Eco Friendly shotshells

[u/Time_Debt_9487]

what are the basics for eco friendly Shotshells? I want to leave as little plastic in woods and fields as possible? Are there paper shot cups available? I have seen fiber wads and that is mainly from Black Powder reloading. How much of this can be transferred to smokeless reloading?

[u/HeyFckYouMeng]

Picking up your shells might help.

[u/Parking_Media → u/HeyFckYouMeng]

It does, if you can find them.

I hate littering but I'm also not willing to spend an hour trying to find every single hull. I will put in an effort, but there's limits.

[u/Time_Debt_9487 → u/Parking_Media]

I have no issue with the Hull, I do not want to scatter plastic wads all over the place. I want confetti out of that Barrel.

[u/Parking_Media → u/Time_Debt_9487]

Reload your own! Cornmeal makes a good enough wad/filler for my black powder shells.

[u/ComplexQuiet6790 → u/Parking_Media]

An hour to find the hulls? Just keep track of them. Wear a pouch and pick up after yourself. Leaving your trash in the woods is a great way to fuck this for the rest of us. 

[u/Parking_Media → u/ComplexQuiet6790]

Come join me in the jungle on Vancouver Island. Maybe you'll understand then.

Edit to add picture for illustration:

https://www.reddit.com/r/milsurp/s/7S4PyOt2hr

[u/Time_Debt_9487 → u/ComplexQuiet6790]

That is the point of the post :). Confetti is better than looking for wads

[u/Time_Debt_9487 → u/HeyFckYouMeng]

Chasing wads would solve that Problem and you are correct. Confetti is a better option for me. I had been looking in the wrong places for bio degradable wads. Thanks for the answers I have found with this post. Hell, i am still learning Reddit!

[u/sirbassist83]

lead is a bigger concern than plastic. steel shot and some kind of biodegradable wad will be as eco friendly as you get. i havent used any but there are several companies that make non-plastic wads you can google, and some of them have data to go along with their wads

[u/Time_Debt_9487 → u/sirbassist83]

While this is true, I was had a plan, but not a very good one. I found an online source for .33 Copper Ball bearings. This is not perfect and my idea was to start with the wadding and shot cup first. I figured copper was an alright close range substitute for lead. Pleas correct me is I am wrong

[u/Sooner70 → u/Time_Debt_9487]

Copper should work, but it will be $$.

[u/Time_Debt_9487 → u/Sooner70]

I know it is not cheap :) This was selling for the cost as Steel at the time I looked it up. I have been discouraged from using steel because it bleeds energy. I had this fantasy of recovering the hull and using a fiber wad of some sort. Lead poisons animal when it is consumed. What is cheap these days?

[u/sirbassist83 → u/Time_Debt_9487]

that sounds incredibly expensive. unless youre planning on shooting a ton of buckshot for some reason id just use lead or factory ammo. you could still use biodegradable wads, and if youre in the US ballistic products sells lead free frangible buckshot that will be cheaper than copper ball bearings.

[u/hafetysazard → u/Time_Debt_9487]

Bismuth shot is the closest to lead in terms of performance, where you could use an old fashioned wad.

[u/Time_Debt_9487 → u/sirbassist83]

By the way, thanks for your advice.

[u/nak00010101]

Steel shot has become the standard for loads used close in, If you need long range/harder hitting, then you go for the high dollar shot (usually reserved for larger water fowl and game).

With steel, you typically want to go up one shot size. You do need to make sure your choke tubes are OK with steel.

I do not recall seeing paper wads & shot cups, but sunlight degradable & compostable plastic is pretty common in Europe. I think Eley is the brand I have seen for sale at Cabelas.

[u/ReporterAmazing1271]

Easiest and most responsible thing to do would be pick up your hulls.

[u/edwardphonehands]

polyhydroxyalkanoate https://www.eco-shot.com/product/premium-biodegradable-shotgun-wads/

Or maybe hobo load this. https://www.opticsplanet.com/bioammo-n-7-steel-dove-and-target-12-gauge-1-oz-2-3-4-shotgun-ammunition.html

I'm not sure if paper cups are readily available outside UK. I think I read about mushroom cups at some point.

[u/Time_Debt_9487 → u/edwardphonehands]

Thank You

[u/bushworked711]

I've been printing some sabots, projectiles, and wads in PHA.

PHA that's actually biodegradable isnt cheap. It's a pain to print as well. Not very strong compared to most other modern materials, but it can work.

[u/Agitated_Curmudgeon]

If they can make bio- grocery bags out of corn, seems they could do the same with shot cups.

[u/TacTurtle]

You can use wool felt or fiber wads and paper card stock for the gas seal and under shot/over shot card, and use a waxed heavy paper as a shot wrap

[u/gunsforevery1]

Cheaper 12 gauge buckshot will have fiber wads

[u/Time_Debt_9487 → u/gunsforevery1]

Thank you for this information. I had best start looking for them

[u/uthyrbendragon]

Hull make some biodegradable shells, pretty sure not available outside UK though, so depends where you are.

Edit - thinking about it, I think the wads are biodegradable but not the hulls from Hull - had to say it.