★ Win a Schöffel Country shooting coat for everyone in your syndicate worth up to £6,000! Enter here ★
Cartridges - Page 1
Shotgun cartridges: expert reviews, buying advice and ammunition guides
Few decisions affect your shooting more than the cartridge in your gun. Sporting Gun’s cartridge hub brings you independent reviews, practical buying advice and in-depth analysis of ammunition across every shooting discipline – from driven game and walked-up days to clay grounds and rough shooting.
Our experienced team tests cartridges across the full spectrum: lead and steel shot, bismuth and non-toxic alternatives, budget options for high-volume clay shooters and premium loads for those days when performance really counts. We assess pattern, recoil, consistency and value, giving you the information you need to match the right cartridge to your gun, your quarry and your ground.
With non-toxic shot regulations continuing to evolve across the UK, we also keep you up to date on compliance, legal requirements and the best performing alternatives to lead as the transition gathers pace.
From 28-gram sporting loads to 36-gram magnums – we’ve got you covered.
Latest articles
-
Cartridges5 of the best clay cartridges
We nominate our favourite all-round clay loads for outstanding performance in 2026
By Sporting Gun
-
Game
Steel shot vs lead: testing cartridges on pigeons before the lead ban
With a UK lead shot ban looming, Geoff Garrod tests steel cartridges on pigeons. Discover how steel performs in the field, what shot sizes to use, and whether your gun is proofed for the switch
By Geoff Garrod
-
Cartridges
Sporting Gun Competition – The Unbelievable Truth
Solve the competition in this month's Sporting Gun 'The Unbelievable Truth' and submit your entry to be in with a chance of winning Eley cartridges
By Sporting Gun
-
Clay cartridgesThe high life
Paul Austin enjoys a sim day with a difference at Double Barrelled Shooting, a chance to travel back in time to a classic shooting experience – but with a modern twist
By Sporting Gun
-
Clay cartridgesClay disciplines demystified
Jasper Fellows breaks down some of the UK’s most popular clay disciplines
By Sporting Gun
-
Clay cartridgesHow to up your Shooting Game
Top Sporting shot and coach Matt Hance revisits an earlier series of lessons and outlines three ways you can improve your scores
By Sporting Gun
-
Clay cartridgesKick start your clay season
However you like to enjoy your clay shooting, you can prepare for the start of the season with Emily Damment’s complete guide, featuring advice and events for game shots and competitive clay crusher...
By Sporting Gun
-
CartridgesSteel vs Lead
Richard Atkins considers some important differences in how steel and lead shot compare in performance
By Sporting Gun
-
Clay cartridgesValley of Plenty
Jasper Fellows takes in the mountain air at Dovey Valley Shooting Ground
By Sporting Gun
Find out more
Get the latest news delivered direct to your door
Subscribe to Sporting Gun
Sporting Gun has been the trusted voice of the shooting community since 1978, and a subscription is the best way to make sure you never miss a word of it.
For just £3.75 an issue – 46% less than the newsstand price – you’ll receive Britain’s leading shooting magazine delivered to your door before it hits the shelves. Every issue is packed with expert gundog training advice, in-depth shotgun and cartridge reviews, technique features from professional shots, pigeon and wildfowling coverage and the people and stories that define the sport.
In a world of endless scrolling, a magazine is something different – a moment to slow down, read properly and absorb knowledge that makes you a better shot. Back issues become a reference library worth keeping.
