Are we still using clip ons

[burch]

I’m seperating my ww’s and have notice the clip on’s don’t look like the old clip on’s
Most are a light grey and shiny. What’s the deal ? Are we still using these ?

[rancher1913]

if they can be cut by nippers than yes, if they have "zn" on them no

[Kraschenbirn]

In my experience, "light grey and shiny" are probably zinc (Zn) or, maybe, iron (Fe) that have been painted/powder-coated. Look for either symbol cast (or stamped) into the WW next to the weight mark. If not marked, the only way I know to be certain is, as noted in the previous post, to try cutting them with a pair side-cutters or lineman's pliers...soft enough to cut=good to go, so hard they barely dent=junk.

Bill

[gnostic]

A friend gave me a 50lb. box of WW and 2/3 of them were either steel or zinc. Drop them on cement, if they make a ringing sound, they aren't lead...

[lightman]

Clip on weights are my favorite alloy to cast with. But both clip on and stick on weights are being made from other metals in addition to lead. Zinc, iron and a plastic composite material. There are also some weights that are painted or coated to avoid staining fancy mag wheels. Check out the stickies about sorting weights. Its full of good information.

The % of lead weights varies a lot between areas. Some report so little lead that its not worth their trouble. I'm still seeing 60-65% lead around here unless they come from a dealership. Then the lead % drops a lot.

[Bazoo]

I see around 50-60% lead from a bucket. I am down to my last bucket so I'll be hunting more soon as the money loosens up a bit.

[Rcmaveric]

I get it 50% to 30% lead from a bucket of lead. Sometimes it will take me months to scrounge a source. When I do I will bleed them of everything I can get.

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[burch]

Does anyone sell ingots

[Budzilla 19]

Burch , go to the VS part of the site, it’s down by the swapping and selling and look on VS for lead vendors. They should be some on there! Good luck to you

[burch]

I’m starting to wonder if it’s even worth it. What are you guys casting with if ww’s aren’t available anymore. What about range lead ? or just buying our bullets from a vender ?

[lightman]

I’m starting to wonder if it’s even worth it. What are you guys casting with if ww’s aren’t available anymore. What about range lead ? or just buying our bullets from a vender ?

You will have to be the one to decide if its worth it. I would secure some lead and a few sources before I invested in a lot of equipment. You might buy enough to get started with while you are looking for a source. Some feel that its actually cheaper to buy ingots than to search for scrap and to spend the time making their own ingots.

Wheel weights are still available in parts of the country. You just have to look. Sometimes it takes time to develop sources. I get about 400# a year and I'm not even activitly looking anymore. But range lead is probably going to be the next available source.

You see different alloys for sale in the swapping and selling section pretty often. Wheel weights and range lead show up pretty much on a weekly basis.

[Rcmaveric]

The way I look at it. It cost about a dollar a pound of lead from most vendors to buy ingots. That's without shipping.

So as long as I can source it for cheaper than a buck a pound. I made money. Most often it cost me time, labor, propane and 20 to 60 cents a lb for lead. Propane is cheap and a couple times I have recycled enough brass jackets and cases to get a few tanks refilled. So I don't really count the price of propane.

For sources:
Range Scraps
Wheel weights
Lead sheet

Places to check out:
Craigslist (scored the most from there, takes time though)
Tire Shops (hit or miss, depending on laws)
Recycling Centers (reliable, but most expensive)
Indoor Ranges (they have to clean it up, I am still working this place by my house to try and score a deal)
Out door ranges (ask or sneak a berm mine black ops. I got caught. Luckily I didnt loose my membership but I got over 1000lbs before being busted 2 years ago and I still have 100 lbs left)

I use range scraps for Pistol and rifle plinkers. Mixing 50/50 range scraps and Clip on Wheel weights makes a nice general purpose alloy for everything like higher pressure Pistol, mag pistol, and general rifle use. Straight COWW, use that for testing new rounds before i see how soft i can make the alloy, but I dont generally use pure COWW any more once I learned I didnt need super hard bullets. Water dropping the Range Scraps gives a little bump into the general purpose use.

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[fredj338]

Depending on your location, the lead alloy ww is pretty much extinct.

[fredj338]

I’m starting to wonder if it’s even worth it. What are you guys casting with if ww’s aren’t available anymore. What about range lead ? or just buying our bullets from a vender ?

Berm mining is pretty much my last shot at free alloy. I belong to two private clubs & am free to take what I want out of the berm as long as I put the berm back.

[Rcmaveric]

Berm mining is pretty much my last shot at free alloy. I belong to two private clubs & am free to take what I want out of the berm as long as I put the berm back.And I am jealous....

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[Hogtamer]

My last batch came from old shrimp net weights.....free! Anybody that lives near the coast or has a friend that does has access to these at a lot of docks.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I have been casting since 2017 and have not encountered any coww. Got some 20/1, 30/1 and lino from roto metals and then started scrounging. Got plenty of pewter and 300# of nice cable sheathing. Also picked up some mag shot. Using the lead calculator xl sheets I can come up with just about any kind of alloy now. But mostly a soft 9 bhn for handgun and very light rifle loads and then Lyman #2 for medium rifle loads.

[lightman]

My last batch came from old shrimp net weights.....free! Anybody that lives near the coast or has a friend that does has access to these at a lot of docks.

I'm not even located on the coast and I was recently given an old rotten net. There weights on it filled up a large coffee can. I have not melted them yet and don't even know what they were. I also have a can of Duck Decoy weights that I picked up around some dry ponds on a Duck Club that me and a buddy take care of.

Lead is still out there. You just have to research local things that lead is used for and to always be looking.

[bangerjim]

I’m starting to wonder if it’s even worth it. What are you guys casting with if ww’s aren’t available anymore. What about range lead ? or just buying our bullets from a vender ?

I am fortunate to have over 2.5tons of lead and hard alloys and Sn stashed away from years back. You've been around since 2008......those WERE GOOD days for finding WW's that were all PB. Between 2009 and 2016 was when I acquired most of my stash.....mainly from local scrap yards and ads on here. I have not looked for Pb in over 6 months. I have enough to last me a lifetime!

Try local yards around your area? Forget tire stores any more......either under contract to scrap recyclers or most Zn/Fe.

Good luck!

banger

[pjames32]

I'm still scrounging wheel weights. The % lead keeps declining but I do it for fun. Don't forget truck tire shops when scrounging. They are bigger weights and more are lead. I hand sort the ones that are stamped FE or ZN first then get out the side cutters. I have a stock car racer friend who takes the ZN and borrows my dutch oven to make race car weights.