I am going to concentrate on shotgun cartridge history and how it got to be what it is today — the cheap, waterproof, reliable, effective, safe and consistent item on which we all rely to deliver success, whatever target we engage. After all, a gun, however expensive and sophisticated, is only…
Ammunition
Is it time to move away from lead shot to steel?
We were deep in a ditch on the Orkneys. There was a tumbling grey northern sky above us and an icy wind. The peninsula’s greylag goose population was not playing ball. They went to the right of us, they went to the left, they landed on the barley 100 yards…
How to choose the best cartridge for your gun and your type of shooting
Which shooting cartridge you should use depends on a number of factors, but what gun you have and what you are going to shoot are the primary ones. Know your chamber size Cartridges come in different sizes, not only calibre. Having the right calibre should be obvious, but having the…
How to match ammunition to your rifle using a chronograph
Every one of us wants to be able to produce nice tight groupings when we shoot. However, even if you invest in a top-of-the-line rifle and couple it with the best optics you can find, your money will have been wasted if the ammo you’re using doesn’t suit the gun.…
Why I’m finally giving steel ammunition a proper test this season
Biodegradable shotcups suitable for steel ammunition have been available for a while. Gamebore has some 76mm wildfowling loads with its Silver Steel Bio-Wad fibre shotcup, while Eley Hawk has recently launched a range of 70mm steel loads with its new starch-based Pro Eco shotcups. These will, they say, protect shotgun…
Choosing the right bullets for deer stalking
Stalkers have an abundance of bullets to choose from, but how do you select the right one? Bruce Potts outlines what you need to consider
Where can I get 12-bore black powder cartridges?
I have been left an old side-by-side which was part of a collection and has not been shot for many years. A gunsmith tells me it has only black powder proof. However, I am assured it is safe to shoot. Where can I get 12-bore black powder cartridges?
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.
Black powder licences … what you need to know
Q: Is it difficult to get black powder licences? And what conditions do I have to meet regarding its storage? I have two lovely old Damascus barrelled guns – including a bar-in-wood Purdey, that I would like to use game shooting, but I daren’t put them through the proof house…
What’s the best shot size?
Lewis Potter tests pattern sizes and shot counts of different bores to establish their comparative effectiveness in the field. The results dispel some myths
Are you using the right cartridge?
You’ll need to think about a variety of considerations to be using the right shotgun cartridge. Chamber length The cartridge you use needs to match the length of your shotgun chamber or be smaller. If you use a cartridge with a longer chamber length than your gun you are likely…
Eley VIP Steel Pro Eco – tested by Sporting Gun magazine
My expectations were not high when I tested the new Eley VIP Steel Pro Eco. But I was floored when I found that they were every bit as good as cartridges with lead shot. I tried to be scientific about testing the new eco cartridges and used a pattern plate…
Fibre wads – it’s time to ditch the plastic
Shooting advice: Can you tell me whether a fibre-wad cartridge in 28g No.5 gives a better pattern than a plastic one in the same size?
If I give them my shotgun licence can somebody else buy me cartridges?
I went shooting on one of the extremely cold days in early December, and when I was cleaning my gun afterwards I noticed that the bores were much dirtier than normal.
Would a lighter load improve your shooting standard?
Having taught hundreds of new and experienced shooters over the years, I’ve seen lots of examples of how excessive and unnecessary recoil can adversely affect some people. In many cases (particularly with long-term shooters) these can often go unnoticed or, worse, become accepted as part of the sport and a…
Will coated cartridges make you a better Shot?
It is the latest trend in cartridge production for both clay and game shooting. Coated cartridges — or, to be more accurate, lead shotgun pellets that have been coated with copper or nickel — are today headlining the cartridge manufacturers’ billboards. Are coated cartridges new? Well, no; as far back…
Cartridge safety rules
Reloading your shotgun cartridges is popular in places like America but nobody in the UK (with the possible exception of a few wildfowlers) seems to bother. Why is this?
What’s the right cartridge for red deer?
Deer stalking: I plan to get involved in deer stalking on my father’s farm and two neighbouring Estates where there are Roe, Fallow and a few Sika. Can you recommend a calibre that will cope equally well with all three species?
How to check your scope
As the bullet is the last thing to have contact with the barrel as it leaves and is the first thing that hits your quarry, the uniformity of the projectile is paramount in achieving good, consistent accuracy.
Is the rimfire .22 long rifle cartridge the top seller in the UK?
However an intelligent guess is that the rimfire .22 Long Rifle is leading the way. And, to do a bit more guessing, subsonic variations on the Long Rifle theme must be the most popular. The reason? Subsonic ammo for competition is more accurate than supersonic, and pinpoint accuracy is desirable…