Is ball ammo in a shotgun still a shell?

that's another term for a shotgun slug, and that is a type of shotgun shell.

What are you going to hunt?

Slugs are considered a shotgun shell but has a single solid bullet and does not have shot (multiple pellets) in it.

In West Virginia you can hunt Deer, Bear, and Boar, with slugs.

You can hunt Pheasant, Rabbit, Squirrel, and other small game with a shotgun using shot shells. But be warned that if you are hunting small game with a shotgun before Deer season starts, make sure you do not have any slugs on your person or you will be arrested for hunting Deer out of season.

http://www.wvdnr.gov/hunting/hunting_regs.shtm

They limit shotguns to firing only single slugs in many areas. Check the manual for your shotgun to get the recommended type of slug ammo, and the proper choke setup.

Here is Remington's slug selection:

http://www.remington.com/product-families/ammuniti...