![]() The authors radiographed rabbit carcasses, and 2 specimens retained a Copper-22 bullet. Compared to one type of lead-based bullet, the Copper-22 was less precise, wounded rabbits more often, and cost more, partly due to the number of follow-up shots required to kill wounded rabbits. ( 2020) tested the efficacy of the Copper-22 bullet by shooting paper targets and culling European rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Australia. 2012), so the Copper-22 could be as lethal as lead-based bullets. ![]() Kinetic energy is a major factor toward incapacitation (Caudell et al. The faster velocity of the Copper-22 translates to a muzzle kinetic energy that equals or exceeds that of some lead-based ammunition. Being lighter than lead-based bullets, the Copper-22 has a muzzle velocity of 564 m/s, compared to 216 to 500 m/s for CCI's lead-based ammunition in the same cartridge. Compared to most lead-based bullets that weigh between 30 and 45 grains (gr), the Copper-22 weighs 21 gr. The bullet's nose tapers to a hollow point, a feature often intended to maximize bullet expansion and tissue damage (Caudell et al. The company reports that the sintered bullet is constructed by compressing copper particles and polymer. In 2016, CCI (Cascade Cartridge Inc., Lewiston, ID, USA) released lead-free ammunition for the .22 LR called the Copper-22. Until recently, lead-free ammunition was unavailable for the .22 LR, the world's most popular cartridge (Epps 2014, Hampton et al. Yet, hunters and shooters encounter fewer lead-free options for rimfires. Numerous manufacturers produce lead-free bullets for .22 centerfire applications. Common cartridges include .22 centerfires, such as the .223 Rem and .22-250 Rem, as well as rimfires, such as the .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire and the .22 long rifle (LR McTee et al. Hunters and shooters fire various rifle calibers to kill small mammals (McTee et al. ![]() Thus, when hunters and shooters kill small mammals with lead-based bullets, fragments of lead often remain in the carcasses and are available to scavengers (McTee et al. For example, Reeve and Vosburgh ( 2005) estimated that millions of prairie dogs are shot each year. A wide variety of species are shot and harvested during recreation and damage control activities. 2006, Pauli and Buskirk 2007, Herring et al. However, an increasing number of studies report that shooting small mammals with lead-based ammunition also exposes scavengers to lead (Knopper et al. 2017).īig game hunting receives the most attention as a pathway for lead exposure from bullet fragments (Bedrosian et al. If lead particles are embedded in offal and carcasses that remain in the field, scavengers can ingest lead and later experience the toxic effects, including nervous system impairment, reduced flight performance, and death (Pattee et al. When a lead-based bullet impacts an animal, particles of the lead core can splinter away into the tissue (Hunt et al. Considerable evidence suggests that wildlife ingest particles of lead hunting bullets (Finkelstein et al. Lead exposure poisons wildlife around the world (Haig et al.
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