August sees the start of the hunting season. Game birds are first in line. Then come roe deer and other small game. The common denominators are pellet shot – and that practice makes perfect.
"A hunter must train both physique and shooting," says Frank Jakobsson, Factory manager at Gyttorp.
A few years ago Gyttorp celebrated its 100th birthday. This ammunition factory in Nora started industrial production of shotgun cartridges in 1908. Gyttorp, which is now Scandinavia's sole producer of cartridges, has moved from its old factory in the centre of Nora to a new building on the periphery.
20 million shotgun cartridges are produced here every year, for both hunting and competition. The main difference between hunting and competition ammunition is that a hunting cartridge has larger pellets and a heavier charge than a competition cartridge, Frank Jakobsson explains.
Shotguns and ammunition cartridges have existed since the 17th century. Documentation from 1621 describes how a musket is charged with scrap or buckshot for hunting purposes.
Steel shot more environmentally friendly
The present day shotgun, however, was invented at the beginning of the 19th century. The ammunition is a cartridge filled with a quantity of small pellets. When the gun is fired the cartridge opens and projects a cluster of pellets making it easier to hit a moving target, such as a bird or smaller animal.
Nowadays the shock sensitive black powder has been replaced by a more modern powder, the cartridge cases are in plastic rather than paper and the shot pellets are usually steel as opposed to lead. The latter is largely a question of environmental protection; lead shot is actually more suitable for hunting than steel. Steel shot also causes more wear in the gun, Frank Jakobsson continues to explain.
Cartridges are mainly used for hunting game birds and small game such as roe deer, fox and hare, with slightly larger dimensions for small game than for game birds.
The hunting of game birds such as pigeons and geese is permitted from the middle of August, with some variation depending on location. Small game hunting starts a little later. The season then progresses through the autumn and culminates with the moose hunt.
Improve your physique and technique
In the eyes of Frank Jakobsson, many hunters would get more enjoyment out of their hunting and would become more effective if they trained more.
"And by this I mean both shooting training and physical training," says Frank.
Clay pigeon shooting is a good way of improving your technique as is regular shooting at a range or hunting trail: a marked trail with a number of stations for shooting at various targets.
"All training is good," Frank Jakobsson assures us. Hunters must continually train and maintain their familiarity with their weapons.