Suitable non-lead ammo for springers?

[BumbleShot]

The other day while shooting at a friends house, I realized we were putting a lot of lead into an area near my friends drinking water well.

I also noticed that 4 tins of pellets weigh close to 2 lbs...  That's a lot poison to put near a drinking water source (or any water source, for that matter.)

I have a Beeman target trap that tries to catch the rounds, but many will shatter or land long or short (not when I'm shooting!)

So, in short, is there any non-lead pellet that will work with springers (is, R7, B26, B40, Quest1k, RWS34, R9, etc.) that is not made of lead, or that may have a sabot around a steel or tungsten round or something?  Just saying tungsten means $$$.

For hunting the 3 or 4 lead pellets left in the field is much less and issue.  But for a target zone, 10 tins of pellets in the dirt will leach into the ground water, like here on Long Island where our aquifers are strained as it is.

Are pumpers and PCPs the only real fix, since they can safely use alloy pellets?

Thanks for your time and information.  This lead thing bothers me, especially for pregnant women and young children.

Neil

[BumbleShot]

http://www.babymd.net/lead.htm

http://targettalk.org//viewtopic.php?p=79675

http://www.cvm.umn.edu/raptor/news/healthtopics/leadpoisoning/home.html

Maybe a rimfire trap, which costs more, would be a good addition to outdoor at-home ranges at the very least.

Seems a good reason to go with a pumper or PCP gun if you're putting thousands of rounds into your garden a year.

[Meann-Machine]

Check out Dynamic Pellets at Airguns of Arizona.  The pellets are  broken down by suitability of purpose for PCPs or Springers
https://www.airgunsofarizona.com/

[douglas george]

Lead does not migrate in the ground, water is safe.  But GAMO makes a alloy pellet, and RWS makes the "HyperMax" lead free pellet...but being light they all are supersonic out of a 900fps or faster gun...they crack like a 22 Long Rifle.  I have shot them in my Chinese QB 36-2, and they made a LOUD CRACK.  Maybe someone will make a DU pellet...then we can find them with a Giger counter.  Also try a cardboard box with several cloth towels hanging over a wooden rod.  This will stop pellets, and you won't get lead splatter.  Some lead rubs off in the barrel, and will leave some lead vapor in the air after firing a magnum spring gun, or a PCP.
Douglas George

[Rolls-Royce]

Generally, natural waters are alkaline and will not leach lead, so even if pellets actually entered the well, there shouldn't be a problem. If the water has somehow been acidified before contact with the pellets, though, all bets are off.

[agg]

Great question, I also have had concerns about lead getting into my peach tree.

[longislandhunter]

This is kinda related so I thought I'd post it......

A couple of years ago a friend of mine shot a nice doe during deer season.  He butchers his own deer and he as is his practice he saved the neck with the meat on it to make soup with like he always does.  A  couple months later his wife took the deer neck out of the freezer, thawed it and proceeded to boil it whole until the meat was falling off the bone.  She took the neck out of the pot to pick the meat off it and what did she find while removing the meat ?   She found the 12 gauge lead slug that my friend used in his shotgun to kill the deer.  

My friend, being the frugal person that he is, decided to call the NYS poison control hotline and ask them if the meat was still edible.   Well, the person he spoke to said to just throw out the slug and go ahead and keep making your soup because the meat is fine to eat.  He did and the soup was delicious...... I had some  

Anyway, if boiling a lead slug in the water with the meat for an hour or so didn't pass on any health hazard from the lead then I would assume that shooting pellets in your back yard isn't going to poison your well.  

But I guess it is a legitimate concern.  

Anyway, that's my story.....

Jeff