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I think the concerns for lead in the environment can at times be overstated...
Also many of the studies have a anti-gun or anti-hunting bias.
Please note that I said can and many...not will be or all...
Two bigger concerns that I have are
Cost of the non lead projectiles and effectiveness.
Lets look at a my favorite , the .54 caliber lead round ball.
.530 diameter , weighing in at around 220-225 grains
Cost is around $17- $20 for 100 round balls in a box.
Cheaper if you mold yer own...but that is a different subject...
I know this load well and know that it works.
Non-toxic .54 round ball
.524 diameter , weighing in at around 190.1 grains...
Cost is $12 per 10 round balls.
Things to think about...
That lighter ball may make for the need for a different zero....as its much lighter....
Which means more practice...but at a much higher cost than lead round ball.
More expensive round ball , could lead to less practice....which will make for less effectiveness.
Now 190 grains is a shade over a .50 caliber lead round ball of .490 diameter and 178 ish grains...
That .50 caliber lead ball is effective for sure...but ...
In lead round ball and hunting...bigger is better at times.
Andy
Yep it sure is...Isn't lead a naturally occurring substance? It's not like we are slinging alien stuff everywhere.
Beautiful rifles and thoughts on hunting, thanks Andy!
The instructor last fall at my kids hunters safety course highly encouraged muzzle loaders for much the same reasons Andy and edslhead have mentioned. Emphasis on the expanded, less busy season.
Maybe a segue and hopefully not a thread derailment but I had a question about muzzle loader projectiles.
What are your thoughts about non-lead projectiles? The links below explain why I ask. Two reasons primarily, habitat health and the health of those (humans and scavengers) consuming the harvested game. I was surprised to see how much a lead projectile fragments throughout the impact pathway.
North American Non-Lead Partnership | The Peregrine Fund
peregrinefund.org
Reasons to Use Non-lead
huntingwithnonlead.org
Got to see this demo at Fort Clatsop, Lewis and Clark NP site in Oregon, a few years ago.
View attachment 688358
Isn't lead a naturally occurring substance? It's not like we are slinging alien stuff everywhere.
Lead is a naturally occurring substance as are mercury and arsenic. Still not a good idea to spread any of them on your breakfast cereal.