Possible lead poisoning

[Droot]

I had been casting and shooting for 20 years.

I asked my doctor to test me for lead.   She said no, your insurance will not cover it.

I said "I will pay for it".   She said OK, I will put down you were exposed.  That was in 2006.

 

The next day I got a phone call.  Lead level was almost 50.   I asked what to do.  She said 

I am finding out, you are my first patient with lead poison.  

I got letter and call from the state.  I chose not to participate in the program.

I gave up shooting, casting and reloading for a few years.

Levels went down below 20.   I have been back to shooting and reloading for a few years.  

Levels are now below 20.  Last test was a year ago.  It was 17 and I got a call from the state of NY.

 

I don't think the symptoms of OP are from lead poison.  If they were, his levels would be still high.

 

Symptoms I had were aching joints, and my  "Pay Attention" was not working well.

 

I now shoot coated, plated or jacketed bullets.  

 

I believe some folks are more susceptible to it than others.

 

David

Edited May 24, 2018 by Droot

[Droot]

There was a time just before I had the test above done I was going to an indoor range every day at lunch time.

 

I was trying to make my home cast wadcutters shoot as well as the swaged hollow base ones bought in the store.  

 

I had a Ruger security 6 with a aftermarket match grade barrel and scope.

 

I was doing a LOT of casting and shooting indoors.

 

I never did get my home cast to shoot as well.  Close, but not it.

 

This was my best 5 shot group @ 50 feet with my home cast.

 

 

[Want2BS8ed]

What reason do you all give your doctors for wanting a lead test?
 
I have a physical coming up and don't particularly want to discuss shooting with my doctor.

I'm lucky my Doc's a shooter.

We spend way more time talking guns during an appointment than how much weight I have to loose!

As I've gotten older and started kibitzing about the need for prescription shooting glasses I worried about discussing it with my optometrist.

Her reply when I finally did? No worries, bring your pistol in and we'll make sure we get them just right for your front sight... don't know what shocked me more; letting me bring a pistol into a Dr's office or that she knew what I needed to really focus on!

M


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[9x45]

Everyone who shoots should get a baseline blood lead level. Mine got up to 28 shooting USPSA outdoors 5 times a month running Bear Creek Moly bullets. I switched to Bayou coated, and it dropped to 8 in four months, then down to 6 in 6 months, about the same as for guys shooting FMJ's and JHPs. There is still lead from the lead styhpnate in the primer, but 99% of lead comes from the gun exhaust you breathe in, and if you RO allot, all the other shooters gun exhaust. Lead cannot go thru your skin, and if you just happen to handle steel during setup, and forget to wash your hands, that fractional amount will go right thru you. While spent primers may look nasty, the lead that was there is completely oxidized during ignition. You may have thought you had lead poisoning, but there should have been other symptoms to go with it. Severe migraine headaches,  extreme sensitive to light,  throwing up, diarrhea, black lips, black finger nails. Over 60 and you would be put in the hospital for chelation, which takes up to 5 days. Don't do this at home, because chelation rips out all the heavy metals, including potassium. Shooting cast lead, shooting indoors, shooting 2,500 rounds a month, yea, you'll get some lead. Shooting coated or plated or FMJs, outside, 200 rounds a month, no, you would be around a 2, if that.  Casting lead does not present a problem as lead has to get to over 1,200 degrees to vaporize, and it melts at only 625 degrees.  A lead panel will also test for mercury and arsenic. So get yourself tested and then you will know.

[IHAVEGAS]

This is more a question than anything, so no butt jumping please. 

 

Where I wonder about lead inhalation is when you have the timer and you are running open shooters several times during the course of the day. You end up breathing a lot of air saturated with whatever is coming out of the barrel ports. I understand that many are shooting copper jacketed bullets, but even that is still copper over lead so you figure some lead might be exposed as the bullet makes its way through the rifling. Maybe the clouds coming out are nothing but powder residue and sucking down a bunch of that is aok? 

[arkadi]

Looking onto lead in compensator and lead deposit underneath scope mount near ejection port I'm pretty sure there is vaporized lead in those fumes.

Edited June 5, 2018 by arkadi