We as hunters need to be proactive on this issue. I switched over to copper ammunition for hunting years ago, but obviously lead is still prevalent.
Lead poisoning is still clearly a major issue for Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles, particularly for Golden Eagles who consume more carrion as a percentage of their diet than Bald Eagles. But it is also an issue for the hunters themselves and their families, as lead splinters upon impact and granules can travel a ways before the animal dies completely.
So the life you save by switching to copper may not just be that of a Bald Eagle or Golden Eagle, it may very well be your own or a family members life.
Now lets make it clear, I do oppose any bans on lead ammunition.
But I do think hunters have a responsibility to the environment and to themselves to step forward and make this change on their own initiative.
Save the lead for the range or for those humans that might deserve to “eat lead.” Keep it out of the food chain.
I’ve seen tungsten fishing weights. Just wondering out loud, but it’s heavier than lead and can’t be all that expensive if they make sinkers out of it.
The current price of lead is around $0.44 per lb. Tungsten is about $3.25 per lb.
Tungsten is 1.7 times heavier per unit weight.
Tungsten, however, is much less malleable than lead and has a melting point of 6191 F compared to only 621.5 F for lead. I doubt that it is a viable alternative for lead bullets.
Well that’s a curiosity answered lol. Quite well too. I just knew it was heavier and I was on a poor cell signal. I guess if it was malleable it wouldn’t be much good in carbide tools.
I use bismuth and steel shot mostly over water. They need to come up with a low priced fast substitute for dove hunting, though. I still use lead 8 1/2 shot for those. Density for speed and choke sizes are considered when choosing shells. Bismuth is pretty fast, but you have to use a modified choke, as a full choke will suffer damage. I also use lead on turkey with a super full choke.
