If you want to try dowels, American Woodcrafters has birch for around $25.00 US for 100. Even with culls, that's pretty cheap shooting. At least that way you can bypass the Nazis at Home Hardware!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA scattershot that is awesome LOL, and yes they are arse holes there, they dont realize COLD affects wood dowels, Norte Dame Agencies in Goose Bay is better, nice warm store with dowels on a rack, out of 50 i get like 40 good decent and perfect straights