Shotgun shell carriers compared
By Jerry & Lance McCulley · J&L Dynamics · Updated September 3, 2026
A shell carrier (also called a shell caddy) holds shotgun shells in a fixed orientation on your belt or rig so you can strip several at once and reload a tube-fed shotgun without looking down. Four things separate the carriers on the market: how many shells they hold, how they retain them, how they mount, and whether they support load-two and load-four technique.
Full disclosure: we make one of the carriers below. The table sticks to what each maker states or what we verified ourselves; a "—" means the maker does not say.
| Carrier | Capacity | Construction | Mounting | Quad-load | Price* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Clip 2x4 (ours) | 8 shells | Injection-molded polymer, integrated shell stops | 2" belt, MOLLE, Tek-Lok and ELS — all built in | Load-two and load-four | $31.95 on Amazon |
| Taccom Sport Series 12S4 | 12 shells | Polymer | Belt attachment of your choice, sold separately | Load-four | $37.95 direct |
| Carbon Arms 8-round XL | 8 shells | Injection-molded polymer | — | Four twin or two quad loads | $59.99 at Red Hill Tactical |
| California Competition Works Shell Caddy | 6 shells | Polymer with nylon cover | Belts up to 2-1/4" | — | Sold via MidwayUSA |
*Prices checked September 3, 2026. The Johnny Clip price is our own Amazon list price; others were read from the maker or dealer listed.
Also on the market
King Competition (Finland) sells modular magnetic shell holders in 8- to 28-shell configurations — magnetic retention is a different mechanism from the friction clips above, at a materially higher price. Safariland still catalogs the model 086 in 2-, 4- and 8-shell configurations through dealers.
No longer made
Two carriers people still search for have left the market. The Invictus Practical 12Q quad caddy is gone: the company's website no longer exists and its Amazon listing shows "currently unavailable" as of September 2026. Uncle Mike's competition caddy appears discontinued, secondary market only.
How to choose
- Capacity vs. weight. Twelve shells on one caddy is more between reloads but also more mass moving on your belt. Two 8-shell carriers spread the load and give you a spare mounting position.
- Load-two and load-four. These techniques strip two or four shells in a single grab and feed the magazine tube in one motion. They need a carrier that holds shells in tight, consistent spacing — check the maker states support rather than assuming it.
- Mounting ecosystem. If you already run a Tek-Lok or Safariland ELS belt, a carrier with those mounts built in costs nothing extra; a carrier that needs a separate attachment can add $10–20 and a purchase decision per caddy.
- Retention. Friction clips with shell stops hold each shell individually; magnetic systems trade that for faster stripping at a higher price.
Where the Johnny Clip 2x4 fits: 8 shells, integrated shell stops, and all four mounting options molded in — at the lowest verified price of the quad-load carriers above. It is also the one you will see running in our own videos.