Lead-How much longer?

[greenrivers]

Like many of you, I have a fair amount of casting suplies that I intend to run out my time shooting. But it seems every time I pick up a magazine, there are either advertisements for or articles about green bullets. I guess that we are not supposed to notice that alternates are provided just before laws are enacted to prevent environmental damage. But truthfully, how long does it take for a bullet fired, that hits acidic soil (most of the time) to oxidise to nothing? Are we to believe that we are the products of a couple hundred years of toxic meat shot by our ancestors? And if so, where is the problem? Is it time to start using up what we have and not bringing in new stock? With ever increasing costs for reloading components, where will it end?

[SHOOTALL]

We find Civil War bullets here often (Richmond Va. ). Lead when it oxidizes gets a coat on it. On water pipe the same thing happens on the inside. Unless this coat is distrubed the danger is small. Critters injesting shot tend to upset the coating and damage to them occures. Most bullets seem to be in the ground . The only bullets I have found laying on the ground uncovered were from a 30 cal military rifle . there were 6 laying side by side in the sand at (near) Va. Beach. Don't know but it looked as if they had been dropped and the rest of the cartg. had wasted away since no rifling was showing. Some say the not found game is where the critters get the lead from.

[mdi]

I've seen new "green" bullet (and fishing sinkers) sales grow after laws are in place. It's been a few years now since the do-gooders banned lead amo in 1/3 of CA to help save the CA buzzard, and at the time there were no .22 rimfire "green" available, and few (if any) hunting rounds available for medium sized game (I think the only game in the CA Condor area is some black tailed deer, but it's been many years since I hunted deer in CA). Now "green" bullets are much more common, offered by all major ammo manufacrurers (Winchester and CCI make "green" rimfire ammo now and some major manufacturere offer solid copper).

FWIW, the only "reason" used for a lead ban in CA is not from any scientific study, but from a "Statement of Scientific Agreement". About 10 scientists decided 1. CA condors are scavengers of mammal carcasses including deer. 2. Large numbers of deer are killed in the "Condor Area" each year with lead ammunition. 3. Free-flying Condors often have elevated lead-blood levels in the fall (also deer season). 4. Therefore lead ammo is causing high levels of lead in Condors' blood. Give me a break...

[mauserand9mm]

I used to live in another state and our range complex there was located on top of a "water mound" that the water authority used to draw from using bore pumps. We had to keep track of the amount of lead fired downrange and peridically (every 5 years or so) retrieve as much lead as we could (the soil was largely made of sand and we used an old mining sieve machine to filter out the projectiles).

They had sample bore holes that they used to test but there was never any lead contamination found. Truth be known they were probably happy to have us occupying the land and paying for fencing and security otherwise it would have been their responsibility to do so, and likely the fences would've been damaged by 4WDers and motorbike riders and then also used as a dumping ground for anything (car wrecks, oil, chemicals - toxic stuff that normally requires payment for proper disposal).

The were also lakes around the city that were found to have high lead levels from the fuel used in cars at that time but the switchover to unleaded changed all that.

Also, at those lakes around the country where duck shooting is permitted, there has been no concrete evidence of lead shot contaminating the water or even causing problems as a result of direct ingestion by the wildlife, but non-lead shot is becoming a requirement anyway.

[gypsyman]

Do a little reasearch, and stock up. At the present time, I have over a ton of wheel weight and lino, I bought years ago. There are several dealers at gun shows here in Ohio, that sell bulk lead. Not pick up lead, but, from a foundry, so you know the composition. If you can afford it, you might want to get several hundred lbs., as if you don't use it, and down the road decide to sell it, I'm sure you'll get what you paid for it, and then some. gypsyman

[nicholst55]

Another possibility is to locate a source of scrap lead locally, and 'sweeten' it with Rotometal's 'Super Hard' Alloy - a 70/30 Antimony/Lead alloy.  Rotometals offers most popular bullet casting alloys, with free shipping on orders over $99.  They also stock Rowell bottom-pour ladles and other useful accessories.

http://www.rotometals.com/Bullet-Casting-Alloys-s/5.htm