how addicted are you?

[Link23]

As most of you should know, im a Med school student going to school in Idaho. I live about a mile away from campus and i just walk every day for some excersize. Well i was walking back to my apartment today (crossing a major road) when i noticed one of the little tiny wheel weights. The ones that might make a single 9mm124 grain boolit. Of course i stopped to pick it up and backed up traffic.

So my question is, how addicted are you to picking up wheel weights when ever you see them, ive been known to run out INTO traffic Not heavy traffic but traffic non the less to grab a wheel weight

Link23:Luvcastboolits:

[grullaguy]

As far a wheel weights go, I am not too bad. It is real hard for me to check my targets at the range though without picking something up. I bicycle tour so passing on wheel weights is a necessity or I would never get up the bigger hills.

[Armorer]

Seems perfectly logical to me..:)

[williamwaco]

Well, This is probably not a good thing to say to a addict, but:

When I was young enough to do it and broke enough to need to, I would drive around the entire town every week end, to every rail crossing, every dip, and every place the roads were washboarded. The streets were not paved so washboarding was common.

These rough spots would be where most of the wheel weights were "lost" by them & "found" by me. I got a lot of wheel weights that way.

[jsizemore]

I walk a couple of parking lots that have weekend used tire stores for our future citizens to help them with their lead WW abatement. You know, looking out for the enviornment. It's kinda fun. Folks see me walking around looking at the pavement and they start lookin' around. Since they don't see the money laying there they give up. I shove my plastic dishpan along with my foot, so they must figure I already scooped their spot. They look so sad.

[Link23]

collecting WW helps the environment 2 ways, 1. we clean up the "nasty evil lead" and then we make beautiful boolits with the wheel weights, and then we shoot startlings out my back yard.

Link23

[firefly1957]

I also pick them up I found a dozen in parking lot of tire store and they were all lead.

[plainsman456]

I was out moving my water lines and filling the two buckets we use for water dishes for the dogs and cats.Leaning up against the saddle house is the spare tire for a 1 ton truck that I haven't used on the place for a year,there it was,that wheel weight was staring me in the face.
I got a hold of myself before I got a pair of pliers and removed it.
But it was close.

[Defcon-One]

Just a note: I imagine you see more lead wheel weights on the road than you used to. My assumption is that more fall off because they are being reused now even though it is illegal. The old clips are not as secure as the new ones.

Many of my best soures no longer give or sell COWW to me because they are reusing them!

In answer to your question, I pick up all that I see.

[Leadforbrains]

I cruise the mall parking lots with my trusty wheel weight removal tool.

[jsizemore]

I cruise the mall parking lots with my trusty wheel weight removal tool.

Do you steal tires, radios, and gps's too?

[2wheelDuke]

All of my running shorts have a pocket for a key, energy gel, MP3 player, whatever. That's where I hang onto any WW I might see while running.

They make a hell of a racket if I forget to take them out before putting them in the wash, they're always still in the pocket when they go into the dryer.

[Link23]

heck i might start running now just to get wheel weights...... that means i cant be 230lbs anymore, but i am 6'4''

[luis7]

I do it too.
If I see a ww on the road I pick it.
I´m very very addicted.
Greetings.

[Leadforbrains]

Do you steal tires, radios, and gps's too?
Nope:roll:

[WILCO]

I do it too.
If I see a ww on the road I pick it.
I´m very very addicted.


Same here. [smilie=s:

[ColColt]

Due to hail/wind damage, I'm getting a new roof on this upcoming Friday(courtesy Allstate). I know there's lead up there around at least one of the pipe boots and perhaps the chimney. I plan on asking for it when they replace it. They'd just throw it away anyway so, if I can get enough to even make a couple hundred bullets alloyed with it and it's free-why not?

[Link23]

i would do that too ColColt being 25 myself people dont want to give me buckets of wheel weights at any auto store they just look at my funny and say no, so i have to be creative on the ways i get let, i only have about 30 lbs of it so i have to be sparing

Link23

[Jal5]

Pick em up whenever you see em as they are a vanishing breed.
There was one at the intersection right before my work parking lot shining at me for weeks. I never could get there at a time the traffic was light enough to get it :(

[crabo]

Due to hail/wind damage, I'm getting a new roof on this upcoming Friday(courtesy Allstate). I know there's lead up there around at least one of the pipe boots and perhaps the chimney. I plan on asking for it when they replace it. They'd just throw it away anyway so, if I can get enough to even make a couple hundred bullets alloyed with it and it's free-why not?

Ask the roofer to start saving it for you. Mine knows I will give him 50 cents a pound. I came home one day and this was in the driveway. 950 pounds

I traded some lead for a pid and part of a scope and my wife said, "That's a good deal. We can get more lead"

[mold maker]

I used to take my Son for a 60 mile round trip, on the cycle, every weekend. We'd pull off every exit on I 40, and walk the exit lane. Seldom came home with less than a gal.
I still pick up what I see from the driver (AC in car) seat, but all that walking is now out of the question.

[wtfooptimax200]

VERY...it is so bad that when my fiancee and I were meeting with a potential photographer for our wedding, I noticed the largest pewter pitcher that I have ever seen sitting on the hutch in his living room. I did an immediate double take. I was so obvious that my fiancee gave me **** for it as soon as we got in the car....she knows that I'm crazy.

[firefly1957]

Leadforbrains I hope you say that in jest However I knew some one who used to add weight to the wheels of people he did not like one of the big two ounce ones. He said it keep them from speeding but it had dangerous possibility's as well. (stealing weights off cars at the mall)

Defcon-One You are not the first one I have heard that from but it had as much to do with High cost of lead free weights as anything. (reusing old weights)

[Harter66]

I am personally affronted by the ordnance prohibiting unauthorized use of wheel weight tools in parking lots w/double penalties from 11-1/1-30!

Just kidding ,there's no laws, I'm surprised there's not 1 though. I've been known to bail out at 4 way stops for Was and will walk the planters and curbs at the malls for them. I got almost a pound Saturday when I picked up Honey at the nail place!

[ChuckJaxFL]

Do you steal tires, radios, and gps's too?

I used to, but the tires stink when you smelt them and I could never get any kind of decent groups with radios or gps's.

[3006guns]

Since things "are the way they are" in this state, I've started packing a small but powerful magnet on my person. Any suspect tire weight is immediately checked for purity, and any that are obviously zinc or steel are left to return to mother earth.........[smilie=1:.......in this fashion I'm returning precious iron oxides for re-mining and leaving the zinc for flashlight battery manufacturers.

It takes a lot to be enviornmentally concious!

[Leadforbrains]

Leadforbrains I hope you say that in jest However I knew some one who used to add weight to the wheels of people he did not like one of the big two ounce ones. He said it keep them from speeding but it had dangerous possibility's as well. (stealing weights off cars at the mall)

Defcon-One You are not the first one I have heard that from but it had as much to do with High cost of lead free weights as anything. (reusing old weights)

:kidding:

You guys crack me up!
Yes I was only Kidding, but I do have a wheelweight removal tool that I got from a friend at a tire store. I might use it to hit up the automotive junk yards when things get real tough in the wheelweight finding department. I am still managing to get my lead for free for now so no worries at the present.

[Harter66]

Scored about 35# the last time I was a pick n pull w/a pair of pull only type pliers. I think their actually hose clamp pliers, the cheap stamped kind.

[Rangefinder]

My wife is convinced I'm nuts... LOL I have a good source of WW's still, but it's pewter I'm always after. We were on a bike trip the other day and browsing through a store. There were some pretty big cast statues in one store all gray and shiny. So I walked over and saw a price tag since they were on a clearance table--$19.95... NO WAY!! Picked one up and felt right away that it was painted plaster--so, no-go. But the wife looked at me, shook her head with a little laugh, and said "You're terrible!" All I could do was shrug and say "Hey, if it was pewter, It'd sweeten a huge pile of pistol bullets. Always worth checking for that price."


VERY...it is so bad that when my fiancee and I were meeting with a potential photographer for our wedding, I noticed the largest pewter pitcher that I have ever seen sitting on the hutch in his living room. I did an immediate double take. I was so obvious that my fiancee gave me **** for it as soon as we got in the car....she knows that I'm crazy.

I'm with you on that one too. The local brewery here is a regular hang-out for us since I'm part of the brewer's guild. There's a bunch of steins on display, one of which is about a 6-liter quaff in solid pewter. I stare and drool at it all the time. My wife doesn't say much about that one anymore since she gave me a bad time about looking it over every time we went in there and I responded "It's boolit-caster's porn--I just can't help staring..."

[koehlerrk]

Hee-hee-hee.... Last week I was getting off the 4-lane and I saw "something" down near the stop sign... from about 100 yards away! Curiouser and curiouser.... So I get up there, stop, look over.... and it's a HUGE wheel weight! So I do the only thing I could... I pulled over, got out, and picked it up.

It was an 8 ounce weight! Yup, half a pound, in one go! Sometimes even a blind squirrel finds a nut...

[Link23]

wow thats a nice score!

[1kshooter]

smart ideas guys..I have been getting my lead from the the back stop of my range..and I have a friend that is a plumber and saves all the old crapper pipe for me ..he even power washes it for me and drops it off with 10lb spools of 50-50 soldier!

[xringdave]

Been doing the same thing for years sometimes i'll 2 or 3, a few i times got 20 or more.

[hydraulic]

Lead for Brains: For heavens sake don't use "tongue in cheak" jokes about stealing wheel weights; the knuckle dragers here will take you seriously. I joked about sneaking into the local Ford dealer while the safety meeting was on, and man, it was a regular teenage dog pile. I tried to reasure everyone that the owner was my best friend and I had permission to pick up the wheel weight bucket whenever I want to, but it got so bad they shut down the thread.

[Leadforbrains]

Lead for Brains: For heavens sake don't use "tongue in cheak" jokes about stealing wheel weights; the knuckle dragers here will take you seriously. I joked about sneaking into the local Ford dealer while the safety meeting was on, and man, it was a regular teenage dog pile. I tried to reasure everyone that the owner was my best friend and I had permission to pick up the wheel weight bucket whenever I want to, but it got so bad they shut down the thread.

Ahhhh they are a funny bunch around here. Never a dull moment.:kidding:

Heck with a handle like Leadforbrains ain't nobody gonna take me seriously.

:drinks:

[bumpo628]

I just got back from riding bikes with the family.

As I was riding I saw a coin on the ground - kept going.
Then I saw a lead wheel weight - stopped to pick it up. "That looks like a 2 ouncer!"

EDIT:
I picked up a 1 ounce clip-on while out riding the next day. Later I came across 9 stick-on 1/4 oz weights stuck to the road. I was able to use the clip from the first weight to pop them off.

3 more ounces in the pile!
[smilie=w:

[garym1a2]

I have been out on my road bike and picked up them and put them in my Jersey. Only one or two at the most does not hurt on the big hills too much.

I have found a battery cable end in a parking lot and go WOW theirs a couple 45's.


As far a wheel weights go, I am not too bad. It is real hard for me to check my targets at the range though without picking something up. I bicycle tour so passing on wheel weights is a necessity or I would never get up the bigger hills.

[Southern Son]

I got stuck waiting for an hour at a service station that was attached to a tyre shop. I got bored and went for a walk around the area and got about 2 pounds of W/W. Wasn't nearly so peeved at being stuck there after that.

[bearcove]

I'M Not addicted I've only been scrounging lead since the 70's. In fact I might quit NEXT year when I give up beer and wine and steak and hamburgers and potato chips and.........

[Southern Son]

I'M Not addicted I've only been scrounging lead since the 70's. In fact I might quit NEXT year when I give up beer and wine and steak and hamburgers and potato chips and.........

I have told the missus that I will stop hoarding free stuff when I sprout wings and fly. :mrgreen:

[badbob454]

i deliver parts to a local tire shop there is a 1/2 ounce square stick on lead ww that is sealed over in tar it is worn down so the shiny top is exposed i've been fighting to not pry it out with a screwdriver and i have over 2,000 pounds of the stuff at home ... thatzs addicted

[Christian for Israel]

i have right around 7 tons of metal and am seeing a guy in the morning about another 130 lbs.

[Harter66]

I made a deal w local scrapers for a finders fee. You know the guys cleaning out yards for free to cash out the scrap.

I can quit any time I want too........................

[10 ga]

I mostly cast for my MLs. Use both soft and alloy as I have smokey MLs and smokeless MLs. I shoot about 100 to 120# worth a year and use about 25# newly cast into net weights for my gill nets. Long as I don't lose the nets they get reused so I don't need so many of them. My hoard of lead is at 1800# of smelted ingots and I have another 700-800# of raw "ore" to clean up and smelt. I'm 61 now and figure another 2 tons added to that will be enough for the rest of my lifetime. My cache is about 60% coWWs, 30% soft Pb like soWWs, cable sheathing, pipe, sheet, and shielding Pb and 10% solder, babbit, pewter etc... Plus I have 12 nets and thay have about 20# of weights @ so that is another 250# of lead. Yeah, I need, want, gotta have more. I make my regular runs to sources and get all I can. Now if the weather will just cool down so I can smelt those buckets of "ore" into ingots, shiny silvery ingots, beautiful ingots. Then I can make some boolits, shoot some boolits, an go hunting, for more "ore". I like my hunting, for deer, squirrel, coon and "ore". 10 ga

[Sonnypie]

I'm not sure I am addicted, but....
I've been casting for the last few days and I filled a shot sack with 120 grain, 30 cal boolits.
I got curious, so I weighed the sack. 26.6 pounds.
26.6 X 7000 = 186,200 grains
186,200 / 120 = 1551.66 Boolits. :groner:

Now the actual boolits are running @ 114 grains each. (sample lot)

What is going to happen when they decide lead is illegal?
Declare us each and all a hazmat site? :violin:

[swheeler]

Long ago I was sent to Grand Island, Nebraska for treatment by DR Joyce. I thought it had worked and shot nothing but Hornady bullets for several years, but I fell off the wagon. Once an addict, always an addict. I now take it one day at a time, walk 12 steps look for a wheel weight, oh the shame of it all.