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Richard Atkins takes a closer look at the Lyalvale Express Ultimate Steel High Performance cartridges

- Richard Atkins

All four leading UK cartridge companies have clearly been put in an invidious situation as a result of recent calls for change affecting two of the most critical cartridge components: shot material and wads. The call for a transition away from lead shot – to be replaced by a suitable non-lead alternative – was jointly made by nine country sports organisations. This announcement, it would appear, was made without adequate prior meaningful discussion with the companies affected.

To compound matters, this was linked with the need to stop using plastic wads, which have been used in a vast range of cartridges, for a wide range of applications and in the full range of calibres, over many years. Lead shot and HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic wads have become central to maximum performance in both game, field and clay target cartridges and hence an incredibly complex requirement for fundamental change has been created, and within an unrealistic time frame.

Cartridge companies are making Herculean efforts to meet these demands but, of course, they face considerable difficulties in meeting both requirements. No company has, for example, great knowledge on biopolymer material for wads, whether biodegradable or water-soluble. From experiences so far, the biopolymers currently used do not all possess the inherent mechanical strength, elasticity or ready ‘mould-ability’ that the long-chain polymers’ inherent characteristics of HDPE polymers rely upon for their tremendous strength.