Ridj, I hope you have better luck finding new shot than what I've experienced.
Like PD, I was totally floored last year when I went to buy a bag of shot.
$49.95 plus tax comes to about $54.00 here is this state...I left it at the store.
I have been shooting re-claimed shot for some three or four years now, and although I don't like it, I suspect I will use it until it's gone.
The only defense I have against such prices is simply
not to buy it, which will likely change nothing, but I totally refuse to pay that kind of money for a bag of shot!!
Besides that I'm totally capable of making drop-shot myself, and although I don't particularly care for that either, it will do fine for the little hunting I get done with my smoothies.
Uncle Russ...