. Im not trying to stir things up
, but I just don't see the problem, that I perceive you guys seem to have with bullet fragments? please explain?
The issue is not with the hunter, shooter, home chef. They shoot and eat what they want.
The issue is when the end product is destined for the wider food chain.
Lead is toxic. that is irrefutable. Believe who you want to believe about just how toxic but even the most basic studies show it has detrimental effects in even the smallest amounts.
No company, retailer or AGHE wants to be associated with the wholesale marketing of food with added toxins.
That's just basic common business sense.
Lead contaminated meat is biological waste, there is no pet food or fertiliser by product, its a direct cost to the processor.
Its also a massive PR and Health risk.
Add that to any organisation that leaves gralloch or carcase to feed raptors.
Lead persistence in raptors is well documented.
A solid lump of 120gr of copper or brass is not a hazard as much as 70gr of fine powdered lead when present in the carcase.
I am suspicious of claims that lead free ammunition actually performs as well as lead ammunition. If I saw ballistic gel tests that proved it outperformed lead I would switch tomorrow but these do not seem to be forthcoming and one would think manufacturers would be keen to show us if they could. Unless you are shooting big wide animals in Africa with copper bullets, lead seems to be the winner.
When it comes to terminal effect the variables are huge.
The error is to put all "lead" bullets in one category.
Not all lead bullets perform on your chosen target at the expected range or in your chosen cartridge.
We have all had a runner, stander, slow bleeder using lead bullets.
Failed to expand, failed to fully penetrate, failed to pass through, non linear pass through, ricochet, shatter/splinter on bone, pencil wounds grenade wounds.
Pencilling can happen with any bullet if matched to the wrong target size and cartridge. Go shoot a roe with a 140gr partition from a 6.5x55 and look at the volume data. The bullet is not designed for that target., even the box of norma ammo has a Moose on it. that should give you some indication of its intended target
If you haven't seen any of these, you haven't got a very large data set and probably can't comment with authority on the real world differences.
What you don't hear are people saying..." ah that bullet failed because its made of lead with a copper jacket"
African game is thicker skinned on the whole.
Penetration is a primary function.
The higher SD and harder material improves this over lead
This is not a regional anomaly solely linked to Africa.......We should all be matching out bullets to our chosen target and full penetration/pass through is proven to be the most effective at killing game.
But the slightest issue with a monolithic is immediately attributed to construction and material.
Not shot placement, or an understanding of the limitations any bullet can have at the terminal velocity experienced (high or low)
Not all lead bullets are the same and work in all scenarios - some are significantly more forgiving and flexible in application than others.
Not all non-lead bullets are the same and work in all scenarios - some are significantly more forgiving and flexible in application than others.
One of the areas I shoot is riddled with footpaths, walkers, horse riders, estate workers...
I would love to go over to non toxic but worry about somewhere north of 100 grains of copper passing through the deer and going who knows where at what velocity. We all know bullets can change direction considerably which could remove what was a good back stop. Cup and core bullets lose most of what they had prior to contact with the target or back stop.
Can someone convince me this is not an issue?
It is an issue
But to be blunt if your backstop choice is not good enough to stop a well expanded copper/brass projectile then they are not good enough to stop a copper/guilding metal jacketed lead cored bullet.
The assumption that a jacketed, lead core bullet loses most of its energy at or in the target and a monolithic one doesn't is invalid.
Lead free is coming whether you like it or not
I genuinely believe that the pressure on the outlets of our end product to remove lead will be the biggest threat to our sports.
Look at the way game dealers now treat pheasants and winged game from shoots.
Some won't accept them or pay anything for them.
You can expect a price penalty on lead shot game of any species if the path we are on continues.
Unfortunately the number of people who have experienced the poor results from either the initial designs and products available is high enough to produce a very difficult stigma to shake off.
Non Lead bullets have come a long way from the straight shanked or coated offerings we first saw
Internal design and cartridge loads have been modified to respond to initial observations.
There are a lot to choose from.
Same as lead.
Choose the right one from the Non Lead menu. They are not all applicable to your cartridge, quarry or expected range.