Thread: Lead Contamination In Game Meat

Originally Posted by Friwi

Be really careful what you wish for.
It is everyone personal decision on what projectiles they want to shoot and what meat they want to eat and feed their family with.I get that.
But understand that the reason to ban lead in projectiles is not only scientific but also another way to go after hunters and gun owners.

Because once a law is introduced to ban copper jacket with lead chore projectiles for hunting in a country, the next step will be to ban the target projectiles.
On the medium to long term that could turn into the closing of your favourite hornady or nosler plant.
And imagine if all lead core projectiles sold in the world where replaced by copper only projectiles, well you would be paying a lot more for them, since Elon Musk and his buddies needs also copper for their production. And it becomes harder and more expensive to extract.

And of all the hunting people that I have known who died in the last decade, and where eating regular game meat and waterfowl, none have died of lead poisoning or seemed to have been affected by lead during the course of their life.
Sugar, fat and high cholesterol were the predominant factors.

100% Correct. Much of the information spread on the www is mischievous. The risk is highly exagerated. If you eat it almost daily or every week it may well be an issue. Particularly for children. But small amounts consumed occassionally won't hurt you. They pass through the digestive system and very little is absorbed by the body. Vapours are different matter and far more hazardous. Always ensure good ventilation if casting.

What your not told by these so called experts on the www is the body slowly removes any lead in your system.

Just remove all bruised meat plus a little extra.

Thanks for taking the effort

This has been covered in another thread on here previously. I can remember stating that I’ve been regularly eating game meat recovered from animals shot with lead pellets or conventional cup and core bullets on a regular basis for getting on 60 years without ill effect. I’ve also been carrying around bits of lead in the body due to shooting incidents going back as far as the ‘70’s. Like most of my generation I also have amalgam fillings in my teeth. My health is regarded as pretty good for my age by my doctor. I used to have regular tests for heavy metals in my system due to some of my work and never had a bad test result apart from being a bit lax while sanding lead based paint on a boat once while on holiday, my bad. As long as you cut out obviously shot up meat I don’t see anything to worry about regarding lead poisoning. Certainly back in the day we didn’t give it much thought. As an aside, back then it wasn’t unknown to eat possum off a cyanide line, you were just careful taking the meat. Bet that puts the shits up a few of you.

From what I have learned over the years, ingested lead (small amount of course) isn't the problem. It is pretty inert in that state. Now lead based fumes are a completely different animal.
Like anything that is small enough to be respirated, it causes all sorts of problems

Originally Posted by csmiffy

From what I have learned over the years, ingested lead (small amount of course) isn't the problem. It is pretty inert in that state. Now lead based fumes are a completely different animal.
Like anything that is small enough to be respirated, it causes all sorts of problems

Yup, and the elephant in the room is that nearly all small arms primers are lead styphanate based. Guess what is in 'gunsmoke'?

So much for lead free ammo!

Originally Posted by caberslash

Yup, and the elephant in the room is that nearly all small arms primers are lead styphanate based. Guess what is in 'gunsmoke'?

So much for lead free ammo!

Got a feeling not used any more. For just that reason.

Your more likely to die of lead poisoning from cereals than game meat.
Cereals have been found to contain some very high concentrations of lead that enter the food chain.

having nursed IIRC4-6cases of terminall illness due to lead poisoning-(yes its terminal like a lot of mental illness death is the only detergent) in my frontline mental health career of nigh on 5decades,i can unequivocally state majority of those were due 100% to consistent high dose exposure to lead..two alas were born with it due to parental factors ,another couple were old time plumbers and drainlayers-one of whom used to come home covered in it according to his wife .her complaints were met with "whats persil washing powder for".one of the others was originally diagnosed with infant foetal alcohol syndrome ,only later was it found by sheer chance his blood contained very high residual lead levels.
presentation -traumatic for both individual and kinfolk-e is what ill say.

@kotuku. I meant to say earlier on good on you for staying in that profession as long as you did. Even if you loved the job I imagine it would have , at times, taken great fortitude to stick at it as long as you did. Had an aunt work at Cherry Farm down Dunedin way years ago, she said it was too tough for her and went back to general nursing.

Originally Posted by woods223

@kotuku. I meant to say earlier on good on you for staying in that profession as long as you did. Even if you loved the job I imagine it would have , at times, taken great fortitude to stick at it as long as you did. Had an aunt work at Cherry Farm down Dunedin way years ago, she said it was too tough for her and went back to general nursing.

trust me-it didnt leave me unscathed,my last 5years were a nightmare including an attempt on my life and a cops ,after i stopped the mad cow from attempting to top herself. the last suicide I had (i cut him down and was part of the initial succesful CPR) also knocked the shit out of me. dealing with syncophantic staff and incompetent arselicking managers also didnt help -in fact that lead to me pulling the pin!

Currently sitting in a clearing on a hill part way through a circuit shooting goats. Contemplating how good life is at moment. Hop you’ve got enough gas in the tank to chill out and enjoy life @kotuku, you deserve it. Sorry about slight derailing of thread everyone.

Originally Posted by woods223

Currently sitting in a clearing on a hill part way through a circuit shooting goats. Contemplating how good life is at moment. Hop you’ve got enough gas in the tank to chill out and enjoy life @kotuku, you deserve it. Sorry about slight derailing of thread everyone. Attachment 218435

thanks for the kind words MD is much the same -thoroughly enjoyed my chance to let of some steam with him too.yep i keep meself busy -just watching nz highland pipeband champs on livestream at mo 30yrs ago my old outfit the City of Christchurch hifghland pipe band won the transtasman grade 4 championship in this ver event hwere in CHCh.fond memories.MDthat scrub mate looks like some of the stuff in your spot.

NEVER need to apologize for checking in on another persons well being or having hard conversation that needs to be had.
you kick back and enjoy your day out on hill bud.

Lead used to be a work place hazard in the printing industry. My father worked for Wilson and Horton (NZ Herald) in the 1950s-60s as a fitter and turner and had regular blood tests for lead from the old printing press plates that were melted. He never actually worked with the lead type setting plates but the lead was in the air.
Not sure how good the blood tests were in those days.

Worry not fellow hunters. I am an alive and kicking seventy year experiment that proves that exposure to lead is not something you should be overly concerned by. I grew up in houses that were painted with lead based paint. I played with (and as a young fellah probably mouthed/sucked) toys that were made of lead and coated with lead based paint. I drank from taps that were served by lead plumbing. In my teenage years I melted lead for moulding and casting. I have consumed countless amounts of deer, duck and pig game meats (all of which died of lead poisoning). I have shot countless lead round nosed projectiles (CAS) and I have cleaned fuck knows how many rifle and pistol barrels across my life time. The list goes on but my point is that even though my exposure has been greater that the average citizen, I am still here above ground and breathing.