The traditional English-style game gun, developed and refined more than 100 years ago to excel on the English game shooting scene, is iconic. The qualities of an easy handling, swift to mount, well-balanced and pointable (usually) side-by-side shotgun are all embodied in the typical English game shotgun.
The finest examples were largely made here and are treasured by their owners, many of whom are the benefactors of such guns handed down through the generations. Understandably, owners of such guns now face something of a quandary regarding ammunition for these much-loved and valued guns in the face of the impending requirement to use steel shot for most game shooting in the UK.
A key feature of many such guns is being chambered for 2½in cartridges, for many years the mainstay of game shooting here and still popular today. The number of 12-bore guns still in regular use with 2½in chambers runs into many thousands and is reflected in the huge quantities still loaded by all leading UK cartridge makers. It is also
