Rifle only?

[timbrayford]

I’m using steel shot in my shotguns, not really noticed any difference to lead regarding their effectiveness and I’m working up loads for copper in my rifles for .243 and above. I just think we all need to move with the times.

I'm using Barnes projectiles, not because of well exaggerated eco nonsense but that they are consistently accurate in my rifle. Shotgun wise I shall stick with lead for the foreseeable future, steel is an abomination that I will never use.

 

[Rhodesianjess]

Re using rifles only, don't know about you but my brothers and I all started off with pellet guns. Worked ok on everything within reason.
A lot of guys back home in Africa used 22RF for guinea fowl and francolin. That's despite owning shotguns, they stood behind the back door ready for use as snake medicine.

 

[Basil H]

SD, you seem determined to be a victim ! As far as I know there has been just one conviction for using lead to shoot wildfowl (2011) and the guy was fined £100. Mind you he was fined a bit more for shooting the Mute Swan. Even if you can't afford bismuth I don't think you will be on the chain-gang.

 

[kenbro]

You could always go to a travellers camp on a course and obtain a proficiency badge for catapult shooting.

I thought you never lost those skills from when you were a kid.
Ken.

 

[Scotty99]

I'm using Barnes projectiles, not because of well exaggerated eco nonsense but that they are consistently accurate in my rifle. Shotgun wise I shall stick with lead for the foreseeable future, steel is an abomination that I will never use.

I’m working up loads for Barnes TTSX projectiles. I’ve spoken to a few people who use them for stalking and they swear by them. Will be running up the load ladder in the next couple of weeks. Starting with my .308 then my 6mm.

As for steel shot I was the same as you, but having tried it I’ll stick with it.

 

[Scotty99]

Aye maybe, maybe. I'll keep using my muzzleloaders with lead until stocks run out or I'm jailed.
I don't mind moving with the times in principle but not when, generally speaking, it's down the pan!

Yep for muzzleloaders stick with lead as long as you can.

 

[Ratel]

I thought you never lost those skills from when you were a kid.
Ken.

I thought perhaps Smelly had led a more sheltered childhood than me.

 

[Heym SR20]

With the muzzleloaders look at what our American friends are doing when using them for waterfowl. They are using shotcups and non toxic shot.

 

[Smellydog]

I’m working up loads for Barnes TTSX projectiles. I’ve spoken to a few people who use them for stalking and they swear by them. Will be running up the load ladder in the next couple of weeks. Starting with my .308 then my 6mm.

As for steel shot I was the same as you, but having tried it I’ll stick with it.

You be careful running up ladders! Especially while shooting!!

 

[Smellydog]

With the muzzleloaders look at what our American friends are doing when using them for waterfowl. They are using shotcups and non toxic shot.

I've been using TM shot on geese in my muzzleloaders. Don't bother with shot cups.
I wouldn't like to cough up for it all the time though like if I was shooting a lot of them!

 

[Smellydog]

SD, you seem determined to be a victim ! As far as I know there has been just one conviction for using lead to shoot wildfowl (2011) and the guy was fined £100. Mind you he was fined a bit more for shooting the Mute Swan. Even if you can't afford bismuth I don't think you will be on the chain-gang.

Lol, I'm not so much a victim. It's more like I don't like shoveling someone else's bull.

Some may celebrate the possible ban as in there will be far less field reports and photos from me!

 

[Smellydog]

Plenty of videos on the tube for making your own lead shot.

Made some years ago at work. Made a dripper hooked up to a propane torch.
Shot pigeon over rape with it.
Made some with airgun pellets by putting them in a drum revolved in a lathe and steel punchings as an agitant for hours, bloody noisy but it worked.

 

[timbrayford]

With the muzzleloaders look at what our American friends are doing when using them for waterfowl. They are using shotcups and non toxic shot.

Not really the point of using an antique muzzle loader though is it? Never mind, lead shot isn't that difficult to make, however unlike the negligible toxicity of the shot breathing in the vapour is best avoided

 

[Smellydog]

Not really the point of using an antique muzzle loader though is it? Never mind, lead shot isn't that difficult to make, however unlike the negligible toxicity of the shot breathing in the vapour is best avoided

I'll do it outside... Oops

 

[Dunwaters]

My first firearm was a.22 and I shot everything with it.
Absolutely everything.
All the usual small game plus a couple of deer and a big grey seal way back when there was no law to say that you couldn’t. We used to lamp roosting pigeon at night or snipe them as they came in to roost in the evening.
We went rabbit shooting and stalked trout on the way back to our bikes. We didn’t get many trout, and managed to collect even fewer, but it was always fun and worth a try.
All done with lead too…
I’ve always preferred the rifle, the shotgun just gives me a reason to keep pointing dogs

 

[Smellydog]

My first firearm was a.22 and I shot everything with it.
Absolutely everything.
All the usual small game plus a couple of deer and a big grey seal way back when there was no law to say that you couldn’t. We used to lamp roosting pigeon at night or snipe them as they came in to roost in the evening.
We went rabbit shooting and stalked trout on the way back to our bikes. We didn’t get many trout, and managed to collect even fewer, but it was always fun and worth a try.
All done with lead too…
I’ve always preferred the rifle, the shotgun just gives me a reason to keep pointing dogs

Bloody hell, we agreed twice in a row!!!

 

[Dunwaters]

Bloody hell, we agreed twice in a row!!!

Third times the charm..

 

[63]

I was chatting to a Finnish guy a couple of weeks ago about hunting. He said he had a 9.3 for deer and moose and a 308 for game birds.

Obviously I was perplexed.

Further questioning revealed that it is standard practice over there to snipe them out of the top of trees with a 308, and they just don’t worry about where the round lands! He said he could see why we didn’t do that in the UK with our population density, but that it had never heard anyone in Finland suggest it was risky!

 

[Foxyboy43]

I was chatting to a Finnish guy a couple of weeks ago about hunting. He said he had a 9.3 for deer and moose and a 308 for game birds.

Obviously I was perplexed.

Further questioning revealed that it is standard practice over there to snipe them out of the top of trees with a 308, and they just don’t worry about where the round lands! He said he could see why we didn’t do that in the UK with our population density, but that it had never heard anyone in Finland suggest it was risky!

Reminded me of a pal who got an invite to shoot capers in Finland. A lot of trouble and expense later he arrived there and was met by his host who was very surprised to see he had gone to a lot of bother and additional expense to bring his 12g shotgun. Yep - shot out of treetops with everything from .22lr up….

 

[Smellydog]

I was chatting to a Finnish guy a couple of weeks ago about hunting. He said he had a 9.3 for deer and moose and a 308 for game birds.

Obviously I was perplexed.

Further questioning revealed that it is standard practice over there to snipe them out of the top of trees with a 308, and they just don’t worry about where the round lands! He said he could see why we didn’t do that in the UK with our population density, but that it had never heard anyone in Finland suggest it was risky!

Yep, their borders work!