Someone needs to enlighten this guy about safe bullet casting

[Kent Fowler]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjJFRbcAjz4

While some of what he says is common sense, he's getting bad info about contracting lead poisoning.

[Old Caster]

What a shame that a newbie goes on a rant about how dangerous casting is when it has virtually no possibility of giving a person high lead levels. I have been doing this since 1965 when in the Army on the bullseye league. My job was to cast and size lead bullets after I dug them out of the range backstop and our team shot every day except Sunday so 38's and 45's both. I still cast a lot for myself and my friends and my biggest problem casting is I am always out of lead. Out of all my acquaintances that do the same, the only time any of us have ever had too high of lead levels is when shooting indoors too much. I will not cast indoors because of the smelting smoke and what it would take to get rid of it but not because I am afraid of lead poisoning. If it is 40 degrees or up, I can do it. There is no way you will get lead poisoning from casting or reloading and I will even eat a sandwich in the middle of casting but I would never smoke any cigars like this guy does casting or not because that is way more dangerous. Just don't eat any lead.......Duhhh!! and you will be fine. Have fun like I have been for 57 years

[45DUDE]

He needs a different hobby? His reloading room is too clean and his dog cleans up after the cat. At least he seems to avoid being bored. I cast about 16 pounds a month average and have had two lead tests since the '90s with no problems. I have washed my hands in gasoline since I was 15 and still do when they get greasy. That should be worse than lead. I feel lucky to have a very nice outdoor range and the lock code.

[FLINTNFIRE]

He got his levels from a indoor range and his own lack of awareness , I noticed no dislikes , but with his presentation being as uninformed as it is I did not finish it , youtube where anyone can be a expert and google with its agenda of political correctness or should I say liberal interpretation of what the masses need to be informed of is a poor place for most information and actual truth .

[Gtek]

With all his perceived fears where was his face covering? What about all the lead dust on the shelves under stored display molds? He was touching those boolits with his bare hands, I feel like I need to go wash my face and hands now.

[megasupermagnum]

I won't even try and argue what he thinks about lead poisoning. Other than him saying it can be absorbed through skin, which come on man. He seems like a nice guy, obviously been shooting a while if he owned a range. I think he is a good example of ignorance. You don't need videos, or books, or experts to tell you that if you have lead dust everywhere, something isn't right. He owned a range that is woefully inadequate, and he failed to recognize that. People like to talk about common sense, but that's an outdated phrase. Awareness is something so many people lack today, and I can only blame it on living such shelter lives. It doesn't matter if we are talking shooting, or work, or anything else, we HAVE to observe our surroundings. OSHA can only do so much, and they really do too much as it is. At a certain point you have to be responsible for realizing if you walk on a pallet, you might break your ankle.

P.S. Maybe just don't shoot indoors at all. I see no reason to do it, and I have yet to hear of a case of elevated lead levels that didn't also include indoor shooting. I've never heard of a bullet caster with high lead levels that shot outdoors.

[Wolfdog91]

So who's gonna make the response video to PROPERLY teach people?

[poppy42]

You get more lead exposure and indoor range from primers than you do from lead bullets. Although I wouldn’t recommend it but if you took a clean cast boolet and swallowed it you would probably wouldn’t receive any lead toxicity from it. It’s not the solid lead it’s the dust from oxidation and the fumes from greatly overheating lead. Lead particulates have to be a certain size and in a certain form for your body to absorb them . You definitely stand a better chance of receiving lead poisoning from an indoor range that does not have proper ventilation then you do from casting bullets. The guy is definitely a little overboard.

[sniper]

I find GunBlue 490 knowledgable about most things guns and reloading. Whatever his experience with lead, he is sincere. Patrick Sweeney, a Guns and Ammo staffer and pistol competitor mentioned in one or the other of his two reloading manuals that it is well known that "the poison is in the dose". I think of my younger days when we went fishing with cane poles, and I bit split shot sinkers onto my line. Handling loose .22 long rifle ammo in my pockets, and later, reloading and bullet casting. My dad was a painter, and as a pre schooler, I played with his red and white lead, and didn't wash after. There are conditions known as "Plumber's or Painter's Colic", caused by long and massive exposure to and handling of lead. But, some get it, aand some don't. Just think what I may have accomplished with my life, if I hadn't been impaired by lead poisoning! Most of the literature I've read since I became aware of a potential problem says that washing your hands before eating or sucking your thumb will lead to very little ingestion of lead. I take reasonable precautions, but don't worry too much.

[zymguy]

Ive enjoyed his content for a long time, this is the worst of his videos i didn't finish it. He is not a rookie nor disingenuous. He is clearly out of his element on this one. As for dealing with lead . I gotta believe I read it on this forum. Treat it like fecal matter, wash your hands before you stick them in your mouth for any reason. If you were really rolling around in it maybe change your clothes before hanging out in the kitchen.

[tmanbuckhunter]

The danger of lead poisoning from an indoor range is lead styphnate in the priming compound, which now primers are starting to be made without it. His lead poisoning didn't come from handling ammunition, casting bullets, or loading ammunition. Lead in it's solid form isn't dangerous as long as you wash your hands and dont eat it, nor is it even that dangerous in it's molten form in regards to fumes. It's always lead DUST that is dangerous.

I always enjoyed the old mans videos even though he seemed a little... pretentious? This one has me considering unsubscribing. Complete and utter misinformation, and it's not acceptable.

[bedbugbilly]

I have been casting for 60 years . . . imagine my surprise when I read this thread this morning and I found out that I should have been dead at least thirty years ago.

I listened to this video bout half way through and finally backed out of it. Casting lead is like anything else in life . . . common sense prevails. I don't question whether he did or didn't get lead poisoning from working in, what I assume, was a range he owned? And yea . . . we are all aware of the issues that can exist with indoor ranges . . . but was it properly ventilated? And, were there any other things in his environment that possibly contributed to his high lead levels? Drinking water source, etc.? Those issues still exist in many communities today.

I'm sure he is probably a nice guy who is well intentioned . . . but too many "experts" seem to have video cameras and the need to "educate" others . . . and he isn't the only one. He had a harrowing experience with "lead poisoning" so now he is going to be a caster . . . perhaps he should take up a different hobby like "knitting" and then do a video of the hazards of using knitting needles with sharp points and large skeins of yarn that could possibly get tangled around the neck . . . and I won't even go into the dangers of his dog eating yarn and getting it's digestive system clogged up.

"Common sense" should prevail in any hobby or undertaking . . . cast in a ventilated area, wear protective gear and clothing . . . . and if you're new to it . . . ask questions of those who can help you with sage advice . . . and for goodness sake, read and study reliable information. Videos can be good if the presenter is good . . . but I certainly am not going to go to a brain surgeon who learned his "skills" from a guy who has a video camera and wants to boost his ego.

[M-Tecs]

I have been casting for 60 years . . . imagine my surprise when I read this thread this morning and I found out that I should have been dead at least thirty years ago.

I listened to this video bout half way through and finally backed out of it. Casting lead is like anything else in life . . . common sense prevails. I don't question whether he did or didn't get lead poisoning from working in, what I assume, was a range he owned? And yea . . . we are all aware of the issues that can exist with indoor ranges . . . but was it properly ventilated? And, were there any other things in his environment that possibly contributed to his high lead levels? Drinking water source, etc.? Those issues still exist in many communities today.

I'm sure he is probably a nice guy who is well intentioned . . . but too many "experts" seem to have video cameras and the need to "educate" others . . . and he isn't the only one. He had a harrowing experience with "lead poisoning" so now he is going to be a caster . . . perhaps he should take up a different hobby like "knitting" and then do a video of the hazards of using knitting needles with sharp points and large skeins of yarn that could possibly get tangled around the neck . . . and I won't even go into the dangers of his dog eating yarn and getting it's digestive system clogged up.

"Common sense" should prevail in any hobby or undertaking . . . cast in a ventilated area, wear protective gear and clothing . . . . and if you're new to it . . . ask questions of those who can help you with sage advice . . . and for goodness sake, read and study reliable information. Videos can be good if the presenter is good . . . but I certainly am not going to go to a brain surgeon who learned his "skills" from a guy who has a video camera and wants to boost his ego.

Spot on! Same for me I have been casting for 50 years with a total well over 200K. For 22 years my work required an annual heavy metals blood test and 22 times I tested BELOW average for lead levels. Common sense and good industrial hygiene makes this a non-issue. The one time I did rise to average levels was in the spring after shooting a lot of indoor leagues. After that I always tested in the fall.

[mdi]

Hang around here for a while and you will see the "Chicken Little" type thinkin often. Some would suggest casting 1.74 miles from a residence, wear a full Haz Mat suit with enclosed breathing apparatus, in a full negative air flow room (sealed), and only wear leather apron, boots, chaps, welder's gauntlets, and a welder's leather cap. His ideas/opinions aren't all that far out as compared to many posts here.

Lighten up Safety Gurus!

[gwpercle]

I try to avoid U-Tube whenever I can .

Too much Idiocracy going on there .

Gary

[crackers]

I've seen him a few times before - stepping on his dick but never with golf shoes on the icy concrete.

[Wolfdog91]

So y'all are getting on to this dude for talking about his experiences and trying to promote safety ? I mean he stated multiple times he's older and he's trying to keep his health up and that's what's he's doing which imo makes perfect sense. It's like a guy I was talking to about chain saws he stressed and stressed stressed when he cuts he wears chaps and a face shield because one time he wasn't stuff went bad and he was laid up in the hospital for a while when if he had those things in he would have been fine. And now he stress that to everyone he talks to. Same thing with this guy.
Honestly most people watching this should have the common sense to sit down watch these videos and go " well hay that respirator make sense , and good venting makes sense but throwing away my gloves every few uses ? Ummmm hmmm maybe not I not casting that much "
But again I gotta ask because I see this so much in this forum. Who's actually going to make videos on the proper way to do stuff ? Because it seems no one ever does anything right anytime someone post a YouTube video and the people who try like Elvis ammo fortunecookie ect just get ragged on. But I'm I'm just the young whippersnapper here so I digress

[Tar Heel]

But again I gotta ask because I see this so much in this forum. Who's actually going to make videos on the proper way to do stuff ? Because it seems no one ever does anything right anytime someone post a YouTube video and the people who try like Elvis ammo fortunecookie ect just get ragged on. But I'm I'm just the young whippersnapper here so I digress

Define the "right" way. There is my way, your way, the scientific way, the Godly way, the idiot way, the southern way, the California way, the northern way, this way, and that way. Which one is right or correct? Truth and "right" are relative. Make your video and post it. See how many folks correct you. Post a video showing the "right way" and watch the experts chop away at it. The way that works best for you is the "right way" and probably differs from my "right way".

I still can't figure out why folks put lipstick on their bullets rather than doing it the "right way" with bullet lube in a lubrisizer.

[ioon44]

I try to avoid U-Tube whenever I can .

Too much Idiocracy going on there .

Gary

Yep, I totally agree.

[mdi]

I agree with Wolfdog91. Way too much unnecessary harsh (stupid) criticism. (I wouldn't miss cracker's "high school" posts at all!). There are way too few real "experts" here for all the childish criticism seen on this thread and not typical of the usual adult Castboolits replies.

You guys that know more than GunBlue490 (you without sin) can be the first to criticize (cast the first stone)...