[StacyRoberts]

Steel shot is required by law to hunt water fowl in U.S.A. The lead shot falls in the water. It's eaten by fish then eaten by eagles or waterfowl that are then eaten by people, so it's easy to find in any gun sport shop.

Rifle bullets are mostly either lead, which leaves lead residue on the machines parts and causes jams as the tolerances decline. Thus lead coated with copper is superior technology and more reliable but more expensive to boot. It doesn't mushroom as much but the velocities are higher. Plus rifles aren't used around water do they are much less likely to end up in the food supply and this legal for hunting.