May be the wrong place but hey.

After 5 years of a crappy old 20 guage i bought a decent 12 guage wembley & scott gun. Because of the nature of the old gun i used cheap and nasty shells so im looking for good quality shells. It is mainly used for game shooting (birds and rabbits)

The new gun can use steelshot.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Buy expensive loads recommended for your game type (name brand, whatever at Sportsman's Warehouse, etc.). Buy cheap stuff for trap shooting, just clean your gun after each use and it'll be fine.

I don't understand the question. Are you looking for advice on shot # types? Brand names?

OK, honestly I say this:

go to your local gun shop or hunting supply (with a -good- gun center, like Cabelas), and ask them. They will know better than anyone on here what you will want for your specific gun, and whatever game is in your area.

Have you considered loading your own?

EDIT: Also, I don't see where cheap shells would matter. Ammo is ammo, If you were cleaning it after every shoot I don't see where you would have a problem. Keep in mind that I've also only had experience with rifles and handguns, closest I've ever come to a shotgun has been a 40mm M203.

All ammo is not created equal.

Cheap ammo is usually inconsistent in it's load, and tends to use low-grade powder. It's not exactly great for the gun, and it can also lead to inconsistent firing patterns. Neither is actually as much of an issue with a scatter-load for a shotgun as it would be for saaay a nice modern ultra-precision rifle.

Are you high? A shotgun is nowhere near "closest to" an underslung grenade launcher. Also, photos please. And anyway, Zolgar's right. Even buying in bulk from "Military Surplus" sales isn't smart, because A) it's usually product that didn't pass military standards, and B) especially if it comes from a nation with sub-standard factory regulations.

I should point out he's in the UK ;) things are rather different over here to the US.... also you can load an M203 with a buckshot round. No idea how effective it is etc, just remember reading about it. Don't know if that's what he's talking about though.

Wraith's location shows the US. And it doesn't matter where you're from, a shotgun is a shotgun and a grenade launcher is a launcher. There are civilian sales of m203's, but under the NFA as it is, they're classified as "Destructive Devices" and their price reflects that (upwards of $2K + $200 FFL transfer tax). There are 25mm, 37mm, and 40mm flare launchers for sale on the civilian market that don't require a license to buy (but a hazmat license to sell and ship), but if you were to modify them in any way that allows for the firing of explosive shells, they automatically fall back under the Destructive Devices category, and now you've also got an illegally modified weapon, the punishment for which varies from state to state.

I know that teenage males (and some females) have a naturally unhealthy interest in explosives, but I will tell you from first (and second) hand (and foot, and various other body parts) experience that these are not toys.

Back to the topic on hand. If you're going to handload, make sure you use top grade materials to minimize corrosion and other degradation. Cleaning after every session is great, but some chemicals "go to work" on the steel of your barrel as soon as it makes contact.

The best commercial rounds (IMHO) are Federal Premium or Fusion and Hornady, but they're not the cheapest. Winchester also sells what they call "Military Grade" ammo, replete with plain brown box and OD shells, but these are not, REPEAT: NOT surplus military issue. Everyone who's tried them seems to love them, though.

If what you really want is cheap plinking, invest in a .22 GSG-5. It looks cool (patterned after the HK MP5) and is a treat to shoot.

When I went hunting with dad for rabbit we used Frag-12 explosive rounds.

derail
Hey, explosives are fun, as long as you treat them with the proper respect!
/derail

I was referring to Reaver's location ;) firearms are more controlled in the UK and there's a significant lack of gun shops.

What the hell kind of rabbits were you shooting?

The cannon-fodder type? :P

psst I think he miss took a kangaroo for a rabbit :-P