I understand putting them in bullets intended for things you’re not going to eat, such as military use. But why would we use something that can kill us and shoot it at something like a deer? Isn’t that risking lead poisoning?
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The lead in a bullet has low bioavailability- its not in a compound that is readily absorbed into our bodies.
But even then – the bullet/shot doesn’t spread lead through the animal, it stays as either a solid lump or fragments into a relatively small number of pieces that can be removed during butchering (assuming the bullet/shot doesn’t go though the animal), cooking or even while eating with relatively low risk of actual lead exposure.
Lead bullets are relatively cheap to make and are very good at their job because they are so dense. In some places there are restrictions like no shooting lead at birds, or no lead is guns meant for self defense.
The risk of lead poisoning from a single bullet is quite low. The bullet effects a relatively small area of the carcass. The lead in the bullet is inorganic which is difficult for the body to absorb. If you were to swallow the bullet, it would look very similar when it left your body at the other end. When metals are dissolved it is a lot easier for the body to absorb.
For example when someone has an iron deficiency. Chewing on a stick of metal would not help. Rather you could take supplements in the form of pills or injections or eat more food that is naturally rich in the element.
Additionally, long term exposure to lead is the serious risk. If you drank water with high levels of lead one time, you would probably not see any signs. If you drank that same water every day for many years, the health risk would be very high.
It’s dense and soft. So it carry’s a lot of energy in a small size but when it hits expands out into a larger footprint. That increases damage and transfer of energy to the target
Lead is fairly cheap, easy to mould and heavy meaning it carries a lot of energy for relatively small size.
Lead is a problem with waterfowl. Birds eat the lead weights from fishing or from the dead animals shot with shotguns and they get sick and die.
For shooting waterfowl specifically you have to use steel or tungsten shot. The lead pellets end up getting eaten by the birds and they get sick and die.
Lead is a traditional material for bullets because it’s cheap, soft, dense, and has a low melting point. These are all good properties for both making and using bullets.
There is basically no risk of lead poisoning from consuming game shot with lead projectiles. Even if you somehow swallowed a little bit, metallic lead doesn’t readily absorb into the body.
I know a fellow who owns a bullet casting business. He and his employees melt lead alloys and run bullet casting machines five or six days a week.
They test for lead exposure on a regular basis. Basic PPE, safety, and hygiene practices suffice to keep their lead levels normal.
Lead poisoning mostly comes from lead compounds, such as those that used to be used in paint.
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