Sporting Gun UK – May 2019

Great subscription deals at http://www.sportinggunsubs.co.uk MAY 2019SPORTING GUN 67

Letters

EditorMattClark
GroupArtDirector
DeanUsher
DesigneditorNicolaJones
PictureeditorMaxTremlett
StaffwriterPhilip Reynolds
Sub-editors
DiCross,SarahPotts
Brandassistant
Sarah Pratley 01252 555220

Headofmarket

StuartDuncan 01252555337

Seniormarketing

executiveHannahRought

Groupmanaging

directorAndreaDavies

Groupshootingeditor

JonathanYoung

Managingdirector,

countryandparticipative

eventsSteve Prentice

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ISSN 0141 - 7053

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HERETOHELP
ThestaffonSportingGunarea friendlybunch
who welcome your letters and calls.

Balancerequiredonuseof plasticwads

Therehasbeendiscussionrecentlyin
theshootingpressconcerningtheuseof
plasticwadsandcases,highlightingthe
understandableconcernaboutpollution.
Itisnotalwayseasytobedispassionate
insuchdebates.BASCadvisesthatchange
mustbesupportedbyscientific evidence.
ThereareseveralissuesthatI thinkrelevant.
Themostobviousisthatdiscardedplastic
casesandwadsarevisiblelitterthatgives
‘ammunition’toantis.Also,plasticwads
shouldnotbeusedoverlandwherelivestock
feedduetothedangersofingestion.
However,theseplasticwadsareveryunlikely
toendupinthesea,thoughit isworth
notingthatphotodegradableplasticwill
breakdownintomicroplasticsand should
notbeusedbesidewaterways.
Allthisposesa quandary,asmoststeel
shotforwetlandandforeshoreusecomes
withplasticwads.Butjusthowsignificant
isthisinglobalterms?Willbanningplastic
wadsandcasesresultina benefit that
outstripstheinconvenienceandcostofsuch
a ban? According to the World Economic

Forum’swebsite,only 10 riversintheworld

contributeto90%ofoceanplastic.Eight

oftheseriversareinAsiaandtwoinAfrica.

I gathera significantproportionofthe

remainingplasticoriginatesfromships.

If thisisso,willbanningplasticwadsreally

saveourplanet?I donotknowif plastic

wadscanberecycled;I havefoundit

difficulttofindoutwhattypeofplastic

theyaremadefrom.I understandthatfibre

wadscanprovidegoodshotpatterns,though

thereisa chancethattheirperformance

mightnotbesogoodinback-boredbarrels.

Mymainworryisthattheanti-shooting

lobbywillusethissubject,alongwithother

badscienceandemotivearguments,totry

tobanoursport.Itistimefora balanced

investigationtoestablishfactfrom fi ction.

AlistairMontgomery,Angus

Ed–Therehasbeena developmentwith

thisstory.CartridgemanufacturersEley

Hawkhaveintroduceda biodegradableshot

cupforitsVIPsteelshotcartridges.They

areonsalenowand we will test them in the

near future.

Competitiontime

I boughttheFebruaryeditionofSporting

Gunanddidthecompetitionsonlytofind

thattheclosingdatesforallofthemwas

14 January.ThiswaspriortowhenI bought

themagazineanddoesnot seem right.

EricSmith,viaemail

Ed–Thanksforyouremail,Eric.I’mafraid

wehavetoclosethecompetitionsmidway

throughthemonthsothatwecancollate

thewinnersandannouncetheminthenext

issue,whichgoestopressmid-month.Ithas

alwaysbeenthusandif wealteredit there

wouldbea hiatusincompetitions.Youstill

havea twoweekstodothecompetitionsif

you buy the magazine when it comes on sale.

Shooters’responsibilities

Mylocalclayshootingclubsharesa ground

withanairrifle/fieldtargetclub,shooting

onalternateweekends.AtmylastSunday

morningshoot,thefirstshotsattargetsover

a pondcauseda disturbanceonthewater

asa Canadagoosehadbecomeentangledin

thefieldtargetresettinglineslaidacrossthe

water.Theensuingrescueofthedistraught

birdrequiredthecuttingofseverallinesand

a protractedrecovery of the goose from the

water ’sedge.

Weintheshootingcommunityneedtobe

responsibletenantsoftheland.Thefactthat

lineswerelaidacrossa pondknowntobeused

bywaterbirdswas,atbest,carelessandat

worst,irresponsible.If fishermenhadleftthis

amountofline,wewould have been scathing

oftheirhusbandry.

I wouldurgeallrangeusersandtarget

settersconsidertheuseofourgroundswhen

theshootingstopsandensurethatoursport

doesnotcausetheslowand distressing death

ofunintentionalquarry.

Zip Nolan, via email

Wouldbanningplastic

wadsreallysolvethe

pollution problem?