Frequently Asked Questions
Q. DO YOU HAVE A PROSTAFF?
A. We’d be honored to have a grinder of your caliber on our prostaff, but here’s the thing: We don’t have a prostaff and we never will.
Our distribution model is unlike any other ammunition company in that we only sell online, direct-to-consumer. If we spent money on a prostaff and flowed out wads of free product, we’d have to pass those costs to our customer—the very folks who helped us build this business. That ain’t happening, BOSSmen.
It’s different here at BOSS: The BOSSmen brethren, a wickedly cool community of over 29K+ active users on Instagram and Facebook. These folks are real deal hunters of varied experience levels and they’re always willing to help out a fellow BOSSman like you. Hit them up with any questions you might have or call the shop and we’ll talk.
Q. HOW IS YOUR 2-3/4” SHELL THE SAME AS MY 3” SHELL?
A. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Ignore shell length. That’s just a bunch of marketing rigamarole we’ve all been spoonfed for way too long.
Only payload and velocity matter.
Case and point: A standard 3” steel shell has a 1 ¼ oz. payload and bunch of filler like flaxseed and plastic to take up space. Our 2 ¾” Shorty has the exact same 1 ¼ oz payload, except we don’t fall for all that filler nonsense. Cut one open and you’ll find only top quality powders, a wad and the devastation of hard-hitting, copper-plated, non-toxic shot.
ADD: To be completely transparent, when Boss Shotshells was in its beginning stages we loaded as many 2 ¾” shells as the day would allow, knowing they were the best value to our customers. Frankly a 3” shell wasn’t needed, and we weren’t in a position to build a 3” shell “just because.”
Q. I HUNT DUCKS AND GEESE. WHAT SHELL WOULD YOU SUGGEST FOR DECOYING BIRDS?
A. The quick answer is the Shorty, our 2 ¾” #5 can of whup-ass. They’re the Swiss Army knife of the BOSS lineup and diabolical for clean kills on decoying birds inside 35 yards. If you’re finding more geese than ducks hitting your spread, consider upsizing your shot to a 2 ¾” #4 for a little added thump.
Late-season, big-boned, armor-clad, field bully geese are a different critter altogether and you’ll want a 3” shell in #4 through #2 to get through those heavy down feathers. That’s how you kill the next 10 meals of goose pastrami cleanly.
Q. WHAT’S THE BEST SHELL FOR GEESE?
A. The easy answer is copper-plated BOSS shells, but you already knew that.
All joking aside, for clean kills on lessers, snows and early-season honkers the Shorty, our 2 ¾” #5, is the cat’s pajamas ADD: *inside 35 yards. If you want a few more pellets in the pattern, the 3” #5’s are your go too.
On late-season, heavy-feathered Canadas, most BOSSmen are chambering 3” #4, #3 or #2’s and absolutely crushing out to 60 yards, though we seldom condone shooting at that distance. Let them work, then watch ‘em helicopter.
Q. WHAT IS THE BEST LOAD FOR SNOW GEESE?
A. The 2 ¾” #3/5 Shorty. Anyone seeing a pattern here?
The #3/5 duplex load is the most adaptable load when it comes to range. The extended yardage brought by the #3’s and the increase in pellet count due to the #5’s complete one of our most sought-after and versatile loads. Hunters are able to reach out and grab the tougher, more mature birds and snag the in-your-face types without switching loads.
Q. WILL YOUR SHELLS WORK FOR UPLAND?
A. The'll more than work. They'll smash, and you won’t have the guilt of sending all that gross lead into the uplands. Fact is, with copper-plated BOSS' wicked balance of performance and price, there's just no need for lead shot anymore. It's just too harmful for the environment.
As a general rule, the BOSSmen like a 12-ga #5 Shorty for pheasant and grouse. Same goes for you 16-gauge loyalists. If you’re carrying a 20-, 28-gauge or a .410, many BOSSmen tend to upsize their shell length to a 3" #5 to increase pellet count.
If you're mainly encountering quail or woodcock with a few pheasant and the errant woodie mixed in, consider dropping down to a #7. That’ll up your pattern’s pellet count and trust us, many a rooster has been taken with a copper-plated BOSS #7 and a proper lead.
Q. WHAT MAKES YOUR BISMUTH BETTER THAN OTHER BISMUTH LOADS?
A. By surrounding our bismuth with a thin layer of copper, there’s significantly less pellet fragmentation vs. unplated bismuth. Copper plating also lessens pellet drag when entering the meat. This gives you 15% better shot penetration for quicker, cleaner, more ethical kills.
Q. WHY IS BISMUTH BETTER THAN STEEL?
A. With bismuth weighing in at a massive 9.6 g/cc vs. steel at a mere 7.8, bismuth just smashes harder. It also penetrates deeper—and both factors help significantly decrease crippling.
We'd argue copper-plated BOSS pencils out more economically, too. Dig this: If you square up on a bird with copper-plated BOSS’s exceptional pattern density, it’s a one-and-done deal. Squeeze. Dead. But at roughly $1.30 a BOSS shell vs. steel shells at $.80, it’s easy to think steel’s the better value. Until you wing a bird with steel and cycle through the next six steel shells chasing it around the marsh. Now, that sweet deal on cheap steel just cost you almost 5 bucks, a pair of sweat-soaked waders and the better part of 30 minutes in primetime. Not such a good deal after all, eh?
Q. DO YOU HAVE 3 ½" SHELLS?
A. Technically, yes. But only in our 10-gauge lineup because the 10-ga was designed around the 3 ½" shell length and we’re all about honoring firearm history. Again, for most waterfowling scenarios, any BOSSman will tell you a 2 ¾" BOSS Shorty is more than enough.
Q. DO YOU SHIP TO CANADA?
A. Not yet, as shipping ammunition to Canada is currently not allowed. We’re working on a way to get copper-plated devastation into the hands of the BOSS brethren to our North. Cross fingers. Stay tuned.
Q. ARE YOUR SHELLS IN ANY STORES?
A. That'd be a negative — here’s why:
A box store tends to mark their wholesale prices up roughly 100% — fact. A cost increase like that might put shells like BOSS out-of-reach for most hard-working Americans. Not cool.
By selling only online and direct, there’s no middleman markups. From our door to yours, you get the sinister performance of the copper-plated crush festival at a price that’s barely more than steel. That’s a true value and why our business model sides with real hunters, not the big-box retailers.
Q. IS OVERNIGHT SHIPPING AVAILABLE?
A. Unfortunately not, as it's unlawful.
But, depending on your proximity to the booming metropolis of Bridgeman, Michigan (population 2231), we can typically get them on your doorstep in two days — orders go out the same day. From there, it’s all up to the shipping company.
Q. WHAT IS THE BEST WATERFOWL CHOKE FOR MY GUN?
A. That question’s a total can of worms. Start by being honest with yourself about where you commonly take birds. 20 yards and feet down over decoys? At 15 in the timber? Passing at 45 yards over open water?
After establishing your common shooting distance, patterning is the real answer to the choke conundrum. Always, always put the shells on paper before putting them on any bird. Start with a factory Improved Modified or Full choke. Pattern opening up too much? Choke it down. Too tight? Open it up. Every shotgun’s a little different so trial and error is the process, with patterning being the rule.
Only after you get the general choke dialed with factory gear should you start fine-tuning your pattern with a custom choke. Several, more-than-capable custom choke makers are among the BOSS brethren and make chokes specifically for copper-plated BOSS. Just call the shop or ask on the BOSS Instagram or Facebook pages. Someone will point you in the right direction.
Q. WHAT IS THE BEST TURKEY CHOKE FOR MY GUN?
A. Again, your common shooting distance is the real question and patterning is your answer. Start with a factory Full or X-Full and see what the paper says. Once you get that dialed, custom chokes are fine but seldom required. We say that because we don’t want folks spending money unnecessarily when factory chokes pattern just as well.
Q. ARE THESE SHELLS SAFE FOR OLD GUNS?
A. Not only yes, but hell yes.
Given copper-plated BOSS is softer than steel, it’s 100% safe in those vintage barrels. Since the rollout of our shells, we’ve watched a massive resurgence in classic shotguns and we couldn’t be happier about to see Grandad’s guns back in the blinds. The classics got that way for a reason.
Ammunition Shipping Restrictions by State
California & New York- Ship to a Federal Firearms License (FFL), UNLESS they are a police officer. The FFL license needs to be emailed to info@bossshotshells.com so we can keep it on file if we don’t already have it.
Connecticut- Has to have a License to Carry + Driver’s License
Illinois- Has to have a Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) + Driver’s License. Customer needs to take a photo of the FOID and Drivers license emailed to info@bossshotshells.com and the address needs to match on the DL, FOID and ship to.
Massachusetts- Has to have a License to Carry + Driver’s License