Do we need to get away from plastic ?

M

McFarmer

Well-known member
I posted some photos earlier related to the amount of spent hulls littering the public hunting area here. While hunting opening day next to a popular waterfowl spot the shooting I could hear was nearly continuous for an hour around opening time.

Plastic shells have been around for what, 60 years ? It isn’t going to be my problem but I don’t think I would want to see what another 60 years of accumulation will look like. Wads also.

Related to this, I always make a good attempt to pick my spent hills up when doing any type of hunting. And when folks hunt on our property I insist the same from them. It is a certain denial of permission if I am doing field work and see a dozen hulls laying around where they had their duck blind.


Link to the earlier post:

Many of us are pigs.

I’m sure it’s just waterfowlers, and certainly no one here. Each spring the grandkids and I pick up trash around the lakeshore. Probably a half mile of shore line we usually get two bags of trash. Each year. Am I the only one who makes every reasonable effort to pick up my spent shells ? This...
forum.ultimatepheasanthunting.com forum.ultimatepheasanthunting.com
 
That's a great question. I'd be curious what the actual environmental impact is. Obviously they are unsightly, but is that the extent of their impact?
Did the paper hulls have a performance limitation or was the switch just made for cost/manufacturing ease? I don't know if we have any ammo manufacturers, but we've got a few reloaders here that might have some insight.
 
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I made an attempt to pick mine up when I was waterfowl hunting in a stationary location. It was pretty easy to just grab them while they were floating on the surface of the water. Same when I'm deer and turkey hunting, although I don't go through much ammo targeting them.

It's hard to do it while you're walking around in thick brush while upland hunting.
 
Yes, it is hard to pick them up sometimes. Maybe if it was a hunter ethics thing to pick up as many (or more) as you shoot, yours or others.

I always put any trash I run across in my game bag, cans, grocery bags, whatever.

I imagine the water proof nature of plastic hulls was the driving force behind the move to plastic. It would be interesting to find some of the early adds for them.

Other news, corn harvest finished for me yesterday, nice rain today.
 
I enjoy doing some research on a rainy morning. Is this the type of AI driven crap we are going to have to contend with ? Odd it’s a (.org) site. Maybe the Dead Internet theory isn’t far off.

Here is an interesting article:

When Were Plastic Shotgun Shells Invented?

When were plastic shotgun shells invented? Learn the history of plastic shotgun shells and how they revolutionized the way shotguns are used. With plastic shotgun shells, you can shoot more rounds without having to reload as often.
www.buffalorifles.org www.buffalorifles.org


From the article:

Advantages of Plastic Shotgun Shells

Plastic shotgun shells offer a number of advantages over traditional paper shells, including:

  • Lighter weight: Plastic shells are significantly lighter than paper shells, making them easier to carry for extended periods of time.
  • Less recoil: Plastic shells produce less recoil than paper shells, making them more comfortable to shoot.
  • More biodegradable: Plastic shells are more biodegradable than paper shells, making them a more environmentally friendly option.
  • Less toxic: Plastic shells are less toxic than paper shells, making them a safer option for shooters.

From the same article:

What are the disadvantages of plastic shotgun shells?

There are two main disadvantages of plastic shotgun shells. First, plastic shells are more expensive than paper shells. Second, plastic shells are not as biodegradable as paper shells. This means that they can take longer to decompose, which can be a problem for hunters who are concerned about the environmental impact of their activities.
 
Back in the dark ages.... the old man would get boxes of federal paper cases from The Grand American trap shoot. We loaded those for years with only one problem. During a duck hunting trip we ran into a week of rain. Some of them swelled and didn't want to chamber. But that was one instance in many thousands of reloads. I think paper would be a good idea. Bio degradable wads even better.
 
I tested the "Bioammo" loading over the summer. It allegedly has a biodegradable hull and wad, leaving only a little bit of metal from the shell head. It tested OK. Not good enough compared to traditional plastic loadings.

While my sxs has ejectors, it's a pretty simple to position your hand to catch the ejecting hulls when you open the gun. I don't do it every time--maybe 80%. Sort of makes the biodegradable feature of that ammo unnecessary.
 
B&P loads lead , steel, and bismuth with a green wad. I shoot the lead and like it a lot. And like that it is only an ounce and a fifth. It’s to bad that they don’t offer it in anything other than 12 gauge.
 
McFarmer said:
I enjoy doing some research on a rainy morning. Is this the type of AI driven crap we are going to have to contend with ? Odd it’s a (.org) site. Maybe the Dead Internet theory isn’t far off.

Here is an interesting article:

When Were Plastic Shotgun Shells Invented?

When were plastic shotgun shells invented? Learn the history of plastic shotgun shells and how they revolutionized the way shotguns are used. With plastic shotgun shells, you can shoot more rounds without having to reload as often.
www.buffalorifles.org www.buffalorifles.org


From the article:

Advantages of Plastic Shotgun Shells

Plastic shotgun shells offer a number of advantages over traditional paper shells, including:

  • Lighter weight: Plastic shells are significantly lighter than paper shells, making them easier to carry for extended periods of time.
  • Less recoil: Plastic shells produce less recoil than paper shells, making them more comfortable to shoot.
  • More biodegradable: Plastic shells are more biodegradable than paper shells, making them a more environmentally friendly option.
  • Less toxic: Plastic shells are less toxic than paper shells, making them a safer option for shooters.

From the same article:

What are the disadvantages of plastic shotgun shells?

There are two main disadvantages of plastic shotgun shells. First, plastic shells are more expensive than paper shells. Second, plastic shells are not as biodegradable as paper shells. This means that they can take longer to decompose, which can be a problem for hunters who are concerned about the environmental impact of their activities.
Click to expand...
Holy #$&@ did that article just say the plastic was more biodegradable and less toxic than paper??? What am I missing??? And honestly carrying a dozen shells M/L weight issue would be negligible.
 
Honestly wish the wads were a brighter color. I try to look for them and pick them up if I walk the flight path. A blaze orange wad may be easier to spot, even from another hunter.
 
Boss made some paper hulled Bismuth loads a year or 2 ago. They were totally fine until they got a little damp. Then of course, they would swell and not chamber. Have not seen them since…
 
redcows said:
Back in the dark ages.... the old man would get boxes of federal paper cases from The Grand American trap shoot. We loaded those for years with only one problem. During a duck hunting trip we ran into a week of rain. Some of them swelled and didn't want to chamber. But that was one instance in many thousands of reloads. I think paper would be a good idea. Bio degradable wads even better.
Click to expand...
I too am old enough to have hunted before plastic hull shotgun shells and plastic wads. Back then the hulls were waxed paper. When (not if) they got wet enough they would swell up, particularly at the mouth of the hull. We would have to take a pocket knife and whittle down the swelled area enough that they would chamber. That sucked...
 
Checked the Federal web site. They do make paper hulls, expensive. Leafed through some old reloading data. Last mention of paper hulls was 1995.
 
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