Cartridges

[King Rat]

It has finally come to fruition. I have been hearing about a prohibition on the use of lead in shooting cartridges for the last 50 years. Lead shot was prohibited for wildfowling about 30 odd years ago, maybe even 40 the way time flies, but lead shot cartridges were always available. Well, the HSE have finally got their way and lead is to be phased out altogether. I have tried steel and while it is effective through suitable guns for 'normal' range it fails pitifully against larger quarry at more than about 30 yards. Soft feathered game, steel is fine, for the likes of pigeon or crow decoying, but for larger quarry and where range is often at the upper end, 40 - 50 yards where 40g of lead No1 doesn't really have a steel alternative, unless you go up to 50g loads. Time to stock up, cormorants take a lot of bringing down, as do flighting geese, not so much decoyed geese. I forsee a lot more wounded birds with steel only, certainly while people get used to the new loads.

 

[Santa-2512]

It has finally come to fruition. I have been hearing about a prohibition on the use of lead in shooting cartridges for the last 50 years. Lead shot was prohibited for wildfowling about 30 odd years ago, maybe even 40 the way time flies, but lead shot cartridges were always available. Well, the HSE have finally got their way and lead is to be phased out altogether. I have tried steel and while it is effective through suitable guns for 'normal' range it fails pitifully against larger quarry at more than about 30 yards. Soft feathered game, steel is fine, for the likes of pigeon or crow decoying, but for larger quarry and where range is often at the upper end, 40 - 50 yards where 40g of lead No1 doesn't really have a steel alternative, unless you go up to 50g loads. Time to stock up, cormorants take a lot of bringing down, as do flighting geese, not so much decoyed geese. I forsee a lot more wounded birds with steel only, certainly while people get used to the new loads.

Yes i saw that too,

Couldn't work out if it was a hard, no use after ban, or a no production after ban, if the latter watch billions of cartridges being stockpiled

 

[King Rat]

Yes i saw that too,

Couldn't work out if it was a hard, no use after ban, or a no production after ban, if the latter watch billions of cartridges being stockpiled

I have just bought, in the sale! 1000 40g no2s £532 delivered. Next year they will still be available but the price is billed to go up 4 fold. These were half price from standard and I got an extra discount for buying 1000. As you say, stocking up time. I have a couple of thousand Pigeon specials too. Thankfully it won't affect air rifles and lead pellets will still be available.

 

[JonnyBravo]

I wonder how many guns this will scupper ?
Not totally sure about such things but my old black onyx beretta isn’t proof marked for steel shot so I have never put any through it for ducks etc. on beaters day.

 

[ChasMill]

Something similar happened in the States before the Orange one was first elected. The fear was that Hilary would win and introduce gun control. Ammunition buying went through the roof with people stock piling millions of rounds, only for Trump to win, with the backing of the NRA. Ammunition manufacturers had to scale back as demand just about disappeared.

 

[Doris]

It has finally come to fruition. I have been hearing about a prohibition on the use of lead in shooting cartridges for the last 50 years. Lead shot was prohibited for wildfowling about 30 odd years ago, maybe even 40 the way time flies, but lead shot cartridges were always available. Well, the HSE have finally got their way and lead is to be phased out altogether. I have tried steel and while it is effective through suitable guns for 'normal' range it fails pitifully against larger quarry at more than about 30 yards. Soft feathered game, steel is fine, for the likes of pigeon or crow decoying, but for larger quarry and where range is often at the upper end, 40 - 50 yards where 40g of lead No1 doesn't really have a steel alternative, unless you go up to 50g loads. Time to stock up, cormorants take a lot of bringing down, as do flighting geese, not so much decoyed geese. I forsee a lot more wounded birds with steel only, certainly while people get used to the new loads.

Bismuth?

 

[oblertone]

Your Black Onyx Beretta will take Standard Steel loads up to 3/8 choke without issue; as will any other 'In Proof' gun, including my 125yo Army & Navy SxS.

 

[Doris]

I have just bought, in the sale! 1000 40g no2s £532 delivered. Next year they will still be available but the price is billed to go up 4 fold. These were half price from standard and I got an extra discount for buying 1000. As you say, stocking up time. I have a couple of thousand Pigeon specials too. Thankfully it won't affect air rifles and lead pellets will still be available.

You know the ban include “Use of” right? Probably best to use those stockpiles sharpish…

 

[leadfarmer]

Thankfully it won't affect air rifles and lead pellets will still be available

Our club has gone lead free for the air gun range, don’t know if it was compulsory or voluntary though

 

[twizzle]

I have just bought, in the sale! 1000 40g no2s £532 delivered. Next year they will still be available but the price is billed to go up 4 fold. These were half price from standard and I got an extra discount for buying 1000. As you say, stocking up time. I have a couple of thousand Pigeon specials too. Thankfully it won't affect air rifles and lead pellets will still be available.

Crikey, six months wages on shotgun cartridges

 

[Mad Hatter]

Our club has gone lead free for the air gun range, don’t know if it was compulsory or voluntary though

Have you got an air rifle range down your way?

 

[leadfarmer]

Have you got an air rifle range down your way?

We’ve got an indoor range for target shooting, 10 meters air rifles and pistols, Olympic style

We’ve also got various stands for firearms, 20m, 25m, 50m, 100m and 300m

We do various different disciplines, competition as well as leisure shooting, 3 guns, cowboy action shooting, ball-trap, all sorts

There have been a lot of improvements done on our facilities in the last couple of years which are still ongoing

 

[Mad Hatter]

Cool. It sounds like the one near us in Chateauroux

 

[leadfarmer]

Cool. It sounds like the one near us in Chateauroux

Do you shoot ?

 

[Doris]

We’ve got an indoor range for target shooting, 10 meters air rifles and pistols, Olympic style

We’ve also got various stands for firearms, 20m, 25m, 50m, 100m and 300m

We do various different disciplines, competition as well as leisure shooting, 3 guns, cowboy action shooting, ball-trap, all sorts

There have been a lot of improvements done on our facilities in the last couple of years which are still ongoing

We have a good set-up locally here….but only to 100. We also have an approved “de-leading” policy so are good to use leaded ammo. The Deer culling boys are a bit stuffed. As the lead ban for shooting outside of a lead controlled range starts at 6.14 and above. Which buggers up the humane calibres.

 

[Berin]

Our club has gone lead free for the air gun range, don’t know if it was compulsory or voluntary though

Airgun pellets are exempt from the ban, as, I believe, are .22's

 

[Doris]

Airgun pellets are exempt from the ban, as, I believe, are .22's

Not sure what’s happening in France.

 

[King Rat]

Crikey, six months wages on shotgun cartridges

The club paid!

 

[King Rat]

Our club has gone lead free for the air gun range, don’t know if it was compulsory or voluntary though

Not safe for bell target. No good for HFT or FT due to loss of velocity and windage beyond about 30 yards.

 

[leadfarmer]

Not safe for bell target. No good for HFT or FT due to loss of velocity and windage beyond about 30 yards.

Our air gun shooters only shoot the Olympic 10 m discipline, pistol and rifle, there are 3 stands with electronic targets, it’s located in the town



I don’t use this range as all of my guns go bang, the range I use is built in a disused quarry