Fragmentation

Fragmenting is when pieces of lead strip away from a bullet upon impact and on through the carcass until the bullet stops or exits the animal. A lead-core bullet rarely retains all of its weight.

• When a lead-based bullet hits an animal, it changes shape from pointed to a mushroom like shape.
• While that bullet mushrooms, small bits of lead come away from the main slug. These small bits remain in the gut pile or discarded carcasses of small game and varmints.
• Hunters generally field dress their shot animal, remove and discard the guts.
• When a scavenging wildlife, sometimes even predators like eagles, eat the guts left behind, they are also unknowingly eating lead fragments. As fragments are digested the lead is taken into the bloodstream, resulting in lead poisoning.