Lead ban - is anybody else holding off buying a new rifle?

[Jon]

Hi,

Long time lurker, recent returnee to shooting here I rediscovered shooting as a sport during lockdown, and have started the process of joining a club with the intention of shooting HFT and FT. I've been really enjoying it so far, and I've gone and bought an S400 .177 carbine to add to my old .22 HW99s.

I was just this week getting ready to drop a wedge of £££ on a target specific .177 rifle and big scope for FT, but have been mightily put off by reading about the impending lead ban, and the wording of the consultation itself. It looks unlikely that outdoor shooting of lead will be viable, and the sale of lead pellets will v likely be banned altogether anyway. I would stock up, but there's not much point in that if we can't use them

I aim to keep my guns so my lads can enjoy them when they are old enough, and really don't want to invest a lot of money in what may end up as a paperweight. So, I ordered some samples and have tried most of the non-lead alternatives in both calibres in the garden this week. I was pleasantly surprised to get 0.5-0.75in at 30 yards (rested) quite readily with Barracuda Green (although that was the only good performer). R&D will bring that right down I'm sure. Muzzle energy is the same as lead RWS Hobbies from the '99.

But .177 looks really iffy moving forward, especially with PCPs. Through the S400 the non-lead was, erm, ‘interesting’. Shotgun groups with every pellet bar the JSB (1.5-2in groups, so no use for hunting) and barely 8fpe at best. Even with a spotless barrel, not all of the RWS Hyperdomes stayed on a 17cm card!! I'm not sure any amount of progress is going to sort that out.

On that basis I will be keeping my wallet firmly shut for now. Is anyone else feeling the same? Surely there will lots of others itching to buy kit, but holding off until there is some clarity. I've had a good search about but can't find any comments from gun shops, airgun or pellet manufacturers on what is surely an immediate existential crisis for them?!

ATB,

Jon

[Portzy]

Though not in a "new rifle" situation myself as we speak, I will be soon and personally it will not and would not stop me from buying one.

[angrybear]

This did cross my mind a couple of days ago, although if the proposals are implemented as is, using lead in airguns should be legal until 2028/29.
Not that anything new appeals, I'll be sticking to Rapids.

I've also noticed the huge drop in muzzle energy, I believe because the Pb free are too hard to form an effective seal in the rifling, maybe the smooth twist barrels will prove to be the answer to that issue
And also the general inaccuracy that you also saw, rifle manufacturers are going to need some serious work to get their barrels accurate with non lead, but I imagine they're already on the case.

[Pelletpinger]

Live for today, you don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

[robs5230]

With reference to the OP's comment about power drop in the S400, it got my mind ticking.

We know that some rifles that come into the UK are dumbed down, and hardly setup efficiently. My FX Dreamline lite, may be one such rifle.
As I have some JSB PB free exacts here, in .177, I thought I'd just run a few over the skan.
The DL runs 7.9 express at 785fps / 10.8
The PB free 6.79, are running 840fps / 10.6 (with good consistency)

Now in terms of power, I'd definitely be happy using them for pest control (assuming they gave reasonable accuracy). But again the FX may be ok as it doesn't have traditional rifling.

In terms of springers, it may be that tuning for lead free, could also achieve acceptable power.

On a different but related note, we'll be entering new realms in terms of the sub12 limit, the lead free, being able to be shot at higher velocity than lead, whilst still keeping under the limit. To a large degree, it will also pretty much standardise pellets (at least in the short term).

Its all interesting stuff, and none of it would prevent me buying a rifle I wanted

[Barryg]

The lead ban thing wouldn't put me off of buying a new rifle it's too far away 6/7 years but all of the strange things that have been going on the last few years would, it feels like airguns could be banned or licenced any minute have you seen some of our politicians these days

[BC312]

6-7 years in politics is a long time anything can happen, hopefully for the good, you never know.

[Jon]

Thanks everyone, it seems as usual I am being far too wet and worrisome You are right Pelletpinger!

I was thinking as a compromise to get something that would be easy to barrel change/calibre swap if needed down the line - like an HW98?

robs5230 - glad to hear some Pb free are making enough energy in .177 in a PCP.

My S400 is set at 11.1-11.35 with AA Field (11.8 with BisMags). To hit 11 with Pb free it'd be doing 14+ with a heavy lead pellet, so I'm not sure how we'd get around that in terms of police testing processes. Springers will be fine - in many instances I guess they'll make the most power with these much lighter pellets.

[Neil54]

No, not me.

[Vermin Al]

Yes.
Definitely would not even think of buying an air rifle which will become instantly worthless when the ban is introduced.

[Mike1969]

Maybe if anything it'll put a fire up the pellet manufacturers back ends and they'll have to do some serious R&D on non toxic pellet research.

[Biker_Bob]

It's early days for lead free pellets.
Once the ban is announced all the R&D will swing away from lead and onto lead free - there will be decent lead free pellets along soon enough.