One day, in my dim and distant youth, I noticed a wisp of fishing line hanging from the mouth of my sister’s horse. My blood froze as I recalled that I had been practising my fly casting on the lawn next to the paddock. Full of trepidation, I gently grasped…
Ammunition
Ammunition is one of the core elements of the shooting experience.
Choosing the right load is key – and will depend on the gun being used, the level of shooting expertise, the quarry, the terrain and the target.
Is it best to buy online or visit a specialist supplier? Online is convenient but talking to somebody experienced could make a big difference to your shooting.
What are the laws on lead shot and steel shot? When should each be used?
Here our team of experts at Shooting UK give you the latest information on choosing and using the right ammunition, whether shotgun cartridges or air rifle pellets, with tips on storing, wearing and maintaining it safely.
We talk you through the best choices for clayshooting, gameshooting, pigeon shooting, wildfowling and stalking. What’s new on the market and which are the tried and tested favourites.
Being a responsible shooter also means being a safe shooter so we cover the safety rules when using ammunition too.
Shotgun cartridges | Clay cartridges | Air rifle pellets | Ammunition reviews |
Can you shoot heavyweight slugs in a legal-limit air rifle?
Before we answer the question of heavy slugs in a legal-limit air rifle, we need to consider slugs themselves. While air rifle slugs have been around for quite a few years, they seem to have enjoyed a massive boost in popularity recently, possibly because there seems to be a corresponding…
Best pellets for your airgun – how to pick the right one
In terms of best pellets, three things need to be considered before you can even begin to explore the accuracy you crave: pellet calibre, pellet types and pellet weights. In the UK, we are restricted to rifles with a muzzle energy of less than 12 foot pounds. If you want more power,…
Steel vs lead cartridges: a pattern emerges
We now have the transition away from traditional lead shot that has served so well for so long and, I hope, will continue to do so, even if some areas are to be denied it. The topic chosen by Sporting Gun for me this month has been time-consuming, but it…
Thinking about making your own black powder cartridges? Read on …
Popping a few black powder cartridges through a vintage English shotgun is an unforgettable experience.
Testing shotgun ammunition – Richard Atkins shares his process
Shotgun ammunition performance is something that has interested me since my youth and still does. Some may not understand why this is so but therein is the key: the more testing you carry out, the more differences you will spot. You must then ponder why some cartridges perform differently from…
Sustainable ammo: why you should try it and make up your own mind
Last season, I was assured by a fellow wildfowling club member that the shotguns being used on sustainable ammo demonstration days had been wrecked by steel shot. Naturally, I checked this allegation. It proved to be false. (Read will your shotgun be safe with steel shot?) Yet the same claim…
Best air rifle slugs: these are the ones you should be trying out
Talk to airgun shooters and the subject will turn more and more often to air rifle slug ammunition. It is gaining in popularity with airgun shooters and the choice of readily available airgun slugs is now far wider than it was just a couple of years ago. Many of the…
Steel shot vs lead shot – the hard facts about steel shot
Debate centred around steel shot vs lead shot is nothing new. When chatting with chums at the clay shooting club, or browsing internet shooting forums, it becomes clear that the current move away from lead shot for live quarry shooting is a hotly discussed topic. Somewhat surprising, given that we…
Testing budget shotgun cartridges for pigeon shooting and corvid control
With the end of the game and wildfowling seasons, some may be putting away their guns. However, pigeons hereabouts are feeding voraciously on rape and the rooks are waiting for the spring drilling to commence. While the grey partridges pair up, the carrion crows and magpies are keeping watch for…
Best airgun pellets – our list of tried and tested picks
Airguns are prima donnas when it comes to ammunition. They’re fussy. Sometime it’s a matter of testing out a few brands before you find best airgun pellets for your particular rifle. The good news is that experimenting is reasonably affordable because airgun pellets aren’t a lot of money. (Read our…
Black powder muzzle-loading: loud, smoky, dirty and slightly addictive
Black powder muzzle-loading is loud, smoky, dirty and slightly addictive. I’ve worked in the gun trade for nearly a quarter of a century but there are still things that I’ve never tried, such as using a ‘smoke pole’. It may have seemed to my employer Nicholas Holt that this gap…
How to store shotgun cartridges legally and safely
I want to keep shotgun cartridges in the loft, which never drops below freezing but does get a bit damp at times. I am not talking about keeping the ammo for a long time, but maybe buying a year or more’s supply at a time.
Finding the perfect calibre for deer
The UK is blessed to have a selection of deer species, both indigenous and introduced — and vitally important management of deer creates sporting opportunities all around the country. However, with species ranging from red stags weighing up to 190kg to a 10kg muntjac, having a suitable rifle for all…
Best 24g shotgun cartridges: top picks for lightening the load
Most of us would be better off shooting 24g shotgun cartridges. The advantages of a lighter load are often underrated and misunderstood. In addition to costing less and producing lower recoil they give you better patterns. This is due to less damage being done to the pellets during ignition and…
The Bio ISO Steel 27 cartridge from Jocker – it’s impressive
French company Jocker has become much better known in the UK in recent years and particularly so since its products have been distributed here by Shooting Star of Suffolk. Having gained a rising profile with its budget clay pigeon cartridges, which came at a very good price at a time…
Small bore shotguns: threatened by the demise of lead?
For the majority of us, our shooting journey is punctuated by different bore sizes. It is perhaps an accurate representation of our growth and development through life; we tend to strive to achieve bigger and better until old age sets in and we retract to comfort and contentment. Many young…
Steel shot in old shotguns: time to make a decision?
I’m sure that by now most of you will have read at least one article regarding the demise of lead shot and its replacement with steel and other alternatives. And you will certainly have heard many opinions about the change, a change that is under way whether we like it…
Shotgun cartridge safety rules
Every responsible shooter should be aware of the all-important cartridge safety rules. You must NEVER mix cartridges of different calibres. To do so is exceptionally dangerous, and could result in serious injury or even death, not to say the needless destruction of your gun. If you are going to have…
Non-lead ammunition works well
A few weeks ago, I said I would report back from a day I had been invited on where most of the Guns had decided to use non-lead ammunition. (Read more on non-toxic shot.) I am happy to report that everything went exactly as planned and that the steel shot…