The Science Behind the Shot
At Montorretas, the manufacture of lead shot combines artisanal tradition and technical expertise in a process that is as precise as it is fascinating. Everything begins in our shot tower, a structure designed to transform molten lead into perfectly shaped small spheres.
At the top of the tower, the lead is melted and kept at a controlled temperature inside crucibles. From there, it is carefully poured onto perforated steel plates that act as sieves. The molten metal passes through the tiny holes in the form of small droplets, falling more than forty meters guided by gravity and surface tension. During the fall, the lead naturally takes on its spherical shape and progressively solidifies before plunging into a water tank, where it completes its cooling and hardening process.
At the base of the tower, the pellets are collected, dried, and subjected to a rigorous selection process. Those that do not achieve a perfect shape are returned to the melting cycle, while those that meet our quality standards are meticulously classified by size. In this way, every pellet that leaves our plant represents the perfect balance between science, precision, and expertise accumulated over generations.
