DNR study on bullet fragmentation

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DNR study on bullet fragmentation

Postby rucker on Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:22 pm

I remember there was some discussion about this awhile ago and I see the results of testing are now on the DNR's website:

Condensed Summary of Examining Variability Associated with Bullet Fragmentation and Deposition in White-tailed deer and domestic sheep: Preliminary Results

Lou Cornicelli, Big Game Program Coordinator

The intent of the study was to conduct an experiment that would control for bullet caliber and focus on examining the variability of lead fragmentation and deposition associated with distinctly different categories of bullets and firearms used to harvest deer in Minnesota. We selected bullets based on their advertised performance and consumer availability. For this study, 72 previously euthanized domestic sheep were used as a surrogate for white-tailed deer.

The study was conducted in July 2008 at Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area. X-Rays and CT scans were taken at the University of Minnesota Small Animal Hospital and lead analysis was completed by the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

Each sheep was propped up in a broadside position and shot in the thoracic cavity at 50 meters. A chronograph was used to record the velocity and bullets were recovered using a box filled with sand behind the target.

The guns used for this study included centerfire rifle, muzzleloader and shotgun.

For centerfire rifle, we used a .308 with 150 grain bullets and five different bullet designs:
-Rapid Expansion (Ballistic Tip, Soft Point)
-Controlled Expansion (exposed lead core, non-exposed lead core)
-Non-lead (Copper)

For the muzzleloader, we used a .50 caliber, 100 grains of powder (2-50 grain Hodgdon 777 pellets) and two different bullet designs:
-245 grain
-300 grain

For the shotgun, we used a 12-gauge and a 1-ounce Foster-style slug

We also shot three sheep in the pelvic region using a ballistic tip, soft point, and slug to document dispersion of lead in animals shot poorly.

We skinned and gutted each carcass, inserted a carbon fiber tube through the wound channel, then took a radiograph on the exit wound side. We also rinsed carcasses of sheep shot with both types of rapid expansion bullets and took a second radiograph to determine the effect washing had on fragment distribution.

A veterinarian counted the number of fragments and measured the maximum distances the fragments travelled.

The extent of lead contamination in muscle tissue was determined using techniques similar to other studies published in scientific literature. We collected muscle tissue samples at 2, 10 and 18 inches from the exit wounds. We also measured the diameter of the entry/exit holes and the wound channel length.

The study showed that using bullets with no exposed lead (a copper case completely surrounds the lead core) or copper are two ways to significantly reduce (or eliminate) lead exposure. The non-exposed lead core bullets averaged nine copper fragments in the animal with an average maximum distance from the wound channel of seven inches. By design, copper bullets leave no lead and the few fragments that were seen on x-ray were less than an inch from the exit wound. Overall, both of these bullet designs fragmented very little and left no lead.

The ballistic tip bullet (rapid expansion) had the highest fragmentation rate, with an average of 141 fragments per carcass and an average maximum distance of 11 inches from the wound channel. In one carcass, a fragment was found 14 inches from the exit wound.

Soft point bullets (rapid expansion) left an average of 86 fragments at an average maximum distance of 11 inches from the wound channel. In this research, bonded lead-core bullets (controlled expansion, exposed lead core) performed almost identically to the soft-core bullets and left an average of 82 fragments with an average maximum distance of nine inches from the wound.

Shotgun slugs left an average of 28 fragments at an average maximum distance of five inches from the wound channel. Muzzleloader bullets (245-grain and 300-grain respectively) left an average of three and 34 fragments, respectively, at an average maximum distances of one and six inches, respectively.

A key take away message from the study is that given fragments were found so far from the exit wound, routine trimming likely will not remove all of the fragments and DNR cannot make a recommendation as to how far out trimming should occur.

In counting fragments, only about 30 percent were within two inches of the exit wound. The vast majority was dispersed further from the carcass. In some cases, researchers found low levels of lead as far away as 18 inches from the bullet exit hole. The DNR also learned that rinsing a carcass produced mixed results. While rinsing tends to reduce lead around the wound channel it also transports lead away from the wound.

The research also showed that a shot to the hindquarters of a deer – where heavy bones are found – will result in extensive fragmentation. Fragmentation was so pronounced that a hunter would likely not want to utilize this meat as there would be no way to remove all the fragments. The full research report is available at http://www.dnr.state.gov/lead.
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Re: DNR study on bullet fragmentation

Postby JoeH on Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:41 pm

The moral of the story... Don't shoot deer in the ass.
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Re: DNR study on bullet fragmentation

Postby westhope on Thu Oct 16, 2008 3:28 pm

JoeH wrote:
The moral of the story... Don't shoot deer in the ass.


Largest whitetail (12 point) I ever shot was "thru the ass". Mount hanging in my reloading room.

It was about 40 yards. He was moving slightly down and away. He would offer no better shots if I waited. I knew he had a hell of a rack. I figured the bullet would quarter through the body and vitals. The bullet (25-06, 100 gr Nosler Partition) entered high on the rear right hip, it quartered through the body and stopped just under the skin at the left shoulder. He traveled about 75 yards. The bullet had a final weight of 87 grain when I weighed it. The rear hip was broken, the bullet went through the lungs, broke the left shoulder and stopped just under the skin.

I still really believe in Nosler Partition Bullets. Yes, I know some of the newer bullets may be slightly better but I have no experience with those. I also recovered a 165 gr 30-06 Nosler Partition that looked similar.
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Re: DNR study on bullet fragmentation

Postby JoeH on Thu Oct 16, 2008 3:49 pm

I was just making a joke since the sheep in the study were all shot in "the pelvic region". Sure, I've heard of clean kills taken at 6 o'clock that traveled through the vitals.

How about a reloading room pic to get the guys fired up for deer season?
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Re: DNR study on bullet fragmentation

Postby rucker on Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:04 pm

JoeH wrote:I was just making a joke since the sheep in the study were all shot in "the pelvic region". Sure, I've heard of clean kills taken at 6 o'clock that traveled through the vitals.


Only 3 of them were... the rest were shot in the thoracic cavity.
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Re: DNR study on bullet fragmentation

Postby westhope on Thu Oct 16, 2008 6:25 pm

JoeH, It was just too good of an opportunity to pass up to brag about my largest buck. Thanks for the openning.
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Re: DNR study on bullet fragmentation

Postby Stradawhovious on Thu Oct 16, 2008 6:55 pm

westhope wrote:JoeH, It was just too good of an opportunity to pass up to brag about my largest buck. Thanks for the openning.


Ahem....... :picsneeded:

Opening #2 ;)
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Re: DNR study on bullet fragmentation

Postby 1911fan on Thu Oct 16, 2008 7:40 pm

One other point that needs to be made, If adults or kids over age 9 eat lead chunks, they pass right thru. the lead has to be more or less disovled into the tissue before our bodies will absorb it.

Also, most of these "chunks" are found by your teeth. particularly in game birds, as shot, we find and toss them out.

I also wonder about the way they "find" the lead, is it buried in the meat or simply resting on the internal organs. and how much gets left on the ground behind us with the gut pile. They seem to be using whole animals for the Xray, instead of using well killed game animals. in stead of doing false tests in a barn, haul that xray machine out to a popular place like Tobies and offer a few free cinbuns to slide guys dead deer on to the x ray table, get real world information. Maybe we find out that shooting them with 180 grain savage 300's and 200 grain 35 rem's at modest velocity that punches a clean hole all the way thru is the best after all. ... .. just venting here.....
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Re: DNR study on bullet fragmentation

Postby goalie on Fri Oct 17, 2008 7:49 pm

All the deer I've shot with a muzzle-loader (.50 cal using sabot-wrapped Hornady XTP 300 grain or 240 grain .44 magnum bullets) went clean-through. Then again, you shoot deer in MN with a muzzle-loader close, as scopes are illegal on them.

The deer shot with my .270 (only 4 so far) have all been pass-through shots as well. I have hunted with the Federal Fusion ammo in my .270, and it seems to hold together well in the animal, but they were all shot pretty close (100 yards or so) and through the heart, with nothing more than organs and a rib or so to go through.

The 30-30 has only taken 3 deer, and two were pass-through shots. It left one bullet under the hide on the far-side of the deer, but that was from about 117 yards (thanks Leica laser rangefinder) and through the shoulder. The bullet, a Game King reload, was in one-piece, with very little weight loss.

Anyhow, my real life experience tells me that good bullets mean I would need to shoot about a zillion deer, and eat them all myself, to ingest any noticeable amount of lead.....
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Re: DNR study on bullet fragmentation

Postby Rem700 on Sun Oct 19, 2008 1:49 pm

I wonder how much fragmentation there is gonna be now that .223 is legal.
Say like a 40gr TNT broadside, Guess there not much worry about eating the meat unless your concerned about Ravens and such.
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Re: DNR study on bullet fragmentation

Postby aviator on Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:19 pm

Over the last forty years, I've shot over 200 deer, a few with a 30-30, most with a .300 savage and lately two with a .243 along with a fair number with a bow and muzzle loader. I dress and butcher all my deer and I am real fussy about everything. I've not seen a lot of fragmentation and I typically use the power point style bullet which is jacketed except for the tip. Since I always shoot the lung area, I feel hardly any lead residue gets into the meat. However, supposedly, pregnant women and kids under 6 years of age should not eat any meat that may have lead in it. So, I am looking for bullets that will not leave any residue of lead and so far, the only thing I've found is a bullet by Nosler. It seems to be mostly copper and I wonder about the performance. I think they have them for the .30 caliber but don't know about .243. I am very interested in the performance, ie. wound channel and expansion. By next year, I'll have some reloaded and begin testing them on the real thing. I won't get it done this year as my rifles are already sighted in for existing ammo. So far I've already gotten one in the early season and the wife says we will need one or two more.
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Re: DNR study on bullet fragmentation

Postby westhope on Sun Oct 19, 2008 7:50 pm

Barnes makes a 243 (6mm) 85 gr. bullet that is all copper.

http://www.barnesbullets.com/products/rifle/tsx-bullet/
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Re: DNR study on bullet fragmentation

Postby Jackpine Savage on Mon Oct 20, 2008 6:07 am

Corbon produces ammo with the Barnes bullets, they call it DPX.

One of the PDFs on the DNR website lists the bullets that were tested and the results for each. The Barnes bullet and the Winchester XP3 were the only ones that didn't leave lead fragments. The Barnes is all copper and Winchester has a lead base with a thick jacket.
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Re: DNR study on bullet fragmentation

Postby mattxd on Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:29 pm

you may want to learn a little about the guy who stirred this pot. it looks like he was trying to get some press for his project
http://www.peregrinefund.org/Lead_conference/default.htm

http://outdoorlife.blogs.com/thegunshots/2008/03/lead-in-meat-st.html
.....Coming on the heels of California’s ban on lead bullets in the historic range of the endangered California condor, this news report from North Dakota would be especially unsettling if it wasn’t so flimsy.
For starters, the source of the health scare is suspect, even if his motivations are pure. Dr. William Cornatzer is a dermatologist, not an epidemiologist. Plus, he is on the board of The Peregrine Fund, an Idaho-based non-profit dedicated to raptor conservation that has lobbied hard to ban lead from condor country. The group is holding a conference in May entitled “Ingestion of Spent Lead Ammunition: Implications for Wildlife and Humans” (http://www.peregrinefund.org/Lead_conference/). Is Dr. Cornatzer’s study designed to foment outrage over home-freezer contamination leading up to the conference?
Then there’s the scientific validity of the study itself. Cornatzer’s initial investigation found detectable levels of lead in 53 of the 100 one-pound packages of ground venison he tested, according to the AP. That’s significant, but is it replicable? A follow-up study by North Dakota’s state health department found lead in all five samples of venison it tested. Disturbing, yes. But not as disturbing as the actions of public-health officials who extrapolated from this tiny sample that all hunter-harvested venison should be discarded. ....


the samples he tested were not preserved to allow for followup testing. I may be just me but if I were going to make such accusations I would have at least some shred of documentable proof. you would think that someone with enough education to be called doctor would have had the thought to preserve the samples or sent for independent testing prior to ringing the bell.
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Re: DNR study on bullet fragmentation

Postby Pinnacle on Thu Oct 23, 2008 7:31 am

westhope wrote:Barnes makes a 243 (6mm) 85 gr. bullet that is all copper.

http://www.barnesbullets.com/products/rifle/tsx-bullet/


Barnes Bullets are GREAT - they perform all out of proportion to their weight and caliber.... Great for recoil sensitive shooters - loading lighter bullets will yield the same performance as a heavier conventional bullet.
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