Lead poisoning from eating game shot with lead core bullets?

[Rich Coyle]

They are Democrats. Does that answer your question?

 

[Jon Bischof]

For a group of people who obsess over scientific date relating to ballistics, who are willing to argue all day long about published vs. real ballistic coefficients and other minutiae based purely in science... We sure are willing to accept the antidotal "my pappy ate lead and he turned out fine so lead is harmless to all". I am not convinced that there is no harm. I do not think it should be banned. I do not shoot solid copper. I wonder how the people of Flint, MI would weigh in on this?

Troutslayer2: The OP's Thread is about lead in big game meat. Not lead in drinking water (horrible). We have strayed pretty far from deer and elk killed with lead core bullets. And most of these stories are not "someone said" but personal experience of hunters who have eaten game killed with lead bullets for decades. I am certainly one of them.
No one is suggesting that lead doesn't have a toxicity level for human beings. It does. The question is: has anyone ever ingested enough lead from large game animals killed with lead core bullets to actually reach that level of toxicity? That study has not been done yet to show that some have definitively been harmed by eating big game.
To be on the safe side one should:
1. Use bullets designed to retain weight (not varmint bullets) and
2. be careful to cut away all meat surrounding the wound channel

 

[Rich Coyle]

Troutslayer2: The OP's Thread is about lead in big game meat.
2. be careful to cut away all meat surrounding the wound channel

Or just use copper bullets.

 

[FEENIX]

 

[flyguy1]

I would post some witty comment to try to get this to 20 pages but I've already been chastised (not by Len) about introducing humor into deadly serious topics like which scope is best lol. I probably already pushed my luck with my post about copper toxicity from too many Moscow Mules.

 

[Jon Bischof]

In all seriousness, I wonder if anyone has ever made bullets from substances heavier than lead. If it were technically feasible, I would love to try bullets with heavier than lead cores, like the alloy that Hevi-Shot is made of. Then you would have a non-toxic alternative to lead with ballistically superior characteristics.

But a box of ammo would cost about $180 probably

Oooops, I just remembered that Hevi-Shot is super hard to resist deformation. It would not expand if used in a bullet core, but it wouldn't fragment either. Danged ol' Physics! E always equals mc squared and all ya know. You just can't get ahead of it.

 

[corsair4360]

Maybe some remember lead and oakum.

I do, worked with them more than once

 

[TRyan]

Is this a thing?? Sounds nuts to me, but a member of this forum is claiming its dangerous. I have checked with google and couldn't find anything substantive to support the claim.

You have to eat the lead for it to be a problem. I have 13 lead pellets stuck in my body after I took a shotgun blast @50 yds. while pheasant hunting. I was worried about poisoning, but Dr. said it must be eaten to cause problems.

 

[Doghunter23]

You have to eat the lead for it to be a problem. I have 13 lead pellets stuck in my body after I took a shotgun blast @50 yds. while pheasant hunting. I was worried about poisoning, but Dr. said it must be eaten to cause problems.

My Mom has multiple pellets in her also, 5 I think after getting shot by her brother. happened when she was about 10 years old and she is 65 today, hasn't harmed her either, and doctors never advocated for removing them.

 

[TRyan]

My Mom has multiple pellets in her also, 5 I think after getting shot by her brother. happened when she was about 10 years old and she is 65 today, hasn't harmed her either, and doctors never advocated for removing them.

The doctor tried removing the one below my eye but couldn't reach it. He said it's not worth it to cut into each pellet hole to try and remove them.

It's kinda funny to watch dentists/doctors reaction after x rays. They always come in with a confused look ok their faces and ask what they are.

Glad your mom is ok!

 

[Airedale56]

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[Airedale56]

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[nmbarta]

If you take your whole critter to a processor, there is a good chance they won't be as careful as you would be doing it yourself. I'm not bashing game processors, as some do a very good job, but they do usually charge by the pound, so it's not in their best interest to throw away meat that probably shouldn't be consumed.
If you process your critters yourself, and take some basic cautions, you are not going to expose you or your family to lead.
The chemicals used in seasonings/tenderizers/fillers/ and cleaning/disinfecting products are a bigger concern to me, so I make sure I'm in control of what I feed to my family.
I am quite confident that I don't eat any lead, but I know that through reloading and handling ammunition, I am getting some exposure.
There's nothing wrong with erring on the safe side, but there isn't any real, unbiased data to suggest that eating properly cared for big game animals shot with lead bullets is dangerous.
You do have to keep in mind, that most studies done on subjects like this have an agenda that they are looking to uphold. Common sense will serve you better.