What should i pay for range scrap from a indoor range?

[Sgtonory]

Just had a new indoor range open up with both pistol and rifle range. Will be a lot of J words and a few cast in the scrap. I have a chance to put a bid in to buy the scrap. My question is at what price would it be a good deal. Seems he alrdy has a bid of .30 a pound. This lead will be in 55 gallon drums and will be loaded for me. Thanks for any input.

[Bohica793]

Considering you can buy it cleaned and smelted into nice ingots for $1/lb the question becomes how much is your time worth to you? You have to haul it, smelt it, flux it once or twice, pour it, then move it again.

Just a thought

[Sgtonory]

Good thought. Thanks for the input.

[runfiverun]

you might be able to make some money on the deal if you can handle the amount they will sell you.
the first thing I would do is contact some scrap yards in the area and see if they will buy the copper jackets.
then get set up to melt and clean some real large batches of alloy.
generally when you deal with stuff like this they want you to take all of their scrap for a set period of time.

[dbosman]

What are the scrap yards near you paying? If you get tied up for some reason you might need to recycle some loads - fast.
Are you prepared to unload ~600lb drums of shattered lead?
Can you handle, in a way that won't irritate your neighbors, fair sized to large batches of smelting?
Can you pick it up at your convenience?
Can you afford to front or invest the money to sit on possibly multiple batches?

Since we're a chea - er... frugal bunch of folks, can you smelt sixty pound batches, make ingots, and pack them up for - lets say $30 profit per box?
If so, up to $.50 per pound would

[Sgtonory]

Sounds like scrap yard is paying .30 per pound. Yes i have the money. Able to smelt in a automotive shop or at my house. Thanks again for all the advice.

[WRideout]

I once supervised a lead cleanup job at an indoor range of a federal courthouse. They had been putting the collected bullets into 55 gal drums, but those were almost impossible to move. I requested that they use 30 gal drums, which made the job a lot more feasible.

Wayne

[Sgtonory]

Ya i bet. Wonder how much a 55 gallon drum weighs.

[William Yanda]

Ya i bet. Wonder how much a 55 gallon drum weighs.
IF a 55 gal drum holds 11 5 gal buckets that weigh 150# each you are looking at 1650 pounds.
Please don't drop it on your toe.

[Sgtonory]

Found a scrap yard that will take the jackets for $1.50 per #. Dose a offer of .50 a pound for the scrap sound like a good deal?

[KingAirNeal]

I would hit them at 35 cents a pound. Go up slow, 5 cents a pound over thousands of pounds add up quick.

[Sgtonory]

Update will be getting scrap for .40 per # and all there brass for $1.50 a pound.

[GlocksareGood]

Update will be getting scrap for .40 per # and all there brass for $1.50 a pound.

Sounds like you are in the range lead business! G/L OP!

[Sgtonory]

Sounds like you are in the range lead business! G/L OP!

Thanks just picked up my first score got 470# of range scrap. Very little other stuff in the buckets a few plastic hulls but no dirt or wood pieces. This should be a bi weekly haul along with brass. Now it just needs to get above the - outside so i can smelt some lead.

[bob208]

you got a real good deal. around here every one thinks their scrap lead is worth $1 a lb. or more. they even wanted $1 a lb. for wheel weights unsorted un smelted.

just remember that lead can set once you have it. you don't have to feed it or pay taxes on it.

[lwknight]

you got a real good deal. around here every one thinks their scrap lead is worth $1 a lb. or more. they even wanted $1 a lb. for wheel weights unsorted un smelted.

just remember that lead can set once you have it. you don't have to feed it or pay taxes on it.
Second that. The dollar will always lose value. Lead is a world market.
Although they really want to , the US cannot dominate the world so lead in hand will not lose value like dollars will.
Also , you will get gobs of copper from the jackets than can sell for #2 copper.

[tayous1]

Considering you can buy it cleaned and smelted into nice ingots for $1/lb the question becomes how much is your time worth to you? You have to haul it, smelt it, flux it once or twice, pour it, then move it again.

Just a thought


Kind of new here where do you find it at that price? Not trying to be a smart a$$ would love to find it at $1/lb as I pull mine from the range melt it clean it ya its cheap free but takes a lot of my time up at that price I'd be buying 50 to 100 lb a month!

[lightman]

Check out the swapping and selling section on this site. Lightman

[winchester85]

my scrap yard will only pay lead scrap price for the jackets. first thing they do is stick a magnet in the bucket. amazing how many jackets are steel.

[Alan in Vermont]

my scrap yard will only pay lead scrap price for the jackets. first thing they do is stick a magnet in the bucket. amazing how many jackets are steel.

Which is why you need to go through your scrap jackets with a magnet yourself. I you clean the steel out and they don't find any in your scrap they just might give you #2 copper price for it.