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View Full Version : Which type of lead to stock up on?



sheepdog
04-22-2009, 01:14 PM
First off this isn't about how much to stock up. I know this late in the game I'm way behind, probably always will be. This is about what to stock. This is assuming all prices are roughly equal between WW, soft lead, and unsorted range scrap.

So far majority of my lead is wheel weights (80/20 clip-ons vs stick-ons sorted). Some range scrap (maybe 10% of my stock), couple dozen pounds of pewter and solder ingots. Small stash of #2 commercial stuff as well.

With that in mind, thinking about the long haul, over the years what I will need and the kind of boolits I will be casting should I stock more soft lead or wheel weights? I would think wheel weights as theres little advantage of soft lead over WW for modern firearms but I shoot alot of pistol and even soft lead with a small amount of WW and water quenched can go a long way right?

par0thead151
04-22-2009, 01:20 PM
wheel weights. the clip on kind.
buy it cheap stack i VERY deep

Gunslinger
04-22-2009, 01:32 PM
Oh dear oh dear, how can you ask a question like that? Stock up on EVERYTHING :-D

And yes I do mean that, no reason to pass on anything, no one knows what the ww situation will be in 5-10 years... probably not better than it is now. Ww is a very good basic alloy which can be softend or hardend with either pure or lino. I never pass on anything (but to perfer ww), I know I'll be shooting and casting untill the very end and besides.... 1000lbs of clean alloy don't take up that much space!

I'll probably never end up being a front-stuffin' kinda guy, but I save the pure lead because when I get my hands on some lino converting it to ww alloy hardness is easy! Or maybe someone will trade me something in the future.

If forced to choose I'd go with ww over scrap.... if you come across lino - SWIPE IT!!!

sheepdog
04-22-2009, 04:17 PM
Well WW sounds like the no-brainer because per 175 bucket you get what around 9 pounds of tin already mixed in? But how many pounds get wasted on clips, dross, and zinc or steel weights.
With sheets of clean flashing or shielding for the same price it starts to make me wonder...

Jaybird62
04-22-2009, 04:38 PM
A few weeks ago I did some simple math.... If I shoot an average of 200 rounds per week that average 200 grains each for the next 30 years, then I'll need about 4 1/2 tons of Pb. My boys and wife like to shoot, too. Since February I've boosted stocks a tad more than a ton of WW, pure and lino. I'm waiting on a call to go pick up another ton this week. Half of it is sheet with a lot of tin (25%) by my best guess.

What to stock up, again, all of it. Clip on WW make the most sense because you can cast it like it comes and play with the hardness via water quench or heat treating and shoot it out of most anything.

fredj338
04-22-2009, 06:47 PM
WW are going to get hard to get sooner than later, so that is what I would go for. Range scrap is where/when you find it. I've got about 1000# of alloy now, not nearly enough.
I recently bought 5 three gal buckets, about 550#, of mixed ww. Ater sorting out the steel & obvious zinc, I had about 480#, subtract another 10% for clips & dros & I have about 450# of casting alloy. Now, if I can get another couple buckets from the same place I'll be happy.:mrgreen:

captain-03
04-22-2009, 07:12 PM
Very interesting; especially the math part!! I need more wheel weights ....

mtgrs737
04-22-2009, 07:12 PM
I was talking to my bother-in-law on the phone the other day and he said that our mother-in-law commented that I have two pallets full of lead ingots in my storage shed (which is correct) and she just doesn't understand why anyone would NEED that! The same woman and here husband also think that my 20 two-cycle Lawn-Boy mowers are excessive also. I agree if the mowers were new then it might be excessive, but they are not and most were free to me. The moral of this story is: Like two-cycle Lawn-boys, lead Wheel Weights are soon to be discontinued and I will hoard all that I can lay my hands on while I can get them cheaply, as My hobby is well served by them.

I don't tend to care what others (even those in my family) think, someday I will be sitting on a valuable pile of WW lead ingots and two-cycle mowers when others are searching for new hobbies. My lead and mowers will never be worth less than what I have in them.

My question: WHEN was my MIL in my Shed? LOL!!!

Down South
04-22-2009, 10:44 PM
WW would be the best if you can find it. Any type of lead that you can afford will work. I'm still stocking up even though I already have enough to last me for years to come.

Tom Herman
04-22-2009, 10:53 PM
Get it ALL... I am concentrating on Wheel Weights, as they are likely to get a lot harder to come by sooner than later.
You will ALWAYS be able to find some sort of scrap lead...

Happy Shootin'! -Tom

mooman76
04-22-2009, 10:59 PM
Easy. Everything you can get. If you get too much of one kind and not enough of another you can swap with someone that has the reverse.

TCLouis
04-22-2009, 11:57 PM
Jaybird
Where are you getting sheet lead with a lot of tin in it?

Slow Elk 45/70
04-23-2009, 01:42 AM
My self, I grab all I can when I can, it is great trading stock for down the road, the WW's are going away , so that will mean Linotype, Monotype, Babbitt, hard type will all be in more demand down the road. Anything with antimony and or tin is going to be in demand, for some of us anyway.

Good Luck.:cbpour: