Why we must steel ourselves for change
The end of lead could be upon us sooner than anticipated, so it is essential that we come to terms with using non-toxic shot
It’s time to get to grips with the steel and non-lead ammunition that is now available and how to use it, says Mike Yardley
The whole question of non-toxic shot has caught the shooting world on the back foot. I want to dispel some of the panic and confusion in relation to shotgun shooting with steel, which is the option most likely to become our new normal (bismuth and tungsten being the other, more expensive, options).
Concerns about the ingestion of lead shot by wildfowl were first noted in the US more than 100 years ago. These amplified in the 1970s and, supported by academic research, led to the banning of lead shot over wetlands in some states. From the 1977-78 season, non-lead shot use was mandated in 23 states in designated noted zones corresponding to flight paths of waterfowl; by 1984, it was 33. In 1991, the ban became national and is extended in some states now to include upland hunting.
The Danes first banned lead over ‘Ramsar sites’ (wetlands of international importance) in the early 1990s, later extending the ban nationally. Other Scandinavian countries followed suit as far as wildfowling was concerned. Norway banned lead use over wetlands in 1998 (after a working group had been formed in
1992) and voluntarily on shooting grounds in 2000. But it allowed its reintroduction outside wetlands in 2015 because of concerns about wounding and a campaign to bring back lead by hunters. The European Chemicals Agency, meanwhile, wants to ban the use of lead shot in “terrains other than wetlands” by 2023.
In England and Wales, a voluntary ban on lead for wildfowling and wetlands began in 1995. This became law in 1999. As the legislation stands today, the use of lead shot is prohibited on the foreshore, on about 300 Sites of Special Scientific Interest and for the shooting of wildfowl – including coot and moorhen – anywhere. There are differences in the law across the UK, however. In 2001, the Welsh Assembly introduced similar legislation to that in England. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, which also legislated later (2004 and 2009), the use of lead shot is banned on wetlands as elsewhere in the UK, but there are exemptions that relate to peat habitats and to areas that are only occasionally wet. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, you can shoot ducks inland – but not over water – with lead; in England and Wales, you can’t.
FROM FIVE YEARS TO ONE
As for the future, the main shooting organisations signed up in 2020 to a “phased transition away from the use of lead shot in shotgun shooting for all live quarry” to take place within the next five years. This year, there has been a further ministerial statement announcing a review on the issue, proposing “a two-year process to review the evidence, conduct a public consultation and propose options for restrictions”. Then, the recent National Game Dealers Association announcement effectively moved the two-year timetable to one.
Cartridge manufacturers are unhappy with the progression of events, making a joint statement last year noting they had not been properly consulted. To quote one of them: “It all depends on Government now. Live quarry sports will be affected first, but clay shooting is not exempt. In international competition, lead will be phased out by 2025. There are some depositions to protect rifle and pistol shooters, with decisions yet to be made relating to the Commonwealth Games (the shooting events to be held in India) and Olympics.”
STEEL SHOT IN DEPTH
Steel shot is actually soft iron with a relative density of 7.87g/cm3 (compared with lead at 11.3g/cm3). To create the shot, wire is pinch cut, then rolled between grindstones to make it spherical. The production process uses significantly more energy than the one used to produce lead shot. Steel has some advocates, but it also has significant issues. It is not an ideal material for making shot, but it is cheaper than other alternatives. Recently, the price of steel has increased significantly – there are international shortages and global carriage has become far more expensive. Any cost advantage over lead no longer exists.
There are ecological concerns, too, perhaps the most serious of which is that as steel oxidises/breaks down in soil, it may create acid pollution (whereas lead just tends to crust up). Steel may also react with lead already in the ground in clay-shooting areas.
Wads for steel may most commonly be conventional plastic, but there are tubed card wads and, recently, others using polyvinyl acetate synthetic resins similar to those used in PVA glue. Gamebore has had a fibre cup wad available since 2003. In 2020, it launched Dark Storm, which includes a polyvinyl synthetic resin ‘bio wad’. It is being subjected to extensive testing before the range is extended. Eley had launched its Pro Eco Wad in 2019 made from starch and a similar binding agent.
Gamebore has also introduced a biodegradable ‘quad-seal’ driving wad, which improves the performance of fibre wads (creating a better bore seal) and is incorporated into the base of its biodegradable cup wad. Jocker in France has a card tube wad with an expanding paper skirt, and offers a zinc-bismuth-aluminium-tin pellet, as well as steel; Bio from Spain offers a bio-polymer wad in a similarly degradable cartridge case and a similar pellet. Many other products are being developed.
Steel, like tungsten, is much harder than lead necessitating some sort of protective shot cup. Under CIP regulations, steel shot has to be less than 110 on the Vickers hardness scale; a traditional double gun barrel is about 140. Steel pellets once had a tendency to embed in the shot cup – less common now as materials have improved – and they may ball more frequently than lead. They can rust, overcome to a degree by lightly oiling the pellets and waterproofing crimps (dry storage is still advisable). Steel pellets are more prone to ricochet, too – eye protection is essential when using steel.
Cartridge-making with steel presents special challenges. The science is emerging. Steel-loaded cartridges typically have higher but less consistent pressures than lead and patterns with steel are less consistent. A slight loading error, which might not have had much effect with lead, has far more significance. Powders are required that burn slower, reducing initial chamber pressure, but which continue to accelerate the shot payload down the barrel. The latest types occupy less space and burn slowly (rather like blackpowder), producing peak pressure when wad and shot are further up the barrel.
ADDITIONAL VIABLE OPTIONS
Tungsten in various forms and bismuth, usually alloyed with a little tin, are the
It is not perfect, but within 35 to 40 yards, steel is now almost the equal of lead for game
viable alternatives to lead. All sorts of other things have been tried or considered – tin (used in Scandinavia), zinc, copper, molybdenum powder mixed with plastic – even depleted uranium. Platinum, gold and silver would be suitable were it not for cost. Non-metallic coatings for lead have also been explored – the main issue being whether they could be made resistant to the bird’s digestive acid.
Mark Osborne of William Powell believes that for British game shooting, we need to concentrate on ‘standard steel’. “These perform adequately as long as one is sensible about range estimation,” he explains. “I have dropped down one pellet size rather than two, which I think is a better compromise for pattern and energy. I also used bismuth in my 16-bores last season and it worked well, but it is not the equal of lead and you must restrict yourself to 35 yards. The falloff in performance with steel or bismuth is much quicker than with lead.”
Andy Castle, well-known game Shot and clayground owner, agrees. “I don’t think the case against lead is fully made, but I’ve used steel both for game shooting and for clays. I note there are other alternatives, too. Steel works quite well provided you are aware of its limitations. I have shot 100-plus pheasants with Gamebore steel No 4s out to 40 yards. I’ve also used steel on clays extensively over the past 10 years. My biggest concern, though, is that our campaign to eradicate plastic wads has been futile. Which is worse – lead or single-use plastics?”
MY EXPERIENCE
I shot steel when it first became available in the UK. It was not pleasant to shoot with a sharp recoil characteristic and poor patterns. Steel has much improved as wadding, propellants and primers have been fine-tuned. It is not perfect, but within 35 yards (arguably 40) it is now almost the equal of lead for game or clays. For my wildfowling, I have used both steel and tungsten matrix. My preference is for tungsten, which, though expensive, kills decisively at longer range.
Bismuth works, too. I have shot bismuth extensively in the US at clays out to 45 yards and beyond with good result. My wildfowling friends have complained of fracturing issues, as have some game Shots. Nevertheless, bismuth in some form may become the best option for older guns where owners don’t want to subject cherished sporting weapons to reproof.
Steel, in my opinion, will become the norm for most game shooting. So, like it or not, we had better get used to it.