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Thread: Buying Zinc. Is this a good deal or not?

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Buying Zinc. Is this a good deal or not?

    I was at a place today asking after lead and the man there said that he sold all he had a couple of weeks ago to someone else. I have heard this more times lately than I care to think about.

    He did have a barrel of Wheel Weights and I said "Is that so"? I went out to take a look and they were a mixture of zinc and iron/al/etc.. Probably 300lbs or so of them.
    He told me I could sort through them if I wanted and he would sell the zinc to me for 60 cents/lb.

    If I can trade them even for lead as ShadyGrady has offered is this a good deal or not?
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  2. #2
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    ..............Don't know the current market price for zinc, but you can cast boolits with it. There are a few threads here at Cast Boolits dealing with it. Here's one:

    http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/sho ... hp?t=89931

    ..............Buckshot
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  3. #3
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    Also factor in the cost to ship to ShadyGray. $12 for 65lbs or so, will increase your per pound price by about $.20. Still under $1/lb, but more work than buying ingots from the S&S section from time to time. My 2 cents! -Brad

  4. #4
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    Back in my first years of casting, plumbers pot and Coleman stove, I ran across some factory wad-cutters
    I now realize were zinc, I just tossed them in with the melt and they took a very long time to melt. That would cause an increase in the cost of smelting and casting. Probably hard on aluminum molds also..

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

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    IMO NO! to much time sorting & leg work, just buy it allready in ingots from a fourm member

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I did not mention that I tore some ligaments in my ankle and have been out of work for a few weeks so time is not an issue on this.

    40lbs zinc @ .60/lb is $24 + $12.50 shipping is $36.50 or so. Less than $1/lb. And it would give me something to do besides I'm pretty sure that in that 50gal drum there are some Pb, how many I'm not sure but they could not have gotten them all.
    Last edited by jonp; 11-27-2013 at 09:42 AM.
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  7. #7
    Boolit Master

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    One other thing to watch for is how much steel weights are in there. I've found about 40% in my most recent sorts are steel.
    Jeepyj
    Sometimes it takes a second box of boolits to clear my head.
    Feed back thread http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...?261449-jeepyj

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by jeepyj View Post
    One other thing to watch for is how much steel weights are in there. I've found about 40% in my most recent sorts are steel.
    Jeepyj
    There are steel ww in the barrel. The guy said he would let me sort through the barrel and then weigh out the zinc I found.
    I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled

    Fiat Justitia, Ruat Caelum

  9. #9
    Boolit Master

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    [QUOTE=jonp;2496334]There are steel ww in the barrel. The guy said he would let me sort through the barrel and then weigh out the zinc I found.[/QUOTE

    He seems reasonable if that's the case. I've traded with shady 7 times so far and it is well worth the time especially if your having a hard time gathering good lead in your area and you've got the time. Generally I PM shady ahead of time to be sure he still needs the zinc so far he has always wanted it. Best of luck
    Jeepyj
    Sometimes it takes a second box of boolits to clear my head.
    Feed back thread http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...?261449-jeepyj

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check