Tim Bonner: Why lead is dead

The pheasant season starts next week and we are also expecting the final report on restrictions on the use of lead ammunition from the Health and Safety Executive. This is likely to recommend that the use of lead rifle ammunition should be prohibited within three years and that lead shot for shotguns be banned within five years. There will probably be some exceptions for small calibre rifles and international shotgun competitors, but essentially the prohibition on lead will cover all aspects of shooting from live quarry to clay pigeons. There is nothing that should surprise anyone about these proposals as they have been long signalled in both the UK and in the EU where a parallel process is in train.

The good news is that in the last few years developments in non-lead ammunition mean that there are options for almost every gun and for most purposes. The less good news is that post-Covid supply chain issues and especially the war in Ukraine means that scaling production over the coming years will remain a challenge for cartridge manufacturers.

Game shooting in the UK has led the way on transition and I was pleased to see our Shooting Director, Adrian Blackmore, who I know will not mind me describing him as a traditionalist, writing that: “I had a fabulous day on the partridge last week, on a shoot where lead shot is no longer allowed, and I can attest that my 30g 4 steel shot with Pro Eco wads performed brilliantly on birds that were consistently above moderate height. So there really is no reason not to give them a go!”

Having shot wildfowl with steel for decades and having used nothing else for game shooting for the last four I need little convincing about its effectiveness, but there are still some who remain determined that there is no alternative to lead. To be blunt, this is nonsense, and dangerous nonsense at that. We cannot expect the public, politicians and policy makers to accept our arguments about the environmental benefits of shooting whilst depositing tons of a toxic material - which has proven impacts on wildlife - into the countryside. Then there is the self-inflicted damage of producing a healthy, ethical food product, but being unable to sell it through supermarkets because it is tainted with lead.

The truth is that modern steel and other non-toxic loads work perfectly well if you want them to. Unfortunately, there remain some who for reasons of culture and tradition do not want them to work and we all know that if you do not have confidence in your cartridge you will probably shoot badly. My experience is that those who are most vocal about rejecting steel cartridges are those who have used them least and I would encourage everyone to buy some and approach their shooting with an open mind. All the major manufacturers now make affordable load steel game cartridges both for modern, and specifically for older guns, and having tried most of them I would not hesitate in using any of them in the field. Yes, you will probably be able to use lead cartridges for another five years, but if you have any interest in the reputation of shooting and the conservation of the countryside then I would encourage you to make the transition now and shoot your pheasants with steel this season. There really is no logical reason not to.