New Guy's Question A/B Finding Lead

[Will_Power]

Hey all,

I've been lurking here for a while now, enjoying the reading and drooling over the cast pics, but haven't yet made the jump into reloading and casting.

However, I've been reading up on how lead wheel weights are getting harder to find, depending on your state (it's on the way out where I live, if I've read right).

So, in the interest of me being able to build a lead stockpile of sorts before everything dries up, I've got a question or two.

Where do you all procure your lead from? If it's the wheel weights, do you just go to the local tire shops and then what? Get old ones for free? Buy em? If you purchase, how much does it typically run you.

Appreciate any feedback, guys.

[olafhardt]

Whenever I get auto work done I ask them nicely to put some in a bucket I bring. I am just a piddle around caster and this gets me all I want.

[Plinkster]

I call up a local recycle yard every other week or so and ask if they have any lead on hand, about once a month or so they have a bucket of raw wheel weights. That yard sells lead for 45 cents/lb so with pure it's a bargain and with the WW you can get hosed as I've had one bucket that was half iron. I've also bought from sellers on this site and that route is good too. And after a shooting session in a private bay at the range I'll comb the hillside for orphan slugs. I'm also lucky enough to have a buddy that'll save me a few choice hunks of pure that he uses at work. Just keep your eyes out and you can find sources. Also check yard and estate sales for old tin ware that you can use for alloying, just this weekend I nabbed a serving tray for $1 that looks to be pure tin.