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Steve's Outpost

Section 06 · Shooting Gear

Shotgun Shell Caddies & Quad Loaders

Matches are decided at the loading port. This is the gear side of that problem — and the honest warning that the technique has to come before the hardware.

By Stephen V.Updated How we pick
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We earn a commission when you buy through our Amazon links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the order of the picks, and we say so when the cheaper thing is the better buy. How this works.

Watch any 3-Gun stage that involves a shotgun and count the seconds. The shooting takes a moment. The loading takes several times longer, happens repeatedly, and is where the whole field separates. Two shooters of identical skill with identical guns will finish twenty seconds apart purely on how they get shells into the magazine tube.

The hardware on this page helps with that. It does not solve it — and I want to be blunt about the order of operations, because this is the category where people spend money before they have earned the benefit.

A shell caddy loaded with 12-gauge shells mounted on a competition belt beside the shotgun
The shell caddy on my belt, loaded and in position. The shells sit head-out at a fixed angle so the same grab works every time — that consistency is the entire point of a caddy over a pocket.

Where the shells can live

There are four places, and serious shooters use more than one at once.

  • On the belt, in a caddy. The fastest position and the one your hand can find without looking. This is the primary carry and where a quad loader belongs.
  • On the receiver, in a side saddle. Always in the same place relative to the gun regardless of your body position, and impossible to leave behind. Slower to reach than the belt, and it adds weight to something you are swinging.
  • On the forend, on M-LOK or a card. Distributes the weight and keeps shells forward. Needs a compatible handguard and can interfere with your support hand.
  • On the buttstock. The slowest position by a distance. Genuinely useful as a small reserve, not as a primary.

What separates a good caddy from a bad one

  • Retention that survives running. Too loose and shells walk out while you move between positions. Too tight and you are fighting the caddy instead of loading from it. Adjustable is best; consistent is essential.
  • Fixed presentation angle. Every shell should present identically. A caddy where shells settle at different angles teaches you nothing repeatable.
  • Belt footprint. Caddies are large and belt space is finite once a holster and mag pouches are on. This is the real argument for on-gun carry as a supplement.
  • Handedness and position. Which hand loads the gun determines which side the caddy goes on. Work that out before you drill anything.

The listing to watch out for

Searching for shell caddies surfaces a lot of shell storage — waterproof boxes holding a couple of hundred rounds. Those are genuinely good for hauling ammunition to a match, and they are completely useless on a belt. They rank in these searches through keyword overlap, not because they do the job, and the skip pick below is one of them. Buy both if you like; just do not buy the box thinking it is a loader.

The short answer

Quick picks

#ProductBest forScorePrice
01
Johnny Clip Johnny Clip 2x4 Quad Loader Caddy
Johnny Clip 2x4 Quad Loader Caddy

Two banks of four, which is the layout quad loading was built around — grab four, roll them in, repeat. This is the iconic 3-gun accessory and it deserves the reputation.

Best overall
7.8
$31.95Amazon (affiliate link)
02
GOTICAL GOTICAL Picatinny Side Saddle
GOTICAL Picatinny Side Saddle

Shells on the receiver are shells you cannot drop on the ground, and a Picatinny mount means it comes off when the stage does not need it.

Best on-gun carry
8.0
$22.95Amazon (affiliate link)
03
Gwild Concepts Gwild Concepts Tegris 5rd Shotgun Card
Gwild Concepts Tegris 5rd Shotgun Card

Nine dollars to find out whether you like carrying shells on the gun, with hook-and-loop backing so it moves to another mount later.

Best budget
7.6
$8.99Amazon (affiliate link)
04
Unbranded M-LOK Shotgun Shell Holders (3-Pack)
M-LOK Shotgun Shell Holders (3-Pack)

Three mounts for a handguard that already has M-LOK slots — distributed shell carry without adding a rail.

Best for M-LOK forends
7.6
$19.99Amazon (affiliate link)
05
Allen Company Allen Next Shot Buttstock Carrier
Allen Next Shot Buttstock Carrier

Three shells on a silicone band that fits 12, 16 or 20 gauge and moves between guns in seconds.

Best buttstock carrier
7.2
$13.99Amazon (affiliate link)
06
Unbranded 260-Round Shotgun Shell Storage Box
260-Round Shotgun Shell Storage Box

A perfectly good ammo storage box that keeps appearing in caddy searches. It belongs in your vehicle, not on your belt, and buying it expecting a loader is the mistake this listing invites.

Skip this one — it is not a caddy
4.2
$59.99Amazon (affiliate link)

#ad · Live prices from the Amazon Creators API, as of Sep 5, 2026. Where we have no verified live price we show none — a gap beats a number that has rotted.

In detail

The picks, in full

01
Johnny Clip Johnny Clip 2x4 Quad Loader Caddy

Best overall

Johnny Clip 2x4 Quad Loader Caddy

2 x 4 shells12 gaugeBelt mountQuad-load geometry
7.8/10

Two banks of four, which is the layout quad loading was built around — grab four, roll them in, repeat. This is the iconic 3-gun accessory and it deserves the reputation.

Load speed
9
Shell retention
8
Build quality
8
Belt footprint
6
Value
8

What's good

  • The shells sit at the spacing and angle a four-finger grab actually wants, which is the whole point
  • Two banks means eight shells within one hand position
  • Simple molded part with nothing to break or adjust

What's not

  • Quad loading is a technique you have to learn before the caddy helps you
  • 12 gauge only
  • Belt real estate is finite and this takes a lot of it

Skip it if…

…you are still load-two-ing. Get the technique first with a cheap card, then buy the caddy that suits the way you actually load.

$31.95See it on Amazon (affiliate link)

Price as of Sep 5, 2026. Prices move — Amazon's is the one that counts.

#ad · we may earn a commission from this link to Johnny Clip 2x4 Quad Loader Caddy

02
GOTICAL GOTICAL Picatinny Side Saddle

Best on-gun carry

GOTICAL Picatinny Side Saddle

Picatinny mount12 gaugeRemovableMultiple shell capacity
8.0/10

Shells on the receiver are shells you cannot drop on the ground, and a Picatinny mount means it comes off when the stage does not need it.

Load speed
6
Shell retention
9
Build quality
7
Belt footprint
10
Value
8

What's good

  • On-gun shells are always in the same place regardless of how you are standing
  • Picatinny mounting is reversible — you are not drilling anything
  • Adds weight where it damps muzzle rise rather than on your belt

What's not

  • Adds weight to a gun you are swinging between targets
  • Needs a rail on the receiver, which not every shotgun has
  • Slower to reload from than a belt caddy at the same hand position

Skip it if…

…your shotgun has no receiver rail. Check before ordering — this is the most common return in the category.

$22.95See it on Amazon (affiliate link)

Price as of Sep 5, 2026. Prices move — Amazon's is the one that counts.

#ad · we may earn a commission from this link to GOTICAL Picatinny Side Saddle

03
Gwild Concepts Gwild Concepts Tegris 5rd Shotgun Card

Best budget

Gwild Concepts Tegris 5rd Shotgun Card

5 roundsTegris constructionHook & loop backing12 gauge
7.6/10

Nine dollars to find out whether you like carrying shells on the gun, with hook-and-loop backing so it moves to another mount later.

Load speed
5
Shell retention
7
Build quality
7
Belt footprint
10
Value
9

What's good

  • Cheapest honest way into on-gun shell carry
  • Hook-and-loop backing relocates to a different panel or stock without tools
  • Light enough not to change how the gun handles

What's not

  • Five rounds is a top-up, not a stage's worth
  • Adhesive-backed mounting eventually lets go in heat

Skip it if…

…you need a full stage on the gun. This is a supplement to a belt caddy, not a replacement.

$8.99See it on Amazon (affiliate link)

Price as of Sep 5, 2026. Prices move — Amazon's is the one that counts.

#ad · we may earn a commission from this link to Gwild Concepts Tegris 5rd Shotgun Card

04
Unbranded M-LOK Shotgun Shell Holders (3-Pack)

Best for M-LOK forends

M-LOK Shotgun Shell Holders (3-Pack)

M-LOK compatible3M tape + screw holes3-pack12 gauge
7.6/10

Three mounts for a handguard that already has M-LOK slots — distributed shell carry without adding a rail.

Load speed
5
Shell retention
8
Build quality
7
Belt footprint
10
Value
8

What's good

  • M-LOK direct mounting is more secure than adhesive alone
  • Three units let you spread shells across the forend rather than clustering weight
  • Screw holes as well as tape, so it can be mounted properly

What's not

  • Needs an M-LOK forend — most factory shotguns do not have one
  • Shells on the forend are in the way of your support hand on some grips

Skip it if…

…you run a factory wood or polymer forend. There is nothing to mount these to.

$19.99See it on Amazon (affiliate link)

Price as of Sep 5, 2026. Prices move — Amazon's is the one that counts.

#ad · we may earn a commission from this link to M-LOK Shotgun Shell Holders (3-Pack)

05
Allen Company Allen Next Shot Buttstock Carrier

Best buttstock carrier

Allen Next Shot Buttstock Carrier

3 shells12/16/20 gaugeSilicone bandNo tools
7.2/10

Three shells on a silicone band that fits 12, 16 or 20 gauge and moves between guns in seconds.

Load speed
4
Shell retention
7
Build quality
7
Belt footprint
10
Value
8

What's good

  • Fits any stock without hardware, and transfers between guns instantly
  • Silicone grips shells tightly enough to survive recoil
  • Covers three gauges rather than one

What's not

  • Buttstock shells are the slowest position to reload from
  • Three rounds is an emergency reserve
  • Band can shift on a slick synthetic stock

Skip it if…

…you are chasing stage times. This is a hunting-derived carrier and it is honest about that; a belt caddy is faster.

$13.99See it on Amazon (affiliate link)

Price as of Sep 5, 2026. Prices move — Amazon's is the one that counts.

#ad · we may earn a commission from this link to Allen Next Shot Buttstock Carrier

06
Unbranded 260-Round Shotgun Shell Storage Box

Skip this one — it is not a caddy

260-Round Shotgun Shell Storage Box

260 round capacityWaterproof boxStorage onlyNot belt mounted
4.2/10

A perfectly good ammo storage box that keeps appearing in caddy searches. It belongs in your vehicle, not on your belt, and buying it expecting a loader is the mistake this listing invites.

Load speed
1
Shell retention
7
Build quality
7
Belt footprint
1
Value
5

What's good

  • Genuinely useful for hauling shells to a match and keeping them dry
  • Waterproof seal works

What's not

  • It is not a caddy, a loader or a carrier — there is no way to run a stage from it
  • It ranks in caddy searches because of keyword overlap, not because it does the job
  • If you want match-day shell logistics, this plus a caddy is the answer, and the caddy is the part that matters

Skip it if…

…you are shopping for something to load from. Buy the Johnny Clip for the belt and, separately, whatever box you like for the truck.

$59.99See it on Amazon (affiliate link)

Price as of Sep 5, 2026. Prices move — Amazon's is the one that counts.

#ad · we may earn a commission from this link to 260-Round Shotgun Shell Storage Box

Buying order that will not waste money

  1. A cheap card or a pocket, and a bag of dummy shells. Learn to load. This step costs almost nothing and determines everything after it.
  2. A belt caddy matching the technique you settled on. Quad geometry if you quad load, generic spacing if you load two.
  3. On-gun carry as a supplement. A side saddle or forend card for the shells you cannot fit on the belt, or for stages where a top-up beats a full reload.
  4. A buttstock carrier last, if at all. It is a reserve, not a system.

Two things nobody mentions

Check your gun has a rail before buying a side saddle. A Picatinny-mount side saddle needs a receiver rail, and a large share of factory shotguns do not have one. This is the single most common return in the category.

Shells vary. Hull length and rim dimensions differ between brands and loads, and a caddy tuned to one can be noticeably tight or loose with another. Load the caddy with the shells you will actually shoot before match day rather than at it.

The gun side of this problem — loading port work, gas versus inertia, and the three tiers people actually shoot — is covered on what makes a good 3-Gun shotgun, which is editorial and sells nothing.

How these were picked

I haven't handled these. Here's what I did instead.

Everyone in this category says they tested twenty of these. I haven't tested any, and I say so. What I do instead: read the manufacturer's manual and published specification, compile the numbers that decide the purchase, do the arithmetic in the open, check the live price, and name one product to skip. The scores above are judgments from that research against a published rubric — they are not measurements I took, because I do not have a lab and I am not going to pretend otherwise.

Questions

Frequently asked

Do I need a quad loader to be competitive?
Not at club level. Load-two is a legitimate technique that plenty of good shooters use all the way up, and it is far more forgiving under stress. Quad loading is faster when it works; learn to load reliably first and decide afterwards.
How many shells should I carry?
Enough for the stage plus a real margin — the round count is published for most matches. Missed steel costs shells, and running dry mid-stage with your caddy empty is a self-inflicted wound. Belt caddy for the primary load, on-gun carry for the reserve.
Which side does the caddy go on?
Opposite the hand that operates the gun, positioned so a loading hand travels the shortest natural path from caddy to port. Set it up, dry-load fifty times, and move it once. Then leave it alone.
Do side saddles hurt how the gun handles?
Yes, slightly — you are adding weight to the receiver of something you swing between targets. Some shooters like the extra mass because it steadies the gun. It is a real trade rather than a free upgrade.

Keep reading

Receipts

Sources

We do not run a testing lab and we do not pretend to. Where a measured number came from a manufacturer's published specification or someone else's lab, we name them and link them. Where we could not verify something, we say so on the page rather than quietly leaving it out. Read the full method.