Lead Contamination at Shooting Ranges

[dmccarty]

I know of a range that has been in use for decades and a few years ago the impact area was "mined" for lead. The range made a good amount of money from the metal that was recovered.

Rain on the range flows into a retention pond that is full of fish and turtles. The water is tested on a schedule for lead contamination and there is none. The only way for the rain to flow out of the range is to seep below ground, which will not be much because of concrete surfaces, or to drain into that pond. Given that the range is a big, deep U shape in hole the ground, there is quite a bit of water that washes from the impact berm, across the range, and into the pond. Lead tests have been fine.

One should be concerned with lead residue after shooting. But as someone else said, treat lead like poop and wash your hands.

 

[MossRoad]

It would be interesting to test the fish and turtles for lead, not just the water.

 

[dmccarty]

It would be interesting to test the fish and turtles for lead, not just the water.

I THINK they have tested fish but not the turtles. People who spend quite a bit of time on the range have been tested, some of them have eaten fish from the pond, and the tests have been fine.

If there is no lead in the water, there would be no lead in the turtles and fish. The lead would only be from rain water washing through the range and then into the pond. No lead in water, no lead in critters.

 

[nyone]

Yikes! Not good! All of our steel targets are hanging. I am thinking about doing the tire around them and hanging the steel inside of the tire. I really like the containment/recycling potential of this system. It seems like the bulk of the lead fragments would be caught if done right. Never a lack of tires around these parts.

That's a damn good idea with the tire. Never thought of that.