It's just a matter of time...

[Tigerman]

OMG! The conspiracies never end!
Did I mention lead pellets is ILLEGAL to sell, manufacture and use in Norway? Guess what?
We still have ammunition to kill our prey

 

[FritzCat66]

the issue most shooters have with this backdoor attempt to ban ammunition (and therefore firearms) is that banning the lead that encased in a rifle bullet will drastically (and negatively) alter the ballistics (accuracy) of the rounds.

I shoot .45LC, which is already ballistically forked up because it was designed in the blackpowder days.

Although, there are some handloads made with a kind of "fluffy" modern smokeless powder that still do it justice.

I'm still firing lead, and I'm sure moving to something else will change the ballistics, but I'm also sure the gun manufacturers and enthusiasts will find a way to adapt. I can't wait for my depleted-uranium-tipped hollowpoints!

 

[DandyDon]

Lead is nasty in the environment. We have some old lead smelter sites in Texas that have tainted a lot of land and streams, hurt many over the years, and we're still dealing with it.

I have wondered about my exposure to handling hard lead weights and even my own soft weights that seem to release dust when washing. I wish I'd bought vinyl coated hard weights, but most of my diving is done after flying to destinations so there is no hope there.

I've heard of sealing lead weights with a home vacuum sealer. Sounded like a good idea. I have some scubapro soft weights that are sealed in plastic. You can dry them off to put them away a lot easier too.

I doubt that home vacuum bags last long in handling.

 

[tracydr]

You could paint with metal primer and paint. That would probably seal them.

 

[Tigerman]

I shoot .45LC, which is already ballistically forked up because it was designed in the blackpowder days.

Although, there are some handloads made with a kind of "fluffy" modern smokeless powder that still do it justice.

I'm still firing lead, and I'm sure moving to something else will change the ballistics, but I'm also sure the gun manufacturers and enthusiasts will find a way to adapt. I can't wait for my depleted-uranium-tipped hollowpoints!

Question is.. Is DU rounds any better than lead for the health and enviroment? How about tungsten cores?
Is there any (less unhealthy) metals that would be both heavy and soft like lead for expanding projectiles?
We havent replaced those over here and I suspect its for a reason. Although DU APDS roudns are very nice to kill tanks, I think its not quite as ideal for killing moose..

For FMJ rounds Im sure theres a few metals thatd work quite well (especially mid- and large calibre military ammunition make use of other things than lead, like tungsten)

 

[MJJ]

What's all the fuss? It's not like there aren't good alternatives.

Gold, for example is fully twice as dense as lead. Imagine your pouches being half the size. And it can't be that much more expensive than what I have been paying for lead bags.

Uranium would not be quite as efficient and I suppose there would be some paperwork involved.

Tungsten is as dense as Uranium and is readily available. Just break open a few light bulbs and harvest the filaments. None of those nasty side effects (hair loss, etc) associated with the radioactive metals, either.

 

[Tigerman]

Tungsten dont have the expanding properties of lead (which gold would probably also have) though which is why its used as the penetration core of the M211 MP rounds (One of the proud products of the country that hands out the Nobels Peace prize).

I can imagine there being somewhat of a risk of theft from your car if you kept your weight pouches in there full of gold tho

 

[leadweight]

I believe that lead shot is no longer allowed for shooting migratory birds in the US. There are probably some exceptions. Steel shot is the norm these days. I don't see anything like the threat of birds ingesting shot in the use of lead blocks underwater.

Steel weights would be bulkier and would have to be stainless or coated, so they would be more expensive. Perhaps in such an environment we would see a switch from aluminum to steel tanks.

 

[niginigi]

That was really informative jskeys thanks for letting us know.

 

[knotical]

I have some scubapro soft weights that are sealed in plastic.

Scubapro calls them Eco Weights, and they're sweet. Come in 1 kg, 1.5 kg, and 2.5 kg sizes.

But unfortunately, they don't seem to be available in the US; and cost more than twice as much as regular soft weight pouches. (Probably triple or more when you include shipping.)