Leaded or unleaded? Bullets, that is

That's the question hunters must ask starting today as a ban on lead ammunition goes into effect across a large swath of Southern and Central California. The prohibition on lead bullets  was signed into law last year by Gov. Schwarzenegger to protect the endangered California condor from lead poisoning by feeding on game killed with lead bullets. The ban applies to the "condor range," which includes Santa Barbara, Ventura counties and a larger portion of Los Angeles County.

Many hunting groups opposed the ban, primarily because copper and other lead-free types of ammunition is more expensive than lead. But many appear to have been preparing for the ban. Becky Davis, owner of a Goleta ammunition maker, told the Ventura County Star that there is quite a wait for copper bullets.

"We're backlogged two to three weeks right now, when we're usually backlogged two to three days," she said.

-- Jesus Sanchez

Photo: Nonlead bullet, left, and a standard bullet. Credit: Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles times

Comments

[Rhonin]

As a hunter, I see no problem with not using lead. I don't need much ammo for hunting and I can still use lead for target practice.

[JPS]

Bad news i though it was a ban on ammunition, on all guns
But it's just about the lead...

[Bill]

I assume this applies only to new ammo sold. I have no problem with the ban, and if copper or steel shot is available, I'd buy it. I'd much rather have steel shot in my game bird than lead, anyway.

[Nick]

And what about the Fishermen with those Lead Weights? Why not also address the Lead used in Car Wheels? Then ban Lead Weight Belts and Exercise Weights with Lead products. Better yet, why not just ban all heavy metals? I never heard of these ideas until recent days, simply ludicrous. We are destroying the planet with more then Lead Products. How's about a mandatory car that gets 50-100 mpg? Now that would go a lot farther in helping the earth then a few Lead Bullets used by Hunters.

[Jolnir the Viking]

Personally, I'm in favor of cleaner ammunition, but the fact that a legislature and a governor had to make this part of their day is just proof of the pathology of having a full time gaggle of public trough sucking gluttons trying to justify their lard or lead-arsed salaries.

Fire the bums and send them home. And then, get a real legislature like Wyoming has, where they meet for two weeks every couple of years and then hightail their unpaid arses back home.

[Jack]

Or, instead of waiting for that mandatory 100mpg car that will never come, you could try a bunch of little things that will also make a difference.

Or I guess we could just give up and let things continue to be the way they are, since that's working out so well for us.

[MC in AZ]

Nick wrote: "Why not also address the Lead used in Car Wheels?"

Nick, how many animals do you suppose are killed by wheel weights and then subsequently ingested by condors? OK, I'll grant that it may be more than the number killed by exercise belts or free weights, but still, would you care to provide an estimate?

[jimbo]

Who cares about condors anyway. If they are not choking on lead bullets they are drinking battery acid or getting caught in power lines. No wonder they are almost extinct. They are stupid.