Boss Difference

When we develop our non-toxic Copper Plated BOSS loads there is a good deal of behind the scenes work that goes into making the best shell in the game. We don't have a massive ballistics lab with white coat scientists and a full compliment of lab donkeys to do the grunt work. Every shell is built for a specific purpose — to deliver devastatingly lethal payloads at a price that won't break the bank. Pretty simple. Here are the steps that it takes to develop a new load.

Powder selection (shape of the pressure curve vs. velocity and resulting pattern uniformity), then a velocity test at 70F, then a pressure test at 70F, then 30 yard pattern testing, then 40 yard pattern testing, then 50 yard pattern testing, then velocity testing at 0F, then pressure testing at 0F, then 30 yard frozen pattern testing, then 40 yard frozen pattern testing, then 50 yard frozen pattern testing, then we fine tune and dial it in. Did you get all that?

Once we are relatively satisfied with what we have, we will fine tune the load to make the final adjustments, repeat the tests again, lock the formulation in and send it to production. Then we begin to obsess over the hot/cold data to narrow the gap between the temperature extremes that yield the most consistent performance. In the world of shotshells, it is safe to assume that velocities and pressures drop when the weather gets cold and the combination of primer choice, powder, powder charge, wad selection, payload, crimp style and finishing technique all play critical roles in the cold weather performance.

In this stage of the process, we will take the load and start reducing the powder charge by .1gr and re-run all of the previous tests again. We will continue to back down the powder charge .1gr at a time until we establish a trend, most of the time the data falls onto a graph that makes a straight line. Less powder equals less velocity and pressure. We also re-test by adding powder .1gr at a time and this is where it gets cool. We see velocities increase in a near linear fashion and then they will begin to flatten, but the pressures will continue to rise. We look for the point at which adding powder no longer adds velocity and if the pressures are acceptable — we then continue repeat this process with frozen shells. Heavy powder charges can get tricky in cold weather because in general, the more powder you have the harder it is to light. Anyone ever had a dud in cold weather…

At BOSS, our favorite part of the shell construction comes next — the crimp. We prefer the tried and true 6 petal fold crimp (more petals = tighter patterns and higher pressures. While the depth of the crimp affects the pressures across all temperatures, it is our belief that the true benefit of crimp depth and taper provide the most benefit in cold temperatures. The deeper crimps, larger tapers take more time to open and the resulting pressure that is created is higher. Higher pressures in cold weather allow for clean burning performance that won't shut gas autos down during late season hunts. Crazy part is, most of our customers will go an entire season without cleaning their guns when they use shoot BOSS.

What makes a shell a 'good deal?' The price alone? Maybe, until you're chasing cripples around 60 acres of sheetwater. Watch your buddy blow through a half a box of steel going after that bird and then let him try to convince what a good deal those junk shells were, right?

At BOSS, we aim to right the wrongs the steel shell peddlers have sold waterfowlers. You no longer need a 3 ½” BB steel load. They're obsolete. Combine the copper-plated BOSS or tungsten's devastation with superior, clean-burning powders and the game changes. Big time. With our powders, you can drop down in shell size and get less recoil. Cleaner powder also means your shot actually retains energy past 25 yards, so you can increase pattern density by dropping down in shot size. Pattern your BOSS shells out. You'll see they absolutely crush, even at distance. To us, that's real value.

Regarding price, we've got your back there too. We do not (and never will) sell to the big box stores, which means you won't have to pay their markups. Instead, we're sending shells direct to your door and passing the savings on to you. Again, that's the value you'll experience from superior BOSS Shotshells.

Current reality: 3.4 to 3.7 million birds lost to crippling each year.

Fact: That’s 100% on us as hunters.

Goal: To cut than number in half and put 1.8+ more birds on the nesting grounds annually.

3.4 to 3.7 million birds lost each year to crippling is an alarming number. Given that’s on our backs as hunters, it’s time we took all long, hard looks in the mirror and started asking some difficult questions. Now, we don’t need the government or shell restriction laws to tell us what to do. We already know. Crippling, to some extent, is just a sickening reality of the hunt. But the vast majority of it occurs because someone’s made the poor choice to take a bad shot and nobody’s calling them out on it. Moving forward, you’ll be seeing and hearing BOSS go headlong at the No Your Shot Initiative and trying to help change the tired narrative that crippling due to irresponsible shooting is even remotely okay.

That starts with pattering our guns so we know exactly what they’re capable of at a given shooting distance, then pulling off ANY bird that doesn’t fall within it. No more skybusting. It’s just not worth the risk. A true woodsman knows more birds will come. Hunting with a trained retriever is another big part of that equation, as is shooting the most effective shells you can afford—and we’re not saying that because make ammunition. We don’t care what you brand shoot, so long as you’re shooting it responsibly.

Now, imagine if we followed these few, easy steps. What would that mean? Could we cut that massive number of cripples on half? Yes, that’s easily reachable. Imagine 1.8+ million more birds on the nesting grounds. Sounds a lot like the Good Ol’ Days to us, and it’s a voluntary move that, once again, proves no one loves birds more than a bird hunter. We truly hope you’ll join is in this long-overdue conversation because together we can make this a movement. We just have to be willing to think bigger than ourselves.

In 1998, six years after forward-thinking waterfowlers agreed to the lead ban, annual deaths from lead poisoning in mallards alone deceased a massive 64%. It’s time we made a choice again. This time, with the BOSS Unleaded initiative and we’re gonna talk about getting lead out of the environment with anyone who’ll listen.

Given even a single ingested #7.5 pellet is enough to slowly kill a wild quail, we’re encouraging all hunters to voluntarily leave the poisen behind. It’s not worth the damage. Specifically in the uplands where it’s is legal, because the same dry ditches we chase birds in all fall turn into creeks come spring. Everything from gamebirds to rodents to hawks and cats that eat birds and rodents are still ingesting a TON of lead and slowly dying. In sage canyons, fields or forests, lead shot’s eventually buried and earthworms are full of poison. Guess what eats worms?

Now, for those that think we’re just pushing product, it’s bigger that that. BOSS could easily make the best-performing lead load balanced with a massively affordable price, but we’re not gonna. We believe making conscious choices that don’t add lead to the ecosystem is way more important than money. We’ll gladly shake your hand for making Unleaded your own narrative and shooting any brand of shell out there that’s not filled with poison.

Back in 2019, our buddy Sam Soholt started the phenomenal Stamp It Forward program. It’s a selfless idea that purchases mass amounts of federal ducks stamps because 98% of those stamp dollars, by law, must go back into wetland habitat conservation. In its inaugural year, he raised $25k for the birds by purchasing 1000 stamps.

He got to more than $30K in ‘20/’21. That’s a pro move we admire so in ‘20/’21 and for as long as Sam keeps it running, BOSS will the Stamp It Forward program with an initiative of our own called Cases for Conservation. Each year, we’ll release an exclusive run of super-unique BOSS cases and include a limited-edition MoneyBag. Then, we’re gonna send the Stamp It Forward program $50—enough for two duck stamps—for every case sold.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Nobody loves waterfowl more than real waterfowlers. Folks like Sam and our tribe of BOSSmen are living proof.

If you’re a longtime BOSS follower, you’re no stranger to our Put it on Paper mantra and by that, we mean our downright insistence that the BOSS brethren pattern their shotguns. It’s true woodcraft, a win for you and a win for the birds, really. Not only do we encourage patterning to understand exactly what you and your shotgun are capable of at a chosen distance, it’s one of many intelligent ways to lower the staggering number of birds lost to crippling each year.

We believe the hunt is so much more than just squeezing triggers, so to help you pattern effectively we’ve designed a badass, step-by-step guide to patterning.

Interested in becoming a more effective killer? We hope so.

Just call us the shop at and we’ll get you set up: 877-410-BOSS