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Switch to lead-free ammunition

The only way to be completely sure that your shooting activities do not place wildlife, your family or others at risk is to use lead-free bullets. Factors to consider when investigating the options to use lead-free ammunition and bullets include availability, affordability and effectiveness.

Availability:

Rifle Ammunition
Various types of lead-free centre-fire ammunition from both local and international manufacturers are available in South Africa:  

  • Local South African licensed lead-free ammunition manufacturers: Badger Ammunition and Nobleteq.
  • Local South African non-lead bullet manufacturers include: Axe, Balistix, Dzombo, Impala, Kriek, Peregrine, Rhino, Spartan, Sus-Tac, Takedown, Titan and Viper.
  • Imported lead-free ammunition: Barnes, Hornady, Lapua, Sellier & Bellot, Woodleigh.


Shotgun Ammunition
Alternatives to lead shot include steel, bismuth and tungsten. There is limited current availability of lead-free shotgun ammunition in South Africa, although increased demand will encourage additional imports and improve supply. Steel shot may however not be suitable in older shotguns; barrels and chokes must be steel proofed.

  • Imported shotgun lead-free ammunition: Remington (current limited availability)

There are air gun lead free options made out of tin.

Affordability:

  • Lead-free factory rounds are comparable in price to premium bonded and match-grade lead-based rounds. 
  • Where lead-free is more expensive than lead-based ammunition, the difference in price is an insignificant proportion of the total cost of a hunt. The reduction in non-usable contaminated meat resulting from using lead-free bullets may compensate for any increased ammunition costs.
  • Greater affordability can be achieved by reloaders by purchasing locally produced lead-free bullets over imported offerings.
  • As demand for lead-free ammunition increases, any price differential is likely to reduce over time.
  • The Lead Task Team has motivated governmental authorities to reduce tariffs on the import of lead-free components.       

Effectiveness:

  • Lead-free bullets are typically constructed from copper alloys and brass.
  • Reliable performance can be expected within reasonable hunting conditions (Gremse et al 2014). They have increased penetration and weight retention over lead-based ammunition. A lighter non-lead bullet will have increased muzzle velocity.
  • Lead-free bullets are constructed with high precision manufacturing tolerances; excellent grouping and accuracy can be achieved.
  • Meat loss is significantly reduced when using lead-free bullets due to differences in terminal ballistics and energy transfer upon impact.
  • Deforming, non-deforming, and fragmenting bullets are available in lead-free, and bullet choice is dependent on user requirements.

Gremse, F., Krone, O., Thamm, M., Kiessling, F., Tolba, R. H., Rieger, S., & Gremse, C. (2014). Performance of lead-free versus lead-based hunting ammunition in ballistic soap. PLoS One, 9(7), e102015.

Switch to lead-free tackle

  • Fishing tackle made from lead pose a risk to crocodiles (larger sinkers and lures) and waterbirds (smaller sinkers) when ingested mistakenly as grit or gastroliths (small stones to help with digestion) or food items.
  • Alternatives to lead tackle include tungsten, bismuth and zinc alloy (zamak) fishing weights, e.g. those made by Caperlan. Rock sinkers and lead-free weighted leaders can be used in specimen carp fishing. Plastic-covered lead sinkers may reduce environmental contamination but the lead would still become available in the acidic environment of a crocodile stomach.
  • While availability of lead-free tackle in retail outlets is still limited in South Africa, there are many online retailers that can supply.
  • The more that fishermen enquire at fishing shops, the higher the chance that lead-free will be imported or manufactured and stocked.

Manage carcasses responsibly

Remove lead in the environment, by safely removing any bullets, sinkers, and lead-contaminated meat that scavengers might ingest.

Spread the word

  • Assist in testing alternatives to lead ammunition and lead fishing sinkers. Viable alternatives are now available. Reach out to participate.
  • Raise awareness about the environmental impacts of lead. Share information from this website with hunters, fishers, tourism operators, and other interested parties.