1,200lbs of lead enough?

[Hiaboo]

For a lifetime of shooting? I don't extactly blaze them off, I do replenish from time to time from finds and pick ups.. I cast 12ga slugs, .50 balls, buckshot, .30-30, and .45's.. Not much at a time. Shoot maybe 1,000 rnds combined a month.

I'd like to get up to a ton, this is good stuff I can get locally for .60 a lb about 18 to 22 bhn..

I know, more is better but, still -- there's a point where it gets silly.

Pick up more while I can or just be happy with what I got?

[lwknight]

When you have no place to store it , maybe that will be enough.
Lead,tin,antomony and zinc, like copper and brass are investments and could someday be trade fodder if TSHTF.

[Just Duke]

Once you get it melted down it stores in a pretty small place.
Get more while you can.

[imashooter2]

It's simple math...

(# of shots per year * average boolit weight * # of years left to shoot)/7000 = pounds of lead required

I think you will be pretty surprised at how much a lifetime supply really is, even if you only shoot modest amounts.

Your post says you shoot 1000 a month. At a 200 grain average weight, that's 342 pounds a year. You have less than 4 years shooting on the shelf.

[lwknight]

No wonder I cant find that lead that I thought I had.

[Gar]

I don't think 1,200lbs would get me very far, maybe a year's worth of shooting.
I bought 2 tons of reclaimed shot 6 months ago and have gone through 600lbs of it so far.
Stock up while you can.

[jonk]

I go through about 100 pounds a year. I have 500 pounds. I don't call that enough.

One thing- you forget to mention how old you are. For someone who is 80 already 1200 pounds might be enough. If you're 30 (like me)... figuring 100 pounds a year... about 48 years to go on average... that's 4800 pounds. So I need 10 times what I have.

[Kskybroom]

I have never past on lead... Got a 5000 lb in ingots 2000 lb waiting,I mix an match what ever i find into 300 lb batches hard or soft. Mix a couple for the alloy i wait,and a little Tin Lino or whatever. Plus i can trade my buds for Loobe Grooves...

[GLL]

NO ! :) :)

Jerry

[Cherokee]

Not enough, keep adding to your supply.

[WILCO]

Not enough, keep adding to your supply.

Ditto for me!!

[Suo Gan]

In pound ingots that's a stack 16" long, 30" wide, and 15" tall. About like a medium sized box. Should be able to fit a few thousand more pounds under the workbench :razz:, and still have room for more.

[Changeling]

It sounds like a lot when you think of it as pounds but:

7000 grs = 1 pound.
shooting 250gr Keith 44/45's (just an example)
7000/250 = 28 boolets per lb. = 1200 lb x 28 = 33600 boolets

1000 rounds per month divided into 33600 boolets = 33.6 months worth of shooting

33.6 divided by 12 = 2.8 years worth of shooting


Better keep piling it up while you can

[Changeling]

I hate to even mention this, but there is a great possibility that the "SHOOTING" of lead bullets will be banned by the Feds!

Have you noticed that some of the bullet makers are investigating alternate materials, they sure as Hell aren't doing it for nothing? Remember what happened to shooting waterfowl with lead shot ?
I'm really new to this casting of boolets and it is not going to stop me from getting as much as I can relative to the things that I said above. I really hope I'm wrong, keep those ingots out of sight and your mouths shut where you live. No one needs to know what you have stored.

Someone above said that if the SHTF you will have the lead! If everyone around where you live that knows you and what you have how long do you think it will be before they come take it away from you?

[thx997303]

Catch most of your boolits in a box such as described here (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=26627)

And your 1200 lbs will last quite a while.

[Bullshop]

Changeling
What if you live in a place where the few around you are counting on you to keep them supplied?
" Come out of her my people "
Blessings
BIC/BS

[Freightman]

Lead! what lead? Guns! what guns?

[Changeling]

Changeling
What if you live in a place where the few around you are counting on you to keep them supplied?
" Come out of her my people "
Blessings
BIC/BS

Then get them to help you with the smelting and things and make sure they understand the consequences of talking. Just think about it . If you don't feel trust is enough, stick whatever in plastic pipe with ends and bury it somewhere. that way ingots, powder, whatever will be basically protected against the elements for a few lifetimes. You can get it as needed and reuse the plastic pipe. You could even pass down a map of the burial sites to someone special. Just an idea.

If nothing ever happens and things look great way down the road, nothing will be lost because the metals will be worth a lot more and can be sold if you want. It's a win win type situation.

Nice hearing from you by the way.

[bearcove]

Lead! what lead? Guns! what guns?

I don't know nothing! And I can prove it!:veryconfu

[chris in va]

I hate to even mention this, but there is a great possibility that the "SHOOTING" of lead bullets will be banned by the Feds!

^This.

[fredj338]

I hate to even mention this, but there is a great possibility that the "SHOOTING" of lead bullets will be banned by the Feds!

Someone above said that if the SHTF you will have the lead! If everyone around where you live that knows you and what you have how long do you think it will be before they come take it away from you? That's why you have a gun.

If & when the govt bans lead bullet use, it will be on public land for the nmost part. Private land, pretty tough to ban the use of most mat'l. Then again, the EPA is a nasty bitch & anything is possible as long as liberals run things. Just look at Kalif!
Nope 1200# is not enough if you shoot 1000rds a month. As noted your stash is good for about 40K bullets depending on weights. That isn't much shooting @ 1K rounds a month. I have about that much alloy & am always looking for more. Fortunately, it doesn't take up much room. A 1000# of ingots takes up a couple of 5gal buckets.

[StarMetal]

If & when the govt bans lead bullet use, it will be on public land for the nmost part. Private land, pretty tough to ban the use of most mat'l. Then again, the EPA is a nasty bitch & anything is possible as long as liberals run things. Just look at Kalif!
Nope 1200# is not enough if you shoot 1000rds a month. As noted your stash is good for about 40K bullets depending on weights. That isn't much shooting @ 1K rounds a month. I have about that much alloy & am always looking for more. Fortunately, it doesn't take up much room. A 1000# of ingots takes up a couple of 5gal buckets.

Think again Fred...what do you think will happen if you have a meth lab on private land????

Joe

[sargenv]

As a friend once stated... It's a good start.. :)

[shooterg]

You did mean TONS, not pounds, right ?

[mold maker]

At 67, and not shooting much anymore, I still don't pass up lead. The exercise I get scrounging, smelting, and casting will only make me live longer.
That means I will always need more.
BTW A milk crate will contain 745 lbs of reg ingots. The 7 crates that rest on the foundation of my chimney, are to keep it from turning over. (ballast) I need to put my future finds on the other side. (I don't want it to topple in either direction)
I am insuring that my grand kids can shoot or sell it after I'm long gone.

[sheepdog]

When you have no place to store it , maybe that will be enough..

Negative, get the shovel and start burying them ingots troopers!

[lwknight]

Wow!! buried treasure!!

[fredj338]

Think again Fred...what do you think will happen if you have a meth lab on private land????

Joe

I'm sure it's possible the EPA could make it a dangerous, controlled substance. Nothing the govt. does would surprise me. :takinWiz:

[Changeling]

At 67, and not shooting much anymore, I still don't pass up lead. The exercise I get scrounging, smelting, and casting will only make me live longer.
That means I will always need more.
BTW A milk crate will contain 745 lbs of reg ingots. The 7 crates that rest on the foundation of my chimney, are to keep it from turning over. (ballast) I need to put my future finds on the other side. (I don't want it to topple in either direction)
I am insuring that my grand kids can shoot or sell it after I'm long gone.

You make a lot of sense to me (exercise is key to health), I just want to see you pick up one of those milk crates, then I want you to send me instructions on whatever you are doing, LOL.

Seriously, I think you summed it up better than I ever could. I especially like the way you fix that old chimney, better hustle and do the other side before it becomes the "Leaning tower of Pizza, I especially like your argument "BALLAST", man I have to remember that. My chimney does look a little out of kilter:idea:

[Jayhem]

The thought of burying your lead is funny but in seriousness it's probably not a bad idea. The current government seems hell bent to rob us of our freedoms and turn the USA into a socialistic wad of chaos.