Sam Carlisle, Shooting Campaign Manager on 'Embracing the future'

From the Spring 2021 issue of My Countryside Magazine, Sam Carlisle explores the emerging alternatives to lead shot that are suitable for old English guns.

Just over a year ago the Countryside Alliance, along with eight other shooting and rural organisations, announced: "In consideration of wildlife, the environment and to ensure a market for the healthiest game products, at home and abroad, we wish to see an end to both lead and single-use plastics in ammunition used by those taking all live quarry with shotguns within five years. The shooting community must maintain its place at the forefront of wildlife conservation and protection. Sustainability in our practices is of utmost importance."

In the days that followed, I was the person in the office answering the phone, as members called to air their views. The diversity of opinions was remarkable, ranging from those fully supportive of the move and wondering why we hadn't suggested this years earlier, to those who genuinely felt this was a presage to the end of shooting. However, by far the most common question and concern was "what will I do if my guns can't shoot steel?"

Britain, almost unique in the shooting world, has a tradition of using ancient shotguns. Probably because through the late 19th and early 20th century there were a myriad of world-leading gun makers up and down the land, crafting beautiful shotguns that are still reliable today. For many, myself included, these are not to be tucked away and only used on special occasions like a vintage car. They remain highly effective and reliable tools. They were also designed to shoot lead, and less lead than many modern cartridges contain. Simon Reinhold, from Holts Auctioneers, told me: "For almost a century the average game load was an ounce of 6s or 7s, which fits easily into a 2 ½ inch cartridge. There wasn't a fashion for very high pheasants, so there was no need to shoot heavy loads. And traditional side by sides are lightweight by design, so any load much over 30 or 32 grams would have had an unpleasant recoil." As a result, the vast majority of these superlative guns were made with chambers to fit 2 ½ inch cartridges.

In February last year there was just one manufacturer offering a 12 gauge cartridge without a plastic shot cup as an alternative to lead shot. It was available in two load choices, but both were in 2 ¾ inch cases. Over the last year the range has expanded considerably. There are now five manufacturers who offer sustainable ammunition on the UK market, and critically this now includes two choices for those of us who have 2 ½ inch chambered guns. Those are Jocker of France, who load 24 grams of shot size 4 in their 'alternative' shot, and Eley Hawk, who load 30 grams of shot size 4 in steel.

Tony Bromwich of Eley told me that "sales for our Grand Prix Traditional in steel have exceeded all expectations. We had high hopes, but Covid and a disrupted shooting season made us reassess. But despite the disruption, the uptake surpassed our initial goals". Clearly, I wasn't the only one who was keen to try them.

My go-to gun is certainly an antique. Made by Purdey in 1889, it has wound its way down through the generations, was supposedly borrowed by Mark Twain on some of his visits to England, and had almost certainly only fired lead in its 132 years of use. Having checked with my local gunsmith that the chokes were indeed half or less, I loaded up a bag of these shorter steel cartridges for my first day on the partridges in October. The first thing you notice about these cartridges is the old-fashioned roll over end, with a piece of card where the case would normally be crimped. According to Tony, this rather vintage and distinguished finish is not just for aesthetics. "We struggled to load 28 or 30 grams of size 4 shot into a shorter cartridge, whilst using a shot cup," he explained. "This isn't a problem with lead as you can use a smaller fibre wad, but with steel you need a shot cup to hold the shot and protect the barrels of the gun. We overcame this by using a roll over, which saves a vital few millimetres compared to a standard crimp." Regardless of the looks, it was clear from the outset that these were effective cartridges. After my first day I purchased another few slabs. On some days I would oscillate between my standard ounce of 6s in lead and these new steel cartridges. Without exception, I preferred shooting the steel. The price is comparable, the recoil the same, and I felt that they were equally, if not more, effective. When one delves into the technicalities, this becomes understandable. A cartridge with 30 grams of steel in 4s has the same number of pellets as 30 grams of lead in 6s, because steel is slightly less heavy, and you therefore need more pellets to achieve the same weight. At the range of East Anglian pheasants, partridges or flighted ducks, the terminal velocity is more than enough to be lethal. Indeed, if you're using an older gun you're unlikely to be using the ultra large loads required on specialist high-bird days in lead anyway. I was incredibly impressed with the results. Why go up two shot sizes in the first place? This takes the weight of an individual pellet, size 6 in lead and size 4 in steel, to roughly the same – which is important to ensure efficiency at range. Why go to 30 grams? This is just the first load by Eley designed for traditional side by sides. It gives the lighter steel that extra energy, but new loads will emerge, almost certainly in time for next season. If you can't wait and want to try something before then, then Jocker of France have recently released an alternative.

New to British shores is Jocker's 'Alternative Shot', a non-lead shot made of bismuth, aluminium, nickel and zinc. This is both softer and denser than steel, and therefore a slightly smaller load is appropriate for game. At the moment they are available in 24 grams of 4s. There are plans to further extend the offering of loads in time for next season. Not only do these cartridges feature a brand new type of shot, they also have a surprising shot cup. Nick Levett-Scrivener of Shooting Star, who imports Jocker explained that "these cartridges have a totally unique shot cup made of paper and card, which is of course 100% biodegradable. Other manufacturers are trying to make a plastic alternative, but it is not as simple as paper and card."

I sadly didn't get these cartridges until after Christmas, when the driven season was cut short by yet another lockdown, but testing them on a few walked up days, and more recently on multiple roost shooting forays of varying success, I can vouch that they are also effective, and I would have no hesitation using them on any driven day in the future. This smooth firing load would be especially appealing if one's gun was on the lighter side.

For a game cartridge to be effective there needs to be a good combination of both pattern and penetration. Given the right chokes (half or less) patterning has never been an issue with steel. It deforms less than lead in the barrel thanks to its hardness, and a more spherical shape flies straighter, and patterns more effectively. Many competitive clay shooters already use steel because of this quality. Penetration is the uncertainty. While tests are ongoing, early indications show that penetration is also not an issue, and in certain instances can even be superior with steel or other lead alternatives.

We will of course publish the results of these tests as soon as they are concluded.

One thing is certain though: the performance of these new 2 ½ inch cartridges is only limited by my capability, not the other way around. On the basis that I killed more cleanly, and shot much better, last season, I will exclusively be shooting with non-lead cartridges this coming one.

Thinking of trying steel? Here are a few pointers:

• Any nitro proofed gun can fire standard steel shot as long as the chokes are half or less. Any good gunsmith will measure these for you. Easing yourchokes is also a relatively easy and inexpensive amendment. You should not use steel shot in Damascus barrelled guns.
• Preliminary tests indicate that even thin-walled nitro proofed barrels are not damaged by steel shot when it is held in a shot cup.
• 'High performance Steel', which is fired at faster velocities, should only be used in guns with a fleur de lys proof mark or stamped 'STEEL', but standard steel is more than adequate for almost all game shooting scenarios in the UK.
• If you are unsure please consult a reputable gunsmith. More information is available on the Countryside Alliance website, where you can find a comprehensive guide to using steel shot produced by the Gun Trade Association.