# Sticky  health problems with lead ammo



## slingshooterPT

Hi to all ,

I dicided to start this topic in the hunting section because most people who shot lead are hunters...

The question is...I have read many topics that talk about the disadvantages of lead, one of them are the health issues that lead could cause, so I`m start getting worried becouse I always have been shooting lead in slingshots and airguns but I never had no problem!

So whats the problem with lead?

SSPT...


----------



## Arber

Check here http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/lead_poisoning.html


----------



## Aries666

Lead is a toxic metal to the body. Its was also a major contribution to the fall of the Roman empire. They lined their water dikes with lead. Many of them eventually went mad due to blood poisoning.


----------



## slingshooterPT

Oh thanks  , so should I stop using lead :question: , or wash my hands after use it is enought for avoid that kind of problems


----------



## August West

Has anyone ever known or heard if anyone in modern times with lead poisoning due to handling lead? Plumbers, roofers, people working in tire shops all handle lead more than a slingshot shooter.


----------



## slingshooterPT

thats what I want to now August West because I never know about any one who have that kind of problems in the modern times, so I dont know if I should care about handling lead.


----------



## Aries666

From what I hear and just read just common sence handing of should be fine. Wash your hand after using it. Dont put your hand in your eyes or mouth if you haven't washed your hands. And don't let it touch your skin for prolonged periods of time. I also have been looking into the pro's and con's of lead ammo lately.


----------



## M.J

Don't put the ammo in your mouth and don't grind it up and mix it in your tea.
I've never been one to over-worry but the hysteria surrounding lead ammo really puzzles me.


----------



## Aries666

My grandfather worked on the first super computers in the 70's like the one's the took up a whole room. And got lead poisoning from sodering wire which contained traces of lead in it. Not sure if he was from transfer, holding it in his mouth while his hands were full or what. But he died two years ago from throat cancer so i cant exactly ask him about the topic. But better safe than sorry. "By law the wire can no longer contain any lead." But if you think about it. If you have a container full of lead ammo that rubbs, rolls and taps around inside you will get microscopic build up of lead that will look like dust or you may not even notice it at all. I would just rather avoided it all together.


----------



## Aries666

But I'm still reading that with common sence everybody should be find.


----------



## Narcaleptic sling shotter

To any moderators that read this, IMO if possible find a good lead topic and pin it in general. I believe there have been 4-5 in two days


----------



## slingshooterPT

Thanks,!! 

so I think that you guys answered to my questions, lead could be dangerous, but if I wash my hands after touch it there is no problem, I also shouldnt touch in my eyes or in my mouth`.

Narcaleptic sling shotter , thats why I start this topic, because after see so many topics about lead, and after read that lead could be dangerous my mind be surprised!!

I agree with u in put all topics about lead in just one that contains all information, if possible.

SSPT...


----------



## Charles

OK ... pinned it.

Cheers ... Charles


----------



## Northerner

*I have had high lead levels in the past.*

Handling lead requires some safety precautions.

Wash your hands after handing.

Don't handle food while you are handling lead.

Keep your fingers and the lead out of your mouth.

Only melt lead in well ventilated areas and be sure to have the air current moving away from you.

Do not shoot lead indoors with a backstop that will create lead dust.

I would also suggest avoiding the white lead oxide that forms on old lead (carefully clean it in a liquid before shooting).

I had high lead levels back in the mid-90s when I shot a lot of powder burning handguns at a small indoor range. We had a group of guys who competed with .38sp revolvers and once a week we would shoot 180 rounds each (PPC). I sometimes shot an extra day each week for practice. After a couple of years we all had our blood checked. I was at 1.9 emol/L and some of the other guys were 1.9, 2.7, 3.4, and 3.6 emol/L.The guys with the higher lead levels didn't even cast their own bullets. I casted about 15-20,000 rounds a year and also shot almost that much each year for 4 years. My doctor said that an acceptable level is below 1.0 emol/L (metric measurement).

The filtering system at the indoor range was definitely not keeping up with the lead that we were throwing around. Sometimes the fog got quite thick. I ended up quitting the sport after we started using canister masks when shooting indoors. The outdoor season was too short to keep my interest. A couple of years after quitting, I was tested again and my blood lead level dropped to 0.17 emol/L. All the while I kept shooting high volumes of airgun pellets (indoors in my house) with a soft putty trap for a backstop (no lead dust). It's been 17 years since handgunning and don't bother getting my lead level checked anymore. The problem was with the airborn lead dust that was created from lead bullets smashing into the metal backstop, a poor ventilation system, and also from primer residue in the air. After I quit handgunning, the handling of airgun pellets many times a week did not seem to stop my blood lead levels from dropping to the normal level. Storing lead pellets indoors and shooting lead slingshot ammo did not stop my lead level from dropping down into the normal category.


----------



## Northerner

I forgot to mention that the house I have lived in since 1996 has large stained glass windows in the living room and master bedroom. There is a band of visible lead between each pane. I lived in this house during my handgunning years and still live here today. Even with lead around me every day, my blood lead level returned to normal after I stopped handgunning. The lead in the house did not seem to effect my blood lead level.


----------



## Aries666

Awesome northern not awesome because of what happened to you but awesome for the clarification. thats about as solid of an answer as it gets. Hay,did any of your hair fall out in small spots due the high levels in your blood?


----------



## parnell

I have worked in an indoor gun range. I will share the recommendations given to lower lead intake.

1. wash you hands with cold water and soap. (hot water opens your pores)
2. Do not use alcohol based hand sanitizers after handling lead(same reason as above)
3. keep your hands out of your mouth and eyes
4. do not handle food until after washing hands
5. do not put casings in your pockets of hat(lead dust)

One last note, with guns most lead exposure comes from the lead styphnate in the primer that is then fired into the air.


----------



## Imperial

lead is more dangerous when used in a firearm, for the reasons Northerner stated above, not so much in a slingshot. airgun pellets are just as safe, that black powder on the air pellets is graphite, same thats in your pencils lead to write with. if you're still paranoid, wear a hazmat suit.


----------



## flipgun

I think the point that is coming through to me is the effects of *inhaled* lead and lead fumes.

"...And got lead poisoning from sodering wire which contained traces of lead in it."

"...The problem was with the airborn lead dust that was created from lead bullets smashing into the metal backstop, a poor ventilation system, and also from primer residue in the air."

Today we are more aware and better equipped to deal with such factors. So, with the sensible practices given here, I can only regard handling shot as a very minor cause for concern.

Carry On.


----------



## Lacumo

This is the protective gear I wear when using lead ammo ------>


----------



## OTT Kinetic Rock

Lacumo said:


> This is the protective gear I wear when using lead ammo ------>
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Lead ammo suit.jpg


Protective gear is important.

Yet, with too much gear you might just fall over.

˙ɹɐǝb ǝʌıʇɔǝʇoɹd ʎuɐ buıɹɐǝʍ ʇou ǝɹǝʍ oɥʍ

sןɐɯıuɐ uo uǝǝq sɐɥ buıʇsǝʇ ɟo ǝdʎʇ sıɥʇ ɟo ʇsoɯ
¡pɐǝן ɥʇıʍ sɹǝʇunoɔuǝ ɹıǝɥʇ ɯoɹɟ ʎןʇuɐʇsuı pǝıp ǝʌɐɥ sʇıqqɐɹ ʎuɐɯ
˙ɹɐǝb ǝʌıʇɔǝʇoɹd ɹɐǝʍ ʇou op sʇıqqɐɹ


----------



## Northerner

Aries666 said:


> Awesome northern not awesome because of what happened to you but awesome for the clarification. thats about as solid of an answer as it gets. Hay,did any of your hair fall out in small spots due the high levels in your blood?


Fortunately, I didn't seem to suffer any problems from the lead in my blood. No hair loss. I'm guessing that it was because I didn't ignore the test results and took action immediately after finding out. Longer term exposure would likely have caused damage.


----------



## Susi

I asked my hubby Chuck about this. He has been casting lead balls for SSs and bullets since he was about 10. He did this indoors he said. He's cast many thousands of bullets and SS ammo. He's got an I.Q. of over 140 and an army GT score of nearly 150. He shot exclusively outdoors all his life. The base of bullets when exposed to high pressure and heat does melt and emit lead vapor or fine particles as well as abrasion through the barrel of a fire arm, expelled he said by the expanding hot gas that propells the projectile.

In his many years of reloading, from age 13 to the mid 90s, he's handled tens of thousands of bullets with his bare hands. Shotgun shell reloading doesn't involve any contact with lead shot however...it's his hand guns, .45, .44, .357/.38, 9mm parabellum and even lead 30cal rifle bullets that exposed him to lead. He has never gotten his blood checked for lead.

After shooting our SSs we do have lead traces on our fingers, it appears as grey tint. We wash thoroughly with scouring powder after shooting. I suppose we could wear latex gloves or some such protection but we don't. We don't use steel balls simply because we can't get them here in Ecuador, Chuck made by hand all our SS hobby equipment, ball mould, lead dipper, furnace, backstop/catch box (as usual a limp hung fabric backing) and of course all our SSs except one Marksman which we simply don't like much.

As a kid he'd go to the junk yard and get lead pipe used in house plumbing to melt down and make lead balls for his SS and .38spcl bullets, 148gr wadcutter, Lyman mold, Lee bottom feed lead pot. The point being, lead water pipes were around at least a hundred or more years and it seems no one suffered from lead poisoning and that's about as much exposure as one can get other than eating lead.

I suppose SOME lead absorbs through the skin but it must be very little in shooting SSs. We started spray painting our lead ammo white to see it's path better like a tracer sort of and that did drastically reduce the gray tint on our finger tips. We respray the lead balls once they show paint loss. We spray them with an ordinary can of spray paint bought in the hardware store. We lay them out on a flat piece of plywood as separated as we can and spray them from all angles to cover about 70% of them, and let them dry a day. Then we roll them around a bit and spray them again. About 40% of them face up with the unpainted side and we spray them again. We don't care if all the ball is painted, just most of it.

White or other bright colored marbles would be great if we could get them and we'd use them exclusively as would steel shot or 8 to 10mm ball bearings but we've discovered no source here in Ecuador in quantity. We've tried cut off sections of 10mm rebar, and stainless steel hex nuts to fit 1/4 inch bolts too and they work fine. We found thick hex nuts rather than the thinner ones and they work as well as balls at 10meters. They don't seem to plane at longer distances. 200 stainless or chorme plated hex nuts don't cost much and they last forever if the catch box catches all of them and bounce outs are caught on a large sheet of plastic in front of the catch box (we place the catch box in the garage and the floor catches all bounce outs). Hex nuts also, being non round, don't roll as much as balls.

For hunting, cheaper black iron hex nuts would work, wouldn't they?

SS shooting is a cheap sport in the first place so if you are concerned about using lead ammo, just fork over a little pocket money and buy steel and make your catch box big enough to catch 'em all. Some of the catch boxes I saw on this site were pretty sorry looking, some were nice, and it's wise to spend just a few bucks and make a nice one for such as cheap shooting hobby as SSing is.

By the way, our "UFO" cast ammo is easty to paint on both sides and the mold is easier to make since no mod for the drill bit is needed. See my gallery for details.


----------



## Aries666

Wow...next time I have a question I might just keep it to myself.

I thought I was comfortable asking anything here without fear of embarrassment to those who may know the answer. I'm a little disappointed with the direction this topic has turned to. I guess there are no stupid questions here...just stupid people "trying to wise up" and incedently asking a bunch of wise guys right...

Think I'm going to take a break from the computer for a few days. I would rather just shoot a make my own mistakes and learn from them. Thank you to all who actually cared to answer any questions without feeling like you needed to get ugly at ignorant people for being ignorant￼

No hard feelings. Just disappointed


----------



## OTT Kinetic Rock

Aries666 said:


> Wow...next time I have a question I might just keep it to myself.
> 
> I thought I was comfortable asking anything here without fear of embarrassment to those who may know the answer. I'm a little disappointed with the direction this topic has turned to. I guess there are no stupid questions here...just stupid people "trying to wise up" and incedently asking a bunch of wise guys right...
> 
> Think I'm going to take a break from the computer for a few days. I would rather just shoot a make my own mistakes and learn from them. Thank you to all who actually cared to answer any questions without feeling like you needed to get ugly at ignorant people for being ignorant￼
> 
> No hard feelings. Just disappointed


Aries,

There truly is a lot of interest in this thread and hope that my attempt at humor was not taken as an insult.

There are many issues and concerns we address everyday (Like Amalgam Fillings for our teeth).

Is our drinking water safe? Is distilled water actually bad for you?

Although some may joke about it, we do have to take a serious look from many angles, before arriving at any conclusions..

The flip text and reference to instant lead poisoning was a bit of fun humor,

Benjamin Franklin in 1760 invented the Glass Armonica.

The lead from the Crystal Glass is actually believed by many to have given Mozart lead poisoning, through the use of his finger-tips while playing.

So the gravity of the situation may very well be warranted..

The Opposite of Gravity is Comedy.. and Comedy might therefore be unwarranted.

No hard feelings, honestly, you can not hurt mine,

I've been told this is because I am too ignorant.

Humor is not my strong point, but I still attempt to throw it out there.


----------



## Charles

Aries666 said:


> Wow...next time I have a question I might just keep it to myself.
> 
> I thought I was comfortable asking anything here without fear of embarrassment to those who may know the answer. I'm a little disappointed with the direction this topic has turned to. I guess there are no stupid questions here...just stupid people "trying to wise up" and incedently asking a bunch of wise guys right...
> 
> Think I'm going to take a break from the computer for a few days. I would rather just shoot a make my own mistakes and learn from them. Thank you to all who actually cared to answer any questions without feeling like you needed to get ugly at ignorant people for being ignorant￼
> 
> No hard feelings. Just disappointed


Hmmm ... I have read through this entire thread, and I did not detect the "ugly" to which you refer. True, a couple of the posts were intended to be humorous. But I did not think anyone was making fun of you or trying to put you down. I am sorry that some of the posts may have struck you that way. There is a lot of good information here in this thread that can be useful to us all.

Never, never be afraid to ask questions here. In my experience, the VAST majority of folks genuinely try to be helpful. And remember, if a you find a particular post to be objectionable, then report it.

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/29301-if-you-find-a-post-disturbing/?p=389005

The moderator team will do our best to keep the forum free of personal antagonisms.

Cheers .... Charles


----------



## Aries666

I was truly getting the sense that lead ammo users were going on the defense because those who don't or may not have use it questioned it beacause of some facts surrounding lead. And then proceeded cracking wise at the concerns of other despite the general facts. But thats just from my prospective. Perhaps I was lost in text.


----------



## slingshooterPT

Charles said:


> Aries666 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Wow...next time I have a question I might just keep it to myself.
> 
> I thought I was comfortable asking anything here without fear of embarrassment to those who may know the answer. I'm a little disappointed with the direction this topic has turned to. I guess there are no stupid questions here...just stupid people "trying to wise up" and incedently asking a bunch of wise guys right...
> 
> Think I'm going to take a break from the computer for a few days. I would rather just shoot a make my own mistakes and learn from them. Thank you to all who actually cared to answer any questions without feeling like you needed to get ugly at ignorant people for being ignorant￼
> 
> No hard feelings. Just disappointed
> 
> 
> 
> Hmmm ... I have read through this entire thread, and I did not detect the "ugly" to which you refer. True, a couple of the posts were intended to be humorous. But I did not think anyone was making fun of you or trying to put you down. I am sorry that some of the posts may have struck you that way. There is a lot of good information here in this thread that can be useful to us all.
> 
> Never, never be afraid to ask questions here. In my experience, the VAST majority of folks genuinely try to be helpful. And remember, if a you find a particular post to be objectionable, then report it.
> 
> http://slingshotforum.com/topic/29301-if-you-find-a-post-disturbing/?p=389005
> 
> The moderator team will do our best to keep the forum free of personal antagonisms.
> 
> Cheers .... Charles
Click to expand...

I feel the same think as mr Charles.There are some very helpful posts on this topic, and others humorous, but in my opinion anyone is trying to put u down Aries666, but like in almost every topics each one has their own opinion... thats just what I fell

Thanks to all, my question about lead its more that resolved!!!


----------



## Imperial

its all in fun, some humor, just a way to help you not get too scared or to the point you dont want to use lead for ammo in slingshots or firearms. sometimes a little levity can help a person re-evaluate a situation.


----------



## Susi

I didn't find anything offensive either just for the record. And a little levity is icing on the cake, right? I think it's important to just enjoy the fascinating, relaxing hobby of SSing in whatever capacity one choses, whether it's making master works of art as displayed each month here (incredibly impressive craftsmanship!) or just tree forks sanded and finished...whatever, it's shooting and fabricating new SSs that's the fun stuff in my book and of course sharing as we would in front of a camp fire roasting marshmallows and drinking hot chocolate together. Life is way way too short hubby Chuck says to let the demon of negativity enter a camp fire ring. I agree. I've found that knitting and shooting SSs relaxes me yet forces my mind to focus. When I'm antsy I just bake a cake or apple pie or go run down our dirt lane with the dogs. When I want to know more about SSing, I post a question HERE. And thanks to all for helping me along to better SSing. You all are extremely suipportive when it comes to being helpful.


----------



## Aries666

I apologize for my misunderstanding. I certainly didnt intend to come across rude.


----------



## Charles

Aries666 said:


> I apologize for my misunderstanding. I certainly didnt intend to come across rude.


No problem. On the internet we do not have all those signals of voice inflection and pitch, nor the signals from body language. So it is sometimes easy to misunderstand the intention of others.

Cheers .... Charles


----------



## Aries666

Yeah, its especially difficult if I can't see faces sometimes.


----------



## Imperial

Aries666 said:


> Yeah, its especially difficult if I can't see faces sometimes.


----------



## Aries666

Ha! Like a NiN video


----------



## namazu

I shoot and fish alot and for many years . as for slinshots im using just steel shot and glass marbles. Lead ammo is some what expesive . im conserned about how toxic it is to me as a person . learnded alot from you guys already thanks


----------



## Henry the Hermit

M.J said:


> Don't put the ammo in your mouth and don't grind it up and mix it in your tea.
> I've never been one to over-worry but the hysteria surrounding lead ammo really puzzles me.


 It's no great mystery, MJ. Environmentalists and anti-gunners jumped on the bandwagon and started demonizing lead in an effort to eliminate hunting and make it much more expensive to shoot for recreation.

While I agree with the decision to ban lead shot over wildfowl feeding areas, ordinary handling of lead is not a danger if you observe simple handling rules. Don't eat lead. Don't breath the fumes when melting lead. Wash you hands after handling lead.


----------



## namazu

Well said Henry good advice .


----------



## Nicholson

I have been around lead all my life. as a child to adulthood I hunted with lead bullets, ate ducks and game where I used lead shot. From my teen years till now I've shot countless rounds of lead bullets at the gun range. While fishing we use 900 feet of lead-line to sink the gear and keep the net straight. I've worked roofing and plumming where a lot of lead comes up especially with the older homes. I don't have any health problems my dad is 63 and has been around lead all his life also and has no health problems. I think the main thing is to wash your hands if your handling a lot of lead. I think the bark of the problem is worst then its bite


----------



## J Stacy

Well from a scientific point of view... . I am a retitred laboratory director from 42 years in the hospital . I have seen hundreds of people tested for lead and the only positive cases were from people , usually children ,who ingested lead paint from their home . Children do put everything in their mouths and from people breathing lead dust from indoor shooting ranges or industral plants where lead was smelted and employees found the safety mask too hot and did not wear them !

The lead poisons your hemaglobin production system and causes rapid red cell death and resulting anemia. The reports of nerve damage from lead is actually often cause by the arsenic often used to coat lead pipes.

Lead pipes were normally sewer pipe and most water pipes have been ,iron, copper or plastic for the last 100 years.

I liked the question but I fear , like a previous poster , the dangers of lead have been over blown by people opposed to hunting and guns in general . Shoot all of the lead shot you want ,just wash your hands and don't eat or drink until you have washed your hands.


----------



## namazu

Thanks for the insight makesnms feel better about using lead shot as a fiherman i still use lead wieghts its still the cheapest option to use . Till something nontoxic costs the same


----------



## DogBox

I am sure a blood test would rule out any 'concern' one had and would surely give Peace of Mind. A wonderful thing - if you can get it.


----------



## J Stacy

A quote from a friend is appropriate in many situations. "Worry is the inappropriate use of imigination".

Get the facts about lead and dont eat it or breath it and wah your hands after handling it and you will be fine.

I shoot and reload and cast my own bullets since 1968 and my blood lead level is undetectable.

Enjoy more worry less. anic:


----------



## nike

very good


----------



## THWACK!

Don't eat it.

If melting lead for molds/ingots/whatever, do so outdoors and don't be downwind of the fumes.


----------



## wll

The only thing that I know that died of lead poisoning was the ground squirrel I shot a few weeks ago !

wll


----------



## Mr-W

It would take a looooooong time of prolonged direct contact with mouth or blood to make you ill. Lead pipes etc were used for water, which over many years of drinking the lead tainted water could lead to you being ill. However why would you ever put a lead ball in your mouth? And continuously do so for many years... It just wouldn't happen, we handle lead with our hands then wash them. When out in the woods etc (when we are handling our lead shots most) you wouldn't ever put your hands in your mouth anyway as if your anything like me they will be covered in dirt, dead animal etc. I really wouldn't worry, id say your all perfectly safe I think


----------



## Deltaboy1984

I have been around lead from paint,to fishing weights,firearms etc and always tested well below safe levels. It varies because of Genetics . My Grandfather smoked for decades and had no issues and lived to be 1983.


----------



## flipgun

Dang! What was he smokin'!


----------



## Viper010

Quite the achievement huh, 1983 years old. I'm guessing there can be only one? ????

Sorry for cracking wise over an obvious typo but I guess me n flip both just couldn't resist....


----------



## flipgun




----------



## chuckduster01

I have had an intimate relationship with lead for well on 32-33 years now. I have been tested 4 times over the years because I am married a Nurse with "concerns". I have never tested above 3 PPM. I make all my own fishing sinkers/slingshot ammo/ and 98% of my own handloaded bullets. Lead dangers in this world have been blown way out of proportion to meet political agendas ..................................pure and simple.


----------



## wll

chuckduster01 said:


> I have had an intimate relationship with lead for well on 32-33 years now. I have been tested 4 times over the years because I am married a Nurse with "concerns". I have never tested above 3 PPM. I make all my own fishing sinkers/slingshot ammo/ and 98% of my own handloaded bullets. Lead dangers in this world have been blown way out of proportion to meet political agendas ..................................pure and simple.


No, tell me it isn't so ... politicians blow things out of proportion to meet political agendas :- )

Remember, the only time a politician lies is when they open their mouths !! The only thing that stinks more than a politician is two politicians !!

wll


----------



## romanljc

Lead is only a problem if it gets in your blood system .
This is only possible from mouth nose or open cut
Just holding touching it will not do anything but I always,wash my hands after handling lead just in casè.
Also if you are really paranoid you can coat your lead ammo in paint.


----------



## lunasling

I stay away from lead altogether just to be on the safe side.


----------



## K Williams

I'm an Ironworker... Around lead all the time on bridge jobs. I recommend buying D-Lead Wipes to remove lead from your hands. If you're making your own lead ammo, then wear a half-face respirator(3M or MSA make good ones), and use filter that work for lead dust and lead fumes/vapors.


----------



## K Williams

August West said:


> Has anyone ever known or heard if anyone in modern times with lead poisoning due to handling lead? Plumbers, roofers, people working in tire shops all handle lead more than a slingshot shooter.


I don't know about all out lead poisoning but guys that get lead counts (monthly/bi-monthly jobsite blood tests) above 30 usually start to feel some of the symptoms of too much lead in the system.


----------



## K Williams

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AS0S50O/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1449962136&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=d+lead+wipes&dpPl=1&dpID=41hncQCUeFL&ref=plSrch


----------



## K Williams

chuckduster01 said:


> I have had an intimate relationship with lead for well on 32-33 years now. I have been tested 4 times over the years because I am married a Nurse with "concerns". I have never tested above 3 PPM. I make all my own fishing sinkers/slingshot ammo/ and 98% of my own handloaded bullets. Lead dangers in this world have been blown way out of proportion to meet political agendas ..................................pure and simple.


3 PPM is nothing.


----------



## lunasling

Years ago it was a major issue children died of it lead in paint

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G850A using Tapatalk


----------



## Cjw

I been a competitive shooter for 30 years.Shooting practice in indoor and outdoor ranges. Handling and loading lead bullets and never had any issues. Run a 10 meter Olympic air rifle range. Been handling lead pellets for 25 years .No problems. As long as you don't breath in the dust or eat the stuff I wouldn't worry.


----------



## plansdude

Wait,what about shooting squirrels with the intent to eat them? Could that cause problems? Hopefully iam not asking a stupid question...


----------



## Henry the Hermit

plansdude said:


> Wait,what about shooting squirrels with the intent to eat them? Could that cause problems? Hopefully iam not asking a stupid question...


I regularly ate squirrel killed with a shotgun as a kid. It was common to find a few shot. I may even have swallowed some, but mostly just spat it out. The dangers of lead are greatly exaggerated. Don't breath the fumes when casting, wash your hands after handling lead, and don't eat it and you will be fine.


----------



## Viper010

lunasling said:


> Years ago it was a major issue children died of it lead in paint
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G850A using Tapatalk


Operative word here bring "children".
With lead, the body tends to absorb a lot more of it in GROWING CHILDREN than it does in adults. My chemistry teacher told me this was the downfall of the Roman Empire, lead water pipes. While the adults were fine, fetuses suffered birth defects and were often stillborn and also small children died in droves.

So long as you're not consuming your every drink from pewter cups containing lead and your drinking water transported through lead pipes and many if not most meals prepared in pewter pots DURING YOUR GROWING YEARS or peeling the lead paint off the school window sills and eating it by the pound, you will be fine.

As a kid, I spent a good many years clamping down my fishing sinkers using my teeth in stead of pliers. Still do sometimes to this day. I never experienced ANY lead related problems.

It's been said before, but I think it's mostly political hype.


----------



## Henry the Hermit

One big reason for hyping the dangers of lead is that the hypers hope it will help them outlaw lead in ammunition, making it more expensive and aiding the cause of disarming citizens. </soapbox>


----------



## lunasling

Yea right ok you can have your opinion !

Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


----------



## Sherman

Henry in Panama said:


> One big reason for hyping the dangers of lead is that the hypers hope it will help them outlaw lead in ammunition, making it more expensive and aiding the cause of disarming citizens. </soapbox>


I'm not anti-gun and I'm not anti-hunting, but all of the science I've read points to very real dangers for wildlife being the reason for banning lead ammo. As far as anecdotal information, I have a few friends who work close to the issue (as scientists and environmentalists) and they are focused on protecting wildlife -- a few are hunters and gun-owners themselves.

This piece has a link to some of the science:

http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/lead_poisoning/


----------



## Cjw

People have been hunting with lead ammo for hundreds of years . And there were a lot more hunters a hundred years ago when people still had to feed themselves. But it's a big problem now they say. With 1/50th the amount of hunters today.


----------



## Cjw

When I was a kid there was a diet soda additive that the took off the market because the said it caused problems in laboratory animals. But years latter when you looked up the data you would have had to consume 500 gallons of diet soda a week to get the dose they were giving to the animals.


----------



## Viper010

Politicians blowing stuff out of proportion to serve their own agenda... Who woulda thunk it?


----------



## Thwack

When I was a teenager I used to carry my slingshot spare lead ball ammo in my mouth while I was woods running, sometimes for hours at a stretch. I have been casting lead since I was about 10, making toy soldiers and casting round balls for slingshot ammo, I also have cast uncounted bullets for rifles and handguns for about the past 30 years. So I had my blood checked a few years ago to see how bad it was, but the doc said it was fine.

I no longer put any lead in my mouth, do all my gun shooting outside, am very careful about the white oxide that gets on lead as it ages, make sure there is plenty of air circulation when casting, and always wash my hands after handling any. Apparently my current insanity is coming from another source, like maybe too much radiation from my computer.

Lead is pretty safe with some common sense handling, and nothing equals the knockdown whomp it produces on game when fired from a slingshot, just math and physics.


----------



## Ibojoe

Yeah,, what he said.


----------



## Jack Kellett

What about fame that is taken with lead ammo? What are the risks when consuming the meat


----------



## Viper010

Jack Kellett said:


> What about fame that is taken with lead ammo? What are the risks when consuming the meat


With bird shot it can sometimes be hard to find and remove it all before cooking. Likewise, sometimes, with airgun pellets. But even if you should swallow some by accident it will pass through your system with negligible absorption and so long as you're not eating rabbits or ducks full of shot five times a week you should be fine.

Lead slingshot ammo is usually a fairly large single projectile and easily removed before cooking.

I do prefer shiny fresh cast ammo over old stuff covered in the white lead oxide powder. 
You can add a little zinc to the melt to make your ammo a bit harder. Remember to sit up wind of the melting pot when melting and casting to minimize the inhalation of lead fumes.


----------



## Jack Kellett

Thanks for the advice Viper, I was just curious what people thought


----------



## lunasling

In the plumbing industry lead has been phased out of use I do a lot of sweating copper pipe using lead free solder .

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G850A using Tapatalk


----------



## Henry the Hermit

Lead in the soil does eventually oxidize and return to the soil where it came from, so lead bullets are not forever.

In the context of hunting or target shooting slingshots with lead balls, any danger of lead poisoning is highly overrated.


----------



## Mahaney

I can't figure out how to edit a post. So, disregard the post above as it was in response to a poster and all of the posts have been deleted. However, don't eat the lead, wash your hands...You know, all the stuff your parents told you to do as a child and you won't die of lead poisoning.


----------



## blindshooter

Lead is incredibly toxic. I have seen deer that died from less than 1/2 Oz and within minutes.


----------



## Greek sfedona

I only just washing my hands very good after use lead ammo just search good in any pray before you eat it for any lead ball


----------



## J Stacy

Unless you ingest lead or breath in the dust it will not pose a health problem. Many here have quoted federal agencies how lead is bad for wild life and if the eat it ,it is bad for them.

Wash you hands thoroughly and don't eat it and you will never have a problem. I worked in a hospital lab for 42 years and the only elevated lead levels were in children that ate lead containing paint off furniture.

I guess enough on this topic please. Henry lock it there is nothing more for people to whine about !


----------



## Henry the Hermit

Good idea.


----------

