Lead & radiation question in Hunting with Muzzle Loader and Bow Forum

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Lead & radiation question

Author	Comment
7Reloaders	Lead & radiation question	Lead	[-]
Posts: 126 Jun 25 10 2:32 PM active member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None I bought 40lbs of pure lead from a guy to mold my own 45 & 50 cal. Lee R.E.A.L. bullets. When I went to pick up the lead the guy tell me he gets the lead from a friend whose company uses it for radiation shielding. So I'm wondering: is my lead radioactive? Am I shooting ammo similar to DU? (Depleted Uranium) I know lead is used as radiation shielding in x-ray equipment. Does lead absorb & hold radiation or does it "bounce off" and the lead is unaffected by radiation bombardment? What say ye men? I've searched the internet and come up empty. Thanks!.
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trautert		#1	[-]
Posts: 5717 Jun 25 10 6:30 PM Forum Site Moderator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I have no clue, but it's a really cool question. Look forward to finding out the answer with you. Tom Ne Desit Virtus Rakkasans
HoosierDaddy		#2	[-]
Posts: 6204 Jun 26 10 4:27 AM Forum Co-Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	My wife is a doctor that administers radiation to cancer patients. They use a linear accelerator to shoot beams of radiation at tumors etc. I ended up with about 200 lbs from one of their cancer centers. It was used for shielding as well. I asked her the if it was safe. She's asleep now or I would have her tell me more about how much radiation the lead absorbs. However her answer was that it was safe and she let me bring it home. That speaks volumes. Ash Iron Construction Last Edited By: HoosierDaddy Jun 26 10 2:49 PM. Edited 1 times.
HoosierDaddy		#3	[-]
Posts: 6204 Jun 26 10 2:48 PM Forum Co-Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	OK now the answer. The lead would have to change molecular structure to become radioactive. It doesn't do that so it is not radioactive. They also sometimes irradiate hamburger meat to kill ecoli and it doesn't glow in the dark. Another thought would be if the lead were radioactive then anybody that went into the room would be exposed to the radiation. Ash Iron Construction
nothernug		#4	[-]
Posts: 13338 Apr 20 12 8:43 PM Forum Site Moderator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Old topic but, what the hey. I'm far fand away from being an expert but, I was in a nuclear weapons program and we did have some discussions on the subject. As I understand things, lead's molecular structure is too dense (that's why it's so heavy) to pass the radiation, that's why it is used as shielding. Now, what effects long term use may have on it is what I cannot answer. If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen. Sam Adams

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