Indoor Range - No Lead Bullets?

[Larryjk]

Hey, Fellows. It may be a long drive for some of you but lead bullets are not banned on the indoor pistol range of the Rawlins Family Recreation Center. Indoor range is closed for the summer but the Outdoor range located I mile north of town is open 7 days a week. Hours are 1:30 pm to 8:00pm Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 8:00 pm Saturday and Sunday. Besides action pistol ranges (8 ea.), and three cowboy ranges, there are skeet (2 fields), trap (4 fields), 10 covered positions on a 300 meter large bore range, and longer ranges for big bore and buffalo rifles to 1,000 yards. Come play!

[PJgunner]

The sad thing about lead bullets being banned on indoor ranges is that the bullets are NOT the problem. Seems like most of the airborne lead came from the lead styphnate used in the ammo's primers. However, as lead in any form these days is not politically correct, the bullets get the axe and the cause of the problem stays. The one indoor rage I went to here in town will allow you to only use their ammo. Total metal jacketed bullets and lead free primers. They ain't cheap.
I just go to my outdoor range an shoot what the heck I want.
Paul B.

[Rev]

If lead bullets are the cause of any problems that I may have, it's taken 50 years for them to manafest themselves, and I still don't see them. As well as firearms, I've always enjoyed fooling around with cars, motorcycles, go carts, etc.

Long ago, we used leaded gasoline as a general shop solvent to clean parts. I never heard of any heavy metal poisoning from that use causing epidemics back then either.

I'm not saying that heavy metal poisoning doesn't exist, just that it doesn't often come from lead bullets.

Rev

[Larryjk]

Rev, I can't disagree with you because I don't know the science involved in the problem. However, try to convince the California condors ( I keep forgetting that California isn't normal) that it is something else that hasn't been identified that is causing them to decline.
I used to wash grease off my hands with gasoline on the farm and was more concerned about catching on fire than any other ill effect.
Lead is a lot like aliens. Everyone screams, points their finger and knows it is bad because that is what has been pounded into their beliefs for so long. Kind of like global warming.
The ice at the north pole is melting but I see Miami isn't under water yet! Maybe the calculations were a little off!
Anyhow lead is under fire no matter how we feel about it. The price had been down to $1570 a metric ton and jumped back to $1700 over the weekend. Can't wait to see the London quote tomorrow.

[PJgunner]

Does anyone know exactly how many Condors were found dead?
I ask because when they pushed for the lead shot ban in waterfowl hunting, it was based on two dead loons. I forget where I read that, but I do remember it said two. The late Elmer Keith proposed that we stay with lead shot and use heavier shot. He felt that the heavier shot would sink deeper into the lake bottoms and not be eaten by the birds. Of course, he also felt that the .270 was way too light for deer.
Interesting thing though. If lead gets banned for all bullets, it's put several bullet makers out of business. Nosler has a monometal bullet aas does barnes and maybe a few smaller companies, but do Hornady, Speer and Sierra have anything ready to go. Are they even trying.
Paul B.

[dakotah]

I really don't believe that the ban was based on facts. I am convinced it was/is an attempt to ban hunting one step at a time. (I wonder about the cruel inhumane treatment police are going to be called down regarding shooting criminals with bullets containing lead?)

Most centerfire rifle and pistols shooters have a choice -- albeit one I don't want to have to make and it of course adds costs. They can go to copper or a combination of materials such as heavy metal base with copper surrounding th heavy metal for the base and a copper front section. But what about the traditionalists. I just can't see a coon skin capped hunter with his old flinlock out hunting deer with a sabbotted copper bullet. It is an image that does not add up.

About Elmer Keith, I think he was right about most hunting situations for where he hunted. (I think a 270 is OK for deer--don't get me wrong.)

The lead poisoning issue is based on emotions of people with little understanding -- at least that is my belief.

[Adam Helmer]

I could not find a "body count" on condors, nor could I find a range of area they fly around in.

It seems the sophisticated folks in California banned mountain lion hunting to spare the "nice" cats from hunters. Now, the cats eat joggers on a regular basis. I see this lead ban as more social control that the facts will not catch up with in our lifetimes, but the bans will go on and on.

Adam

[Larryjk]

Ffirst it was no lead for waterfowl. Now no lead for areas inhabited by condors. What next? Maybe some research that shows what really kills these birds and is the remedy worse than the lead! What if the condors keep dying. Do we let them disappear quietly without bringing attention to this stupidity, or do we go on to the next step? I'll bet the truth will be very hard to find.