Lead

[Beekeeper]

How much do you have?
How much do you think is enough?
I see some of the pics of the different man caves where you are showing your lead storage but how much does it weigh?
I have approx 1000 lbs and think I can get more but do I need to?


Jim

[GabbyM]

If you can get it for a good price it's as good as having a stash of gold isn't it.
The price on lead and other metals goes up and down like a yoyo. I heard today aluminum cans were 50 cents at the yard!

I've noticed for months heavy advertisement for gold sales on TV. Well you buy gold when the economy is doing well and gold is down . You sell gold when the economy scares people and price goes up. Hence the TV adds for sales. Buy low sell high. Metals like lead are more complicated and about as easy to figure as the price of corn.

I like to have enough commodities to hold me for a couple of years. Rice and beans and whatever else I'd need to make it through a hard stretch. In reality I'm not very well organized. City did some water works today and shut off water in this part of town for four hours. Reminded me of how dependent I am on services.

What I'm getting at is you may want to make a list of all the commodities you would like to store up before concentrating on one item. For instance if you were in the path of one of those fires out your way that 1K pounds of lead isn't much help. But a good deal is never to be passed up.

[imashooter2]

Amount shot per year * average boolit weight * number of years you expect to keep shooting + buffer = required stores.

I've got a bit over 1,600 pounds and that won't last me unless my shooting habits change for the worse.

[SciFiJim]

I currently have just over 500 lbs of various alloys (WWs, lino, solder, pure) and would like to at least quadruple that amount. My shooting habit uses up about 50 lbs a year, but you never know when we will be unable to get any more.

[UweJ]

I´ve got approx. 1500lbs of lead.Mostly WW and lead from Isotope containers.Since I shoot on three different teams I use quite a lot. Like Sci FiJim said,quadrouple would´nt be bad.
Get all u can ,while u can.
Uwe

[mtnbkr]

I have 100lbs of an alloy similar to Taracorp and 42lbs of WW (that is to be shared with the guy who acquired it though).

That'll give me 2800 .44 boolits (taracorp batch) and more than 2000 .38s (WW).

Not including the bullets and loaded ammo I currently have on hand, that's more than 2 years' worth of shooting at my current rate just for the 44 and various .357 caliber guns (2 38s and a 357mag). It's not nearly as much as many of you guys, but living in a townhouse means I don't have much space for storage. I'm still trying to find a good storage place for my lead and casting gear.

Chris

[high standard 40]

I started back casting at the first of this year and started checking this forum at that time. I learned about lead wheel weights being phased out and started to aggressively seek out every ounce I could find. I was very lucky and it seems I started at just the right time because sources locally here are starting to dry up already. I now have about 2600 pounds of assorted alloys and still have a couple of sources still supplying me with wheel weights. If I continue to consume at my current rate, I'll be too old to see the sights on my pistols before I run out. But if I can acquire more without too much effort or expense, I will snatch it up also. One never knows what tomorrow will bring. I have all of my alloy in ingots ranging from 1 lb to 3 lbs and stored in enclosed wooden boxes, each holding 60 lbs or less so moving it if needed is not too difficult.

[WILCO]

One never knows what tomorrow will bring.

Indeed!!!

[sqlbullet]

I have 1000 lbs of ingots from isotope lead on the bench, plus another 200 lbs of cupcakes from the same.

I have about 100 lbs of near pure lead ingots.

I have 75 lbs of 63/37 solder, and 25 lbs of pure tin and 95/5 tin/silver.

I have 200 lbs of near pure lead scrap

I have 3000-4000 lbs of isotope scrap

I have 500 lbs of scrap that acts like it is 10:1 lead/tin (some kind of radiation shielding from the university, melts at around 450° and is BHN 11, fills out very nice).

That give me close to 3 tons of various lead. I am starting to feel like I may have enough to last.:-P

My source is likely not going to have more for 6-8 months due to an closed reactor in Canada. When they come back on-line, it is expected the will resume shipment in lead, but the industry (radio-pharma) is moving to depleted uranium for shields. It is only a matter of time.

[imashooter2]

Hmmm... How do you think the DU is going to cast?

[hammerhead357]

I have about 2000 lbs of WWs, 1200 of linotype. about 300 of mono/foundry type and about 400 of pure lead. I am always looking for more because of my children. I want them to be able to shoot and cast for themselves when I am gone. I just hope they will be able to due to the politicos of today.
I am looking for a lot more WWs because my 13 year old is wanting to start shooting 4-h clay busters and last year one little guy shot 8000 rounds of 7/8 oz. 12 ga. by himself. So I may have to invest in a shotmaker and try to sell a little of it to other reloaders to off set the cost of the shot maker....Wes

[fredj338]

I haven't really been casting much in the last 15yrs. Bullets had always been cheap enough, so I only cast specialty bullets like LHP or odd calibers. I have accumulated about 1200# of ww, lead & lino. I get it when I can, stack it deep, you never know when the supply will basically dry up. The US will be lead WW free in another 5-6yrs IMO, much like Europe. So get it while you can. At 1200#, that's about 42K bullets. Enough, well depends on if I start shooting comeptatively again. I used to shoot 2K-3K/m. So that would be about 18m.

[Matt_G]

I am looking for a lot more WWs because my 13 year old is wanting to start shooting 4-h clay busters and last year one little guy shot 8000 rounds of 7/8 oz. 12 ga. by himself.

7/8 oz. works great for trap from the 16 yard line. I dropped back to that shot charge a couple of years ago when shot went through the roof. Many folks out at the Shotgun World forum have done the same, though most will go back to 1 oz. for handicap depending on their yardage.
Some folks out there are getting good results with as little as 3/4 oz. of shot at 16 yards.
Let's face it, if you center the clay in the pattern it will still smoke 'em.

Just a little food for thought to stretch your lead supply.
It's amazing how much lead you can sling downrange when you get into shotgun shooting heavily.

[peter nap]

I've got around 2200 pounds. To be honest, I couldn't get enough as long as I didn't turn into a junk yard. It's just going to get more expensive.

[257 Shooter]

I see this is a very competitive acquisition process. My 400 lbs is not enough to compete here. I guess I will have to get busy to catch up to the Big Dogs.

[hammerhead357]

It's to bad that reclaiming shot is such a pain in the butt because I think there are a lot of shot ranges that could be mined for a lot of lead shot. But from what I have learned the process is hard and requires a large investment for a machine. Oh well another good idea that wasn't so good..Wes

[GabbyM]

It's to bad that reclaiming shot is such a pain in the butt because I think there are a lot of shot ranges that could be mined for a lot of lead shot. But from what I have learned the process is hard and requires a large investment for a machine. Oh well another good idea that wasn't so good..Wes

It may be just the State of Illinois but here the trap ranges have to be celaned regualrly to meet fairly new EPA regulations. Clubs I know of made money of the process. One put uup over fifty thousand pounds of shot for bids. Contractors do the work.

that shot used straight up usually has to much arsenic in it for good mold fill out. At least the one time I tried it years ago it didn't work to well. Shoudl work just fine for running through a shot making setup. One would think.

[imashooter2]

Melting reclaimed shot to make shot sounds like masturbation to me...

[Ugluk]

Started out this year, have so far managed to scrounge 350lb of clip-on ingots, 100lb of stick-on and 10 or so of Lino.
Feeling that ww might be insufficient to build up a good stockpile I'm looking into prospecting in the range berm.
I've got 100lb or so so far, and working on my methods.

3-4 thousand pounds of ingots would be nice.. It would supply me for a decade or so if I don't start shooting a lot more.

[dogbert41]

I have a week off to start scrounging around town. I would like to get a few years ahead of the game. If I can get around to building a good bullet trap, I could make 500 pounds last a lifetime.

[big boar]

Get what you think you can use then get some more, don't make the mistake I did. A couple of years ago I had all the WW I could use and then some, as a local garage gave me about 15lbs a month. Then the guy I dealt with left and I now find I'm unable to get ANY WW at all. I have a couple hundred pounds of lead and about 40lbs WW and that's it. It's impossible to find any WW up here now. Do yourself a favour, GET SOME MORE.

[evan price]

I've got about 600# of wheel weights and 200# of reclaimed range scrap. It's enough for quite a while, but it isn't stopping me from looking for more.

[XWrench3]

how much do i have, about 150 pounds, how much do i think is enough? 2-3000 pounds. my excuse for this? i am just getting started, and i am on a fixed income, so, if i am lucky, i get to buy 1 or 2 5 gallon buckets a month. as far as storage goes, i like to store the ingots in the 5 gallon bucket that they came from. this might have to change as i get more lead ingots.

[SciFiJim]

Xwrench - Milk crates make good storage for lead ingots. I read on another thread that a milk crate would hold over 700 lbs of lead. Better put it where you want it before loading.:kidding: And a five gallon bucket would hold more!:shock:

[Ole]

I think i've got enough.

About 1400lbs of WW type alloy.
About 700lbs of pure lead
40lbs of 6% antimony type lead
35lbs of linotype

Even though this should last me the rest of my life, I still won't turn it down if I see a good deal for more.

P.S. I've also got a big stash of solder. About 100lbs of 63/37. :)

[SciFiJim]

Ole, I ran the numbers on the alloy calculator in Reloaders Reference. If you mixed all of it together you have less than 1% tin. You need more solder. You are not out of the hunt yet.

That would be one BIG pot of alloy though. I am envious of having that large a stash. I'll just have to keep looking.

[Ole]

Ole, I ran the numbers on the alloy calculator in Reloaders Reference. If you mixed all of it together you have less than 1% tin. You need more solder. You are not out of the hunt yet.

That would be one BIG pot of alloy though. I am envious of having that large a stash. I'll just have to keep looking.

Yeah I took the bull by the horns with the WW/California situation coming up. I even sold my stash of 3000 rounds of SKS ammo to help pay for my lead hoard.

[Ithaca1911]

somewheres in the general vicinity of 1500-3000 lbs, it changes periodically, as I reclaim lead from berms (contractually that is), and then sell a lot of it.

I store the lead on 3 metal shelving units, can fit about 300lbs/shelf, units are 5 shelves high, so only have room for about 4500lbs but..... might have to go to the milk crates.

[Caveape]

SON OF A GUN!!!!

Before reading this thread I was unaware of the CA activity against WW lead/freedom. Last week I traded off 1200# of WW, although it was a good trade at the time. Now after reading the thread, I realize I may have let go of a safety cushion/peace of mind.

I'll just have to keep on keeping on.........AND REPLENISH THE STOCK!

That, fortunately, was NOT all I had.

[Caveape]

For those of you out there looking for another source of Pb....... If you live in an oil producing area, check into the oil well service businesses and the "oil rats" for BABBIT. Babbit is a lead alloy with some copper in it. The copper can be removed from the alloy and the remaining melt is castable.

Earlier this year when asking a tire shop's neighboring business how I could contact the tire shop's owner (they were closed for the day), they asked why I wanted to get in touch with him. I told them I was looking to get any unwanted WW for casting "objects for artistic purposes".

The man said, "Hell! If you're looking for lead, follow me!"

He took me around back behind the shop and showed me a humongous stalagmite pile of babbit under the edge of the workbench. It weighed, I'm guessing 700+ #. They loaded it into the back of my truck with their forklift. I also, got almost another 100# of pieces and clumps just scattered here and there on the ground behind their building.

The man said he did not have a clue what he was going to do with all of that scrap. He was hoping that some wandering fool would come by and take it off his hands. He thanked me for stopping by and I in turn thanked him as well.

Several months later, I went back and got another 80# or so.

If I remember correctly, the Lyman Cast "Boolit" Handbook-Third Edition, tells how to make the allow useable by removing most of the copper. This is found on page 50 in the paragraph titled, "Copper".
I'm just hoping what I have is the TIN-based babbit as described in THE book.

HOPE THIS HELPS!!