How much ww or lino is a 'lifetime' supply for you ? How to store ?

[BigSlick]

Been following several threads here and elsewhere and it is pretty much a universal belief that lead has gone sky high and lino even higher.

Everyone I know of is scurrying to get a decent stash.

How much is enough ?

I know that's subjective, based upon how often and what you shoot, but at some point there is a threshold for just about anyone to have enough to last several decades.

What's your target ? 1000 lbs... 2000... 5000 ? more ?

I know we never have enough, but sooner or later (if we're successful) we will all have more than we could ever shoot and some to pass on to someone else when the time comes.

How much do you stash before you start working with newly acquired stuff ? I figure if I get 1500 lbs as a stash, anything new I am able to scratch up I can use without worrying about running out in a couple of years.

I would really like to have 5000 lbs, but storage issues at that point may outweigh the need.

Lastly,

If you acquire several thousand pounds of ingots, how will you store it to make sure it's in good shape for years to come without wasting the foundation of your home or shop ?

Thanks in advance ;)

'Slick
________
Honda RA272 specifications (http://www.honda-wiki.org/wiki/Honda_RA272)

[sundog]

Big Slick, more? Yes. More!

edit. Oh, I didn't finish about how to store it. Just stack the ingots in a pile against an old tree stump out in the woods. They'll still be there when the stump's rotted away and a new tree has grown through the stack.

[klw]

Have right at two tons of alloy and another ton on order. Five year supply of gunpowder. Soon that will move up to a ten year supply. Twelve year supply of primers. More than enough brass.

Years ago there was talk of a primer shortage. That talk made that happen. Even since I've not waited until the last minute to buy what I need.

[grumpy one]

I think this depends mainly on your estimates of how much you are going to shoot, for how long. The last couple of years I've shot an average of 6 pounds per year. Right now I have 300 pounds of lino and 250 pounds of WW, with the WW increasing at something over 4 pounds per week. Considering I'm already past 60 years old, it isn't hard to see we're working with a divergent series here - the sooner I die, the less garbage my kids will have to get rid of.

It is pretty common for people to get a bit carried away about their hobbies, and there seldom seems to be any harm in that. One way or another most of us have to pay for our entertainment - we just do it in different ways.

[Buckshot]

.................I don't think there is a number you can pin on a 'Lifetimes' supply. Besides shooting it, it IS a commodity and has value all by itself. My motto is if it's there and available for a price you can meet...........GRAB IT! You'll ALWAYS run into other casters who will buy it if you're willing to sell any (the old, "Mine, mine, all mine!" thing) :-). Besides, having great huge mass quantities give you such a warm snuggley feeling.

Storage: Ideally in some sort of waterproof container. Ingots, that is. Wild unbroke lead in it's various shapes can remain in whatever container they were rounded up in. Once refined and poured into handy sized pieces, whatever you have at hand, or can use to protect them would probably be fine.

If you're in an area with a lot of swimming pools, try calling the pool care outfits and find out what they do with their plastic chemical pails. Normally these will be 3 to 5 gallon pails, and the lids naturally stay with them until empty. These will hold a LOT of Lyman sized ingots. Stored thusly they'll remain out of the weather, won't become home to spiders and God knows what else if stacked outside.

................Buckshot

[cbrick]

How much is enough? That's easy. Every bit that I can get my hands on.

Right now I have about 1,000 pounds of clip-on wheel weight ingots and about 300 pounds of stick-on ingots. That's enough for me not to worry about how much I am using but I will continue to get every bit that comes my way. At times I am using more than I am getting, other times I am getting more than I am using. Hopefully the getting will continue to out pace the using and the ingots on hand will continue to increase.

Storage is no problem. Ingots are stored inside my loading room. The space they take up isn't an issue simply because without them the rest of the loading room, tools, equipment, firearms etc. is useless.

Rick

[jonk]

I am totally out of wheelweights right now but may have a lead on some. My dad tutors a boy whose dad is an avid shooter but who doesn't cast or reload, and who owns 3 tire stores. I figure thusly; he gives me free wheelweights, I give him free 38 special ammo, or if he wants a lot, he pays for the powder and primers. We both win. The problem is my dad KEEPS forgetting to mention it to him, time after time, even when he wrote it on his hand in red ink!

In any case, I would estimate I use about 200 pounds of wheelweights a year. I'm 27. Figure I have 50-60 years left, but that I don't shoot as much if I get married and have kids (at least not until they are a bit older). Let's say an average of 150 pounds a year. 150X50 is at least 7500 pounds, but let's say an even 5 tons should get me through life.

Where to store? It's lead for god's sake. Not some delicate painting or even a gun that might rust. If I had 5 tons of lead I would cast about a 5 year supply into 1 pound ingots and cast the rest into 50 pound bricks, and stack somewhere. Hell, use them to line the floor of the garage, it doesn't matter, a little grime won't hurt them. If I got ambitious. I might just leave them as is, dump them in an old bathtub or something.

[FISH4BUGS]

I have 500 lbs of ingots and 1500 lbs of WW's awaiting smelting. I get about 300-500 lbs of WW per year from my tire shop in exchange for a case of Harpoon IPA per two buckets. I also get a bucket per year from the two garages that service my car. I drive 45,000 miles per year so I see them a lot. I also have 200 lbs of linotype, and I am looking for more. I have a line on 500 lbs.
I buy brand new (used once) empty 5 gallon buckets with snap on lids from a sandwich shop (they buy their pickles that way) for a buck a bucket and clean them out. I store my ingots in the basement in the 5 gal buckets with the lids snapped tight shut. They should keep forever that way.
How much is enough? Well, I shoot submachineguns, so that is a good question. For every 100 lbs of #2 alloy, I get about 5600 9mm's, 7000 380's, or 3000 45 230 gr RN. For the revolvers, I get 4400 #358156, 3500 200 gr 44's, 6400 30 carbine 110 gr rn, or 2900 240gr 44's. Primers are bought in lots of 10,000 and powder in 8 lb jugs.
I store the cast, sized and lubed bullets in large coffee cans with snap on lids. When I get enough, they probably will be transferred to the new 5 gal buckets with tight lids.....imagine.....a 5 gal bucket of 9mm 124gr rn ready to load!
I will keep scrounging WW's and smelting. I can always sell the surplus to the Kittery Trading Post or swap for powder/primers, or swap with someone here in NH or nearby. It is really hard to stop scrounging, particularly when you have built the relationships with the garages. I hate to see someone else get the WW's!
I guess the bottom line is that there is NEVER enough! As long as I have storage in the basement for the finished WW's, and the time to smelt them down, I will never stop. It is good no brainer time down for me.

[454PB]

When I retired, I had to move (lived in company owned housing), and so had to move my lead supply. That experience made my decide to get rid of some of it, so I sold 600 pounds of my linotype. My concern was that eventually lead will be declared hazardous material, and my kids would own a pile of it and have to pay for disposal. What started out as 3000 pounds of linotype has now dwindled to about 600 pounds. I gave some away, sold some, and shot up probably 1000 pounds. I believe between the WW's, pure lead, and lino I have, I should be able to time it so I'm down to 50 pounds or so when I check out:lovebooli

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

My goal by year's end:
5000lbs WW
3000lbs lead
1000lbs Lino

retirement is coming up, and I will keep acquiring the WW.

Rich
DRSS

[Andy_P]

If my shooting habits don't change much, I'll use about 75 lbs of alloy a year. My present stockpile is good for about 20 yrs at that rate, yet I still have a strong urge to accumulate WW. Part of that is not wanting to run out, part of it is the belief that it will become more difficult to find and expensive, and part of it is just that I LOVE melting it down.

[trickyasafox]

If i went to a recycler, what is the smallest quantity they will seriously consider for a lead purchase? (sorry for the sideline here) but i'm guessing if i go in and say "please sir can I purchase 100 lbs, they might laugh, but if i got some people together and said, 'hi i'd like to purchase a ton' they might be more inclined to listen.

anyone try this? the tire shops by me so far, have been non-sympathetic to my cause (they'll come aroudn though :) )

[dmftoy1]

Our local guy will sell you 100lbs no problem. You pull in with your car on the scale and the take a ticket, you load whatever you want from their "lead" bin into your car and drive back on the scale . . the difference in weight is what they charge you.

(.50 a pound)

I don't think they'd want to mess with less than 100lbs, but they will gladly sell you 100.

Regards,
dave

[Scrounger]

Our local guy will sell you 100lbs no problem. You pull in with your car on the scale and the take a ticket, you load whatever you want from their "lead" bin into your car and drive back on the scale . . the difference in weight is what they charge you.

(.50 a pound)

I don't think they'd want to mess with less than 100lbs, but they will gladly sell you 100.

Regards,
dave

Put a 50 gallon water bladder in your car when you go there to be weighed. Then release the water when no one is watching and replace it with 400 pounds of lino; better make that 500 pounds so you can pay for 100 pounds of it. See how easy it is to cheat? You could also have sandbags in your car to dump out...

[Lloyd Smale]

ive got @1200 lbs of lyno now and am in a panic. Ive used as much as 400 lbs in one year alloying. I dont waste it like i used to but still im looking at 5 years worth at the most. Wws i can never have enough of I know i go through well over 500lbs in a year.

[imashooter2]

Put a 50 gallon water bladder in your car when you go there to be weighed. Then release the water when no one is watching and replace it with 400 pounds of lino; better make that 500 pounds so you can pay for 100 pounds of it. See how easy it is to cheat? You could also have sandbags in your car to dump out...

Why not just stand outside the bank and bash little old ladies over the head for their Social Security checks? :roll:

I think you forgot the smiley or something here...

[hunter64]

I have about 1000 lbs right now and I am accumulating at least 2 buckets per paycheck. At this rate I already have enough to supply myself for the rest of my life but then there is the son and son-in-laws and soon grandchildren come alone, you get the picture. As far as storage, I bought a cast iron bread loaf mold from a garage sale for 5 bucks years ago. For the year I cast 100 lbs of 1 lb. ingots and keep them in a 5 gallon bucket and when that is full the rest goes into the bread loaf mold, it makes exactly 25 lbs of WW lead. I have them stacked up along the wall and plenty of space for future additions. They look so pretty sitting there, just wish they were gold bars instead of Lead bars. I wish I could store more than a couple of months supply of primers and powder but Canada laws are extremely restrictive and I am breaking most of the rules as it is right now with 15 lbs of powder and 10,000 primers.

[dmftoy1]

Put a 50 gallon water bladder in your car when you go there to be weighed. Then release the water when no one is watching and replace it with 400 pounds of lino; better make that 500 pounds so you can pay for 100 pounds of it. See how easy it is to cheat? You could also have sandbags in your car to dump out...

LOL - you're way ahead of me. I do drink a couple of 20 ounce drinks and then take a leak after they've weighed me in . . I figure that's good for about 2lbs free. :)

Have a good one,
Dave

[kenjuudo]

Why not just stand outside the bank and bash little old ladies over the head for their Social Security checks? :roll:

I think you forgot the smiley or something here...

When it comes to casting materials, there is no limit. I'm trying to talk the old lady into starting an affair with all the local tire shop owners. No smiley.

jim

[ktw]

I am closing in on a total stash size of 4,000 lbs. I'm not that high volume of a shooter and a lot of what I currently do cast is 100-200 grain boolits.

I figured I had a life-time supply back at around a ton, but have been finding it difficult to stop scrounging for more. I have been forcing myself to drive on by more and more tempting looking tire shops lately.

I keep raw wheelweights in a garage at work. Whenever my co-workers see me unloading the collection box in the back of my truck into 5 gallon buckets in the garage they just roll their eyes.

I have been using the rationalization that I will buy a 45/70 and start shooting a lot more after I retire.

-ktw

[Freightman]

How much! all depends on age, how much you shoot the 1500# you have will cast 52,000 200g boolits. More than likley enough for me but I am as old as the hills. I still have that much and find more each range trip I plan on living a long time and shooting for as long as I live. We had a member die at the range awhile back sitting at "His" bench, it now has a brass plate attached to that bench.
I started with 500# still have that 500 + another 1500# and the stack keeps growing. I think it is like wabbits!

[buck1]

I have about 4000 in WW ingots, 2000 in a non ww shootable alloy, about 500 in foundry type,900 in ready to mold ingots for the little pots, and 200 in pure lead. + about 40 lb of tin.
That will be close to forever for me. except for the tin.,.....................Buck

[Paul B]

My stepson works for a Ford dealership and he used to scrounge all the wheel weights for me. One day the "Big Boss Man" told him he couldn't do that anymore as the were now selling them to a recycler. We let the BBM that I would pay what the recylcer offered but he would not hear of it. I let him know that I'd bought my last two vehicles from his dealership and that I would never buy from him again. The last one was over $33,000 so who is the real loser?
I am trying to snag a deal from one of the tire shops here in town, but we'll just have to see on that. As far as I am concerned, I'll never have enough bullet making metal.
Paul B.

[Silicon Wolverine]

I use around 400-500 lbs per year for casting various bullets. i can get any amount i want from 5 lbs to 5000 lbs from my local scrapper. Mostly WW but i have run into commercial 50 lb ingots there. He also usually has linotype from old printers that turns up from time to time. I have a standing agrement that i get every scrap of lino he gets in. My current stash is about 750 lbs but i havent made my spring trip to the scrap yard this year.

SW

[targetshootr]

I have about two tons of ww on hand which will last for a number of years but I still pick them up whenever I can. Before long I'll have to free up more room in the garage to keep it all.

[Leftoverdj]

I store my excess in a hillside in my back yard. I've been shooting into the same spot for 30 years, and if I ever run low I'll mine it. Be a cinch to rig a long tom on the hill and there's a creek to supply water. The impact area is currently assaying about 2 pounds of lead to the shovelful and that'll go up before I need to mine.

[Blammer]

I just shoot into a 55 gallon drum filled with dirt. When I need to mine I'll just dig it out of the barrel.. :D

[Junior1942]

If you store your stash in 5 gallon plastic buckets outside, UV light from the sun will soon decay the buckets.

[USARO4]

4000# WW, 800# pure lead, 200# precious linotype, mucho # of powder, and mucho-mucho primers. I dont know if I'll ever shoot it all up, but if I don't I'll bequeath it to my heirs. I do admit that I'm obsessed, but I would'nt have it any other way. I'm a man of modest means but I feel rich in my chosen hobby.

[Possum]

I just melted 450lbs of wheelweights today. I think I need a bigger pot. I am up to around 3000 lbs or more right now and can't seem to quit. MAYBE when this tank of fuel runs out I'll rethink the issue. Mine is free and I figure might as well take advantage of it.

KTW, you got a point. Estimating for a 240gr bullet vs a 300-500gr bullet makes you keep on collecting. Maybe I can talk myself into a big caliber soon based on the lead stored.

[medic44]

Lets see I'm 44, my son is 18, my daughter is 22, her husband is 24, my other son in law is 30. 2400 # and I need a whole lot more. Last July 4th we went through 6000 rounds in one day:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[sundog]

Possum, wanna buy the MOAS (http://www.castpics.net/RandD/moas/moas.htm)?

[Possum]

That's a big one! I could go 6 months before melting with that. Reminds me of the days we cooked our own dogfood!

[Forester]

Ok, I'll bite.

Im 25...call it 45 more years of shooting plus or minus, discount kids one day because I am sure my shooting level will drop off significantly at some point to offset theirs.

I currently shoot +/- 20,000 180-250gr boolits a year. Call it a 200gr average.

(45yrs x 20,000boolits x 200gr)/7000gr in a lb = 25,714#s...call it an even 26K for a lifetime supply.

I currently have 1 year worth of boolits cast and 450lb of alloy on hand...only 24,970lbs to go!

...now taking donations for a future back operation from moving all the lead around.[smilie=1:

[targetshootr]

now taking donations for a future back operation from moving all the lead around.
No kidding. When I lifted a full bucket into my truck last year I herniated a disc. Didn't know it at the time but a couple of months later I could barely walk. It finally went away by itself but for several months it was the worst ouch ever. Still have tingling in certain toes.

[Gussy]

Any one think the EPA is monitoring this thread??

I don't have any. (:>) I shoot gas checks with sand in front of them.
Gus

[Hunter]

Robert Bank told me when I got into casting you can never have enough. I am lucky to have some kin that run a large tire store (and got the call today to come get another 5 gallon bucket full).
I have about 500 pounds of ingots , about 600 pounds of w-w, about 200 pounds of pure lead.
I am hoping to add to that this weekend.

[warriorsociologist]

I just shoot into a 55 gallon drum filled with dirt. When I need to mine I'll just dig it out of the barrel.. :D


I don't know why I never thought of that! THANKS! In fact, I think I'll be rigging up such a bucket to take with me when I use my local outdoor public range - that way, I don't leave all "MY" metal behind.

Gotta luv this site.

[686]

how much is a life time's worth of lead to have. well i am not dead yet. so i keep getting it.