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Lead Ammo - Poisoning our wildlife?

13K views 128 replies 34 participants last post by  Kebco  
#1 ·
Lead ammo use is becoming a hot topic of discussion as it ends up being digested by carrion eating birds and mammals. Below is a picture of a lead bullet shot through ballistic gel, showing how lead splinters into smaller pieces, contaminating a larger are then just where the bullet entered/passed through. For humans, it may not be enough to effect us but smaller animals more so. Lead fragments end up in gut piles where eagles, ravens, crows, raccoons, opossums, and other animals consume what we leave behind thus ingesting the lead. I would imagine it has been happening for decades and centuries but not really identified until more recent years. Here is a INTERVIEW LINK where they talk to a researcher where they provided copper ammunition to hunters around Jackson, WY and Grand Teton NP. It's an interesting listen.

I just might have to reconsider by ammo purchases for deer the next time I need ammo. I already have one landowner requesting hunters on his land use lead-free ammo. Target shooting would not be an issue as there is no carrion left for animals to ingest. Might be tough finding copper roundballs for the flinter though. Just something for discussion.

Ballistic gel showing lead fragments.
Image
 
#6 ·
RonM said:
You cant use lead on Federal property now, for either waterfowl or small game...and it goes a step further, cant use lead on private property when hunting waterfowl..
Lead has been banned for waterfowl for 20+ years. Think I still have some steel shot from back in the day.
 
#8 ·
If lead is in the food chain and killing birds of prey how do you explain the population explosion of birds of prey?

Let me help you with your answer. Lead is not the problem the green creatures make it out to be.
 
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#10 ·
Thanks for that interview link there TPlank. Anyone who listens to this link will not be saying how lead is not the problem.

Being a Waterfowler, over the years I've come across extensive research that proves how lead is a big problem.
My thoughts are that all lead ammo will someday be banned and you can add in all the lead weights used in Fishing as well.
Yes, the price will be higher but we owe it to the wildlife to get this done.

Can you imagine buying a pack of copper spilt shot for your trout fishing? That'll be $20 for your bag of split shot!
 
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#11 ·
Is that a 22 cal speer tnt at 3500 fps? i don't think my hornady interlocks look like that. And if a coon did happen to choke one of my spend bullets down, i would think he would poop it out at some point.
TPlank said:
Lead ammo use is becoming a hot topic of discussion as it ends up being digested by carrion eating birds and mammals. Below is a picture of a lead bullet shot through ballistic gel, showing how lead splinters into smaller pieces, contaminating a larger are then just where the bullet entered/passed through. For humans, it may not be enough to effect us but smaller animals more so. Lead fragments end up in gut piles where eagles, ravens, crows, raccoons, opossums, and other animals consume what we leave behind thus ingesting the lead. I would imagine it has been happening for decades and centuries but not really identified until more recent years. Here is a INTERVIEW LINK where they talk to a researcher where they provided copper ammunition to hunters around Jackson, WY and Grand Teton NP. It's an interesting listen.

I just might have to reconsider by ammo purchases for deer the next time I need ammo. I already have one landowner requesting hunters on his land use lead-free ammo. Target shooting would not be an issue as there is no carrion left for animals to ingest. Might be tough finding copper roundballs for the flinter though. Just something for discussion.

Ballistic gel showing lead fragments.
Image
 
#13 ·
tpr25 said:
I'll stop using lead hunting ammo for the sake of the birds when every greenie successfully has every wind turbine removed for the same reason.
x2

reminds me of the New York DEC Fishing regs outlawing lead split shot < 1/2 oz - to protect the waterfowl. Cabelas and other online stores will not ship to NYS addresses.



I have a life long supply of it - bought up several years ago when possible banning in Pa was being discussed. My UPS guy got a hernia from delivering those boxes.

I "Mule" lots of lead split shot upstate for some friends I know.

meanwhile - NYS protects commorants - a critter that may be the biggest fish killers out there. Save the ducks - let the vultures kill off spawning grounds full of YOY fish. Brilliant!!!
 
#14 ·
I would like to know what bullet was used in that ballistics gel. I'm definitely not sold on the concept considering all of the research that I've seen has been from the "meat is murder" crowd who sees our hobby in the same light as serial killers.
 
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#15 ·
burninghxcsoul said:
I would like to know what bullet was used in that ballistics gel. I'm definitely not sold on the concept considering all of the research that I've seen has been from the "meat is murder" crowd who sees our hobby in the same light as serial killers.
How about an article from Outdoor Life with research by the CDC.
Update is at end of article.
Update: Lead in Your Meat?
 
#16 ·
TPlank said:
burninghxcsoul said:
I would like to know what bullet was used in that ballistics gel. I'm definitely not sold on the concept considering all of the research that I've seen has been from the "meat is murder" crowd who sees our hobby in the same light as serial killers.
How about an article from Outdoor Life with research by the CDC.
Update is at end of article.
Update: Lead in Your Meat?
What a bunch of baloney, this statement is all you need to know
While no illnesses have been linked to consumption of fragments from lead ammunition, hunter-harvested deer may contain lead particles
So tired of people trying to turn a non issue into some sort of dire emergency that we need to jump right on and make it "better" for everyone.
 
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#23 ·
Ghost said:
What a bunch of baloney, this statement is all you need to know
While no illnesses have been linked to consumption of fragments from lead ammunition, hunter-harvested deer may contain lead particles
So tired of people trying to turn a non issue into some sort of dire emergency that we need to jump right on and make it "better" for everyone.
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#24 ·
TPlank said:
How about an article from Outdoor Life with research by the CDC.
Update is at end of article.
Update: Lead in Your Meat?
Interesting, You can also get elevated Lead levels from shooting indoors frequently which I'm sure hunters are probably at higher rate of doing so than the general population, or also by drinking tap water in Flint Michigan.

It looks like more research needs to be conducted to see if it really is a health risk.
 
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#25 ·
burninghxcsoul said:
TPlank said:
How about an article from Outdoor Life with research by the CDC.
Update is at end of article.
Update: Lead in Your Meat?
Interesting, You can also get elevated Lead levels from shooting indoors frequently which I'm sure hunters are probably at higher rate of doing so than the general population, or also by drinking tap water in Flint Michigan.

It looks like more research needs to be conducted to see if it really is a health risk.
We, hunters, can absorb more lead and not be at risk then a smaller animal or bird. They would only need to ingest a small portion of lead compared to us. So, are we, by using lead ammo for big game where a gut pile is left behind for scavengers, putting those animals at a much higher risk of death?
 
#26 ·
The older I get, the more things I could have been dead from. Remember being about ten and eleven and learning to climb ladders on railroad boxcars.

Getting a good job after my education, and finding I had to climb ladders on storage tanks. And immediately thinking of climbing those railroad boxcars, and appreciating learning about danger.

My boss asked my climbing co-worker how I did. "He must have done that before going to school."
 
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