Lead Ban Chronicles – Iowa Dove Update and Lead Shot Ban In UK Causes An Uproar

So it looks like the Governor of Iowa has stepped in and rescinded the lead shot ban for dove hunters in that state.  Despite the initial passage of the law to prohibit dove hunters from using lead shot, and his initial support of that ban, Governor Brandstad has changed his tune.

According to an article (one of several on the topic) in the Globe Gazette, Branstad expected the State Legislature to take up the issue.  When they failed to do so, he stepped in.

“We need to make sure that we stop this practice of agencies going beyond what’s  been delegated to them and their responsibility,” Branstad said during a  Statehouse ceremony.

Of course the Iowa Sierra Club and the HSUS are upset about the decision, and it looks like the Sierra Club may be reviewing legal responses.  I get the feeling we haven’t heard the end of this.

While that simmers, let’s take a quick hop across the pond, shall we?  (Did that sound “cosmopolitan” enough?)

It appears that our little lead-ban world here in the US is not as unique as some of us may think.  The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) is an environmental and conservation organization in the UK, and they are now calling for a nationwide ban of lead shot on the basis that it may present a health risk to humans who consume lead-shot meat.

This isn’t going over particularly well.  As you might expect, British shooters and  hunters argue that there’s simply no evidence that lead ammo is a human health risk.

Mr Pierre White, a keen shooter, said: ‘People have been shooting with lead for generations, why would you want to change it?

‘If you want to talk about pollution, let’s talk about petrol and industry. The bottom line is that they are trying to ban shooting.

‘This is a decision made by people who have nothing else to do.’

Sound familiar?

What may create an even more complicated issue is the fact that Prince Charles and many of the “Royals” are avid sportsmen, while Queen Elizabeth II is listed as a patron of the WWT.  “Curiouser and curiouser,” as Alice said.

The whole discussion actually sounds exactly like the debates being waged here in the States.  Check out the article in The Mail Online.  The article is short, and well worth a read.  If nothing else, it gives an unusual perspective on the lead ban debates going on in the U.S.

Meanwhile…

 

Mixed Bag Miscellanea

So I’ve been gathering up stuff to pack for Texas, as I’m heading back down this weekend.  I guess that’s why I figured I’d just gather up some miscellanea for this post… especially since I haven’t done an update in a couple of days.

First up, I just heard from my friend, Dan, who has started trying out a new lead-free shotgun slug… the D Dupleks.  Here’s what he had to say about them:

There are a number of variations of the Dupleks.  They make a variety of slug weights and styles, both in 20 & 12 ga.  Generally the Dupo version is the lighter weight slug and the Monolit 32′s are the heavier.  My shotgun is more accurate with the 32′s (495 gr).

They also make an expanding (sorta hollow point) version called the hexolit 32.  Fully opened, the distance across the petals is 1.4″.  That’s the largest slug diameter I’ve ever seen.  The seven petals are designed to break off in the body and go their merry way. Devastating.

The slugs are made in Latvia and they hunt grizzly with smoothbore o/u’s with those.  Ddupleks are the only shotgun slug on the market rated for smoothbore and rifled barrels.   There’s a nice vid on you tube showing the hexolit 32 damage on a rather large bear.

Apparently, when the Russians took over Latvia, they confiscated all the hunting rifles and the hunters were left with shotguns.  So they spent quite a bit of time developing something that would work on big game for not a lot of money.

They should work VERY well on hogs and they penetrate brush without much trouble.

They are the most accurate lead-free slugs I’ve ever tried in my 11-87, and I have enough confidence in their ability to bring down game that I bought 50 boxes of the stuff while it was still $3.00/bx.

Believe me, the first hog or deer I bring down will get the CSI treatment and I’ll let you know.

I’m looking forward to hearing about how these perform on those Vandenberg hogs.  The even bigger test, in my mind, will be hearing how they perform on deer.

On a similar note, I finally received a little “gift” from Federal-Premium.  After SHOT last year, and again this year, I’d commented that the trend in lead-free would be the ammo manufacturers developing their own, proprietary bullets.  By creating their own projectiles instead of depending on a third party (e.g. Nosler, Barnes, Hornady, etc.), production cost should be lower… so customers should see a lower price as well.  Remington did it a couple of years ago with the Copper Solid, Winchester followed suit with their 95/5 Power Core and RazorBack XT.

And now Federal-Premium has developed the Trophy Copper… and even better, they’ve sent me a couple of boxes to try in Kat’s .270win Browning A-bolt.  Hopefully, the rifle will like this ammo better than it likes the different flavors of Barnes TSX I’ve tried so far.  You can bet I’ll be letting you know how it performs.

Finally, on a totally different front, I appreciate the responses to my request for reader stories and pictures.  Please, keep them coming.  This site is as much about you guys as it is about me… and heck, if nothing else, I enjoy reading these things for my own entertainment.

I got a note from another regular reader this past weekend, letting me know that he and his group of friends had been doing pretty well on their recent hunts, with a 250 lb. boar last month, and then two more hogs this past Saturday.  He included a photo that was a little different than the standard “hero shot” or dead hog.  I guess that, while on the hunt, they were able to catch a little sow, barely out of stripes.  They decided to release the little gilt, despite the temptation to bring her home and raise her up as a backyard project.

Good choice.

Catching the little pigs can be big fun, and the really small ones are simply adorable and hard to leave alone.  I can’t say I’ve been immune to the temptation myself, and I know many CA hunters who’ve done the same thing.  I think it would be fun to catch and raise a wild pig, as they’re intelligent and like any other pig, can make an excellent “pet”.  But besides any ethical implications of capturing and domesticating wildlife, such actions are also illegal in California:

§251.1. Harassment of Animals.

Except as otherwise authorized in these regulations or in the Fish and Game Code, no person shall harass, herd or drive any game or nongame bird or mammal or furbearing mammal. For the purposes of this section, harass is defined as an intentional act which disrupts an animal’s normal behavior patterns, which includes, but is not limited to, breeding, feeding or sheltering. This section does not apply to a landowner or tenant who drives or herds birds or mammals for the purpose of preventing damage to private or public property, including aquaculture and agriculture crops.

AND…

§251.5. Game Birds,  Game Mammals, Furbearers and Nongame Animals, Possession Of.

• Migratory game birds may not be held beyond the period provided by the federal regulations and in accordance with the daily bag and possession limits prescribed by these regulations. (See section 500.)
• Live mountain lions may be possessed only under terms of a permit issued by the Department pursuant to section 2150 of the Fish and Game Code or if the owner can demonstrate that the mountain lion was in his/her possession on or before June 6, 1990 under a permit issued pursuant to section 3200 of said code.
• Every game bird, game mammal, furbearer or nongame animal taken under the authority of a hunting or trapping license and reduced to possession by the hunter or trapper shall be immediately killed and become a part of the daily bag limit.

You read that last one right… if you catch a live animal while hunting, you must despatch it immediately and add it to your bag limit.  In the case of wild hogs, that means kill it and tag it, even if it’s an itty-bitty one.  (Note:  It is illegal to take any game animal without a hunting or trapping license, except under specific conditions such as scientific research.)

Am I here to condemn the reader who sent this in?  No, not at all.  I doubt he even knew the legal implications here… .and even if he did, he released the pig.  Is this any worse than catch and release fishing?  I don’t think so, personally.  Others may differ.

But it is illegal.  The State of California has classified hogs as big game animals, which means they’re to be treated no differently than mule deer or tule elk.  Most of us wouldn’t think to sneak up and catch a fawn or an elk calf after chasing off the adults.  We have to treat hogs the same way.

Word to the wise.

 

Lead Ban Chronicles – Free Ammo Giveaway

Well, if you’re paying attention and quick on the draw, here’s a chance to get some lead-free ammo for little more than a few moments of your time.  The Ventana Wildlife Society is doing it again, giving away lead-free ammo for the asking… with a little more of a catch this time.  This stuff isn’t free, and they’re doing what they can, but supplies (and funds) are limited so, read below and, if you’re interested, get your request in there!

In March of this year, Ventana Wildlife Society announced a free, nonlead ammunition giveaway for residents of Monterey and San Benito Counties and quickly discovered that the demand exhausted our supply (we spent our budget of $37,000 in one day).  Since then, we raised another $15,000 that can go toward nonlead bullets.  I’d like to thank the Monterey County Fish and Game Commission for their recent $5,000 contribution. The rest of the funding was made available by private individuals who care about hunting, ranching and wildlife.  

Hunting and ranching has a long tradition in conservation and by using nonlead ammunition, we are continuing that tradition. We are convinced that lead from spent ammunition is the number one problem facing condors in the wild due to ingestion of lead fragments found in their food. We want to help hunters and ranchers to make a lasting switch to nonlead ammunition so that condors can survive in the wild on their own again.

This is the reason why we’re handing out free nonlead ammunition again! Starting today, May 1, 2012, we have opened a raffle drawing to win two, free boxes of nonlead ammunition.  We’ll give out 100 orders (two boxes each) in May 2012 and another 100 orders in June 2012.  If we could hand out free nonlead bullets to everyone, we would.  We decided a raffle was the best way to go to make it fair to all those interested in receiving nonlead ammunition in central California.  To everyone that is making the switch to nonlead ammunition, whether on your own or with our help, cheers to you!

To submit your entry into the raffle, go to http://ventanaws.org/ammunition/

Kelly Sorenson

Executive Director

Ventana Wildlife Society

Lead Ban Chronicles – The Sad State Of Education About Lead Ammo

I’m probably not going to make a lot of friends for this, but I’m laying it out there anyway.  It’s nothing I haven’t said before, but right now I feel like it bears repeating.

I believe that lead bullets, bullet fragments, and shot are killing condors.  Whether it’s the “number one” threat to their survival is debatable,  but I’m convinced that the evidence is clear.  When a condor feeds on a carcass or gutpile and ingests lead, there is a real possibility that the lead will sicken and possibly kill the bird.

I’m not saying that they don’t get lead from other sources too.  In fact, I’m pretty sure they do.  There’s metallic lead all over the landscape in the west, from paint chips on old homesteads and barns, to lead-coated telegraph wire, to tire weights and other micro-trash.  I have little doubt that all of these factor into the mortality rate.  But so do hunters’ bullets.

How was I convinced?  By reading, constantly, since this issue first came to my attention.  There is no shortage of information out there, and if you can sift through it, even a layman can make enough sense of it to see what’s going on.  I also learned by talking to people involved in the research and remediation programs.  While it’s been pretty easy to assign an anti-hunting/anti-gun agenda to the condor recovery folks, the truth is that many of the people on the inside of this thing are actually quite supportive of hunting… and are often hunters themselves.  They don’t want to ban hunting, or guns… and in most cases, they don’t even want to ban lead ammunition.

Call me naive, but I don’t think that’s just lip service.  I believe them, and I believe that they truly just want to see the condor survive.  Beyond that, they want to see hunters voluntarily reduce their negative impacts on other birds, particularly raptors.  And one way to do that is to be more conscientious about the ammunition we use, and in how we dispose of the byproducts of the hunt… the carcass and offal.  See, it’s not all about switching to lead-free ammo.  There are other things we can be doing to minimize the impact of lead ammo.  But few people get to hear that part of the discussion anymore.

The problem is a common one in this age of instantaneous information exchange (the Internet) and extreme polarization of political attitidues.  Add to that the fact that extreme organizations have taken up the “cause”, and with a barrage of misinformation, propaganda, and dogma they’ve painted the situation in an entirely different light.  It became a battle of “us” vs. “them”… hunters and gun  owners against the anti-hunters and anti-gun folks.  The real issue (the survival of the California condor) was soon lost amidst the noise, and voices of reason were drowned under hyperbole, hysteria, and outright lies.

It’s come to the point where the Center for Biological Diversity (an organization I once respected) has gathered a coalition to repeatedly petition the EPA to ban lead bullet components outright.  Of course the problem is that the CBD does not have any evidence to support a federal ban on the basis of environmental or human health risks, despite the fact that their petition makes both claims. Besides the endangered California condor, no other raptor, scavenger, or other species is at large scale risk from the continued use of lead ammunition. Individual birds are dying, which is tragic, but hardly cause for a national ban on something as widely used as lead ammunition.

Each petition is, of course, followed by a lawsuit, and each lawsuit fails.  But every time the situation requires the assignment of Federal Government resources.  This costs money.  It’s a contest of attrition.  (In California, the impending costs of defending lawsuits had more to do with the passage of AB 821 than the smattering of scientific evidence presented to the Commission.)  The CBD has nothing better to do than batter the walls of the EPA indefinitely.  Sooner or later, like Jericho, the walls will probably come down.

The CBD has also become a public relations juggernaut, flooding newspapers, magazines and blogs with “press releases” claiming that lead bullets are responsible for the wholesale destruction of bird populations, from mourning doves and swans to bald eagles.  Despite the fact that the releases are full of misinformation, readers are buying it because they simply don’t know any better.  Non-hunters and hunters alike are suddenly decrying the use of lead, and attacking hunters and shooters who still use this arcane and lethal ammunition… all based on spurious claims that are unquestionably repeated in the media.

And in this corner, the NRA…

The 800 lb. gorilla knows nothing of finesse or subtlety.  In concert with the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the NRA has issued release after release to its constituency claiming that the lead ban effort is nothing but an anti-hunting/anti-gun sneak attack and has absolutely no merit.  Rather than attack the CBD’s claims with fact, the organization resorts to the same campaign of misinformation and fear-mongering to carry the message that lead ammo is benign and “traditional”.

People aren’t hearing what they need to hear… especially hunters.

I recently read a letter to the editor in the Ventura County Star, in which the writer attempted to explain that a wind power project was not a threat to condors.  He then made the rhetorical mistake (in my opinion) of comparing the negligible threat of wind farms to the threat from lead ammo.  Right or wrong, he unleashed a firestorm of comments which were, unfortunately, entirely uneducated about the lead ammo issue.  At this time, I really thought people knew a little more about the situation, but I guess I over-estimated… again.

It’s time, past time, for education… not propaganda.  Let the battle continue in Washington, D.C.  I hope right and reason win the day.  But for our immediate needs, it’s really important that we start talking sense about lead ammo, it’s real impacts, and provide people with the information they need to make the personal decisions about what changes they want to make.

Call me stupid, but I honestly believe that most hunters don’t want to incidentally kill birds or animals that they’re not targeting.  None of us wants to poison an eagle, or even a raven.  Of course, statistically, I think most of us are perfectly OK if we never change a thing… especially those of us who aren’t hunting in the condor zones.  The odds of our specific bullet or shot pellets poisoning a raptor are fairly slim.  But the chance is there, and I know a lot of conscientious hunters out there who would like to mitigate that chance.

The problem is, whenever a site shows up to provide that information, such as the Peregrine Fund or Wildlife Studies Institute, they’re immediately lumped in with the anti-hunting/anti-gun organizations and discounted.  Or else, they’re just ignored.  We’ve somehow got to get past this.

I also think educating individuals is good and well, but the truth is that real education needs to start at higher levels.  On the media side, we need to hear voices of reason coming from the movers and shakers in the big magazines, major blogs, and even on the television.  The opportunities abound.  For example, Pig Man has been sponsored by Hornady for a while now, and has used the Hornady GMX bullet quite extensively.  The GMX is lead free, but that fact has seldom been mentioned.  He uses the bullet because it’s effective.  I doubt the lead-free aspect has any bearing at all, but it would still be worth mention.

I know some of the major outdoor media sources are probably a little timid about diving into the politically charged waters, but there’s no need to make it a political issue.  Simply present it as a personal choice with some rationale.  Don’t force it down anyone’s throat.  Or do!  I’d love to see some of the top hunting magazines come out and write a clear article about the lead ammo issue, the real threats as they’re currently understood, and various practices hunters and shooters can take to mitigate those threats.  But all I’ve seen so far either tip-toes around it or regurgitates press releases from the NSSF.

Education is also badly, badly needed at gunshops.  These places are often hotbeds of misinformation and myth anyway, and some of the things I’ve heard about lead free ammo are almost funny… except these folks really believe it.  What’s more, they’re passing this on to customers who are trying to make a good ammo-buying decision.  Nothing is going to stop a gun shop owner or employee from passing along an opinion to a customer.  That is simply a fact.  But if someone could present some non-political information about lead ammo, performance, and other choices that can mitigate lead impact (such as bonded bullets, shotgun slugs, etc.) to these folks, it would go a long way to helping customers make good choices.  An ideal place for a forum like this, by the way, would be the SHOT Show University, which offers several training programs to people in the gun and ammo industry.  But it wouldn’t hurt to take the message to the small, local shops as well.

We need honest conversation now.

Lead Ban Chronicles – And Other, Related Topics

So I haven’t been particularly vocal about this one, despite some pretty nasty challenges from the anti-hunting/anti-gun folks.

I’ll plead that it’s mostly just that I’ve been so bloody busy lately, but honestly, it’s also because I always have reservations when politicians step into the hunting and shooting arena.  The hidden agendas can so often bite us on the ass.  But overall, The Sportsmen’s Heritage Act (H.R. 4089) sounds like a real, positive thing for hunters and recreational shooters.

Here’s the release via the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF):

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry, hailed today’s passage of the Sportsmen’s Heritage Act of 2012 (H.R. 4089). The bill passed the House with a 274-146 vote.

Sponsored by Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), the bill combines four legislative priorities that will expand recreational hunting, shooting and fishing opportunities and also reaffirms existing law and heads off determined bureaucratic efforts to deny hunters and shooters from using traditional ammunition. This important legislation is supported by more than 35 national conservation and sportsmen’s groups.

“NSSF thanks Rep. Miller for his exceptional leadership in helping to expand access and opportunities for sportsmen and in protecting and preserving America’s hunting and shooting heritage,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel. “We look forward to seeking passage of the bill in the Senate.”

Said Rep. Miller, “I think it is important to recognize the contributions that sportsmen make to protect our nation’s most precious resources. Outdoor activities like hunting and fishing are a central part of our heritage and way of life, but they also help fund a good portion of our conservation efforts. We must remain ever diligent to ensure the rights of sportsmen. Thanks to the members of the sportsmen’s community, Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus and the House Committee on Natural Resources, H.R. 4089 will be able to address some of the most pressing concerns the outdoors community faces.”

Included in H.R. 4089 is the Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act. The bill amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to clarify the original intent of Congress to exclude traditional ammunition — ammunition containing lead-core components — and fishing tackle from regulation by the Environmental Protection Agency.

H.R. 4089 includes other key legislative priorities of the sportsmen’s community:

• The Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage Opportunities Act, which requires federal land managers to support and facilitate use and access for hunting, fishing and recreational shooting.
• The Recreational Shooting Protection Act, which requires National Monument land to be open to access and use for recreational shooting.
• The Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness Act, which will allow the importation of polar bear parts taken in a hunt in Canada, if legally harvested before certain dates.

 

 

Lead Ban Chronicles – EPA Rejects CBD Lead Ban Petition A Second Time

This is really just a follow-up, and doesn’t come as a surprise.

In 2010, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and a group of like-minded organizations petitioned the EPA for a ban on lead ammunition and fishing tackle.  The EPA is bound by provisions of the Toxic Substances Act that prohibit that organization from restricting the use of ammunition components, and as such, (rightfully) refused to review the petition.  The CBD sued and lost.

As you might expect, the CBD wasn’t content with that outcome and earlier this year, they approached the EPA again with the same petition.  I’m not sure if there was some expectation that the political climate was more favorable, or if the anti-lead contingent had some new ammunition for the fight, but from what I could see, the petition was really no different than the first one.

And, thankfully, the EPA’s stance has not changed.  Even if the petition for a national lead ban had merit (it doesn’t), the EPA cannot restrict the use of ammunition components.  The law is pretty clear, but even if it weren’t, this isn’t an issue for the EPA.  It’s an issue for state and local authorities, and any restrictions should be based directly on significant negative effects and supported by science… not by unsubstantiated claims and hyperbole.  If there were a problem on a national scale, the proper agency to respond is the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), just as they did in regards to the waterfowl lead ban in the 1980s. The EPA has no place at this table.

I’ll repeat what I’ve written so many times before.  With the possible exception of the condors, lead ammunition is NOT threatening any species, endangered or otherwise.  It is not an appreciable threat to human health.  And it is not causing contamination of the environment.  There is no justification or need for a federal agency, particularly the EPA to step in and regulate ammunition.

This isn’t over, of course.  You can count on seeing this go back to court, over and over again.  That’s how these groups work… persistence and attrition.

 

Lead Ban Chronicles – Breaking News – Ventana Wildlife Society Providing Lead-Free Ammo To Central Coast Hunters

This just came into my alerts box this morning… wish I’d had a little more notice!

Ventana Wildlife Society is offering 2 boxes of free non-lead ammunition to San Benito and Monterey county residents.

We know that hunters and ranchers have a long history of conserving wildlife. Hunting is an effective wildlife management tool and creates food resources for scavenging species, such as California Condors and Bald Eagles. However, these species are at risk of lead poisoning if they ingest lead bullet fragments in game carcasses and gut piles. By using non-lead ammo, you have an opportunity to protect wildlife and advance the long-standing tradition of wildlife conservation in our community. Act now to get your free non-lead ammunition while funding for this program lasts.

To get your ammo, go to the Ventana Wildlife Society’s web page and fill out the form you’ll find there.

Lead Ban Chronicles – Groups Petition EPA To Ban Lead Ammo

Haven’t seen one of these in a while, huh?  I sort of hope we don’t see too many, but it does seem like they come in a run.

So anyway, in my email alerts this morning, I got the following “letter” from the Center for Biological Diversity.  There’s nothing really new in anything they’ve written, and nothing in the letter actually challenges the EPA argument that they don’t have authority to regulate ammunition… nor does it challenge the EPA’s response that there’s no compelling evidence to justify the ban of lead fishing tackle.

In fact, after reading the press release and the associated links, I couldn’t find where they were saying anything that they didn’t say the last time this group approached the EPA (and were roundly rejected).  Is this just some sort of persistence game, hoping to wear down the resistance of the Agency?  I don’t know, but honestly, if the CBD can’t find more compelling evidence to support their drive to ban lead, maybe they should take the hint that reality is trying to give them… there’s simply no call for an outright ban on lead ammunition.

Anyway, I’ll attach the body of the thing here for your amusement.  Or maybe it’ll sway you to stop using lead ammunition and join their fight.  But if you start to lean that way, I encourage you to read very closely.  You’ll see how the information is slanted, even in the “data” presented as scientific evidence.  For example, despite the fact that the linked papers decry a connection between human health and the use of lead ammunition, there’s simply nothing there… a minor, and temporary uptick in blood-lead levels at most… and nothing that can’t be managed through careful processing and thoughtful choices (you may not want to feed lead-infused venison burger to a pregnant or nursing mother).

 

100 Groups Ask EPA to End Wildlife Poisoning From Lead Hunting Ammunition

Lead Kills Millions of Birds, Including Eagles, Condors, and Hurts Human Health

WASHINGTON— One hundred organizations in 35 states today formally petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate toxic lead in hunting ammunition to protect public health and prevent the widespread poisoning of eagles, California condors and other wildlife. Up to 20 million birds die each year from lead poisoning after consuming spent lead shot and bullet fragments left in the wild from hunting.

“The unnecessary poisoning of eagles, condors and other wildlife is a national tragedy that the EPA can easily put an end to,” said Jeff Miller with the Center for Biological Diversity. “There are safe, available alternatives to lead ammo for all hunting and shooting sports, so there’s no reason for this poisoning to go on. Getting the lead out for wildlife is in line with traditional American conservation, hunting and fishing values.”

Today’s petition follows the EPA’s refusal in 2010 to review a petition asking for a ban on lead bullets, shotgun pellets and fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Control Act, and seeks federal rules requiring use of nontoxic bullets and shot for hunting and shooting sports. It was filed by groups representing conservationists, birders, hunters, zoologists, scientists, American Indians, wildlife rehabilitators and veterinarians.

In the United States, 3,000 tons of lead are shot into the environment by hunters every year, while another 80,000 tons are released at shooting ranges. Birds and animals are poisoned when they scavenge on carcasses containing lead-bullet fragments or ingest spent lead-shot pellets, which can cover popular hunting grounds at high densities.

Spent lead from hunting is a widespread killer of bald and golden eagles, trumpeter swans, endangered California condors and more than 75 other species. Nearly 500 scientific papers have documented the dangers to wildlife from lead exposure.

“It’s encouraging to see so many groups unite to end lead poisoning of wildlife,” said Miller. “This isn’t about hunting — it’s about switching to nontoxic materials to stop preventable lead poisoning. Getting the lead out of hunting ammunition will reduce hunters’ lead exposure too, as well as the health risks to anyone eating shot game.”

There are many commercially available alternatives to lead rifle bullets, shotgun pellets, fishing weights and lures. More than a dozen manufacturers market hundreds of varieties and calibers of nonlead bullets and shot made of steel, copper and alloys of other metals, with satisfactory to superior ballistics. Nonlead bullets and fishing tackle are readily available in all 50 states. Hunters and anglers in states and areas that have lead restrictions or have already banned lead have made successful transitions to hunting with nontoxic bullets and fishing with nontoxic tackle.

“We wisely removed lead from gasoline and paint because of the dangers of lead poisoning, and now it’s time to do the same for hunting ammunition. Future generations will thank us,” Miller said.

For more information, read about the Center’s Get the Lead Out campaign. Media-ready photos and videos are also available here.

Background

Lead has been known to be highly toxic for more than 2,000 years. Its use in water pipes, cosmetics, pottery and food is suspected to have been a contributing factor in the collapse of the Roman Empire. It is dangerous even at low levels; exposure can cause death or severe health effects, from acute, paralytic poisoning and seizures to subtle, long-term mental impairment, miscarriage, neurological damage, impotence or impaired reproduction, and growth inhibition. There may be no safe level of lead for fetuses and the young. In recent decades the federal government has implemented regulations to reduce human lead exposure in drinking water, batteries, paint, gasoline, toys, toxic dumps, wheel balancing weights and shooting ranges.

At least 75 wild bird species are poisoned by spent lead ammunition, including bald eagles, golden eagles, ravens and California condors. Despite being banned in 1992 for hunting waterfowl, spent lead shotgun pellets continue to be frequently ingested by swans, cranes, ducks, geese, loons and other waterfowl. Many birds also consume lead-based fishing tackle lost in lakes and rivers, often with deadly consequences.

Lead ammunition also poses health risks to people when bullets fragment in shot game and spread throughout the meat that humans eat. Studies using radiographs show that numerous imperceptible, dust-sized particles of lead can infect meat up to a foot and a half away from the bullet wound, causing a greater health risk to humans who consume lead-shot game than previously thought. State health agencies have had to recall venison donated to feed the hungry because of lead contamination. Nearly 10 million hunters, their families and low-income beneficiaries of venison donations may be at risk.

In denying the 2010 lead ban petition, the EPA claimed it lacks authority to regulate toxic lead bullets and shot under the Toxic Substances Control Act, which controls manufacture, processing and distribution of dangerous chemicals in the United States, including lead. Yet congressional documents and the language of the Act explicitly contradict the agency’s claim. The House report on the history and intent of the Act states it “does not exclude from regulation under the bill chemical components of ammunition which could be hazardous because of their chemical properties.” Petitioning organizations sued the EPA over the improper petition denial, but hit a procedural snag and the lawsuit was dismissed in September 2011. The EPA never evaluated lead ammunition risks to wildlife and human health, and the court never ruled on the merits of the petition or lawsuit.

 

Lead Ban Chronicles – Iowa Lead Ammo Ban Discussion And Editorials

Some of you may remember that, in 2011, Iowa legislated their first dove season in decades despite a loud and acrimonious debate from anti-hunters.  What made this even more contentious was the fact that the hunt was supposed to take place using only lead-free ammunition, yet the Governor overturned this piece of the law.  His argument?  There’s no scientific evidence that lead ammo is a significant threat to environmental or human health.  The ban was only temporarily over-ruled, and the legislature is slated to discuss the ban during the 2012 session.  (The discussion runs a lot longer, but you can read up on it yourself.)

Anyway, the Des Moines Register has run several editorials in favor of a lead ban over the last few months, including one last week from a representative of the Humane Society of the US (HSUS).  Today I saw another one from Liz Garst, a former member of the Iowa Natural Resources Commission.  Her commentary begins as follows:

Hunter numbers are dwindling, which is too bad, because hunting controls our deer herd size, funds through license fees most wildlife conservation efforts, provides tourism benefits and more.

One reason why hunter numbers are falling is that we have an image problem. Opposition to banning lead bullets is not helping that image. Plumbers, painters, toy manufacturers, contractors, gas retailers, etc., have mostly solved their lead issues. Hunters should not claim that they alone are exempt.

The scientific evidence is clear. A Minnesota Department of Natural Resources literature review listed more than 500 studies about lead ammunition, showing negative impacts on humans and more than 130 species of wildlife. Hunters who use lead ammunition are not bad, but new evidence is in, and it is time to change.

She went on with some nominally reasonable arguments and counter-arguments, but on the whole, she didn’t say anything new.  Nevertheless, I had to respond… even if I didn’t really say anything new either.  My response was pretty lengthy, but I thought it would be worth sharing here as well.  Read more

Lead Ban Chronicles – Lead-Free Ammunition Trends From SHOT 2012

To be honest, I really didn’t have high hopes of learning anything new about lead ammunition at this year’s SHOT Show.  Of course I knew the manufacturers like Barnes, Hornady, and Nosler would be adding new calibers to their menus.  That’s an ongoing effort, and probably much needed as more and more voices are being raised against lead ammo around the country.

Why is it much needed?

Unless the hunters and recreational shooters around this country get up and start fighting this thing, California-style ammo bans are going to start popping up all over the U.S.  That’s not just pessimism on my part, folks, the machinery is already in motion.  Anti-lead propaganda is running rampant in editorials everywhere and the uneducated are eating it up while almost no reasonable voices are challenging the lies and misinformation.  This is how policy happens.

So, with that in mind, maybe it’s a good thing that a “trend” I thought I saw coming last year is really starting to develop.  I guess it started with Remington a little earlier.  Their initial lead-free ammunition featured the Lapua Naturalis bullet.  They phased that out and moved to a proprietary copper bullet, the Remington Copper Solid (they did something similar when they moved away from Hevi-Shot to their own heavier-than-lead shot pellets).  By switching to their own bullet, they reduced the dependency on a third party, and also reduced the cost to produce.

At the 2011 SHOT Show, I learned that Winchester was releasing their own lead-free bullet in the Power-Core 95/5 (and also in the newer RazorBack XT).  They didn’t phase out the successful Nosler ETip, but if the Power-Core takes off, I can see where their dependency on Nosler will decrease… especially with the price difference between the ETips and the Power-Cores.  Right now, I expect they’ll keep both lines, with the ETips in the “Supreme” (black box) line, while the Power-Core will fall into their standard (silver box) line.

This year I learned that Federal-Premium is now rolling out their proprietary lead-free bullet, the Trophy Copper, which will be loaded in their Vital-Shok line.  I haven’t had a chance to use this one yet, but I’ve got a request in for a few boxes to sample.  From what I hear, though, the engineers at Federal have taken the criticism of other lead-free bullets into consideration and made a concerted effort to develop and deliver a bullet that expands well at a wide range of velocities, and also provides a better ballistic coefficient to enhance longer range performance.

Meanwhile, Barnes is expanding their line of factory-loaded cartridges in the Vor-TX line.  I’ll try some more of these out on game soon, but on paper, I found that the Vor-TX does shoot well out of my Savage.  The point of impact is somewhat different from the 180gr ETips I’ve been shooting, but the groups are pretty tight.  Maybe I’ll get the chance to try these out on a Hill Country hog later this year.

Hornady, of course, has been loading their GMX bullet in the Superformance line.  Those of you who’ve been following the Pig Man tv program have probably heard him rave about the performance of this bullet.  I’ve shot some of my own handloads on paper, and the bullet does perform well at the range.  Unfortunately, I’ve yet to get a chance to put these into the field.  I hope to change that later this spring.

Bottom line, I think it’s fair to start hoping for some more affordable, lead-free ammunition over the coming year.  That may turn out to be a very good and timely thing!

 

Next Page »