Author Topic: Sources to buy Lead from (Read 2652 times)

btr568 · « **on:** December 05, 2008, 04:23:54 AM »

Hi guys,I'm toying with the idea of casting my own bullets.Where are some good sources to buy lead from?I'd like to buy at least 100 lbs at a time.

jk3006 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 05, 2008, 06:41:12 AM »

If you want the lead cheap, then go by your local tire shops and pick them up. If you can't or don't want to go that route, then ebay has ww ingots (already smelted and fluxed) for about $1/lb, or maybe even a little less. I'm sure there's other sources too.

Idaho Ron · « **Reply #2 on:** December 06, 2008, 03:06:14 AM »

What do you want, soft lead or hard? If you want hard lead you could go the ebay route. If you are wanting soft lead ebay $ucks. I bought "pure" lead on ebay and it was 22 BHN. I could make centerfire rifle bullets with it. I wanted soft lead for a muzzleloader. I contacted the seller and the lead was smelted car batteries. After that hickey I decided to go virgin pure lead. It was more expensive but I know what I have. If I figure I will probably never use the 22 bhn lead for my ML, at .50 per pound it was VERY expensive.
I got my soft lead from Rotometal. Ron

btr568 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 06, 2008, 04:07:04 AM »

see thats what I'm talking about Ron,I need lead to cast for centerline rifles&pistols.But I also want so to use in ball&cap revolvers....Okay just to show I'm clueless &new with all this "Whats BHN "

??

Jimlakeside · « **Reply #4 on:** December 09, 2008, 11:58:09 AM »

BHN stands for Brinell hardness number. See this article http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletAlloy.htm#WW

Also try recycle shops. Many have wheel weights for sale at various prices. Here is Pottsboro, Texas the recycle shops sell ww for $.60 and $.80/lb. I have purchased several hundred pounds of wheel weights in ingots from evilbay. I have been happy so far with the results. I also drop my bullets in water to harden them, but mostly for convenience sake.

blhof · « **Reply #5 on:** December 09, 2008, 03:32:44 PM »

You can also find soft lead in some hardware stores as sheet lead, used as flashing on roofs. My son worked one summer as a roofer and got me about 50lbs from old roof tear-offs. Roofs over 20 years old even had bathroom vents entirely of very soft lead. I have also brought a trowel to the outdoor range on slow days and retrieved shot bullets, cast are hard lead and jacketed cores are very soft lead.

bilmac · « **Reply #6 on:** December 09, 2008, 04:00:33 PM »

Scrap metal dealers, but they often don't know exactly what they have, to them it's generic lead. If you're looking for nearly pure stuff for your muzzleloaders then jacketed bullets from a pistol range would be a good source. I would think they would be pretty soft so as to swage easily. Throw them in a big pot and as they start melting stir a lot. The lead will flow out of the jackets and as they empty, the jackets will float so you can skim them off.

If you are shooting sabots, you can use about anything that casts well. When I shot them, I used whatever was at hand for practice and saved pure lead to use for hunting. My bullet was 44 cal, but those I recovered looked more like quarters than bullets. I wasn't shooting them very fast, 70 gr of pyrodex, If you will be shooting them a lot faster, you may want them hardened a little bit for better penetration. I think I would start with pure lead and test it by shooting jugs of water. Then mix a harder alloy to the pure and test again until you get the kind of penetration you like.

Spector · « **Reply #7 on:** December 10, 2008, 06:24:43 AM »

Would recycled lead shot from a trap range be as valuable an alloy, or maybe more valuable, than wheel weights for casting hard bullets? I have always used wheel weights in the past, but recently came into possession of several hundred pounds of recycled lead shot. I wasn't all that impressed when I patterned it in reloaded shot shells so I'm inclined to just melt it all down into ingots now. I'm sure there is a mix of lower cost Winchester and Federal shotshell shot mixed in with some better shot reloaders are using.......Mike

quickdtoo · « **Reply #8 on:** December 10, 2008, 07:17:02 AM »

This was just discussed not long ago, Roto Metals looks like a good source.

Tim

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,154573.msg1098664055.html#msg1098664055

Graybeard · « **Reply #9 on:** December 10, 2008, 01:20:23 PM »

Quote from: Spector on December 10, 2008, 06:24:43 AM

Would recycled lead shot from a trap range be as valuable an alloy, or maybe more valuable, than wheel weights for casting hard bullets? I have always used wheel weights in the past, but recently came into possession of several hundred pounds of recycled lead shot. I wasn't all that impressed when I patterned it in reloaded shot shells so I'm inclined to just melt it all down into ingots now. I'm sure there is a mix of lower cost Winchester and Federal shotshell shot mixed in with some better shot reloaders are using.......Mike

Likely a mix of high and low antimony shot. Target shells use high antimony content around 6% and field loads low antimony content 3% or less. So it won't make up quite as hard as wheel weights but is fine for low velocity loads and might water harden like wheel weights if you are so incline. I'm not. I'd mix a couple percent tin with it and use it as is.

Kenneth L. Walters · « **Reply #10 on:** December 12, 2008, 05:49:29 PM »

There is a fellow at the N-SSA bullet board who seems to be suggesting that he can get lead for $0.40 a pound. Might want to check that out.

bilmac · « **Reply #11 on:** December 13, 2008, 02:55:25 AM »

Have you priced shot lately? I think I would take your shot to the local sporting goods dealer and see what I could trade it for, and find lead somewhere else.

D Crockett · « **Reply #12 on:** December 13, 2008, 06:55:15 AM »

I scored today from my local scrap yard I got 570 lbs of ww with no trash or soft stick on ww @ 0.26 a lb I paid $148.20 for all of them that to me is a good deal compaired to this time last year I had to pay over $0.80 a lb for them with trash in the buckets now I have to clean those ww up and make ingots out of them D Crockett

AtlLaw · « **Reply #13 on:** December 14, 2008, 06:10:24 AM »

Quote from: D Crockett on December 13, 2008, 06:55:15 AM

I scored today from my local scrap yard I got 570 lbs of ww with no trash or soft stick on ww @ 0.26 a lb

That sounds like a good lick Forest! You got me thinking about checking the current prices around here. You never know when I might want to take up casting something other then round balls!

myronman3 · « **Reply #14 on:** December 14, 2008, 02:01:03 PM »

the price of metals recently took a nose dive, so it should be easier to come by now. dont be foolish and pay outragous prices. with a bit of work and research, a guy should be able to score big.

skarke · « **Reply #15 on:** January 04, 2009, 04:39:03 AM »

Maybe my math is wrong, but I was wondering...

1. 7000 grains = 1lb
2. 1lb of hardball will make 30.43 230 gn RN .452 bullets
3. It takes 32.89 lbs of hardball at $2.72 current average price per lb to manufacture 1000 bullets
4. 32.89 x $2.72 = $89.47, plus lube, electricity, wife complaining about smell, etc.

I just purchased 1000 230 gn RN hardball cast bullets from a large, reputable cast bullet manufacturer listed among GBO forum recommended sites for $85 shipped.

What am I missing? $:-\$

bilmac · « **Reply #16 on:** January 04, 2009, 05:20:52 AM »

Your math is right what is wrong is paying $2.72 for lead.

Davy is paying 26 to 80 cents.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #17 on:** January 04, 2009, 05:59:45 AM »

bilmac is right, I don't think it's quite as expensive as your figures indicate but I see your point. Someone here said something like "unless you shoot a LOT, it is cheaper/better/easier to just buy your cast handgun bullets." Not a direct quote, but you get the idea.

I decided he was absolutely right. I try to shoot a good bit, but nothing like a bunch of people. Time/cost wise, it wasn't logical for me to do. But! (or hi-ebber) I'm partially set up to cast as I do for my BP shooting. And it's another aspect of a hobby that I find to be a lot of fun!

Soooo, if my renewed interest in shooting handguns and large bore rifles keeps going I may start casting, sizing, lubing, gas-checking bullets anyway!

quickdtoo · « **Reply #18 on:** January 04, 2009, 06:07:04 AM »

$$ aside, the health dangers of working with lead at home just aren't worth it to me, I did it for about 10yrs, I have enough other health problems that I don't need to invite more, buying bullets is a much better choice for me.

Tim

AtlLaw · « **Reply #19 on:** January 04, 2009, 06:16:40 AM »

Quote from: quickdtoo on January 04, 2009, 06:07:04 AM

the health dangers of working with lead at home just aren't worth it to me,

Another DARN good point I keep forgetting about! $:-\$

rbwillnj · « **Reply #20 on:** January 04, 2009, 07:57:22 AM »

I get most of my lead for free. I sweeten it with a little linotype which I get for less that $0.50/lb. It costs me less for 45 reloads than for CCI SV 22LR. I shoot a lot!! Believe me, casting is worth it for me.

It all comes down to the cost of your components. If I was paying a couple bucks a pound for lead I don't think I would be casting. Then again, the quality of the bullets I cast is better than anything I can buy, so maybe I would.

45-70.gov · « **Reply #21 on:** January 04, 2009, 03:06:42 PM »

talk to plumers the do old remodels

also roofers and remodelers

i got a 500 lb sheet of lead out from under the tile of a large shower from a gym

skarke · « **Reply #22 on:** January 05, 2009, 12:01:20 AM »

For me, reloading, which includes bullet casting, is part of the fun. Free, scrap, or surplus lead takes a little scrounging, but I'm sure that it is worth it for those who love casting.

I've dabbled around with it, and it is entertaining. It just hasn't proven to be a cost saver. There seems to be a truism, "The Cheaper the Lead, the Greater the Time Investment in Acquiring It". My time is valuable, and all things considered, the most fun part of our sport for me is throwing that lead downrange into a pile of dirt

None of this stuff is a life necessity. If we did the math on the cost per lb of fish caught, or ducks killed, we could purchase prime filet at pennies on the dollar.

Fun is fun, cost is irrelavent, as long as it fits in our budget.

Westbound · « **Reply #23 on:** January 06, 2009, 05:05:46 AM »

Quote from: skarke on January 05, 2009, 12:01:20 AM

None of this stuff is a life necessity. If we did the math on the cost per lb of fish caught, or ducks killed, we could purchase prime filet at pennies on the dollar.

Fun is fun, cost is irrelavent, as long as it fits in our budget.

Well stated!!
I've run the numbers for some deer hunting buddies here in Texas. after the lease and fuel is paid for, with ammo and processing costs added... some folks pay around 35 dollars a pound for venison!!
I can grill up a LOT of prime cut ribeye for that price!

45-70.gov · « **Reply #24 on:** January 06, 2009, 05:07:36 AM »

$35 a pound

your a much better hunter than i am

Brian-M · « **Reply #25 on:** January 06, 2009, 12:18:01 PM »

Check out these two sites for new lead

http://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=8750&dir=278

http://www.missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=92&category=12&secondary=&keywords=

MO Brian

Jim_Ole_Timer · « **Reply #26 on:** January 09, 2009, 12:21:38 PM »

I just bought 300 pounds of wheel weights from a local tire dealer for 10 cents a pound. They work great for anything but muzzle loader or cap and ball. I'll be picking up more in another week or so, price won't get any better then what it is right now.

Old Fart · « **Reply #27 on:** January 11, 2009, 06:34:09 AM »

Just a couple "my two cents".

First one thing you need to be aware of is that lots of the new wheel weights are being made from steel and or zinc. So check them carefully before buying. $:-\$

Next another seldom thought of source for lead is scap yards and salvage yards. Most are ran by good ol' boys who will treat you right if you approach them correctly. I hauled off a load from a local salvage yard a couple months ago that made my 3/4 ton truck bow down. Only cost me $50. Now that's a bargain.

Reloading and casting has never saved me a dime. Plan and simple. But I do shoot alot more.

dean51 · « **Reply #28 on:** January 20, 2009, 06:55:42 AM »

Wheelweights are running .20 to .25 a pound here in Ct. from the scrap yards .most have 55 gallon barrels of them.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #29 on:** January 21, 2009, 08:16:28 AM »

ask your local plumber and if you have commercial fishermen in the area they usually know sources. Best bet is the local salvage yard. I leave cards on the walls at them and they call me when they get something specail like linotype in and they usually allways have wws for sale. Beleive it or not ive also scored from asking stock car racers. They usually have a minimum weight they have to meet and use lead to add weight and a few of them had more then they would ever need and gave it to me. Any place that sells or salvages boats can be good leads. Sailboats sometime use it for balast.