Well I just found out how well it pays off to mark handloads and buy stuff ahead. When I moved my loading room right about the time Dad passed on, some stuff not needed real soon was put back out of the way. Stuff I didn't know when I'd want again. Been up sorting stuff and seeing what I had, planned on doing it a month ago, but Rita getting sick put me out of the mood. Had put it off long enough, plan on getting on with Rowdy's training, needed some of my magic pheasant and quail loads, got one box of "will do in a pinch factory loads." Have used a load for 25 years that makes the 28 work almost as good as a standard 12 on them and quail. Knew I could be in trouble, Hodgdon quit making the powder and can't find no more. Checked the back of the powder drawer, 1 unopened can and part of a open one, opened can still smelled like sovent and looks fine.
1 pound will load 400 and some.
Primers, no big deal, winchester still makes the old 209, but price has gone up, checked, full brick.
Life got better, ok, what about the shot, durn stuff is expensive and #7 (not 7 1/2) is hard to find, knew there was a powder can full, forgot about the unopened bag I found last century.
I know there are once fired 28 ga AA cases in the attic, always use once fired for serious stuff, might be around 500, but have to move stuff to get to the door. Found about a 100 someone gave me 4-5 years ago in the bunker, great, more than enough for this year, unless I find a lot of quail. OK, drug out the Mec 600 from under the bench, looks fine, just have to mount in, no wads though, no big deal, pick up a bag on the way to work, have to pay retail, but I can afford that.
Looked in the bottom of the bunker, an 8 gallon cardboard barrel, chock full of practice loads,, should be all 3/4 oz of #9, load them when I have time, gives me ammo if someone's kid needs to be taught shotgunning, shot a few off in practice this summer with the trap, noticed one had the primer marked green with a magic marker and a light came on. Didn't plan on hunting birds again till I had another dawg, loaned the gun to Gg in 2002, was to sick to hunt and had lost Midnite that summer anyway. Remember when he got it back I dumped all the ammo in the barrel, and was going to just load when I needed it.
Got a couple tubs and sorted, looking for green primers, found almost 3 boxes of them. Now I don't have to load right away, most likely enough for this season. Some days a guy does get lucky.