Range lead

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  • Last Post 24 January 2020
noseyrosey posted this 20 March 2012

I'm new to casting. I will be starting with 45acp and 12 gauge. I have come across a deal to get some range lead lead and was wondering if 60lbs for 85$ is worth it and safe to use for a 45 and 12 gauge?

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Brodie posted this 24 January 2020

The most air borne lead I have ever seen was on "MYthbusters" when they built and floated a lead foil balloon. Most people get led into their system by not washing thorourghly after handling it, and then eating, drinking, or smoking.  Thus transferring the metal into their mouth.  Just follow normal common sense precautions like you would handling rat poison, or paint or fertilizer, and you should be fine.  That means not just while casting, but while lubing and sizing and reloading with cast bullets.

If lead were as toxic as some would have us believe I and a lot of other people would have died years ago from having sinkers, and lead pellets in our mouths because we didn't have a good place to carry them.

 

B.E.Brickey

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 23 January 2020

... for several years my friend and i shot several thousands of 22 rf INDOORS ... he had a diabetic condition, so he had them also test for lead often ... never had an increase in several years.  we did have an anemic, very lazy 6 inch exhaust fan near the benchrest.

although i suspect you have to work at it to gain blood lead, it seems prudent to have it checked occasionally ... hey, if you give plasma, they will pay you for the test !! ...  buy more lead !! 

ken

 

 

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max503 posted this 23 January 2020

I was wondering if coated bullets wouldn't cut down on airborne lead?  Seems I read where someone was using polyurethane and similar stuff.  Heck, if you could tumble your bullets in a tub of varnish....

Anyone know anything about this?

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max503 posted this 23 January 2020

Actually, there are a few people who do wear those "real" respirators when they shoot.  I wear mine when I'm mining lead from the backstop.  I may have to start wearing it always.

The range is old.  I believe it opened in 1937.  It's in the basement of a reportedly haunted downtown building.  There are many bullet divots in the walls and ceiling.  I may have to post some pics.

I try not to touch anything while I'm there.  I don't sit on the benches.  They have shooting carts.  I cover those with a garbage bag or newspaper.  I set my shooting bag on paper.  I have lead cleaner hand wash.  I scuff my feet in the grass when I leave.

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M3 Mitch posted this 22 January 2020

What about using a dust mask, or even a "real" respirator like one would use to spray paint something like a car?  It might look a bit weird, but, if it keeps the lead out of your system, as Forrest Gump said: "Stupid is as stupid does!"

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max503 posted this 22 January 2020

I'm going to limit myself to once/week.  We don't have a very good exhaust system, but the range is on my way to work, so.....it's easy to bop in.

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Brodie posted this 22 January 2020

Heavy metal  toxicity is dependent upon CONTINUED EXPOSURE to the material.  Where lead really got its bad name was little kids in the ghetto eating lead paint (lead oxide was added to the paint to make it more opaque).  If your lead levels are that high I think that not shooting at the indoor facility is a good idea.  We have one here in Flagstaff, but their exhaust fan and filter facility rivals that of a hospital. 

B.E.Brickey

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Rich/WIS posted this 21 January 2020

Stay upwind, wash your hands, and a cheap disposable dust mask will protect you.  Cheap coveralls you can remove and take home in a plastic bag  and straight to the washing machine will keep you from contaminating your house and car with any residual dust on your clothes. Range lead I recover has bits of clay bird, the odd shotgun wad, target backing etc. in it and I worry more about smoke from that I do from the paraffin wax or old bullet lube I use for  flux.  FWIW the range lead worked fine for low velocity hand gun round, good success in 38/357, 44 Mag, 9mm and 45 ACP.

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max503 posted this 21 January 2020

I belong to an indoor range and an outdoor range. Our indoor range is known to be bad, lead-dust wise. Also, I get my backstop lead there but I'm careful and I use a mask with filters. My tests were right at the upper limit of acceptability. I would like to keep it down for safety reasons. I shoot indoors 2-3x per week. That's probably my biggest exposure. I might cit down to once per week and go to the outdoor range more but it is 25 miles from home. The indoor range is in town and I can go anytime night and day.

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RicinYakima posted this 21 January 2020

Fluxing: depends upon what you are using. Marvelux gives off hydrogen chloride that inhaled makes hydrochloric acid in your lungs. Greases that contain metal soaps will emit metals in the smoke. None of it is good for you, but if you keep the area well ventilated, you will be fine. There are lots of safety/health sites that will help, if you look. Of the metals, antimony is the most, tin in the middle and lead the least. Lead is the most common, but mostly only effects children with growing nerves, pre-puberty.  The most dangerous part is skimming the dross and putting it somewhere. I gently put mine in a coffee can, and at the end of the day pour plaster of paris over it to seal dust inside. When full, you can just put it in the garbage. The basic rule is don't eat, drink or smoke while casting. Wash your hands before doing anything else, including using the bathroom. At the end of the day, all of your clothes go into the washing machine. FWIW

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Brodie posted this 21 January 2020

max503,

If it worries you that much wear a dust mask when recovering lead from the berm.  As far as smoke from fluxing is concerned; just what are they fluxing with?  I use old candle stubs and wax.  Unless you are using some kind of toxic petroleum product I wouldn't worry about it.  It is the flux burning off not the lead.  The boiling temperature of lead is much much higher than what your pot can produce.  I would avoid the smoke in any case just to give my lungs a rest.  I also avoid the smoke from campfires, cigarettes, cigars, and a lot of other things.

B.E.Brickey

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max503 posted this 20 January 2020

Heard this comment at this past weekend's gun show...."watch out recovering range lead from the berm. Handling and scooping up the sand to sift it to sort out the lead will expose you to fine air borne lead particulate which you will breathe and is extremely hazardous, as much as striking a sprue plate when casting but not as bad as smoking flux from the lead pot". FWIW Tom

Is the smoke from fluxing excessively hazardous? From striking the spruce cutter? I recently had my blood tested and I am wondering how to keep exposure down. I've always been careful about dust but didn't think the fluxing fumes were all that bad.

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noseyrosey posted this 01 April 2012

Thank you, onondaga, and old coot. It gets tiresome to research stuff and not be able to find it, your answers helped alot. Thanks

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Brodie posted this 31 March 2012

WHAT HE SAID. ALSO: where you hit makes more difference than what you hit with. Brodie  PS.   Don't go cutting shot shells.  If you should half pump the weapon you will most probably jam it to the point of uselessness.  A 11/4 oz load of 71/2 or no 6 shot will do extensive damage at house hold ranges.  They will do more damage than you would believe.  I know I sat on a jury where a man was killed with a 20 ga. loaded with sixes it blew a hole clear through his head in the front and out the back.  Very debilitating.k

B.E.Brickey

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onondaga posted this 30 March 2012

noseyrosey:

The how much damage question is not something you can just look up. Alloy choice is very relative, point shape, velocity and foot pounds delivered at impact are also very relevant.

Make a load that shoots accurately and test damage with home made ballistic gel at the range you expect to encounter,  then you can make your own decision.

I prefer flat points for maximum shock, so I would try the SWC first. Hollow point cast bullets are very sensitive to hollow point hole size, shape and hole diameter. If your alloy is too soft or too hard the bullets fragment and lose energy but give multiple wound channels. There is no simple answer. you will have to test with ballistic gel for a relative rating for yourself.

In general Lyman #2 alloy flat nose bullets  double in caliber on impact and retain 100% weight when delivered with 1000 foot pounds or more.  That is a reasonable guideline for a bang flop clean kill with a vital area hit on any North American beast or human.

Search home made ballistic gel on Google. It is easy to make and inexpensive.

Home defense with a 12 ga. is at such close range that any choke is fine.  Search “cutshells” to turn any birdshot load into a single devestating slug for close range 12 ga. home defense.  Indoor distances have insufficient range for buckshot patterns to open up anyway. Even at 20 yards a buckshot pattern is scarcely 3-4 inches. You have to be able to hit where you aim, buckshot offers no advantage over a cutshell for home defense.

A good home defense 12 ga should have a lazer that is sighted in. Also practice instinctive shooting without aiming at close range. You should be able to hit a 10 inch paper plate at 5 yards every time shooting from the hip with no sighting if you plan on defending yourself in the home with any weapon.

Gary

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noseyrosey posted this 30 March 2012

Since nobody seems to know the answer, maybe you can point me in the direction where I can find the answer myself. My research ability is very miniscule. Thanks

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noseyrosey posted this 27 March 2012

I was wondering, which of these do the most damage? A 200 grain semiwad or a 285 hp? This is for a springfield 45 tacical auto. I'm going to be casting these, and also, for a 12 gauge smooth bore with three different screw on chokes, which shot would be legal hunting AND do the most damage for home defense?

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Brodie posted this 22 March 2012

I have said it repeatedly, but few but the choir listen.  There is probably as much lead in the asphalt in the street in front of that guy's house as there is in the berm, butfew want to believe it.  Unfortunately, so much has been said about :  “The DANGERS OF LEAD POISONING".  That most take it as gospel without thought. Brodie

B.E.Brickey

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Buzzard Bill posted this 22 March 2012

Hey !!! Brodie

You can say that again.

I little common sence goes a long ways.

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mike morrison posted this 21 March 2012

range lead makes good shot in my shotmaker.

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