Eley Hawk have been at the forefront of development of Non Toxic loads for over two decades. The initial development of the Eley Black Feather utilising a Tungsten based polymer proved uneconomical and the performance of the material left much to be desired. Eley then developed the Bismuth cartridge which has become the market leader in performance Non Toxic ammunition. Bismuth is a material based on a blend and mix of Bismuth (Bi) and Tin (Si). It has a density of 9.3 against 11.3 for lead, this difference is minimal and the down range performance of Bismuth is almost the same as lead with the added advantage being 12% more pellets by weight. How is Bismuth shot produced? Bismuth is a metal (Bi) alloyed with tin (Sn) to give similar characteristics to lead shot. Bismuth shot is manufactured in-house by Eley Hawk using the Bleimeister or “short drop” process, the same method Eley Hawk use to produce lead shot. The resultant shot has similar properties to lead shot in a modern trap cartridge.
	TYPE ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES Steel Shot (Soft Iron) Non Toxic. Decreased pellet striking energies due to low density - lead 11.3, steel 7.5. High barrel wear. Ricohets off hard surfaces. Cannot be used in many traditional English game guns. High density plastic wads required. Tin Malleable, deforms upon impact. Low striking energy due to even lower density (7.3) than Steel, necessitates the use of pellets 2 sizes larger than usual choice, with deep plastic cup wads or shallow fibre wads, offering little cushion from excessive recoil. Raw material expensive in relation to lead or Iron. Zinc Shot Improved ballistic performance vs steel. Toxic: An independent study carried out in 1968 in the USA by the Sporting Arms Ammunition Manufacturers Institute and the Patuxent Wildlife Research Centre concluded ìfurther consideration of zinc as a substitute for lead shot should be abandonedî. 20% of ducks dosed with zinc shot died within 30 days. Tugsten Raw material alloyed to a similar density to lead. Expensive in relation to all other non-toxic alternatives, extremely hard, necessitates the use of a protective shot cup, limited choice of loads. Initial independent reports suggest choke sensitive. Bismuth Shot Non Toxic tested independently by University of Illinois. May be used in traditional and modern guns in proof. No requirement for plastic wads. Similar striking energy and pattern characteristics to lead shot. Does not ricochet off hard surfaces. Raw material expensive in relation to lead and iron.
			Lead 12G Alphamax No.5 shot, BRL58 pattern at 40 yards. The shot pattern with 165 pellets (57%) in a 30” circle and 257 in a 5ft square.					Bismuth 12G Alphamax No.5 shot, BRL30 pattern at 40 yards. The shot pattern with 183 pellets (59%) in a 30” circle and 276 in a 5Ft square.