Non toxic shotgun shells

[shovel leaner 7,650]

I’ve been loading on a shoot that has gone over to non toxic loads . 
     The brief that the shooters have is that the estate is pushing for non toxic shot this season. They want the guns to bring their own non toxic shells . As long as thief gun is proofed for steel …. Use steel . Otherwise an alternative to steel , bismuth, or tungsten matrix. 
          Have you checked the price ? The guy I loaded for today was shooting bismuth 20 bore £1,600 for 1000 . Eley 12bore steel about £500 a 1000 . 
              I loaded for a chap on Monday who I have loaded for before . He shoots 5 days a week through the season , and not small days . This guy can seriously shoot game . He asked me what I thought of steel ? I flippantly said it’s not as good as lead  . 
             He shot the day using Eley steel and he now feels that it is ok on your average pheasant and partridge and kills well at good range . But he wouldn’t feel confident on really high stuff , but for your average bird it is “ very good “. He was surprised how well it killed , and would not think twice about using it again . 
        The 20 bore bismuth also killed very well at average to above average range . 
         I just thought I would share some first hand feedback on non toxic loads . 
          Obviously I think that lead is best and that it’s absolute bullshit , this whole non toxic nonsense. But if you / we have to drop lead then get a gun proofed for steel …. It’s not terrible. Except it’s very dirty and cleaning the barrels is difficult. 

 

 

 

[Wolfdog91 7,206]

Lot of guys over here have been switching over the TSS shot and dropping down to smaller gauges. 

Not really a shot gun guy but most I've talked to about it are loving it ( for what they do)  apparently they carry a lot more energy then the lead equivalent and group alot better. The turkey and preators guys love them, not sure about the water fowl or upland peoel though

[FOXHUNTER 5,021]

Will worry about it when it happens until then its lead for me.

[borderboy 80]

Shot a little bit with steel last season. I think the general consensus was to go up a shot size, so 5’s instead of 6’s, or 4’s instead of 5’s. 

[Sausagedog 7,381]

What about my muzzloaders...I'll be sticking to lead illegal or not.

I don't have an issue with steel in modern guns except that replacing lead for plastic wads just seems dumb to me.

Its all just nonsense from the anti shooting brigades otherwise the building industry would of been forced to stop using it, battery manufacturing would of ceased and my water pipe would of been replaced by now!

What I don't see is a mountain of lead shot killing wildlife left, right and centre but I do see mountains of plastic and rafts of the stuff killing wildlife globally.

So when I do break the law on this one my conscience will be fine.

[shovel leaner 7,650]

21 minutes ago, Sausagedog said:

What about my muzzloaders...I'll be sticking to lead illegal or not.

I don't have an issue with steel in modern guns except that replacing lead for plastic wads just seems dumb to me.

Its all just nonsense from the anti shooting brigades otherwise the building industry would of been forced to stop using it, battery manufacturing would of ceased and my water pipe would of been replaced by now!

What I don't see is a mountain of lead shot killing wildlife left, right and centre but I do see mountains of plastic and rafts of the stuff killing wildlife globally.

So when I do break the law on this one my conscience will be fine.

The wads are so say bio degradable. They go by such names as “ eco-wad or earth wad . The shoot owner has done experiments with wads in jars of water . Some degrade quickly others not so quickly. 

[Sausagedog 7,381]

52 minutes ago, shovel leaner said:

The wads are so say bio degradable. They go by such names as “ eco-wad or earth wad . The shoot owner has done experiments with wads in jars of water . Some degrade quickly others not so quickly. 

Yes but John....would he drink the water after?

[shovel leaner 7,650]

5 hours ago, Sausagedog said:

Yes but John....would he drink the water after?

I will ask him tomorrow. If he gives me a strange look , it’s your fault.

[shovel leaner 7,650]

This is a pro eco wad from Eley . I thought it was some weird fungus , but it has got wet and started to bio degrade .

[BenBhoy 4,706]

Looks like my dicķ! ? 

[Sausagedog 7,381]

20 minutes ago, shovel leaner said:

This is a pro eco wad from Eley . I thought it was some weird fungus , but it has got wet and started to bio degrade .

Yeah but would you eat it? When enough of them are spread on the land we will be eating and drinking them!

[shovel leaner 7,650]

2 hours ago, Sausagedog said:

Yeah but would you eat it? When enough of them are spread on the land we will be eating and drinking them!

They are a lot better than plastic wads in my opinion. I don’t like seeing plastic wads around the place . These things just break down in a few days and are sticky jelly like things that turn to mush.  

 

2 hours ago, BenBhoy said:

Looks like my dicķ! ? 

Only a lot bigger .

[BenBhoy 4,706]

12 minutes ago, shovel leaner said:

They are a lot better than plastic wads in my opinion. I don’t like seeing plastic wads around the place . These things just break down in a few days and are sticky jelly like things that turn to mush.  

 

Only a lot bigger .

And not as flacid!!

[KimE 487]

I might have to buy steel or Tungsten shots after a new EU regulation on not using lead over wetlands the problem are EU have different definition of wetlands than Sweden so most parts of Sweden suddenly might become wetlands. The new regulation might make the hunter to prove he has not hunted in wetland not the court as normal.

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

I bought 1000 black gold in lead last season before all this bollocks came about so ill be using them ban or no ban .