As stated in the notes at the bottom of the first linked page, (copied below) these are the rules for wildfowling with a shotgun below the High water mark, and as such have nothing to do with air guns
the angling rules might be more relevant as air gun pellets would all be inside the prohibited weight range.
I still can't find the thing I read, but I only stumbled across it by accident, until I read it I had no idea there was any issue.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations (“the Regulations”), which apply to England only, prohibit the use of lead shot for shooting with a shot gun–
(a)on or over any area below the high-water mark;
(b)on or over the sites of special scientific interest included in Schedule 1 to the Regulations;
(c)any wild bird included in Schedule 2 to the Regulations. These birds are ducks, geese and swans (all species of each); coot; moorhen; golden plover and common snipe (regulation 3).
“Lead shot” means any shot made of lead or of any alloy or compound of lead where lead comprises more than 1% of that alloy or compound (regulation 2).
No, shore lines & high water mark is something else.
this was something I read fairly recently, last year or two, and was almost a throwaway comment rather than the main subject,
Until I read it I'd never heard of it, but as I now can't find it, I can't be sure I'm remembering the detail correctly
Rather annoying to say the least.
The no lead shot is actually wildfowl, in England and Wales you can not use lead to shoot wildfowl, in Scotland you can use lead to shoot wildfowl but only over fields and not water. Lead shot can be used to shoot anything else such as pheasants, pigeons, etc, over water or on land.
SSI sites though I believe you cant use lead shot.
The campaign started by the shooting organisations was to remove lead shot from quarry shooting that goes on to the food chain, however it has slightly backfired when H&S got hold of it and now looking to band lead shot in shotguns completely.
Well sort of, but you've got a few facts wrong
It was the food marketing people (British Game Alliance ??) who decided to only accept game shot with lead free for sale, which has forced the shooting organisations to push going lead free, if the meat is for the food chain.
And the HSE are only following a Europe wide wide proposal to completely ban lead projectiles,
thankfully after Gov't consultation it appears airguns & rimfire have been exempted & centrefire granted a time extension,
but because lead free shotgun carts already exist it does look like a lead ban for them
Anyway I can't find the article, but still advise against it.
Last edited by angrybear; 03-04-2024 at 10:41 AM.