It’s hard to say goodbye to a loved one; there’s no doubt about that. One company is offering a less conventional approach to memorialize them.

Holy Smoke is a company that takes cremated remains and loads it into ammunition. The idea came from a conversation held between two game wardens. They were discussing a relative’s passing and eventually segued into their own deaths. Did they prefer burial or cremation?

It was at this point the two shared that they would both like to be a part of nature after their demises. One shared the desire to be cremated and have the ashes spread in nature. The other conversationalist had quite a different idea.

“My friend smiled and said, ‘You know I’ve thought about this for some time, and I want to be cremated. Then I want my ashes put into some turkey load shotgun shells and have someone that knows how to turkey hunt use the shotgun shells with my ashes to shoot a turkey. That way I will rest in peace knowing that the last thing that one turkey will see is me, screaming at him at about 900 feet per second.”

A company was born from that conversation. The employees of Holy Smoke crafted a way to create special ammunition infused with loved ones’ ashes. The standard charge is $1,250, which purchases one of the following options: shotgunner – 250 shotshells;  rifle shooter – 100 cartridges in standard calibers; pistol shooter: 250 cartridges in standard calibers.

The ammo itself can even be memorialized. Holy Smoke offers a finished, handcrafted wooden box with labels.

What do you think about Holy Smoke?