Steel Yourself For A Shock!

A day spent shooting steel through his old English side-by-side produces some surprising results for Sam, as he addresses some common misconceptions about this lead alternative

- Sam Carlisle

Guns with Damascus barrels are not classified as suitable for steel, although we do not know of one Danish shooter who claims he shoots It in his without any problems!

In the aftermath of the announcement from nine shooting organisations last February that they wished to see a voluntary transition away from lead shot in live quarry shooting, I encountered a huge array of views on the matter. Some could see why it was a good move, and having shot with alternatives for over two decades had no qualms about the efficacy of steel. Others were aghast, stating that there was no evidence for moving away from lead, the material of choice for almost all ammunition since the invention of firearms.

I shoot with an old English 1930s side-by-side, with 2½ chambers – one that a few years ago I would not have thought suitable for steel – so recently decided to spend a day at Nuthampstead Shooting Ground in Hertfordshire, alongside some cartridge manufacturers and gun experts, breaking clays with steel shot.