Lead Contamination at Shooting Ranges

[Tinhack]

When I shot indoors in the 70s, the backstops were steel at 45 degree angles down into traps. Every once in a while, some doofus would ignore the rules on maximum cartridge sizes and such, and bring in high-powered oversized firearms and dent the backstops. The dents cause back-splatter and ricochet. They'd have to close that shooting lane until they could get the area welded and ground down flat again.

I was doing the same at the police academy in the 70s. The only round not authorized was armor piercing. Even 50-cal was ok. Most all officers were still using revolvers back then except for sergeants and above or SWAT.

 

[MossRoad]

I was doing the same at the police academy in the 70s. The only round not authorized was armor piercing. Even 50-cal was ok. Most all officers were still using revolvers back then except for sergeants and above or SWAT.

I was 14-17 years old, so 1975-78. I don't remember the calibers and/or specifics listed on the signs. Just that they were posted in several prominent places at both ranges.

 

[mikester]

Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water | US EPA

Questions and answers about lead in drinking water -- health effects, EPA regulations etc.

www.epa.gov

Pollution is someone elses problem. Be a real man and take up smoking unfiltered Marlborough's. A carton a week to start.

 

[LD48750]

Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water | US EPA

Questions and answers about lead in drinking water -- health effects, EPA regulations etc.

www.epa.gov

Pollution is someone elses problem. Be a real man and take up smoking unfiltered Marlborough's. A carton a week to start.

You also understand that tractors are hazardous to your health right?

Everybody that has come in contact with a tractor or anyone that has is either dead or dyeing.

Think about it.....

 

[mikester]

racoons cr@p where they sleep...do whatever floats your boat

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water | US EPA

Questions and answers about lead in drinking water -- health effects, EPA regulations etc.

www.epa.gov

Pollution is someone elses problem. Be a real man and take up smoking unfiltered Marlborough's. A carton a week to start.

You also understand that tractors are hazardous to your health right?

Everybody that has come in contact with a tractor or anyone that has is either dead or dyeing.

Think about it.....

WOW!! Imagine if everyone thought that way, what kind of world would we be living in...
Oh wait, never mind we're doomed!

Great attitude fellas!
Yeah, Yeah everything is harmful to something and someone. Doesn't mean we can't tread a bit more lightly through life.

 

[paulsharvey]

Have you ever seen the trick where you mount a tire vertical, around the steel plate. The spall and fragments get captured in the tire.

I dont think the OP said if he was doing steel targets or not, but the tire trick should capture 90% of the fragments. If you want, you can rake and screen the sand on the backstop for larger chunks.

I think if your actually concerned; put plastic down, 6" sand, run plastic under back stop, and put tires around your targets.

Personally, I would just send it, and not worry.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

This is a question for those of you that have shooting ranges on your property.

Do you worry about lead contamination?

Have you done anything to mitigate movement of lead into surrounding areas?

Would you be more concerned if this was an area that stay pretty wet and swampy over much of the year?

I am thinking about creating a couple 50-200 yard shooting lanes on my property so a couple buddies and I can shoot a couple hundred rounds every month or so. I am not talking about thousands of rounds every month or anything like that. Who has money to shoot that much?

Should I be concerned? What could I do to mitigate the spread of lead?

Thanks in advance for your insight!

Bullet trap. A downward angled steel plate will do it for pistol and small caliber, a berm or bales will do it for rifles. For bird shot, stick to non-toxic or trap/skeet ranges. My rod and gun club mines the trap range for lead every few years and harvests a couple tons, plus pH manages the soil to keep the lead from dissolving into the soil.

 

[nyone]

This is a whole other type of contamination but I do have a friend that ended up with a bullet fragment in her neck due to shooting at a well used camp range. She was well behind the firing line.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

This is a whole other type of contamination but I do have a friend that ended up with a bullet fragment in her neck due to shooting at a well used camp range. She was well behind the firing line.

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.