Opening shot

You can’t resist it forever - the switch to lead-free shot, that is. But while the cost of bismuth might be justified on a 200bird pheasant day, it’s a big price to add to a day’s pest control on pigeon. So, steel it must be. Peter Theobald heads out to a field of laid barley with an open mind and a slab of Eley VIP Steel Pro Eco 32g 5s, the eco wad said to dissolve in 24 hours. So how did they perform? Was Peter able to put a dent in pigeon numbers and save the barley or did the grey invaders get the better of him and feast to their hearts’ content?

Let Peter put you in the picture …