BJ Hill, an outfitter in Jackson Hole, says 95% of his hunters use copper bullets, and he recommends that others switch to lead-free bullets, as well. He indicates that it is a simple step with few consequences. The real issues of disagreement between hunters and environmentalists are wolves, grizzly bears and feed grounds. In 2009, 24% of nearby hunters used copper bullets, and the blood lead levels in ravens dropped 28% compared to what would have been expected, given the number of bison and elk killed.
My take: I’ve hunted with lead, and I’ve hunted with copper, and I’m very impressed by copper bullets. I agree with Hill that this is a royal case of “Why Not.” Certainly if you hunt with premium bullets in the first place, you won’t suffer a price penalty. And even if you typically hunt with Core-Lokt bullets, you can use lead for target practice, and buy a box of Triple-Shocks that would likely last many seasons. And you won’t be scraping lead out of your meat. Don’t give anti-hunters one more thing to complain about: Give them one less!
[...] Bullets A Wyoming outfitter recommends that hunters switch to lead-free bullets. See details on loadnode.com. March 9th, 2010 | Category: Hunting, [...]