Where to get best quality alloy?

[paulsnapp]

I am just starting to cast boolits and looking for some advice. I need to buy some alloy and right now looking at Lyman#2 type to start. There are many websites and places to buy alloy. If you do not take price into consideration, who do you think makes the highest quality pure alloy? Thanks!

[Sensai]

Roto-Metal, if you have to buy the alloy. I just collect metal as I can and blend my own alloy. It turns out a lot cheaper and just as good, if not better. At least I have control over the composition and hardness. I guess some people just don't enjoy the process as much as I do.

[cbrick]

I wish all questions were this easy . . . Just click the Roto Metals banner at the top of this very page. They have all sorts of bullet casting alloys, ship fast and are great folks to deal with.

Rick

[Doc Highwall]

Rick beat me to it by several hours, top of the page. I have bought the super hard from them for mixing.
Just pay attention to the price about how much to spend to get free shipping. Buying a little more will save money in the long run by paying for metal and not shipping.

[Bullwolf]

Roto-metals is pretty economical for shipping. (if you order at least 100 lbs it ships free)

They are easy to deal with, a Cast Boolits site sponser, and they will sell you foundry certified alloy. Sometimes it's nice to know exactly what you are using, rather than experimenting with mystery metal.

If you are just starting out, it can remove a lot of the hassle from using some random alloy that you found, scrounged, or maybe purchased from E-bay. Note that I'm not saying that you can't succeed this way. Many of us here obviously have been doing just that for years, but blending your own alloy has a bit of a learning curve to it.

I've used Roto-metals before when I could afford it, and I would not hesitate to recommend them to someone else.


- Bullwolf

[jmort]

Missouri Bullets - I have 66 pounds of "hardball" coming to me right now, for $150.00 delivered. RotoMeatals would cost $154.50 plus tax, $168.00 total, for me to get only 50 lbs. delivered. Since I mix it 50/50 I like to add some tin so the cost difference would be less. Lyman #5 is perfect for me as I mix it 50/50 and don't have to add tin. But even then, a pound of tin at $20.00 plus tax and the Missouri Bullets alloy puts me at $172.00 total, and RotoMetals could only get me 55 pounds for $170.00 plus tax, $187.00, as I live in California, home of me and RotoMetals. So, to make a long story short, Missouri Bullets, and a pound of tin from RotoMetals is a far better deal for me. I get 67 pounds for $15.00 less than 50 pounds. That is a very good deal.

[gunoil]

i have bought tin,pewter,bizmuth on ebay from people that sell all the time. Estate sales, sometimes you can hit a vein of supplies.

[lka]

Pick it from a range berm.

[prs]

The best you have had is the best you know. For me, the best I've had is from Rotometals. But I have only tried that and range scrap, and x-ray seeting, and clip on WW, and other scrap. Lead scrap is getting harder to score around here as the tire shops are reluctant to let it go and folks are competing more for other scrap. The salvage yards want almost as much as current market retail price; thus Rotometals with their delivery deals is often as good as or better deal and you get totally clean and very pure supplies.

prs

[Love Life]

Missouri Bullet Company.

[Shiloh]

Missouri Bullet Company.

This is god to know. Metal is getting harder to scrounge. Used to be a breeze. I'd use purchased metal to tweak scrounged metal.

Shiloh

[jmort]

Aside from the good price from Missouri Bullet and the fact I avoid California Tax, you are supporting a good company and it is a win-win, they get lower price on alloy and we get lower price because of the volume. I do get tin from RotoMetals.