I Hold My Breath When I Shoot

[Owen Sparks]

Lately, I noticed that I tend to hold my breath when I shoot. When ever I smell burned powder (which contains microscopic lead particles) I just reflexivly hold my breath. This is not really a problem because even the slightest breeze clears the air in seconds. I think this habit is a hold over from cleaning the lynotype*machine at work years ago (I am a printer by trade) Is lead REALLY that harmfull? Old time printers handeled lynotype metal all day every day for entire careers and I never heard of a printer having lead related health problems.

*Lynotype - an obsolete machine used in the printing industry that cast lead based type.

OS

[DMH]

Lead from the priming compound is probably the worst, so definitely keep tumbling media outside if possible. As for holding your breath, any deprivation of oxygen to the brain is extremely detrimental to your senses, especially decreasing your visual acuity while shooting.

[unclez]

I don't hold my breath while shooting but I do wear a mask when working around the tumbler (even outside) and when working the media seperator.

[hitman]

You are being overly sensative to your exposure level.

Check with your doctor and have a blood lead level test done.

Years and years ago I shot at an indoor range, virtyally no ventilation and it took over a year of weekly practice sessions (about 3 hours per) for my lead blood level to raise from 12 to 22.

Reason I know is because I had a job where my blood was tested yearly and one of the tests they ran was blood level.

[Neil Smith]

Holding your breath while actually shooting is normal, in fact its your body's natural reaction to the shots going off in front of you, you couldn't breath even if you wanted too its a subcontious reaction, you will find that you start breathing again when you stop shooting in order to move to the next position or bring the gun down for a reload.

Avoiding any fumes created is always a good idea.

N

[Owen Sparks]

Years and years ago I shot at an indoor range, virtyally no ventilation and it took over a year of weekly practice sessions (about 3 hours per) for my lead blood level to raise from 12 to 22.

So at what number does lead in your system become harmfull?

And for that matter are spent bullets left in the ground REALLY harmfull to the enviroment?

Something tells me that all of the recent concern about lead polution at shooting ranges is just another angle for more anti gun legislation. After all, where does lead come from in the first place? THEY DIG IT UP OUT OF THE GROUND.

[Steve Moneypenny]

Either you aren't shooting enough or long enough or you would have died from suffocation by now

seciously the inhaled lead "just while your shooting" and if you hold it long enough for the air to fully clear you'll die. won't really help if yoru worried that much just put on a respirator.

all the other stuff like washign hands. touching eyes mouth, etc and the whole not breathing tumbler dust .

[hitman]

Years and years ago I shot at an indoor range, virtyally no ventilation and it took over a year of weekly practice sessions (about 3 hours per) for my lead blood level to raise from 12 to 22.

So at what number does lead in your system become harmfull?

And for that matter are spent bullets left in the ground REALLY harmfull to the enviroment?

Something tells me that all of the recent concern about lead polution at shooting ranges is just another angle for more anti gun legislation. After all, where does lead come from in the first place? THEY DIG IT UP OUT OF THE GROUND.

I think the OSHA level is something like 24 or 25.

They told me I was close to the level where I would not be alowed to work but a year later it was down to something like 15, yes I had quit shooting at that range.