Worth,
yes, 2 3/4 steel shells were a little difficult to come by in my area even prior to Covid. Bi-Mart use to be my go to place when they had their fall sales on Kent shells, but I haven't seen a box of shotgun shells on their shelves for over a year. One of the reasons I moved to a 3" Rem 1100, a couple of years ago, was the selection of 3" shells was greater in my area.
This weekend, I did find a local sporting goods store that had a few cases of 2 3/4 steel loads. I bought a couple of boxes of Kent steel 7 dove loads at $16/box. Twice what I used to pay, but I will be happy to be able hit the Sept 1 opener with shells in my pocket. I may need to run down for a few more boxes, those doves are shell burners.