Among the most interesting Baschieri & Pellagri 2024 novelties there is a new line of shotshells, the "One Steel", launched during the exhibition EOS Show in Verona: let's discover it together.

The basis of the One Steel is inspired by the climate at the opening of last year's hunting season, when decisions taken by the European Parliament and two TAR (Regional Administrative Tribunals) put hunters in front of the spectre of the "non-usability" of the old lead shot, an excess that was later returned to normality and to a large extent dispelled.

Today, the warning to hunters is that they must also be prepared to hunt with another shot material, other than lead, and verify that this is a ballistically valid and effective alternative that can be used above all in one's own shotgun.

Indeed, who, if not the largest serious and historical companies specialising in hunting and shooting shotshells, will be able to carry this alternative?

Since 1992, i.e. for almost thirty-two years, B&P has been engaged in research into alternative materials to lead.

Great strides have been made; a specific powder has been developed, thousands of tests of all kinds on alternative materials have been conducted, and practical and technical tests have taken place over three decades.

B&P currently has in its catalogue all the lead's alternative materials available on the market, plus a ballistically effective combination solution between two of them: steel and copper. The focus, however, is not only on the best of materials, but often also on value for money.

Even if B&P has always taken into consideration above all ballistic quality, paying less attention to cost, today, for completeness of image and service towards its affectionate users, it has also sought solutions in this direction, and as if that were not enough, the research has also been aimed at identifying solutions that can be managed with standard shotguns, the normal hunting shotguns that each of us has had in the gun rack for years, without the phantom lily that certifies "Steel Proof".

What was missing from all this? Missing was the solution for standard shotgun and for any type of hunting of any variety of game: a range of ballistically effective steel shotshells that could be used in grandfather's or father's double or over-and-under, perhaps not only "not lily-livered", but not even equipped with the PSF two-star punch, because it was only issued at the time for ordinary testing.

For this reason, already since last year, Baschieri & Pellagri has created the missing solutions: encapsulated in the new One Steel range, loaded in different gauges and payloads. It includes five modern and effective shotshells with steel shot, three of which can be used in all the most popular shotguns without a lily mark.

The steel shot can also be used in standard shotguns banked at the ordinary pressure test if the pressure remains below 740 bar and the velocity at weight 28 grams below 1394 fps at V2.5.

The new One Steel line

The new ONE STEEL line of 2024, prepared by B&P for all its users has taken every need into account, let's take a closer look at the five new products in detail:

• ONE STEEL 28 12/70 with a weight of just 28 grams and pellets from No. 9.5 to No. 5, initial velocity V2.5 equal to 1394 fps, just the limit of the regulation for standard shotguns and usable in all 12/70 gauge of the "normal" type not lily marked.
• Almost similar is the ONE STEEL 30, again in 12/70, which is especially useful in the choice of a larger diameter shot for a larger pattern. It can also be used in all 12/70 gauge shotguns, even those without the lily mark.
• ONE STEEL 24, a 20/70 with 24 grams of steel shot of equal numbering, suitable for all 20-gauge shotguns including older ones with short 65 mm chambers, on the sole condition that the mechanics are still intact. High ballistic efficiency up to 25/28 meters.
• For modern and "lily-livered" we will have the ONE STEEL 34: 12/70 HP with 34 grams of steel shot from No. 8.5 to No. 4 for more demanding hunts. As an HP-approved ammunition, this shotshell requires modern, lily-livered shotguns for its use, the ballistic performance is decidedly superior and enables effective hunting even at range of 32/35 meters.
  
  

As the latest offering in the One Steel line, we find a 12/76 Magnum, made specifically for the most demanding hunting conditions and for shots at the 40 metres limit. The ONE STEEL 35 Magnum uses steel shot between No. 7 and No. 4, and extends its effectiveness to even the toughest prey, such as hares, pheasants and wood pigeons. This shotshell also requires modern, lily-tipped shotgun with 12/76 Magnum chambering for its use.