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Thread: Health Concerns with PC

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Health Concerns with PC

    I was wondering if anyone has studied the airborne health risk when shooting PC boolits? I did some quick research a while back and didn't like what I saw relative to the SDS for the chemicals being used for coating.

    I am not saying there is a health risk, I am asking if anyone really knows for sure. My lead level went up when I was shooting indoors, non-PC boolits that is. I considered that a health risk so now make sure I only shoot outdoors. Lead level dropped.

    I would expect a PC boolit has the advantage of minimizing airborne lead but is the airborne coating any less hazards?

    Just wondering.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
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    is the airborne coating any less hazards? Yes,less problem but it does create dust when shot that any good indoor will eliminate. Cured PC is no worse than pollen/dust. Gasses when baking are noxious as are burnt from recycle/melted.
    Whatever!

  3. #3
    Boolit Master


    nagantguy's Avatar
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    I'd be much more worried about the fumes while cooking/curing than when shooting. A good indoor range should have more than ample ventilation and outdoor shooting is total ventilation. I do wear a good respirator when spraying and a good dust mask when shaking and baking and do my baking in the barn or outside.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master flyingmonkey35's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by unique View Post
    I was wondering if anyone has studied the airborne health risk when shooting PC boolits? I did some quick research a while back and didn't like what I saw relative to the SDS for the chemicals being used for coating.

    I am not saying there is a health risk, I am asking if anyone really knows for sure. My lead level went up when I was shooting indoors, non-PC boolits that is. I considered that a health risk so now make sure I only shoot outdoors. Lead level dropped.

    I would expect a PC boolit has the advantage of minimizing airborne lead but is the airborne coating any less hazards?

    Just wondering.
    I did the research on this 5 years ago. MSDS. Shows once cured it is not dangerous. It take 1400 degrees for 4 hours before it will melt back. It turns into a little ball of goo long before that.

    The danger is in applying and curing. Inhaling into lungs is bad. You can put it on your cheerios though.

    When curing it releases a vapor that is not good for anyone.

    If you want find a powder coating shop near you and ask them. Also see if they will sell you left over powder.

    Sent from my N9560 using Tapatalk

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master
    bangerjim's Avatar
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    More dangerous are the fumes from the primers and powder propelling the PC’s boolit!

    If you must loose sleep about something - - - - consider that.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    I bet curing the stuff ain’t good. I started doing it under a fume hood or outside. I have breathed enough in to prob have nasty stuff happen in the past 5 years

  7. #7
    Boolit Bub
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    My thought is everything has a health risk, I just bake them outside, preferably on a windy day and don't worry much about it. I do the asbb method though so much less dust than spraying.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master rsrocket1's Avatar
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    I do all my PC'ing outdoors. If you don't have a good fitting bullet, you will get gas cutting of the PC, but unlike lead, it doesn't become a metallic vapor to condense on the barrel, it becomes soot that can easily be swabbed out of the barrel. However, the gas cut powder coat is the same as if you burned the polymer off with a torch and there may be some hazard in that (at least hazard to the guys in the shooting lanes downwind of me with long term high concentrations). Chances are the burned polymer is in such low concentrations that it won't matter.

  9. #9
    Boolit Mold
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    I have to agree that while there may be some dust created when firing indoors that the ventilation at a good range would take care of it.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master


    Walter Laich's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by flyingmonkey35 View Post
    You can put it on your cheerios though.
    I tried that . . . still needed sugar
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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check