Anti-gun groups welcome lead ammo ban

Anti-shooting groups have welcomed the news that the government is to ban lead shot and lead bullets in Britain. The ban is a three-year phaseout from 2026 to 2029, with exemptions for airgun pellets, small-calibre rifle ammunition such as .22LR, ammunition used by elite athletes, the military, police and in ‘outdoor target shooting ranges’ with risk management measures.

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust told The Guardian that the announcement was ‘a huge day for wildlife, particularly the migratory waterbirds who call our wetlands their home’.

An RSPB spokesman said: “Long known to be a poison, we have campaigned for decades to have lead ammunition removed from use.”

The ban, which will apply in England, Scotland and Wales, follows recommendations in December last year by the Health and Safety Executive, which said lead ammunition should be phased out over five years.

BASC says its priority is to “support a transition that upholds environmental responsibility” while lobbying to protect the future and integrity of shooting in the UK.

BASC’s Terry Behan criticised the government for shortening the expected timeframe for shotgun ammunition from five years to three years on the assumption that the ammunition is readily available. “That is not the case for commercial and supply reasons beyond our sector’s control,” he says, “and we urge government to adhere to a five-year timescale proposed by the Health and Safety Executive.”

BASC is also working to have .243 added to the list of small calibres.