 ga and a flat of 20 ga Gamebore in 2 1/2". For whatever reason, the 16 & 20 ga 2 1/2" shells are sold under the "Traditional Game" label (pastel yellow box), rather than the "Pure Gold" label. That may be changing, though, as I recently saw a picture of 20 ga Gamebore shells in a "Pure Gold" box.
 
Yep, I knew that Kent made them for the other gauges, I just meant that WSS has a crappy selection in Winnipeg. Selection is the big problem in this country when trying to get low pressure, short shells for vintage guns off the shelf.
 
Thanks for all the information I am just outside of Winnipeg I tried cabelas bit they don't stock them and they will not order them but I will try wholesale and maybe in the future if I can get all the right equipment.
 
Does anyone know the pressure data for the Gamebore 2 1/2 inch shells? I tried to get it from Kent last winter and no joy.

I would be interested in knowing for both the 12 gauge and 16 gauge loads
 
Depending on the shotgun (re-read that a couple times, before telling me I'm out to lunch), you may be well enough using light 2 3/4 inch loads.

Dig around on the DoubleGun Journal forum, as some of the data has been transcribed there. One of their authors went to the trouble of building a pressure testing rig, fitted with proper transducers, and tested out the 'common knowledge' about the pressures of the 2 3/4 inch loads in 2 1/2 inch chambers.
It is educational to see what happens when actual testing data is placed beside theory and conjecture.

Worth looking it up.

Cheers
Trev
 
A few years ago I contacted Kent to get the pressures of their 2 1/2" shells. If I remember correctly the Pure Gold 12 guage were 6000 psi, and the 16 were quite high at 8200 psi. The 20s were around 6500 psi. Hopefully someone will confirm that with the maker. It was Sherman Bell's articles in the Double Gun Journal that tested the pressure increases when 2 3/4" shells were shot in a 2 1/2" chamber. Not much of a jump in pressure, and if you're starting with a light load to begin with not too hard on the old girls.. I often use Winchester's low noise, low recoil 12 guage in my old SxS's. They're plenty for trap and grouse and easy on the wood and steel. Surprising what 7/8 oz. of shot at 980 fps can do.
 
North of 58 said:
A few years ago I contacted Kent to get the pressures of their 2 1/2" shells. If I remember correctly the Pure Gold 12 guage were 6000 psi, and the 16 were quite high at 8200 psi. The 20s were around 6500 psi. Hopefully someone will confirm that with the maker. It was Sherman Bell's articles in the Double Gun Journal that tested the pressure increases when 2 3/4" shells were shot in a 2 1/2" chamber. Not much of a jump in pressure, and if you're starting with a light load to begin with not too hard on the old girls.. I often use Winchester's low noise, low recoil 12 guage in my old SxS's. They're plenty for trap and grouse and easy on the wood and steel. Surprising what 7/8 oz. of shot at 980 fps can do.
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I once asked Gamebore for pressure stats on their 2 1/2" loads, too. They wouldn't say anything on the record (liability issues), but they told me 6500 psi for the 12 gauge and 8200 to 8500 range for both 16 and 20 ga.
 
trevj said:
Depending on the shotgun (re-read that a couple times, before telling me I'm out to lunch), you may be well enough using light 2 3/4 inch loads.
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I have some Eley 2 1/2" that actually measure out to 2 3/4" when fired. I was trying to find one to double check my measurements, but just try to find an empty 12 gauge hull when you need one.
 
9.3mauser said:
I have some Eley 2 1/2" that actually measure out to 2 3/4" when fired. I was trying to find one to double check my measurements, but just try to find an empty 12 gauge hull when you need one.
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You made me wonder, so I checked. Gamebore's hulls are all 2 1/2" fired (Black powder, 12, 16, & 20 ga.).
 
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