The UK lead ammunition restriction: dates, calibres and what it means

The long-running question of when lead ammunition would be restricted in Great Britain now has an answer. On 3 March 2026 the Government announced it would legislate following the UK REACH process, and the restrictions were made under the REACH (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/195).

For deer stalkers the headline is straightforward: from 1 April 2029, lead bullets in calibres of 6.17mm and above may not be used or sold for live quarry shooting. That threshold captures the .243 and everything larger — which is to say, essentially every deer rifle in Britain.

The confirmed timetable

The 6.17mm threshold

6.17mm is .243 inches. The threshold was set at that figure rather than above it, which means the .243 Winchester — the entry point for deer stalking across much of the country — falls inside the restriction rather than outside it. BASC has publicly recorded its disappointment on this point, noting the number of stalkers affected.

• Affected: .243 Winchester, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5×55, .260 Rem, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .30-06 and every larger deer calibre.
• Not affected: small calibre rifles below 6.17mm, including the commonly used pest control calibres such as .17 HMR, .22 rimfire and .22 centrefires.
• Not affected: lead airgun pellets, for either target shooting or live quarry.

What the sale ban means

This is the part people miss. The restriction covers use and sale, not just use. Once it bites, you will not be able to buy lead deer bullets, and neither will your dealer be able to sell existing stock for that purpose. Planning on a stockpile is not a strategy that survives the sale ban.

Why you should not wait until 2029

Two and a half years sounds like a lot. It is not, once you account for what actually has to happen:

1. Your rifle may not like the first bullet you try. Monolithics are longer for their weight and can be fussier about twist rate and seating depth. Finding a load that groups well takes range time across more than one session.
2. You need to re-zero and confirm. See zeroing lead free bullets.
3. You should see it work on a carcass before you rely on it. That means shooting deer with it, which means seasons, not weekends.
4. Supply gets tighter as the deadline approaches. Sixty thousand stalkers switching in the last twelve months is not a comfortable position to be in.

The transition window exists so that deer managers can test alternatives and adjust rifle setups while there is still time to get it wrong. Using it is the entire point.

Where to start

Work out which bullet weight suits your cartridge and twist rate, buy a box of 50, and put in a range session. Choosing a lead free bullet weight covers the decision; the calibre guides below cover the specifics.