“If a sportsman true you’d be, listen carefully to me… ”

Mark Hanbury Beaufoy penned A Father’s Advice in 1902 when he presented his 15-year- old son with his first shotgun. The adages in that famous composition adorn many a shoot room or wall at home and are as relevant today as when he wrote them. Guns must above all be safe.

Advice on shotgun cartridges

We don’t know what Beaufoy told his son about cartridges for his new 28-bore but be in no doubt he will have given sound advice. Whether deciding where to store them at home, or travelling to a day’s sport or afternoon at the clay ground, how you treat your cartridges is just as important as how you treat your gun. (Read our advice on shotgun choke.)

Cartridge storage

The Firearms Act is explicit on the storage requirements of firearms (section 1) ammunition. The Home Office is however quiet on official requirements for shotgun cartridges. You are not required by law to lock them away, but as responsible shooters we must consider how we store and transport them.

Carl Weller, Sales Manager at Eley Hawk, explains “At Eley Hawk we believe that a commitment to safety and responsibility is at the heart of every shot taken. Whether it is how you store your cartridges at home, transport them during a trip, or carry them in the field, taking the time to handle them properly ensures not only optimal performance but also your safety.”

Take the time to handle your cartridges properly

Security

While the law may not require you to keep cartridges secure it is good practice to do so. They should be kept out of plain sight or the reach of children. They should be stored at a consistent temperature, not too hot or cold, and above all never in damp conditions.

Extremes of temperature and damp conditions can affect the performance of the primer and powders and potentially cause misfires. If treated correctly, cartridges can last for years.

If not locked in an ammunition safe, Eley Hawk suggest storing them in a large airtight plastic box, suitably kept in temperate conditions. A good axiom would be to consider whether you would fix a gun safe there. If it is negative – too cold or hot, and somewhere a gun could rust – it is not suitable for cartridges. They also advise to store them at a room
temperature the night before use – so don’t leave them in the car.

Travelling with shotgun cartridges

Apart from a day’s walked-up in fields at home, most of us have to travel to our sport.

Whether a jaunt to the local clay ground, or a sporting adventure to Caithness or Cornwall, on the road we need to think about how to keep our cartridges (and weapon) secure.

Cartridges need to be kept out of sight, and where possible separate from your gun. If a pitstop is required (and who can resist a visit to Tebay northbound on the M6), park so that you can keep your car in view. Make sure the boot cover is on, or a blanket used to keep the cartridges covered. If it is a vehicle you often use to go shooting, it may be prudent to fit a
form of secure storage.

When shooting outside make sure that your cartridges are carried in a good leather cartridge bag that keeps them dry

In the field

We have all been in a shooting line under grey weeping skies, wet to the skin with rain streaming down the collar of our jackets. When shooting outside make sure that your cartridges are carried in a good leather cartridge bag that keeps them dry and remember to close it so that they don’t get wet. Even better, leave your slab on the dry gunbus and take
just enough cartridges out for the drive. Like a rusty gun, cartridges that get too wet can degrade and eventually misfire.

Never mix cartridges of different bores.

Picking the right calibre

It is absolutely necessary to make sure you carry the right calibre cartridge for your shotgun and never mix cartridges of different bores.

With new boxes of shotgun cartridges check that the loads are correct for your gun, and if using loose ammunition from another day, check each and every one beforehand to ensure it is correct. Remember to check that there are no errant shotgun cartridges hiding in pockets from your last day out.

Often 20-bore cartridges are yellow

If a smaller size cartridge, such as a 20-bore, is put into a 12-bore shotgun it can lodge in the barrel. Another cartridge will fit behind it, and with a jammed double load, if the gun is fired the barrel can burst from the extreme pressure and cause severe injuries. Often 20-bore cartridges are yellow, so if you are using a 12-bore, keep a keen eye out for that colour.

Weller adds, “At Eley Hawk we know that a well-cared-for cartridge is key to a successful and safe day’s shooting.”

As with Beaufoy’s poem, the advice on looking after your cartridges is simple: be responsible and be safe.

(Read how to carry your gun safely.)