BETTER BY CHARLIE BURCHFIELD CHOICES & RESULTS I NTRODUCED in the 1860s, the first shotshells were constructed from brass, but by 1877 or so, paper shells replaced them. More than eight decades would pass before paper was replaced by plastic. And by the late 1960s, plastic shot cartridges were new and improved. Newly designed wads within shells gradually were improved. Even the composition of the shot was given a new look, and in some cases, a copper coat. What didn't change much was the core component - lead. However, change was on the horizon. Studies had indicated the ingestion of spent lead shot was killing about 2 to 3 percent of all ducks and geese across North America annually. The loss of eagles also was documented. In 1986, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service began phasing out lead-shot use within waterfowl flyways to reduce the risk waterfowl accidentally would ingest spent lead shot on feeding grounds and in shallow water. The IMPROVE PERFORMANCE WITH NONTOXIC SHOT OCTOBER 2018 53