The end date for lead is now written into law. From 1 April 2029, lead shot may no longer be sold or used for shooting pheasants in England, Scotland or Wales. That leaves 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29 as the final three seasons when lead can go in your bag.
Can you stock up on lead for after 2029?
No, and the rules shut down a plan some Guns have been quietly considering. Because the restriction applies to using lead as well as selling it, cartridges bought in 2028 cannot legally be fired at pheasants once the deadline passes. Buying lead for the seasons still to come is sensible; hoarding it for later is not.
How this guide works
Online, the questions people ask about pheasant cartridges still revolve around lead: 5s or 6s, which 20-bore load, how long a box will keep. So this guide takes a different approach. For each of six makers we have picked the cartridge designed for pheasants and put it next to the lead-free load the same maker offers for the same job. Every entry gives the same details, taken from the maker’s published specification, so you are comparing like with like.
What to check before you switch
There are a few points to keep in mind before reading the listings. Steel is less dense than lead. Gamebore gives its Precision Steel shot as 7.9g/cm³ against 11g/cm³ for its hardened lead, which is why lead-free cartridges tend to use larger pellets. As a starting point, go up one or two shot sizes from your normal lead load and take the payload down a little. So if you shoot 32g of No 5 in lead, a 28g No 4 or No 3 should suit.
Proof matters too. The makers here specify their standard steel loads for modern guns with standard nitro proof, while high-performance steel is only for guns stamped with the Fleur-de-Lys steel shot proof mark.
So does choke. Each maker sets its own limits for each load, so check the specification of the cartridge you are buying. Lead-free shot patterns tighter by nature, so a more open choke can give a similar pattern at your usual ranges. If you are not sure how your gun is proofed, ask a gunsmith before buying, then spend some time at a pattern plate trying different brands, loads and chokes to find what works.
Prices are RRP at the time of publication and may since have changed. Unless stated, prices per 1,000 are based on the 32g load.
Six pheasant loads and their lead-free replacements
Eley Hawk: Zenith Copper Plated PEW and Zenith Steel PEW
Eley Hawk loads its cartridges in Birmingham. Zenith is its premium game range, pairing copper-plated lead shot, which Eley says cuts pellet deformation, with the Pro Eco wad, described as water-soluble and compostable. The lead-free Zenith Steel PEW uses the same wad with steel shot, and Eley bills it as a very effective non-toxic load for guns with standard CIP proof.
This season: lead
- Cartridge: Zenith Copper Plated PEW
- Shot: Copper-plated lead
- Case: 70mm
- Loads: 28g, 30g and 32g No 5; 36g No 3 and No 4
- Wad: Pro Eco water-soluble, full cup
- Velocity: 1,278fps to 1,345fps, depending on load
- Proof and choke: All traditional chokes
- Price per 1,000: £652
From 2029: lead-free
- Cartridge: Zenith Steel PEW
- Shot: Steel
- Case: 70mm
- Loads: 28g No 5; 32g No 4
- Wad: Pro Eco water-soluble, full cup
- Velocity: 1,230fps
- Proof and choke: Standard CIP proof, up to ½ choke
- Price per 1,000: £612
- Contact: eleyhawkltd.com
Gamebore: Black Gold Dark Storm and Dark Storm Steel
Black Gold Dark Storm has been the best-selling Gamebore game cartridge since it arrived in 2014, and demand held up after the Quad Seal version followed in 2020. Its lead-free Quad Seal partner, Dark Storm Steel, uses the new Bio-Wad Rapid, which Gamebore says breaks down in the field within 30 days. Be aware that the No 3 load is a high-performance steel cartridge.
This season: lead
- Cartridge: Black Gold Dark Storm
- Shot: Diamond Shot hardened lead
- Case: 70mm
- Loads: 32g No 4 and No 5; 36g No 3, No 4 and No 5
- Wad: Fibre, Quad Seal
- Velocity: 1,525fps (32g); 1,460fps (36g)
- Proof and choke: All traditional chokes
- Price per 1,000: £578
From 2029: lead-free
- Cartridge: Black Gold Dark Storm Steel
- Shot: Precision steel
- Case: 70mm
- Loads: 32g No 4 and No 5 standard; 32g No 3 high-performance
- Wad: Bio-Wad Rapid full cup, with Quad Seal
- Velocity: 1,400fps
- Proof and choke: No 4 and No 5 standard CIP proof; No 3 high-performance steel proof (Fleur-de-Lys). Up to ½ choke
- Price per 1,000: £653
- Contact: gamebore.com
Hull Cartridge: High Pheasant Extreme and High Pheasant Extreme Steel
Hull has been making cartridges since 1947. High Pheasant Extreme, voted Game Cartridge of the Year 2023, has been reworked around the new Hydrowad-MAX cup launched this year, which Hull says is completely plastic-free, leaves no residue, which suits busy pegs, and breaks down faster than the original. Its new lead-free partner, High Pheasant Extreme Steel Hydrowad-MAX, is a high-performance steel load that Hull aims at guns with the Fleur-de-Lys proof mark. There is also a High Pheasant Standard Steel.
This season: lead
- Cartridge: High Pheasant Extreme Hydrowad-MAX
- Shot: Xtreme hardened lead
- Case: 70mm
- Loads: 32g, 34g and 36g in No 4, No 5 and No 6
- Wad: Hydrowad-MAX, full cup
- Velocity: 1,475fps
- Proof and choke: All traditional chokes
- Price per 1,000: £648
From 2029: lead-free
- Cartridge: High Pheasant Extreme Steel Hydrowad-MAX
- Shot: Steel
- Case: 70mm
- Loads: 30g and 32g No 3 (Fe3)
- Wad: Hydrowad-MAX, full cup
- Velocity: 1,410fps
- Proof and choke: High-performance steel proof (Fleur-de-Lys), up to ¼ choke
- Price per 1,000: £676
- Contact: hullcartridge.co.uk
Lyalvale Express: Supreme Game and Ultimate Steel
Staffordshire-based Lyalvale Express has belonged to the Fiocchi group since 2022. Supreme Game is its leading game range and, the company says, has twice won Best Game Cartridge at the Shooting Industry Awards. It comes in a traditional 65mm case, and so does its lead-free partner, Ultimate Steel, which gets down to that short length with a rolled turnover closure and uses the Lyalvale Green Core Wad. That makes this pair especially relevant to owners of 65mm-chambered guns, as long as the gun has the right proof.
This season: lead
- Cartridge: Supreme Game
- Shot: Lead
- Case: 65mm
- Loads: 28g to 34g; No 4, No 5 and No 6
- Wad: Fibre with biodegradable card
- Velocity: 1,400fps
- Proof and choke: All traditional chokes
- Price per 1,000: £500 (based on 30g)
From 2029: lead-free
- Cartridge: Ultimate Steel
- Shot: Steel
- Case: 65mm
- Loads: 30g No 5
- Wad: Green Core Wad, bio-compostable
- Velocity: 1,378fps
- Proof and choke: Standard CIP proof, up to ½ choke
- Price per 1,000: £558 (based on 30g)
- Contact: lyalvaleexpress.com
RC: HPF3 and HPF3 Blue
Shooting Star imports RC cartridges and supplies them to the trade. HPF3 is the RC high-performance fibre-wad load, using super-tempered shot that RC says deforms less. Its new lead-free sibling, HPF3 Blue, is loaded with Blueshot, a soft zinc-based alloy close to steel in density. It has been reported as safe through full choke in any nitro-proofed gun, which makes it one of the simpler choices for anyone with a fixed-choke gun. A 24g 20-bore version is said to be on the way.
This season: lead
- Cartridge: RC HPF3
- Shot: Super-tempered lead
- Case: 12-bore, 70mm
- Loads: 30g No 5 and No 6; 32g No 4, No 5 and No 6; 35g and 36g No 4 and No 5
- Wad: Fibre
- Velocity: 1,329fps (36g) to 1,365fps (30g), measured 1m from the muzzle
- Proof and choke: All traditional chokes
- Price per 1,000: £523
From 2029: lead-free
- Cartridge: RC HPF3 Blue
- Shot: Blueshot alloy
- Case: 12-bore, 65mm, 70mm and 76mm
- Loads: 25g to 35g; No 2, No 3 and No 4
- Wad: Fibre or biodegradable eco-wad, depending on load
- Velocity: 410m/s at 2.5m
- Proof and choke: All traditional chokes
- Price per 1,000: £781
- Contact: shootingstarcc.co.uk
Just Cartridges: Purple Fury with Quad Seal
Oxfordshire retailer Just Cartridges sells its own-brand loads alongside the big names. Its premium game cartridge, Purple Fury, was developed with Gamebore and uses the Gamebore Quad Seal fibre wad and Diamond Shot. At the time of writing there is no own-brand lead-free game load, so anyone switching will need to pick from the other makers it stocks.
This season: lead
- Cartridge: Purple Fury with Quad Seal
- Shot: Diamond Shot lead
- Case: 70mm
- Loads: 31g No 5 and No 6; 33g No 4 and No 5
- Wad: Fibre with Quad Seal
- Velocity: 1,480fps
- Proof and choke: All traditional chokes
- Price per 1,000: £498 (based on 31g)
- Contact: justcartridges.com
Frequently asked questions
When does the lead ban for pheasants start?
On 1 April 2029, in England, Scotland and Wales. It covers use as well as sale, so lead bought before then cannot legally be fired at pheasants afterwards.
No 5 or No 6 for pheasants?
There is no one right answer, and it shifts over the season. One widely used approach is 28g of No 6 early on, moving to 30g of No 5 later, for side-by-side users, and 30g of No 6 moving to 32g of No 5 for over-and-under users. With lead-free, expect to go up a pellet size.
What steel shot size should I use?
Start one or two sizes larger than your lead load, with a slightly lighter payload. Someone who shoots 32g No 5 in lead might try 28g No 4 or No 3 in steel.
Will steel be safe in my gun?
Standard steel loads are made for modern guns with standard nitro proof. High-performance steel needs the Fleur-de-Lys steel shot proof mark. Choke limits differ from load to load, so check the specification, and ask a gunsmith if you are unsure how your gun is proofed.
Which lead-free load suits a fixed full-choke gun?
RC HPF3 Blue, loaded with Blueshot, is reported to be usable through full choke in any nitro-proofed gun.
What about 20-bores?
The ban applies to every bore. Gamebore 20G Black Gold Steel, Hull 25g High Pheasant Steel Hydrowad 20 and the Eley 20-bore Zenith Steel PEW are all already available.
How should I store cartridges?
Gamebore recommends keeping them dry, at room temperature and away from extremes of heat and cold. However well stored, lead cartridges cannot be used on pheasants after 1 April 2029.
Related articles
Hull High Pheasant review – a full test of the 32g No 5 lead load.
Using lead-free cartridges for clays – what changes when you switch on the clay ground.
Weatherby Orion 20-bore review – a modern side-by-side with steel proof.
