Of obviously, bullets fired at high speeds into the body are harmful. However, it has been shown that bullets may cause injury in other ways, including lead poisoning. Although the presence of lead in bullets is not surprising, it was only lately that a research looked into bullets as a probable source of lead poisoning. They found that bullets sold over the internet without any information about their composition contain between 4 and 100 percent lead. The most common type of ammunition used by hunters is.22 caliber rimfire cartridges. These bullets are made of brass (the term for any soft metal) which contains copper and zinc to provide strength. When these bullets hit flesh they break off pieces of the brass jacket, which remain inside the body. If enough tissue is damaged by many small fragments then the risk of lead poisoning increases even if you eat all of the meat from one animal that was shot with these bullets. If you hunt with dogs there is a danger that they will eat contaminated food and become sick too. The best way to prevent this is to keep them away from old bones and other remains of animals. Children should never play with bullets as they could end up swallowing them. If you find bullets while you are out hunting then leave them where they are not likely to be reached by children or animals. It is important to wash hands after handling bullets as lead dust can be inhaled. This dust is very toxic if enough is breathed in.