Alabama Company Puts Human Ashes Into Ammunition

An Alabama company has come up with a way for avid hunters to go out with a bang when they die.  The cremated ashes of  loved ones can now be loaded into shotgun shells and rifle and pistol cartridges.

Holy Smoke LLC, created by state conservation officers Thad Holmes and Clem Parnell, launched in July and recently shipped its first two orders, according to The Montgomery Advertiser.

“This isn’t a joke. It’s a job that we take very seriously,” Parnell told the paper. “This is a reverent business. We take the utmost care in what we do and show the greatest respect for the remains.”

One pound of ash can be loaded into 250 shotgun shells for $850. The company also does pistol and rifle rounds. The process takes about 48 hours after the company receives the ashes. Any remaining ashes are shipped back to the customer with the ammo.

“You can take your loved one on one last hunting trip or one last trip to the range,” Holmes said. “Some people have been concerned that a small amount of ash will remain in the animal that is shot with the ammunition. But it’s just carbon, and a small amount at that. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

The two men came up with the idea on a hunting trip several years ago when they were discussing how they would want to be buried.

“I would rest in peace knowing the last thing I did was to go screaming at that turkey at 900 feet per second,” Parnell said.