FMJ vs Hollowpoint

[locknloader]

Since hollow points have their lead exposed on the nose of the bullet, does this help at all with lead exposure/contamination when shooting compared to an FMJ which has the lead exposed at the base of the bullet and comes into contact with the explosion pushing the bullet out of the barrel?

"cleaner" to shoot HP indoors instead of FMJ?

 

[74A95]

Since hollow points have their lead exposed on the nose of the bullet, does this help at all with lead exposure/contamination when shooting compared to an FMJ which has the lead exposed at the base of the bullet and comes into contact with the explosion pushing the bullet out of the barrel?

"cleaner" to shoot HP indoors instead of FMJ? YES

There is also lead in the primer mixture, so some companies use lead-free primers to reduce/eliminate airborne lead when combined with lead-free bullets.

 

[locknloader]

Are the lead free primers pricey? I have been using standard Winchester/CCI primers, i have not seen any advertised as lead free but have not been exactly looking for it either.

 

[Unclenick]

Not easy to find and more sensitive to moisture damage. I believe S&B is selling them for reloading. Note that the DDNT used in the NT (non-toxic) primers I am familiar with has higher brissance than lead styphnate primers, so flash holes may need to be drilled out to about 1/8 inch when using them. Check with the maker on that point as the formulations may have changed.

I don't think there is an advantage to an HP. It will still splatter lead on a backstop, too. An open base may experience a little gas cutting splatter, but the lead from the primers is a stomach acid-soluble compound and is much more toxic than metallic lead and so good ventilation and the primers should be the first focus. For NT bullets, a totally enclosed bullet like a plated bullet is better. Call the bullet makers to ask what they recommend in their lines, specifically.

 

[74A95]

Fiocchi lead-free primers are available from a couple places, such as Powder Valley. https://www.powdervalleyinc.com/ They are a little more expensive than regular primers. They don't require enlarged flash holes, according to Fiocchi (I asked them).

 

[Unclenick]

Good to know. Thanks for posting it. I hadn't looked at NT primers for a while, and it sounds like they are getting better. I know the early ones tended to die in about three years in normal humidity. Do you know if Fiocchi has a life expectancy on theirs?

 

[74A95]

No. I didn't ask them about that.

I compared them to other primers, such as CCI 500, and didn't see any difference in velocity or accuracy.

 

[Mobuck]

Unless you shoot a lot in a closet, open base or closed won't matter.

 

[Unclenick]

Unfortunately, it can matter in the sense that it can determine which ranges you are allowed to use.

 

[T. O'Heir]

The primary source for lead exposure is casting bullets in a room without proper ventilation. Not shooting indoors. Shooting an FMJ or HP makes little or no difference at all.
"...the explosion pushing the bullet..." There is no explosion. It's expanding gases coming from the high speed burning of the propellant. Smokeless powder is not an explosive.

 

[Unclenick]

Casting is not a primary source. One of our members had a friend who does lead contamination testing for a living who tested his shooting equipment and found neither the reloading bench nor the casting bench was contaminated above safe levels. The only place he found such contamination was around this fellow's vibratory tumbler where he separated the media from the brass. That was all primer dust contamination.

I notice that Hornady says its XTP bullets have no exposed lead. They are another source to check.