when do you pull the plug

[white eagle]

when do you think you have enough lead to keep you in boolits
for as long as your needs dictate
I made a score today on w/w that will put me close to 500#in w/w alone
I am going to relax a bit now I do believe that I am in a comfort zone as
far as the w/w search goes
So when do you call it good enough????

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I don't know if there is a "good enough". To my way of thinking, lead will only go up in price. More laws restricting the sale of lead keep going on the books. Lead may become a great bartering tool. For me, I plan on keeping about 500-750 lbs of ingots for my own. That is actually more than I need but I kind of like the "more is better" stuff.

[Charlie Sometimes]

If I ever run out, I will know that I did not collect enough.

It depends on what calibers and how much you shoot those calibers.

I shoot everything from 22 to 45-70 in cast boollits- some I shoot some more than others (22's mostly), so those calibers don't cut into the stock pile as fast.

Just do the math and see what works for ya, but lead hording is addictive. You won't be able to stop, even if they would be able to stop making it!

[jnovotny]

Couldn't agree with Charlie more! When they've outlawed the use of lead all over than it will become more valuable.

[duckndawg]

I only have about 1500 lbs. and still looking for more! I to think it will end up being a very good bargaining tool.

[jnovotny]

Either that or your kids will have to get rid of it when you croak dawg.

[ktw]

So when do you call it good enough????

I quite actively looking at something over 3,000lbs.

I got concerned over the possibility of having to move it someday.

-ktw

[Charlie Sometimes]

It will be valuable only to a boolit caster, mostly.
I do not know that many around my local area that do any more than a few RB's occasionally.

I am the one that has the biggest stash around here.

[crabo]

You can always go the scrap yard with it and make some money. I bought some lead the other day and if I had taken it to the scrap yard, I could have made $175 profit.

I am going to keep collecting even though I have all I need. If I have need for a mold or scope or whatever, I can always sell some to pay for it if I don't have the disposable income at that time..

[btroj]

I don't know that enough exists. I sure don't have it, don't know how much it is. I would like 100 pounds a ear minimum. At age 44 I figure I might need 4000 pounds more. And that is if I cut back on my 45-70 shooting.
Enough? Not in my realm of possibilities. Keep collecting all you can get, then a bit more.

[fecmech]

I'm going on 68 yrs old with close to 1500-1700 lbs in stock plus a lot of boolits already cast. I'm not actively looking but I would pick up a loose ww on the ground! You see I'm in this 12 step program........................................... .............................................

[white eagle]

Just do the math and see what works for ya, but lead hording is addictive. You won't be able to stop, even if they would be able to stop making it! [/QUOTE]

Ya I kinda got that feelin to Charlie
even though I made a score on my way home I was thinking of stopping and asking
at a few spots on the way

[sargenv]

I think it's kind of like brass.. I just have this really difficult time not picking up perfectly good 223, 40 S&W, 9mm, 45 acp, and anything else on the ground.. same goes for lead.. I have quite a bit, but if I shoot like I have in the past, that means that I go through roughly 300-400 pounds per year, at least.. so the more I can get, the better.. and I'm only 43. So I will keep hoarding as much range lead as I can get my grubby hands on since it will only stretch the WW's I have now..

[Rangefinder]

Between ingots and unsmelted, I'm sitting on easily 1500+ pounds. They're gonna dry up, and lead is only going to get more difficult to find. By the time it's too big a PITA to try getting more, I want to already have enough put away to last me the rest of my shooting days. Pretty simple to me--it's enough when I just can't find it anymore.

[Ferdinand]

I'm not going to quit accumulating, especially since most of it comes in free for me. I started last year and have about 300 lbs, and have a net gain rate of 25 lbs per month or so.

[Charlie Sometimes]

I'm not going to quit accumulating, especially since most of it comes in free for me. I started last year and have about 300 lbs, and have a net gain rate of 25 lbs per month or so.

You're up there near one of those BIG junkyards. Ought to be able to go around to all the vehicles and pull the old ones off. Wonder if a junkyard would let you do that? Get yourself a pair of those fancy pliers they use and go to town in there. Maybe go through town parking lots, too!

[Hiaboo]

Very good question -- I have about a ton and half total of two very good distinct alloys and I'm always looking to get more.. It really doesn't cost me anything and I really enjoy the process of smelting it.

I also recently started casting about a year ago and I'm 25 just to put in perspective. I just think if you find a good supplier you can get a lot very easy and at a minimal cost to you.

[Freightman]

Either that or your kids will have to get rid of it when you croak dawg.

They both cast so will be a part of their inheritance.

[Iowa Fox]

You can never have enough raw material inventory on hand. I have about 1700-2000 lbs of ww ingot, 500 plus lbs pure lead, assorted small piles of babbit and lead solder. I have 9 buckets of ww I got just before it got cold sitting outside the shed waiting for the smelter when it warms up. I'll be out with my buckets and 12 packs come spring. I hope my boys and grandkids put it in the air when I'm gone rather than sell it.

[a.squibload]

...You see I'm in this 12 step program.......

Me too, if I don't see another WW after about 12 steps I start to get nervous...