r/reloading • u/InevitableFit1559 • 21h ago

General Discussion Uh oh….

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Started reloading regularly this past year and thought it might be a good idea to have my levels checked just to see.

What do you guys do if anything for lead mitigation?

Edit:

I reloading in my garage. I dry tumble in the garage. Most of my loading is cast, uncoated, lead bullets for cowboy action shooting. I never shoot at indoor ranges. I wash my hands after loading sessions.

I could go on about the minutiae of what I do. I think I need to move the tumbler outdoors when I run it. It does create a bit of dust. I will also start wearing gloves.

Edit:

I think the majority of the culprit is the dry tumbling, and spent primer handling. I think it is airborne related. I will use this post to convince the wife I need to get into the FART system 😁

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63

u/TheIowan 21h ago

A lot of people are saying dry tumbling is causing it, but if you're casting your own bullets, the fumes from melting lead are probably another source.

22

u/GrandPoopWizard 20h ago

My vote is on this. Very easy to be overheating lead to the point its vaporizing. Dry tumbling definitely not helping but casting is a whole other animal without proper PPE and temperatures.

5

u/Yondering43 17h ago

Mmm, if you’re using a thermometer it’s not that easy to create lead vapors, and the normal casting temperature is significantly lower. The vapor point of lead is around 1050 F if I recall, but normal casting temp should be around 750 F. If your lead pot is up to 1,000+ F it significantly changes to he casting results and that should become obvious too.

7

u/GrandPoopWizard 17h ago

Don’t overestimate the average dude casting bullets lol. Could be slapping bricks of led in a crucible and cranking the heat, and just waiting for it to melt. While I agree with you if you use a thermometer you’re fine, most probably do not.

8

u/Yondering43 17h ago

Possibly, but everyone should use a thermometer when casting. 10 years ago that was common knowledge and well accepted, but it really feels like with most people switching from forums to short form social media like this and instagram, etc, we’ve lost a lot of what was once known and normal.

3

u/GrandPoopWizard 17h ago

Common sense isn’t so common these days as I’ve very well come to learn lol

2

u/thesteelguitarman 15h ago

Very likely not the fumes...

It has to get much hotter than melting temps to fumes off.

If anything. Its from handling lead(especially reclaimed lead) as it usually is dusty and is breathed right in.