STEEL YOURSELF

Times really are a-changing! Single-use plastics are under intense scrutiny, and now the EU has taken up the cudgel and introduced its own restrictions. Under the new rules, single-use plastic plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks and cotton buds will be banned by 2021. There is no mention of plastic shotgun wads as yet, but it can only be a matter of time. The move against lead shot is gaining pace too, and the EU has announced plans to ban the use of lead shot for certain uses. The list is likely to include cartridges used for hunting that puts food into the food chain.

These are real threats we face, and the cartridge makers are working to have solutions so that the sport will not be unduly affected. The cartridges we are looking at here are the first response from a British brand name to address the situation ahead. The samples we have are in number 7 size steel shot intended for clay target shooting. There are 32g versions with larger shot for field and game too, and heavy wildfowling loads are being developed.

Double dilemma

Phasing out conventional plastic wads, together