Don't drink (water) at a match

[Roger Rapid]

 

Don’t drink water at a match - at least not from the new Crystal Geyser filp-top bottles!

 

At our 3rd Annual Lazy Arrow ShootOut last weekend, we went through several cases of water that featured Crystal Geyser's new flip-top bottles unaware of any harm they might cause. Watching both myself and other shooters drinking from these new bottles, I noticed that your finger rubs on the mouth of the bottle as you open it - especially if you are using your thumb to push up the cap. It dawned on me that opening the bottle this way presented a huge possibility to get lead contaminate from your hands onto the mouth of the bottle, especially since rubbing your finger on the mouth of the bottle will scrape more residue from your finger than just touching the mouth of the bottle. So, on a lark, I took some empty bottles home and tested the mouth of the bottle for lead. Sure enough they tested positive for lead particulate!

 

There have been several posts about Blood Lead Levels (BLL) on this site, and I wrote an article about the importance of controlling BLL for Cowboy Action shooters™, that appeared in the March 2015 issue of the Cowboy Chronicle. It's an important topic. It’s one thing to be in the presence of lead particulate when we are shooting, but unkonwingly ingesting lead is a very bad idea to say the least. (If you didn’t see the article, you can download a white-paper version from the Documents section of our website at: 

 

http://www.prvcatlazyarrow.com/prvcatylazyarrow.com/Documents_Papers.html

 

I’m sure Crystal Geyser's intensions were well founded in preventing removable caps from causing waste problems, and I assume the company is not aware of this hazard. I plan to communicate with Crystal Geyser, but in the meantime, I urge that you buy the screw-top bottles and not the flip-top version - especially when your hands are dirty with lead!.

 

Be safe!

 

RR

 

 

[Major Crimes]

Your not putting enough Scotch in your water

 

But seriously, thanks for the warning.

 

I didnt realise the issues of Pb contamination until it was pointed out on this site and I am now much more careful when reloading.

[John Henry Quick]

Besides, do you know what fish DO in water??? 

[Pat Riot]

Excellent message, Roger Rapid. Thank you. 

[Cheyenne Culpepper 32827]

BUT,,,, if that is all you have,,,drink it, just be careful opening it,,,, dehydration is by far more   an immediate danger,,,

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

PLUS ONE to Culpepper!!!!  And, your not going to pick up enough lead from your water bottle to matter.

[Marauder SASS #13056]

Thanks for the articles..

 

The 21 Tips for an R.O. is really good too!

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

Really! 

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

Dear Roger,

 

You are an asset to our shooting community.

 

Thank you for watching out for us.

 

Regards,

 

Allie

 

PS Purdy Boy more than just a pretty face.   He makes an excellent point about drinking water. I still remember a dehydration headache. Yeow! It was painfu. I'm lucky it passed by the next day. I'd shot 14 main match stages and three Plainsman stages in one day so I could help score during the match. After the last stage (stage 17 in the heat), I was beat and decided I could not walk all of the way back to camp. Hubby had to come and get me.

 

PPS I understand that PMs have their "hands full" at annual (or even monthly) matches. I really appreciate those who will remind shooters to drink water, at least, every three stages.

[Red Eye Jim]

An old adage from my SCA days:

 

"If you don't have to pee, you aren't drinking enough water."

[Fast Enuff]

Ingestion is the main way you get lead poisoning.  You should work very hard at not touching your lips, mouth or eyes the whole time you are on the range. 

 

Along the same lines I try to only eat from snacks in wrappers where I never touch the food with my hands.  Some small amount may get into the snack somehow but at least I'm not setting targets then grabbing a granola bar or sandwich or whatever with lead covered fingers.  You simply can't allow yourself to do that.  You are ingesting a lot of lead if you do.

 

The newer water bottles with the twist caps bother me too.  They're much shorter caps which means you can't just touch the cap when you twist it off, you also rub your fingers all along the mouth of the bottle while you twist the tiny cap off.

 

I'm not afraid of lead, but we spend a whole lot of time around it in powdered form.  There's no reason to be cavalier.  Do the easy stuff especially related to eating, drinking and touching your face.

 

But it's summer.  Drinking a lot is not optional.  So do what you have to do to stay hydrated.

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

This gets me to thinking.  I wonder how many folks wash their hands before getting in the car and driving off?  Lead goes from hands to steering wheel and other surfaces in car.

[Shotgun Clay]

Dehydration is a real problem.  At EOT, shooters go through water and ice as fast as the Waddies can put it out.  Last year we had to have a mid-match emergency delivery because it was going so fast.

 

Unloading 6 palettes of water, each containing 288 one gallon bottles is quite the experience.

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

33 minutes ago, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

This gets me to thinking.  I wonder how many folks wash their hands before getting in the car and driving off?  Lead goes from hands to steering wheel and other surfaces in car.

If there isn't a hand-washing station at the range, I always use wipes that I carry in my shooting bag (rules and other essentials) in the car.

[Dutch Wheeler]

Allie's post above got me to thinking, if you are going to snack at a match, are regular hand wipes effective enough to remove lead?  Seems like a simple enough addition to the stuff we keep in our carts if they would reduce the risks.

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

51 minutes ago, Dutch Wheeler said:

Allie's post above got me to thinking, if you are going to snack at a match, are regular hand wipes effective enough to remove lead?  Seems like a simple enough addition to the stuff we keep in our carts if they would reduce the risks.

These are advertised as being better.  I bought my last can at Winter Range.

 

 

[Marauder SASS #13056]

I was interested in the lead testers.

 

I was researching the units and discovered that they are good IF they show no lead.  BUT if they show lead, it is very often a false positive.  So the EPA approves them only as to showing no lead, but does not "bless" them as an accurate test of having lead.  Interesting.

[Roger Rapid]

Esca-Tech makes D-Lead soap in small packets and they have D-Lead wipes in single packets (photos below). We keep a gallon bottle of D-Lead soap (with a pumper) at our sink at the range, and during our posse meetings, we try to remind shooters to wash with D-Lead soap before lunch.

 

Fast Enuff is correct that ingestion (vs inhalation or absorption) is the quickest way to increase BLL. Another issue with lead on the mouth of water bottles is that we typically open them three or four times before they're empty. 

 

RR

[Tex Jones, SASS 2263]

Hoppes also sells a can with lead remover wipes, similar, I guess, to D lead wipes.

 

[Guest Texas jack Black SASS#9362]

 Water alone will not re hydrate you if you are sweated out to much salt. You need to replace the minerals lost and water alone will not do this it will simply be peed out salt is needed to break the tension which will allow the cell to absorb the water and minerals .Table salt is processed and not good to ingest and processed foods are bad for the human body. As far as Lead ingestion goes, eat a healthy diet with green leafy fresh greens Kale ,Cilantro etc. Take calcium,magnesium etc. and lose weight as fat stores lead once it leaves the bloodstream. Stay  away from fast food .

 See how easy it is and keep the kids away from any exposure

[Westwood Willie]

Not sure how to comment on the lead thing.

Here's my story. In the 70's and 80's I was a telephone cable splicer. A lot of the cable was lead sheathed. Wires paper insulated. Splices and trouble spots were sleeved with lead tubing. I carried 6 ft lengths of this tubing on my truck to make a sleeve or to replace one when needed. (up to 3") Lead sleeving was from 1 1/2" to 12" diameter. Handled a bunch of lead in 20+ years, lots of times with no gloves. Hands would end up gray. Never been tested. Left that job in "87.  Still kickin' today. 

Can't shoot for sh*t, but other than that I think I'm OK.   ?????

WW

[Ramblin Gambler]

I just lick my hands clean before I open my water bottles. 

[watab kid]

at my age i no longer care , but , i do take precautions of cleaning my hands as regularly as possible - ill be honest , watching all the folks that shoot our events at the gunclub that dont wash their hands after visiting the bathroom im thinking there is far more imminent danger to your health , 

[Sgt. John Campbell, SASS #58165]

We've taken precautions at out local club, to protect all of our shooters from any type of lead contamination, or any other type of contamination that they may encounter.  All shooters and spectators are required to wear appropriate safety biological protective gear at all times while at the range facility.  We require that each participant and spectator, as well as any person within a 1 mile vicinity of the range, undergo a complete and thorough decontamination procedure before being allowed to leave the vicinity of the range.  As far as drinking or eating go, this is done at a secure location, approximately 5 miles upwind of the range facility.  You can never be too cautious is our motto.

 

[Deadeye George]

10 hours ago, Sgt. John Campbell, SASS #58165 said:

We've taken precautions at out local club, to protect all of our shooters from any type of lead contamination, or any other type of contamination that they may encounter.  All shooters and spectators are required to wear appropriate safety biological protective gear at all times while at the range facility.  We require that each participant and spectator, as well as any person within a 1 mile vicinity of the range, undergo a complete and thorough decontamination procedure before being allowed to leave the vicinity of the range.  As far as drinking or eating go, this is done at a secure location, approximately 5 miles upwind of the range facility.  You can never be too cautious is our motto.

 

FINALLY, some common sense precautions!  I like your approach but I've gotta ask............ are you actually allowing those boots?  They don't look "period correct" to me and I'll bet they have gripping Lugs type soles.  And have you given any thought about how to make the call when someone has their gas mask canister fall of while shooting a stage?  Since there is nothing in the SASS manual about canister malfunctions, will you give a reshoot or a SDQ? 

[Smoky Pistols]

1 hour ago, Deadeye George said:

FINALLY, some common sense precautions!  I like your approach but I've gotta ask............ are you actually allowing those boots?  They don't look "period correct" to me and I'll bet they have gripping Lugs type soles.  And have you given any thought about how to make the call when someone has their gas mask canister fall of while shooting a stage?  Since there is nothing in the SASS manual about canister malfunctions, will you give a reshoot or a SDQ? 

The boots are iffy, but I like the fact that you picked out nice, clear HAZMAT suits that still allow for easy judging of the "Best Dressed" category and easy reading of everyone's name badge, which is critical.  You can't just yell, "Hey, you in the suit!", without the entire posse turning around!

[Deadshot Dan]

Just another thought, i carry a thirty oz insulated stainless steel cup with a lid on my guncart. Keeps ice almost all day.   I see alot of people usin them and their great, until ya get home dump it out and find a big ol sliver of lead splatter that somehow came down and found its mark ontop of your cup lid and down the hole.  Thats what happened to me at the ohio state shoot the last day. Talkin about injestin some lead, Well at least now i know what happened to my times.  Went to town and got me a lid with the sliding trap door.

[Henry T Harrison]

Good lord I've been casting' loading and shooting for almost 60 years I take no special precautions. My lead levels are checked every 5 years and are always normal. But then again I cleaned lead from pistol barrels with mercury and sanded thousands of asbestos brake shoes I'm still alive somehow

[Sedalia Dave]

31 minutes ago, Henry T Harrison said:

Good lord I've been casting' loading and shooting for almost 60 years I take no special precautions. My lead levels are checked every 5 years and are always normal. But then again I cleaned lead from pistol barrels with mercury and sanded thousands of asbestos brake shoes I'm still alive somehow

 

And mine is at 9.  I decided to have it checked after the post about the young gun that got lead poisoning from shagging brass. I though I was ok as I shoot coated bullets, wet tumble my brass, and when the test was taken I wasn't casting.

Suspect mine is due to shagging brass as I do that a lot. Talking to my Doc he said that genetics plays a huge role in how your body reacts to heavy metals. Consider your self lucky.

[dutch bear]

Howdy

 

Simpel question, where can i get the anti lead soap and whipes ?

We are Europeans and we don't have the anti lead soap here, and if i look on the internet it is all online dealers

We are at EOT in a couple of weeks does anybody know if someone will be selling the stuff there?

 

Dutch Bear

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

Dutch Bear,

 

I bought my lead-removal hand soap from Uniquetek.com at Winter Range.  You can order some online today and have it delivered to my house.  I will deliver it to you at EOT.  Though I am not shooting EOT this year I will be there to waddy and help run the side matches.  If you are interested I will send you my home address for the delivery.  (I checked with Uniquetek.  They will not vend at EOT so purchasing from them at Founders Ranch is not an option.)

 

Added info: Uniquetek ships internationally.

[Roger Rapid]

And... I was just reminded by one of our Deputies that during the 3rd Annual Lazy Arrow ShootOut, two of our staff (Buckshot Bev and Ruthless Rose) went around to the posses twice each day with protein bars and D-Lead wipes - along with their instructions to "use the wipes before handling food!"

 

...RR

[Bourbon Doc]

Howdy 

I PRESCRIBE  DEHYDRATED WATER AND 

I JUST ADD LOCAL  BOURBON 

 

BD

 

 

 

[Choctaw Jack]

Dillon Precision offers D Lead Wipes and D Lead soap in the current Blue Press.

Pretty sure they ship internationally, too.

 

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

4 hours ago, Choctaw Jack said:

Dillon Precision offers D Lead Wipes and D Lead soap in the current Blue Press.

Pretty sure they ship internationally, too.

 

Also available from Brownells,  Grainger, Wal*Mart (online) and Amazon.  This is pretty common soap in the US.  Dutch Bear could order the soap through Wal*Mart with no shipping costs.