how much is too much of lead stash?

[usmcscout]

I recently decided to smelt my huge stash of wheel weights and misc lead alloy into ingots. Of course lead sure compresses and is dense. I curently have 586 pds of 2-2.5 pd ingots yes I weighed and marked each one with a metal stamp. in addition I have 310 pds of pure soft lead (I believe it all to be soft but really high tin % ) I really need find a hardness tester but of course I cant find one save my life.

so my question is that enouph supply of lead specifically the WW.? to last many years. I am a new caster but not a new handloader. I am casting for my 9mm 135gr and 150gr along with 125 gr and eventually for my AR15 75 gr (wich is on order from a group buy on here probubly be a year to see it) and lastly 30 cal 308win rem 700 tactical most likely 150-170 gr

I know depends on my volume of consumption wich I would say is moderate 4k or so in 9mm


how much is everyone else hoarding away incase that idiot makes it even harder to buy/find lead

what say you?

[historicfirearms]

I've got over a ton and still pick up all I can. It's amazing how fast you can use it up. I recycle most of my lead by shooting at my home range, so I think I probably have "enough". Still, I never turn down lead if I can get it.

[Bigslug]

"You can never go too far." - Ferris Bueller

[ku4hx]

I've asked myself that question, and I finally came up with an answer that suits me. When the planet starts to wobble excessively because the Northern hemisphere has gotten even more off balance, I probably have too much in my local stash. But I'm not sure.

[gefiltephish]

There is no such thing as too much lead, unless you're eating it.

[John Allen]

I will stop once my 4 X 8 shed is full to the top I promise.

[Spawn-Inc]

i would be happy with 1.5 tons of lead and no less then 1 ton. so any extra past 1.5 ton would be sold for powder/primers, etc.

i currently have.... 200lbs lol. i just started!

i'm only casting for 9mm, 45acp, 500mag, 38/357. so once i get into rifles things will change.

[alfloyd]

When the cement floor cracks in the shop area, then I might have too much. Until then I keep getting all I can.

Lafaun

[imashooter2]

Even at your modest current consumption, 586 pounds is less than a 7 year supply. And you already state you are going to increase usage. How old are you? How long do you plan to keep shooting? I suspect that doing that math will show your stores to be inadequate.

[Blammer]

I currently have about 2,000 lbs or a bit more and I still scrounge a bit....

[454PB]

Everyone is different, and has different needs. I started casting about 1971, and I acquired a 55 gallon barrel of wheel weights about 2/3 full from a friend that owned a tire shop. I figured I was set for life.

At the time, I was casting for .45 Colt and .44 magnum, and shot at least 3 times per week. It takes a lot of shooting to get good with the "big boys".

Within 5 years, the barrel was empty, but wheel weights were still easy to come by. It would be tough to guess how many pounds of alloy I've gone through in the last 40 years, but it has to be nearly 3 tons.

[John Allen]

I have 10 buckets of wheel weights that I have not sorted yet, about 800lbs of ingots and I am still ALWAYS looking. I shoot alot of the bigger calibers, 44, 45 and 45/70 they suck a lot of lead real quick.

[Digger]

When the cement floor cracks in the shop area, then I might have too much. Until then I keep getting all I can.

Lafaun

Been there , currently doing just that , will have to spread it around.
Have to go buy a sealant for the crack now.
digger

[nouseforaname1246]

I started casting 3 years ago and built up a stash of around 1000 lbs. I stopped collecting lead after that, figuring I was good. I got into competitive shooting (idpa uspsa 3 gun) and at last count im down to 200 lbs and now I cant find wheelweights anymore. Long story short, get as much as you can while you can. Worst case, you never use it and have to sell it. Im gonna be upset when I run out of lead and have to start buying it lol.

[usmcscout]

guess it was kinda dumb question but lead out here in oregon is a touph find. noone really gives it away anymore. go to tireshops they eather say they are under contract or they think its worth its weight in gold like 1.50 pound not sorted. go to indoor ranges they have it sold to recycler only hope is scrap yards one of wich quite selling to public. the other just upped price .70 cents pound for clean lead wich equates to soft. they have been out off wheel weights for some time they were 40 cents pound but I know guy works their he would allways work it in my favor. I did score another 500 pds of high tin concentrated soft lead and some babbit I have yet to get to

[MtGun44]

Can't have too much unless you are swimming.

Bill

[dverna]

It does not to be fed, watered, groomed, exercised, kept cool, or kept warm. I see no practical upper limit on how much lead to stockpile (hoarding sounds so negative). My current level is 2 tons of shot and 3000 lbs of alloy. With plans to recycle bullet/slug lead, I should be set for life but I will continue to buy lead if the price is right.

Lead is a great investment. There is very little mining of lead and the world is using more and more of it. I can see lead hitting $2/lb within 5 years. This is due not only to demand but also due to devaluation of the dollar as the Fed continues to print money. So even if you have more than you think you "need" it will increase in value and can be sold or bartered. Unlike other 'precious' metals, there is minimal risk of someone stealing it from you - especially if you do not convert it all into nice little ingots. If you do make it into ingots, store it in containers that cannot be picked up and easily moved.

[DeanWinchester]

Too much lead?

Jeez, next thing you know you'll be asking when is a girl too pretty or a dog to faithful or a beer too cold or too much money or ..........

[357maximum]

April 1 came and went...HA HA HA

I cannot say for sure how much I have, but it is not enough, especially in the pure lead arena....proably have enough ww though....not stopped finding, but I have quit "actively" looking for ww.

[762 shooter]

You will never be able to buy lead cheaper than .......now........now.......now.

The obsessive wild men and women on this site will buy your excess lead as long as you want to sell it at a fair price.

One day you can tell your grandchildren that you were able to buy lead through the postal service, melt lead on your private property without governmental permission, touch lead bullets, and reload your own ammunition.

Ahhh the good old days.

762