As indicated above,
pure lead is not toxic. Certain lead
compounds are (eg the lead styphnate used in most primers). Pure lead and lead
alloys normally used in bullet-making are hazardous only when accelerated to a
velocity (eg 850 fps) that enables the lead to penetrate the skin.
Prohibiting lead might be acceptable for those who shoot 10 or 20 shots a year
during and shortly before deer or duck or season. But, at the rate that I shoot, I
cannot afford to take the lead out. The cost of 10-20 thousand Barnes solid
copper bullets far exceeds the shooting budget of this retiree. If those who
want us to move away from lead are truly serious, they would personally cough up
the difference in price between lead and copper so that we could afford to shoot
non-lead projectiles.
That said, I see a strong correlation between
Snowflake Syndrome and lead
deficiency. I grew up with lead in the plumbing, lead in the paint, lead in
shower pans, lead in roofing, lead in glazing on ceramic dinner plates, lead
in drinking glasses, lead in toys, lead in gasoline, and even lead in toothpaste tubes! The more we remove our children from contact with lead, the
faster the Snowflake Syndrome expands. (For the comically-challenged, that last
paragraph was written to make a point, but also with tongue-in-cheek. Get a
life!)
Toxicology Of Lead At Shooting Ranges
NSSF on Lead
Ammunition Do Lead Bullets Continue To Be A Hazard After They Land?
Back to Ol' Buffalo Humor Page Back to Ol' Buffalo Shooting Page |