I'm concerned about lead toxicity and I'm considering abandoning lead as much as possible.
I understand lead ammo bans can be used to further an agenda to restrict and regulate ammo for ideological purposes, and I'm not supporting any agenda to enforce my preferences or anyone else's by legislation.
I do believe that airborne lead from primers and erosion of bullet bases and bearing surfaces presents an inhalation risk, particularly within indoor ranges, but even outdoors. Exposed lead bullets, and soil contaminated with lead that has oxidized or dissolved also becomes a risk for ingestion.
Personally, I'm concerned about handling lead on the reloading bench, in my pockets, loading magazines and cylinders, and shooting. I only shoot outdoors. There are no indoor ranges near here, and I typically do not shoot around other shooters, but the areas I shoot in are frequented. They're littered with bullets, and cases, mostly steel and aluminum that people don't pick up. The impact areas and where the runoff from them collects are full of bullets.
I always wash my hands with soap and cold water after reloading, shooting, or cleaning the guns, and before I eat. But minimizing the amount of lead I'm exposed to seems like an important step. The result of my own decisions will probably have little effect on the environmental hazards around the shooting areas I visit, but I for the same reason I don't leave empty cases, cans, papers, other targets and trash when I leave, I would be doing better not to leave lead bullets, shot and plastic wads all over those places. Unlike commercial ranges, they don't have employees to pick up and recycle all the litter.
I've been using full-plated Berry's "lead safe" bullets to minimize exposure on the reloading bench and with handling, but I still load and shoot a lot of jacketed hollow-points because they are what I carry. I primarily shoot handgun (.357) and .22LR. It's those higher volume cartridges that are most worth replacing, not every oddity that I rarely shoot or handle.
Finding a lead-free substitute for .22LR would be important. The copper-polymer composite bullets should be fine for handguns, but I've been thinking about replacing the .22LR rifle my kids shoot with a .223 anyway, and if I went lead-free, there would be even more reason to do so. I'd think we'd shoot something like the Barnes Varmint Grenades. It just seems like lead-free .223 is a better deal for kids than filthy .22LR. I always load the magazines with the rimfire cartridges so they don't have to smear their fingers with it.
For carry, it would appear the Barnes XPB bullets are the choice of a few premium self-defense factory loads and that those loads perform well in standardized tests. They're pricey, and I can't find the 125 gr. .357 at the moment (only the 140 gr.). I'd have to consider whether I'd keep shooting "lead-safe" plated bullets for practice or try to find a lead-free bullet that's cost-effective for target shooting. The copper-polymer bullets are reasonably affordable compared to the XPB or CNC-machined bullets but their light-weight might result in a considerably different recoil effect compared to my carry rounds.
I understand most primers use and eject lead. While there are some lead-free primers out there, they don't appear to be readily available and it's hard to tell whether the ones available are of consistent quality or not.
I anticipate some people will respond with dismissals of the seriousness of lead toxicity or the risks of exposure in shooting and reloading, and anecdotes regarding the negligible lead levels in their blood despite how long they've been careless or cavalier about it. How much one wants to expose themselves to the risks is a decision most people make for themselves. I hope no one makes the decision for you or me, but it would be foolish to ignore good opportunities to mitigate the risk.
I understand lead ammo bans can be used to further an agenda to restrict and regulate ammo for ideological purposes, and I'm not supporting any agenda to enforce my preferences or anyone else's by legislation.
I do believe that airborne lead from primers and erosion of bullet bases and bearing surfaces presents an inhalation risk, particularly within indoor ranges, but even outdoors. Exposed lead bullets, and soil contaminated with lead that has oxidized or dissolved also becomes a risk for ingestion.
Personally, I'm concerned about handling lead on the reloading bench, in my pockets, loading magazines and cylinders, and shooting. I only shoot outdoors. There are no indoor ranges near here, and I typically do not shoot around other shooters, but the areas I shoot in are frequented. They're littered with bullets, and cases, mostly steel and aluminum that people don't pick up. The impact areas and where the runoff from them collects are full of bullets.
I always wash my hands with soap and cold water after reloading, shooting, or cleaning the guns, and before I eat. But minimizing the amount of lead I'm exposed to seems like an important step. The result of my own decisions will probably have little effect on the environmental hazards around the shooting areas I visit, but I for the same reason I don't leave empty cases, cans, papers, other targets and trash when I leave, I would be doing better not to leave lead bullets, shot and plastic wads all over those places. Unlike commercial ranges, they don't have employees to pick up and recycle all the litter.
I've been using full-plated Berry's "lead safe" bullets to minimize exposure on the reloading bench and with handling, but I still load and shoot a lot of jacketed hollow-points because they are what I carry. I primarily shoot handgun (.357) and .22LR. It's those higher volume cartridges that are most worth replacing, not every oddity that I rarely shoot or handle.
Finding a lead-free substitute for .22LR would be important. The copper-polymer composite bullets should be fine for handguns, but I've been thinking about replacing the .22LR rifle my kids shoot with a .223 anyway, and if I went lead-free, there would be even more reason to do so. I'd think we'd shoot something like the Barnes Varmint Grenades. It just seems like lead-free .223 is a better deal for kids than filthy .22LR. I always load the magazines with the rimfire cartridges so they don't have to smear their fingers with it.
For carry, it would appear the Barnes XPB bullets are the choice of a few premium self-defense factory loads and that those loads perform well in standardized tests. They're pricey, and I can't find the 125 gr. .357 at the moment (only the 140 gr.). I'd have to consider whether I'd keep shooting "lead-safe" plated bullets for practice or try to find a lead-free bullet that's cost-effective for target shooting. The copper-polymer bullets are reasonably affordable compared to the XPB or CNC-machined bullets but their light-weight might result in a considerably different recoil effect compared to my carry rounds.
I understand most primers use and eject lead. While there are some lead-free primers out there, they don't appear to be readily available and it's hard to tell whether the ones available are of consistent quality or not.
I anticipate some people will respond with dismissals of the seriousness of lead toxicity or the risks of exposure in shooting and reloading, and anecdotes regarding the negligible lead levels in their blood despite how long they've been careless or cavalier about it. How much one wants to expose themselves to the risks is a decision most people make for themselves. I hope no one makes the decision for you or me, but it would be foolish to ignore good opportunities to mitigate the risk.