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Author Topic: Bullets into water = pollution?  (Read 735 times)

Offline Meatwad

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Bullets into water = pollution?
« Reply #15 on: August 31, 2006, 05:56:24 PM »
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Originally posted by StarOfAfrica2
How can you live in S. Illinois and not eat catfish??


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Offline Gunthr

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Bullets into water = pollution?
« Reply #16 on: August 31, 2006, 06:36:43 PM »
Tarmac, I'm kind of water oriented, and I don't see why you guys couldn't find someplace nearby onshore to shoot your guns...  its always more fun to shoot at a target... right?  Why would you want to shoot into water anyway?  What would you shoot at?

Or do you wish to present an environmental issue? I'm confused.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2006, 06:43:56 PM by Gunthr »
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Offline Shamus

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Bullets into water = pollution?
« Reply #17 on: August 31, 2006, 08:36:42 PM »
With all those billions of perch and walleye sinkers and split shot soaking for the last 150 years in the lakes, I have my doubts that a few fmj's will shead much into the water.

shamus
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Offline Halo

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Bullets into water = pollution?
« Reply #18 on: August 31, 2006, 09:51:02 PM »
I was all concerned about skeet shooting on a relative's farm until a few shooters reminded me that Viriginia is in the middle of U.S. Civil War territory -- imagine the zillion tons of lead expended in that conflict, and no complaints about any land or water lead pollution from that that I've heard of.  

And consider all the lead fired throughout Europe in two world wars.  Any lead residue from that causing problems?  

I'm no chemist, but I think lead is already in the environment and it doesn't seem to break down, so it doesn't seem to be a problem unless somehow breathed (?) or ingested.
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Offline Maverick

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Bullets into water = pollution?
« Reply #19 on: August 31, 2006, 10:23:55 PM »
Everyone knows that lead and copper do not occur naturally in the emvironment, therefor we must ban all lead and copper from society........





























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Offline rpm

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Bullets into water = pollution?
« Reply #20 on: September 01, 2006, 12:16:33 AM »
I doubt the Coast Guard will cause much environmental impact. They ARE the environmental impact experts. I'm not sure if they have anything bigger than a 20mm Phalanx or maybe a 2" main gun on the Lakes.
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Offline Tarmac

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Bullets into water = pollution?
« Reply #21 on: September 01, 2006, 12:30:54 AM »
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Originally posted by Gunthr
Tarmac, I'm kind of water oriented, and I don't see why you guys couldn't find someplace nearby onshore to shoot your guns...  its always more fun to shoot at a target... right?  Why would you want to shoot into water anyway?  What would you shoot at?

Or do you wish to present an environmental issue? I'm confused.


Nah, I don't consider myself an environmentalist, but maybe a conservationist.  I like the outdoors and want to make sure it's there for my kids to enjoy.  I don't believe in waste because somone's too lazy to dispose of their stuff properly, but I also recognize that everything makes byproducts that must be disposed of.  I just thought the article in the Free Press was timely based on my plans for the upcoming holiday weekend, and the fact that I'd never really thought about the lead.

We used to shoot clays over the water, shoot milk jugs/pop bottles in the water, or shoot things on the small rock islands that form breakers along the beach.  We're not just hosing out into the water... like you said, it's more fun to shoot at targets. :)
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Offline Nilsen

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Bullets into water = pollution?
« Reply #22 on: September 01, 2006, 01:28:03 AM »
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Originally posted by Halo


And consider all the lead fired throughout Europe in two world wars.  Any lead residue from that causing problems?


I have not read any reports on this so i dunno.

We are cleaning up alot of the older live-fire ranges here before turning them over to the general public for use. Its going to take many years to make them safe from duds etc, but an even bigger problem is all the metals and lead that have gotten into the ground water and lakes in, and around the ranges. Thankfully there has not been alot of DU rounds fired as they were banned pretty early on but the metals are causing problems for fish and wildlife in the ranges.
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Offline Sparks

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Bullets into water = pollution?
« Reply #23 on: September 01, 2006, 05:06:29 AM »
I would have thought that considering the cities and industry that are clustered round the Great Lakes (car making particularly) that a few rounds will make a negligable impact in comparison to all the heavy metals (eg Cadmium) and other pollutants dumped in there since the 50's / 60's. .......
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Offline Ghosth

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Bullets into water = pollution?
« Reply #24 on: September 01, 2006, 07:55:40 AM »
First off how many of you have seen a .50 cal MG belt that had pure lead bullets?

They are ALL copper jacketed!

Second, while shotgun shot will settle in shallow marshy area's where ducks feed and ingest it. Large caliber bullets are not near as likely to be ingested by anything.  Ducks think the shot is grit, good for grinding up their food. Thats why waterfowl hunting switched to steel shot.

Next, someone back in the 70's was leading a big campaign about mercury & other poisoning in the great lakes. Well someone got smart & pulled a sample from a sturgeon on display in a museum caught more than a 100 years earlier.

Guess what, its levels where higher than current levels!
A lot of the toxic chemicals wash out of the rocks up there, run down into the lake. They are not all mankinds fault at all.

As to feeding sturgeon expended bullets laying on the bottom, well, good luck.
Sturgeon are no dummys, they "taste" before they swallow, unlike ducks.

Leave the Coast Guard alone, they are doing a good job.
Test firing a few .50's in the middle of the great lakes is going to hurt nothing!
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Offline Nilsen

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Bullets into water = pollution?
« Reply #25 on: September 01, 2006, 08:02:46 AM »
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Originally posted by Ghosth

Test firing a few .50's in the middle of the great lakes is going to hurt nothing!


Who is going to patch the holes in the water?
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Offline BlueJ1

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Bullets into water = pollution?
« Reply #26 on: September 01, 2006, 10:31:14 AM »
GhostH, I dont see many of us up in arms here aganst it. Relax. This is a friendly enviroment. :)
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Offline lazs2

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Bullets into water = pollution?
« Reply #27 on: September 01, 2006, 10:35:56 AM »
anyone ever buy or look at 150 year old lead balls fired from muskets in battle?    

They could be reloaded and fired again.  The lead is in allmost perfect condition.    It forms a white oxide coating that stops further errosion and..... pollution...

A recent study of federal land used for 50 years for a shooting range showed little or no lead pollution from the millions of rounds fired into the area.   What pollution there was seemed to be confied to a very small area near lead deposits and did not migrate.

lazs
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Offline Gunthr

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Bullets into water = pollution?
« Reply #28 on: September 01, 2006, 10:50:17 AM »
I was gonna mention the oxide coating.  It might not make a difference in bird shot, but might mitigate the environmental impact in larger calibers.  There was an announcement of a fishing pier closing down for repairs a few years ago, and when it went into effect, I went diving, which had previously not been allowed.  I was looking for fishing gear, lures, traps, etc.  I got a lot of that, but weight-wise, I got a huge amount of lead - the result of people losing thier terminal tackle for whatever reason.  All of it had a white-ish coating.  This was saltwater, I'm pretty sure the surface of lead in sweet water oxidizes the same way.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2006, 10:53:39 AM by Gunthr »
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Offline 101ABN

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Bullets into water = pollution?
« Reply #29 on: September 01, 2006, 03:01:53 PM »
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Originally posted by BlueJ1
Do it in Lake Erie so I can watch. :p


yea do it at lake erie.. that lake is already polluted beyond repair..
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