This post comes up every few months! Lead shot is best, the smaller the pellets [higher #'s of bird-shot], the more dense the pack.
Some cautions...as Elizabeth mentioned, lead can have toxic effects, and needs to be disposed of properly [recycling or giving to a gun store]. Rinse the new shot pellets a few times in a bucket to remove the dust. WEAR A DUST PROTECTION MASK WHILE DOING THIS!!! And don't worry about pouring the water down the drain, but DO NOT pour the rinse water into the ground. When the shot dries, CAREFULLY pour it into the stand filler holes, and then seal the stand up. Use a funnel, if necessary, and be sure to inspect and remove any and every pellet that has fallen onto the floor. You're all set...no worries.
Children are very susceptible to lead poisoning. The method of exposure primarily involves eating lead paint chips, which supposedly have a sweet flavor. Lead paint is no longer available to the consumer market, but it still does have industrial applications. Inhalation of lead dust or vapor is also very dangerous. Again, interior house paint used to contain lead, so you just can't sand it down and repaint! It involves a HazMat removal, which can cost several thousand dollars...or more!
Also, it requires a prolonged and repeated exposure [inhalation or ingestion] for toxicity, but the effects can be permanent. It's a material where small non repetitive exposures is nowhere near as dangerous as the media hype portrays.
