What exposes you to more lead?

[jmorris]

I reload, recover lead, melt it back down, cast it back into bullets and load them in dry tumbled brass to shoot them again and have for years. The only time my lead levels became elevated was a period where I shot indoor matches once a week. Once I quit indoor shooting except for a few sanctioned matches and kept things outside, it gradually came down.

I keep my hands clean but I can't stop breathing.

FWIW the vast majority of the rounds I load and shoot, I don't even touch any of the components until I case gauge the rounds after loading.

 

[Palladan44]

This sounds like case closed. And, the easier of the 2 (no longer shooting indoors) will be what I no longer do.
I get headaches in there. Sweeping up brass there's a fine grey dust which you can't really avoid. Thanks All for your input.

 

[denton]

Eat lots of grapefruit and drink grapefruit juice. It flushes out the lead.

And, as many have said, observe proper handling and ventilation to avoid getting it in your system in the first place.

 

[Dudedog]

I had lead issues a while back. (sky high 85+)

I reload.

I pretty much traced my lead issue to the indoor range I shot at.
Are all indoor ranges bad, no IMO, but a lot of them are lets just say less than ideal.

I stopped shooting at the indoor range and after my levels came down, no issues.

 

[Thomasss]

Are all indoor ranges bad, no IMO, but a lot of them are lets just say less than ideal.

Can I check all of the above? I go to a brand new indoor range this time of year because I'm tired of hitting my head on the mechanical target retrieving devices at the older ranges. Wisconsin is 10 F right now. I'll shoot outside when it gets above 20. Maybe next week. I don't eat, drink or smoke while casting or loading (that includes chewing gum). The furnace smokes a little when fluxing....I quit the smoke 30 years ago. Cast in the garage with cross ventilation and wash hands afterwards with hair or dish soap. Change clothes frequently after playing with my toys. My testing has been normal for over 20 years. Maybe its the anti-lead/dust magnet that I use? Should put that on the market and make $$$$.

 

[CQB45ACP]

What are the symptoms of overly high lead in blood? Not lead poisoning per se, but just the high number?

And do they just go away once the number drops?

Do any of you exhibit these symptoms?

 

[dcarr]

I'm a lot more forgetful but not blaming it on lead poisoning

 

[dcarr]

Eat lots of grapefruit and drink grapefruit juice. It flushes out the lead.

And, as many have said, observe proper handling and ventilation to avoid getting it in your system in the first place.

i remember reading that grapefruit screws with one of my meds but don't recall which one. Can't seem to find it on any of the meds i am taking now.

 

[Soonerpesek]

i remember reading that grapefruit screws with one of my meds but don't recall which one. Can't seem to find it on any of the meds i am taking now.

Might be the Statin for high cholesterol…

 

[GooseGestapo]

This sounds like case closed. And, the easier of the 2 (no longer shooting indoors) will be what I no longer do.
I get headaches in there. Sweeping up brass there's a fine grey dust which you can't really avoid. Thanks All for your input.

The headache is from nitroglycerin. Powder residue/dust!
If enough builds up in/on the range, it can result in an explosion/fire.
I too suggest finding another place to shoot…

 

[sugarmaker]

This has no supporting data, but here is what I’m careful with: I use an lnl progressive with the primer line going directly into a sealed plastic bottle, so no primer residue to dump/ clean out and minimal primer dust…I think. I vibratory clean before loading, and separate the cases from media outside. I wash ‘em hands thouroughly. I shoot mostly bullets with no exposed lead at base (so HP or plated mostly). Wash hands after cleaning gun. Be careful to minimize exposure near the fixed steel targets on my range. I do not shoot indoors.

 

[dcarr]

Might be the Statin for high cholesterol…

bingo, thanks

 

[nettlle]

I've chomped a few ounces, if not pounds, of #6 shot out of rabbits, pheasants, squirrels, quail, grouse and such for many years. As a machinist I worked with my hands coated with white and/or red lead for hours. Did a lot of painting with lead paint. Probably chewed some lead paint as a child.

 

[jmorris]

I get headaches in there.

Happens when I am around children too.

 

[dcarr]

Happens when I am around children too.

me too but it doesn't happen right away. I won't really pinch their little heads off.