after a total lead ban if it happens

[rbrowning2]

So IF lead shot is totally banned and given today cost of steel shot cartridges with or without biodegradable wads, what then ?

Please let’s not debate the potential ban or the very expensive bismuth or tungsten based shot, but rather steel shot and what will be the future for you if a ban happens.

Will you?

 a) give up shooting.

For live quarry:-
b)  carry on shooting live quarry but using steel shot and biodegradable wads.
c) carry on shooting live quarry but using non biodegradable plastic wads (as these wads are not banned).

For clay shooting, ground may currently be fibre wads only or may allow non biodegradable plastic wads :-
d) carry on shooting clay targets but using steel shoot and biodegradable wads ( as an alternative to fibre wads).
e) carry on shooting clay targets but using steel shoot and non biodegradable wads.

f) shoot far less often, or live quarry only or clays only.

g) reload your own to hopefully reduce the cost of steel shot cartridges.

h) other ?

 

Edited December 13, 2022 by rbrowning2

[discobob]

if it becomes a pain - and too expensive - it will become a quarterly thing

[stu64]

I will shoot less often, and I already shoot less than I did because of rising costs. sadly my average clay score is going down because of it.

[ilovemyheckler]

b, d & f

[Dave at kelton]

I will continue shooting using non plastic wads where I can just as I have on the shore for donkeys years. It will have no effect on the shooting I do or the guns I use!

[tonyshooter]

b

[enfieldspares]

I sold my Boss in December 2021 and (all my guns are s/B/S) apart from two French guns, two Spanish sidelockas and a .410 AYA No4 and my late father's 12 bore everything else is cheap Spanish AYA Yeoman Ejector, Ugartechea or "Essex" side by side. Use it and when the time comes that it's worn out scrap it and buy a replacement. The auction houses are awash with good condition Spanish boxlock ejectors.

[mossy835]

think i would give up shooting,i wont pay for the price of steel.

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, how are they going to know ? Clay shooting and pheasant shooting maybe , but pigeon shooting ?

Edited December 13, 2022 by oldypigeonpopper

[Centrepin]

When lead was banned in fishing we were left with legal use of lead in sizes 8 and smaller and in weights of over 1oz.

I still regularly legallly fish with lead shot size 8 bunched close together, I also use if needed size 10. I still have and use when carp fishing legal lead weights of 1 oz and over.

So I'll wait and see what we're left with before I make any decisions.

[Dougy]

Keep shooting lead bullets, till either I've gone or they've all gone, the size of my stock i will be gone before they will, so pop round my house and ask the Mrs if you can have whats left. 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2022 by Dougy

[London Best]

5 hours ago, Dave at kelton said:

I will continue shooting using non plastic wads where I can just as I have on the shore for donkeys years. It will have no effect on the shooting I do or the guns I use!

Same here. Won’t make a bit of difference to me.

[Rob85]

I'll just keep on shooting, I reckon most average people with a shotgun probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference if you swapped them to steel carts and didn't tell them.

My shotguns are worth less than a slab of cartridges anyway so if the barrels got scored or bulged...so what, on to the next el cheapo that fits

Now going to non toxic bullets in rimfire would be a different story altogether

[mattsccm]

Probably ignore it. I shoot so few catridges around the farm that the 5000 I have will last me out.  the only food chain involved is me or my family. 

[rbrowning2]

thanks for the replies so far, the HSE proposal would make it illegal to not only buy but to use lead shot and they suggest a buy back scheme but give no details. 

With steel shot and biodegradable wads now around  £400 plus at what point is clay shooting and pigeon shooting too expensive.

b,d and f for me possibly g but think it will be time to sadly say good by to my 28gauge even reloading for it, as I do now but with lead shot.

Edited December 14, 2022 by rbrowning2

[Windswept]

I'm curious to know what a buy back scheme would entail. When they banned lever release guns recently the compensation details were not sorted out until after the ban, leaving people in limbo.

I know many people have submitted details saying many rifles would need to be re-barreled to shoot lead free ammo (different twist rates etc). I doubt owners and dealers would be compensated for that. (I'm mainly talking about .22lr and gallery rifle calibers.)

I also know of a clay ground that's plastic wad only, and no steel shot for safety reasons.

Its still too early to say what impact it will have on my shooting. 

[team tractor]

Pigeon shooting is now becoming a rich mans sport I feel . I’ll continue to use steel like I do on the ducks but I’m shooting less than I did . 
rifle shooting is cheap anyway 

[243deer]

On 13/12/2022 at 19:47, Rob85 said:

I reckon most average people with a shotgun probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference if you swapped them to steel carts and didn't tell them.

Until they eat what they have shot and end up with a broken tooth

[Fellside]

Let’s see what happens re the bias and spurious papers the HSE have adopted as their spear head. I think their so called ‘evidence’ will be challenged.

Sorry for not sticking to the question brief. Here’s my answer. I think like most people, in the theoretical event that lead becomes unavailable, I will use up all remaining lead for my own table until the last pop. Then…? Steel for high volume shooting (pigeons and clays), perhaps tungsten alloy or bismuth for the rest. 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

54 minutes ago, Fellside said:

Let’s see what happens re the bias and spurious papers the HSE have adopted as their spear head. I think their so called ‘evidence’ will be challenged.

Sorry for not sticking to the question brief. Here’s my answer. I think like most people, in the theoretical event that lead becomes unavailable, I will use up all remaining lead for my own table until the last pop. Then…? Steel for high volume shooting (pigeons and clays), perhaps tungsten alloy or bismuth for the rest. 

It would be rather good if someone or even a Shooting Organisation were to challenge the papers through the courts.

[Poor Shot]

5 hours ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

It would be rather good if someone or even a Shooting Organisation were to challenge the papers through the courts.

It would be great if we could get a joined up approach from all of the stakeholding associations. CPSA, BASC, NRA, GWCT etc all stand to lose from the banning of lead.

I can't imagine that there'll be much appetite for doing 2 100 registered ESP a week when the only option is to buy ecowad steel cartridges at £400+ per thousand.

A lot seem to be falling back on the 'cartridges are just a small part of your day cost' line. That may be the truth for those paying £1200 for a single peg but for the many thousands of small commercial, DIY and syndicate shooters paying an extra £300 a season for eco steel cartridges may be the difference between buying in or giving it all up.

My small game syndicate place for this year was only £450 all in. I'll probably get through 2 slabs of cartridges for the season so paying an extra £60 per 250 to get a slab of eco steels over a 30g 6 lead will add a significant percentage of the syndicate cost on top.

[Walker570]

On 13/12/2022 at 18:14, Dougy said:

Keep shooting lead bullets, till either I've gone or they've all gone, the size of my stock i will be gone before they will, so pop round my house and ask the Mrs if you can have whats left. 

 

 

Same here but I gibb against your suggest we should ignore bismuth. I shot 18.7grms pf bismuth yesterday and killed some 40yrd pheasants and partridge. Maybe reloading will again become popular.  Willcertainly not give up shooting. I already shoot all copper bullets and the 410 bismuth loads are not a problem BUT you see I don't waste my money on fancy tattoos and these awful stinky vaour thingies. Sometimes in life you have to prioritise.

[London Best]

1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

Same here but I gibb against your suggest we should ignore bismuth. I shot 18.7grms pf bismuth yesterday and killed some 40yrd pheasants and partridge. Maybe reloading will again become popular.  Willcertainly not give up shooting. I already shoot all copper bullets and the 410 bismuth loads are not a problem BUT you see I don't waste my money on fancy tattoos and these awful stinky vaour thingies. Sometimes in life you have to prioritise.

But, to some people fancy tattoos and stinky vape things are more important. 
Substitute gold chains, the latest phone and fancy cars or anything you like for tattoos and vape things.

So, let those people give up shooting.

[enfieldspares]

I'll throw this down as I have done before. The lead shot ban for fishing weights banned lead shot of under one ounce or over English #8 size. Yet other than my own reference to it in my submission to DEFRA have I see any of the organisations suggest that as English #8 isn't a risk to waterfowl that, too, as it was allowed to remain for use as fishing weights so should it remain too for shotgun use. Which would solve the issue for clay shooting.

[mattsccm]

Bet you many people won't even know unless it is front page of the papers. My father wouldn't. Unless you read the shooting press how would you?  The only media to do with shooting I come across is here. Until I found this place I wouldn't have known. Of the 4 mates I have who shoot none of them knew about PW until I told them .

The chances of all the lead in circulation being handed in or used for paper weights is minimal. People will, knowing that no one will see, carry on using what they have. 

Edited December 16, 2022 by mattsccm