Understanding Ammunition 
Usually, the conversation of ammunition can be difficult for new shooters. Depending on your purpose for shooting will alter the outcome of your decision. Choosing what you want your ammunition to be made out of is the first challenge. This task can seem overwhelming at first due to the large amount of information available. Therefore, within this article, we will summarise all the critical information you need to know.
Lead ammunition: Cheaper alternatives to copper, lead shot is widely used. Although, many disadvantages such as environmental impacts and hunting impacts come with it.
Bismuth ammunition: Nearly able to match leads density has been used for years in wetland shooting. This ammunition is pricier than lead.
Copper ammunition: Higher performance than lead ammunition with fewer impacts on the environment. Copper ammunition can be costly but outperforms the majority of standard ammunition types.
Environmental Effects & Wildlife
Lead can destroy any ecosystem endangering all different forms of life. If lead contamination comes in contact with any food produce, it may cause lead poisoning within humans. Lead being shot into the soil barriers at outdoors ranges (used for stopping ammunition being fired outside of the range). Will contaminate the soil and can lead to water outflows being polluted.
"In 2011, twenty-one eagles with large amounts of lead (6 with toxic levels) were admitted to the Wildlife Center of Virginia." Lead can cause severe problems for unfortunate animals to eat meat that has it in it. Birds of prey will eat leftover carcases and entrails of game harvested meat. Having less lead usage within the ammunition industry will help to preserve the existence of these beautiful animals.
Hunting & Safety
When hunting, shooting an animal with lead can distribute it throughout the animal. The reason for this is that lead losses its mass on impact. Unlike copper rounds (95%) of the ammunition remains together. The fragments can poison the animal, making it dangerous for humans to consume.
Safety is essential when shooting. Handling lead can cause a large amount of negatives effects.
Handling lead for short periods can cause the following effects:
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● Tiredness
● Headaches
● Irritability
● Anaemia
Handling lead for long periods can cause the following effects:
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● Abdominal pain
● Constipated
● Depressed
● Distracted
● Forgetful
● Irritable
● Nauseous/Sick
● Brain damage
● Links to cancer
Bismuth rounds are a bismuth-tin alloy that is almost as dense as lead. It's brittle, so it cannot damage gun barrels, and it reacts to choke about the way lead did. Full copper ammunition is used for higher performance statistics. Although it has a significant negative, it costs much more than lead ammunition.
Summary
To conclude, choosing the correct ammunition for you is based upon what your requirements are. If you wish to be environmentally friendly and your health is your number one priority, copper ammunition should be best for you. If having a low-cost shot that is still highly effective is right for your lead is recommended. If you like to shoot or hunt near wetlands, bismuth ammunition will help you remain within laws and regulations.
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