shooting, reloading, LEAD and our health

[Bobby Hated]

how concerned should we be?

i shoot at least a half dozen times a month with competitions on the wkend and practice during the week , plus a couple days reloading, and i always wonder if shooting alot, handling fired brass, reloading, etc. exposes me to dangerous levels of lead.

my biggest fear is eating after shooting. even after i wash my hands they still smell of gunpowder. but also i find fired brass and live rounds all over the place, in clothes, my cars, around the house, etc.

shooting is a big part of my life, but am i in danger health wise? what can we do to minimize the danger?

[Soldier415]

Wash your hands, wash your gun clothes seperately, and don't wear your shooting boots in the house.

I have a high lead count due to work, but I havent had any health problems.

[HighLander51]

Lead ingestion is typically a concern for indoor ranges, like longtime Bullseye shooters. You request a simple blood test for lead if you are worried. However, the safest thing to do is give me all your gear and quit shooting......

[coyotebait]

Lead ingestion is typically a concern for indoor ranges, like longtime Bullseye shooters. You request a simple blood test for lead if you are worried. However, the safest thing to do is give me all your gear and quit shooting......

Agreed, anything that Highlander doesn't want, I'll take.

[DaveInOroValley]

I'd be more concerned if I shot indoors frequently. My Dad stopped shooting indoors because of his elevated lead levels that his doctor freaked out about. It is a definite concern and a blood test is the best step to take.

[jyo]

In the "Good Old Days" we used to be more concerned about lead at indoor ranges---ventilation has improved greatly---still, I mostly shoot outdoors---not because of lead problems, because I enjoy it more. Having been exposed to the shooting sports for over 50 years, I don't believe lead is a problem if you properly wash your hands well. I think this is mostly an issue brought up by the Nature-Nazis to try and ban the shooting sports.

[joefreas]

Also quality exam gloves during reloading can reduce the Pb residue on your hands. I have seen guys at indoor ranges wearing respirator style masks to cut down on Pb exposure.

Heavy metals are very toxic. Once ingested they remain in the body for a long time.

Here is a link from the CDC with some helpful information on Pb: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lead/

[Bobby Hated]

Lead ingestion is typically a concern for indoor ranges, like longtime Bullseye shooters. You request a simple blood test for lead if you are worried. However, the safest thing to do is give me all your gear and quit shooting......

fuhgedaboutit!! ha ha

well i never shoot indoors so i guess i just need to be careful about washing up good and packing range lunches that dont involve me eating with my hands.

[JaeOne3345]

Bobby, keep a small amount of dishwasher fluid with you. Typically they have trisodium phosphate (TSP) which is effective at cleaning up lead.

Dillon and other places also sell those D-Lead wipes but I think dishwasher fluid is cheaper and easier to get.

I looked into this and found that dishwashing detergent/fluid is a great economical alternative to specific dedicated lead products.

I wipe my hands down with cleaning wipes after every stage.

When I reload I wear latex gloves.

I feel your concern.

[sargenv]

I had my lead level tested a few years ago.. it came up as a 4.. I had it tested last year, a 4 again.. this year it's 5.1... handwashing, not eating/smoking when handling ammo/brass/lead, and not shooting indoors is about the best thing you can do to keep it outside of your body. Wearing a lead rated dust mask around your tumbler is probably a good idea or tumble and dump outside..

I cast bullets in a shack with positive ventilation to the outside.. no issues.. but then I don't cast at anything approaching vaporization temp (over 1100 deg F) for lead. DOn't be paranoid, just have common sense. I've been handling all of this stuff for over 30 years.. it's a no brainer.

[xrMike]

Lead ingestion is typically a concern for indoor ranges, like longtime Bullseye shooters. You request a simple blood test for lead if you are worried.

Yeah, if you're worried, just ask your regular doctor to request a lead level check the next time you give blood for your regular cholesterol screening.

It will tell him right away if you've got an abnormally high level and also provide a baseline for future checks.

[jwb28]

Like others have said. Get your blood tested if it bothers you.

Me, I figure I'll die from Pepsi, chocolate, burgers, t.v. tray dinners, Spilled gas, changing my oil, Smoke from the leaves I burn, clorinated H2O Etc, Etc.

The only way I see myself dieing from lead is if some fool shoots me.

[smle-man]

I was thinking of converting an empty bedroom into a reloading and gun room. I hadn't thought about residual lead in empty cases plus from the bullets, primers, etc. Maybe not a good idea? Right now I do it all in the garage.

[misterjake]

Wash your hands in cold water, don't want the pores to open up and absorb any lead now do we?

I use gloves when cleaning, be careful when you clean the barrel, lots of lead dust pops out when your bore brush pops out of the end.

Also, more toxic than lead is the chemicals in gun cleaners, I highly recommend non-toxic cleaners like Slip 2000 ewl carbon cutter, frog lube etc...

Petroleum cleaners have lots of cancer causing chemicals which absorb into your body when they drip on your fingers etc...


Wish I was more aware of this stuff before I started shooting.

[chim-chim7]

With everything we know about heavy metals these days I am happy to see that most of us are taking steps to keep the levels down. Kinda like harsh gun cleaning chemicles, I am way over using poisons on anything that I touch or breath when it comes to gun cleaning. Even switched to CMJ and plated bullets over FMJ or cast lead. I shoot a ton of indoor so it's a risk for me and others around me.

Of course there are those stubborn Marlboro men who will be quick to point out that "they" have been shooting for XX amount of years and "you" should be fine, because everyone is exactly the same.