Wednesday, September 17, 2014

How will the lead ammo ban affect you?

In October of 2013 the state of California passed a ban on hunting with lead ammunition http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/lead-free/ . While more states are looking at the same alternative to traditional hunting, I am looking for ammunition alternatives myself. Not everyone has a friend that works overnight in the Sporting Goods dept at the local big box retailer that can text them in the middle of the night to let them know that they got in 6 boxes of .380 (or whatever).

The Washington Times reported that the only smelter left in the U.S. that produced lead for ammunition closing will have absolutely no effect on the availability or cost of ammunition http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/dec/2/obamas-epa-smelter-closing-will-not-affect-ammunit/?page=all . Most major ammunition manufacturers began making "green" ammo by 2008 when the lead ammo debates intensified. If you do a cost comparison between the two, non-lead ammo is not the same cost as traditional lead ammo.


It makes me wonder if the $11 core charge on a car battery is worth it, or is that something that I should save along with the lead I pick out of the hillside at the shooting range. I have been saving my brass for years. Why not save the lead as well? Many people are making their own bullets http://www.ehow.com/how_2212846_make-ammunition.html and have been for some time. As a child I can remember my father casting .54 caliber balls for his muzzleloader.

As more states are looking at alternatives to lead bullets I will keep collecting lead (and storing it safely) for my personal use. http://ehs.whoi.edu/ehs/occsafety/leadweightsafety.pdf . If it gets to the point where you need to make your own bullets, it will be too late to start collecting lead.

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