Break down on wads

A shooting ground local to me has said that only fibre-wad cartridges can be used and has specifically stated that biodegradable plastic wads are banned. Apparently, the landowner has said the biodegradable wads are staying around too long for his animals to ignore. Is there legitimate concern here and how long does it take for these new wads to degrade?

Richard says: This topic will only become more salient as the move away from lead shot progresses. I understand the concerns over new bio/eco ‘plastic’ wads, but the reality is that the risks to animals are very low. Even ground that is grazed and has large numbers of standard HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic wads left on it rarely, if ever, results in any serious animal harm.

However, perception is everything when using someone else’s land and some of the new wads will be visible for a considerable time, perhaps a year or more, but we have too little experience to know for certain. Some landowners may deem that too long.

Water-soluble plastic wads, as used in the Eley Pro Eco range, dissolve quite rapidly in wet conditions and within 24 hours in water. However, rainfall was minimal when I tested early samples and I discovered it could take more than 24 days for them to become a gooey mess. This is one of the conundrums cartridge makers face in moving away from lead shot and plastic wads within a pressing timescale. Biodegradable and water-soluble plastics do not yet offer the properties of HDPE plastics and there is much development to be done.