Shotgun Cartridge Wads

[ExSCA]

Simple question - why aren't Shotgun Cartridge Wads made from photo-degradable plastic?   Or are they already and I just didn't know this. 

Background - I was shooting FITASC at West London Shooting School this week and we were on some ground that isn't often used. Whilst waiting to shoot, I noticed some plaswads on the floor - some of which looked really old but clearly weren't going to rot. Isn't there now a plastic that will photo-degrade when left in sunlight for a long time - they make some plastic bags from it.

I know nothing of the technology in play here - but I'm interested if this is something that manufacturers have tried or not.

 

[PhilS]

There was talk of trying something like this a couple of years ago. Whether they actually made it into mainstream cartridges hopefully we are about to find out ?

 

[Rosso]

I believe there are two companies that own the patent for the technology. The amount it cost to develope this product was fortunes. So the licenses they sell are very expensive as they try to recoup their investment. Until more buy the licenses and the costs are recovered it will not be cheap, bit like a new drug when developed. 

So it will make shells very expensive. 

 

[Rupert]

They are more expensive and not enough pressure to make it happen.Lets hope eco pressure does not lead to a knee jerk ban of plas.

As an aside do any ground owners hoover/sweep plaswads up for housekeeping? If so how?

 

[Will Hewland]

RBSS send a big road sweeper over the ground every so often. 

I have said that I feel there must be a degradable wad possible, possibly some sort of fibre or other plant based material that can function as a plas wad.

 

[westley]

I feel sure that one of the cartridge Companies were using photo degradable wads in some game cartridges, not that long ago. It may have been Gamebore. Maybe it just went the same way as the plastic coated lead shot a few years back.  :???:

 

[Hawkeye]

Some eley game cartridges had photodegradable plastic wads about 12 years ago .

 

[Nick Selby]

I'm sure I read recently about some degradable wads but the price of the shells was a lot. It was in the Clay shooting mag.

 

[Nick Selby]

http://www.clay-shooting.com/features/shooting-without-trace/
 here is the article...

 

[LancsLad]

Just cartridges list these as Non Toxic

 

[Hamster]

Simple question - why aren't Shotgun Cartridge Wads made from photo-degradable plastic?   Or are they already and I just didn't know this. 

Background - I was shooting FITASC at West London Shooting School this week and we were on some ground that isn't often used. Whilst waiting to shoot, I noticed some plaswads on the floor - some of which looked really old but clearly weren't going to rot. Isn't there now a plastic that will photo-degrade when left in sunlight for a long time - they make some plastic bags from it.

I know nothing of the technology in play here - but I'm interested if this is something that manufacturers have tried or not.

​Back in the early 90's the guy who used to produce Kent Champion shells who also sponsored George Digweed came up with the first photodegradable plastic shells. I used to use Kent Champions back then and bought a thousand to try ( I seem to recall they were only a couple of quid more) but went back to the normal stuff as I didn't like them as much.

A very good pigeon pal of mine whom I feel certain Alf Garnet was based on was convinced the advertising was complete bull and went as far as retrieving some of these wads and placing them in his garden as well as inside see through plastic bags full of soil hung in exposed areas. Suffice to say we had a wry smile or two when eventually after two year or so we gave up and threw the perfectly intact magic plastic wads away. 

 

[DavidJ]

What exactly is the advantage of plastic wads over fibre? I've only ever shot fibre as that's all that's allowed at my local ground.

 

[LancsLad]

What exactly is the advantage of plastic wads over fibre? I've only ever shot fibre as that's all that's allowed at my local ground.

​<----- waits for the Master Clay Breakers in anticipation  :huh:

 

[Will Hewland]

To recap. ?

Better pattern

Less recoil 

Cheaper

Cleaner barrels

No confetti in the air

 

[Paul120]

What exactly is the advantage of plastic wads over fibre? I've only ever shot fibre as that's all that's allowed at my local ground.

Izal v Andex quilted.. 

 

[Jonny English]

I seem to recall that a few years ago hull used to do the high pheasant in a photo degradable plastic wad, not in their range now though.

 

[westley]

Izal v Andex quilted..

​Never occured to me to use the Superfarts for me piles !

 

[schmokinn]

armusa is the company at the moment...marketed by Graham Brown at Purbeck

 

[winchester73]

Isn't the Armusa biodegrable - breaks down when wet? But, I've heard of wads getting stuck in barrels - possibly after the cartridges getting damp? Maybe they don't have such a long expiry date as fibre or plastic wads?