Taking time to reload shotgun shells is worth it … if you remember the gun powder

FOWLER, Ill. — Jennifer Taylor’s timing couldn’t have been better.

To celebrate the new year and wash away what had been a misadventurous 2021, she decided to spend the afternoon and early evening of December 31 enjoying a wine tasting with a couple of friends.

That allowed her husband, Brad, the freedom to do whatever he wanted.

“Impeccable timing on her part,” he said.

Having recently installed a television in his basement workshop, Taylor and his dog, Whiskey, saw this as the perfect opportunity to watch the college football national semifinals uninterrupted while planning and preparing their next hunting adventure.

Better yet, fewer distractions meant less chance he would screw up while reloading shotgun shells.

“When you get people calling for you or coming down to check on you, you tend to forget things,” said Taylor, the 62-year-old hunter who has lived in Adams County his entire life. “Or maybe that’s just age catching up with me.”

Whatever the reason, Taylor pulled a handful of reloaded shells from his pocket the last time he and Whiskey went rabbit hunting and realized with the first pull of the trigger he had forgotten to add gun powder. So no loud report and no kill shots either.

“Embarrassing,” Taylor said. “I’m just glad I was hunting alone that day.”

Those were also shells from the first time he have ever done his own reloads.

Since, his process has improved and his forgetfulness has diminished. In fact, last fall when he and two friends went dove hunting, he supplied all of the shells needed for a good hunt. There was not a single misfire in the bunch.

“And we put that to the test,” Taylor said. “Those guys went through several boxes of shells blasting at every bird in the sky. Good thing I brought plenty.”

Now is the time to restock the reloads.

Cost is one of the reasons Taylor invested in a slightly used loading press and found deals for the other necessities — shells, primers, gun powder, wads and shot. There was some upfront cost, but it was better in the long run than paying $12-$15 for a box of five shells and being told there is a limit on the number of boxes a consumer can purchase.

Availability is a concern, too. Taylor said a recent trip to an outdoor showcase revealed many retailers aren’t carrying a variety of brands or sizes of shells. If you have a specific brand you feel shoots best from your gun, Taylor said you may be on a search for those shells.

“This way, I know what I’m getting and I know I have enough shells,” he said.

That’s only as long as he remembers to put gun powder in all of them.

“I’m reloading these shells and haven’t missed one,” Taylor said. “It helps I don’t have a rooting interest in either of these games. I just like good football.

“But I’d rather take a day in the field hunting anything with Whiskey by my side over watching football. So I’m making sure I’m ready for that day.”