Should I slow down?

[rollmyown]

Have just calculated that I have about 1000lb of mixed wheelweights (about 1/3 of it is sorted and has no zink or steel). I Don't shoot lots at the moment, although I hope to increase my casting and shooting soon. (will be getting a few group buy moulds soon and some time of to play in the shed!) I know lead is going to become increasingly more scarce as time marches on. I hope to be casting and shooting long into my retirement. When do I stop collecting or at least slow down collecting? If I slow down, I should still be able to easily get equivalent to a 5 gallon bucket a year in wheelweights, plus some sheet lead besides.
How much is enough :?:

[FISH4BUGS]

Have just calculated that I have about 1000lb of mixed wheelweights (about 1/3 of it is sorted and has no zink or steel). I Don't shoot lots at the moment, although I hope to increase my casting and shooting soon. (will be getting a few group buy moulds soon and some time of to play in the shed!) I know lead is going to become increasingly more scarce as time marches on. I hope to be casting and shooting long into my retirement. When do I stop collecting or at least slow down collecting? If I slow down, I should still be able to easily get equivalent to a 5 gallon bucket a year in wheelweights, plus some sheet lead besides.
How much is enough :?:

Never enough, period. I have some 2000lbs of ww's, 500 lbs ingots, 200lbs of linotype and 100lbs of pure lead and STILL I scrounge more every chance I get. You are right - lead ww's will be banned (they are already are - zinc only now) so get more.
I shoot submachine guns with cast bullets. Though I CAN eat up a lot of lead, I have more than I will ever use. I keep getting more and more. My thought is that if my plans change, I can always sell or trade the lead. If the SHTF, I will be sitting pretty.
Either way, don't slow down. It won't go bad on you. It will always give you something to do....sorting, smelting, scrounging, casting, resize and lube, reloading, shooting, then start the process over.
The casting shed is sacred ground.......the man cave.............every guy needs one.

[imashooter2]

It's pretty simple math...

(number of rounds you wish to shoot a year * average boolit weight * number of years you wish to keep shooting) / 7000

I'm 53 and expect I'll be shooting at least 20 more years. Current usage is between 4 and 5,000 per year and average boolit weight is 200 grains, so:

5,000 *200*20/7,000= ~2,857 pounds.

I've got considerable buffer on top of that already, so I'm not actively searching. But if I stumble across some, I still pick it up. Doesn't matter to me how much surplus my heirs have to carry out of the shed after I'm gone.:wink:

[WILCO]

Never enough, period.


+1! I collect as much as I can whenever I can. It's a fun part of the hobby.
Whilst going for my walks, most times my head is tilted at the ground searching.
It's exciting to find a piece of lead in distress. The other day, I found some type of lead washer. I rescued it and added it to the collection. :coffee:

[sqlbullet]

I am always looking to grow my stash. Right now I have about 600 lbs of pure, 600 lbs of 95/2.5/2.5 and 250 lbs of isotope. I sell lots of what I get, but keep plenty on hand too.

[lwknight]

It will be time to stop collecting lead when you will refuse any more $1.00 bills that are offered to you.
Lead is money. It has trade value. If you get it free and don't want it , just sell it.
I think its a minor hedge account too.

[35isit]

I have 55 gallon drum half full of separated wheel weights. No iron, zinc, stick-ons or trash. Unless i missed it when seperating. I don't know how much it weighs, but guess it has to be over a 1000 lbs. Would dearly love to have twice that.

[Von Gruff]

I have enough pure, ww and lino to see me out but would dearly like to have enough powder and primers to match the alloy quantities. THEN I would have enough.

Von Gruff.

[Jailer]

rollmyown, where are you finding sheet lead?

[rollmyown]

Most of my sheetlead is flashing off old roofs. I have a few mates on the lookout for me, they turn some up every now and again. I also get some leadlight (stained glass ) scrap lead but I have had a bit of trouble with dross formation. I hope to address that problem by keeping the melt temp down.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I predict a raise in commodity prices in the near future.
the Fed Reserve is talking about using inflation to help the economy respond,
I don't understand that concept, but I understand what that will do to commodity prices.
also, If the Dem's lose their majorities in the House and/or senate, Obama will not be able to screw up the country as easily, making the things more predictable and Wall street likes predictability, hence the ecomony may turn around a little quicker, meaning comsumers will buy more, meaning China/India will need make more, meaning they will drive up commodity prices...any Lead/tin/brass you buy today, should only go up in value in the near future.

Or maybe not ?
Jon

[mold maker]

"Enough" is a relative term. I have enough junk, but there will never be enough lead to feed my guns. Lead will soon be "Poor Mans Gold".
The price of all forms of lead can only go up. Since it is essential to us casters, our molds will be worthless without it.
You can always trade it for primer and powder.

[Cowboy T]

There is no such thing as enough lead anymore. With the way things are right now, I'd say there is no such thing as too many reloading components, generally.

[sqlbullet]

I am off in about an hour to pick up 1648 lbs. Got the phone call with the final number just a few minutes ago.

Gonna be a long weekend of making ingots.

[Jailer]

I am off in about an hour to pick up 1648 lbs. Got the phone call with the final number just a few minutes ago.

Gonna be a long weekend of making ingots.

Where did you find a score like that?

[Matt_G]

I am off in about an hour to pick up 1648 lbs. Got the phone call with the final number just a few minutes ago.

Gonna be a long weekend of making ingots.

You know you are required to post pictures, right? :bigsmyl2:

[fredj338]

Hard to say. The era of cheap lead alloy from ww is going to be over very soon. Already banned in Kalif., lead ww will be gone here in 2-3yrs (about the life of a set of tires out here). Nationwide ban on lead ww is around the corner so while I don't actively seek out cheap/free lead, I don't turn it down either. I am sitting on about 1200# of mixed alloys, enough, maybe. That is 42,000 bullets @ 200gr each. If I only shoot 4K/yr, it won't last that long. Get what you can when you can, it can always be sold off later.

[chris in va]

Yeah, great for the rest of us that get told by the shops, "we got a guy already that picks up our wheelweights".

I'm lucky to get a handful because some jerk keeps snatching up everything within a 20 mile radius.

[imashooter2]

Yeah, great for the rest of us that get told by the shops, "we got a guy already that picks up our wheelweights".

I'm lucky to get a handful because some jerk keeps snatching up everything within a 20 mile radius.

The "jerk" put in the time and developed his sources. He doesn't owe you a thing. You don't owe him anything either. Ask what the "jerk" pays and out bid him. No success there? Start looking 21 miles from home and if that doesn't work, go to 22.

[sqlbullet]

Where did you find a score like that?

This is a typical pick up from the local nuclear pharmacy I work with. Good deal for them because I pay the same rate as the local scrap yard, but I pick it up. Good deal for me because I am paying the same rate as the local scrap yard.

When I got there they told me they had made a mistake. It was only 1478 lbs.:wink:

As I sorted it at home, I also found that there was almost 600 lbs of pure lead in this batch. Normally about 10% of it is pure. This load had a bunch of lead sheeting, as well as two 40lb rings of lead.


You know you are required to post pictures, right? :bigsmyl2:

I will take some tonight.

[Muddy Creek Sam]

sqlbullet,

Don't you just hate it when that happens.

Sam :D

[fredj338]

The "jerk" put in the time and developed his sources. He doesn't owe you a thing. You don't owe him anything either. Ask what the "jerk" pays and out bid him. No success there? Start looking 21 miles from home and if that doesn't work, go to 22.

Yeah, free market, just out bid them. I used to have a sweet deal, 3gal buckets for $20, about 110#. Then some guy comes in & pays my guy $60/bucket. He likes me, wants my tire bus so offers me the same price. No thanks, w/ the buckets down to 60% useable, the guy can have them for $60/. I would rather mine my club range berm.:veryconfu

[imashooter2]

Yeah, free market, just out bid them. I used to have a sweet deal, 3gal buckets for $20, about 110#. Then some guy comes in & pays my guy $60/bucket. He likes me, wants my tire bus so offers me the same price. No thanks, w/ the buckets down to 60% useable, the guy can have them for $60/. I would rather mine my club range berm.:veryconfu



Are you trying to say that the shop owner should have continued selling goods worth $60 to you for $20? You have a source, but you deem the price too high. Find another source, pay the prevailing price, or do without.

[sqlbullet]

Are you trying to say that the shop owner should have continued selling goods worth $60 to you for $20? You have a source, but you deem the price too high. Find another source, pay the prevailing price, or do without.

That is how I read the comment from Fredj338. $60/bucket was too high, and I would tend to agree. If it was refined ingots ready to cast, I might consider what would probably work out to ¢60-¢75 /lb. But not for lead I gotta clean and sweat over before I can even start making bullets.

Sorry about the pics i promised. I got busy, and then sold most of it. I will try to get some pics of what is left.

[imashooter2]

That is how I read the comment from Fredj338. $60/bucket was too high, and I would tend to agree. If it was refined ingots ready to cast, I might consider what would probably work out to ¢60-¢75 /lb. But not for lead I gotta clean and sweat over before I can even start making bullets.

Sorry about the pics i promised. I got busy, and then sold most of it. I will try to get some pics of what is left.

I wouldn't pay $60 a bucket either. But evidently the "jerk" does and I can't blame the shop owner for not selling what he can get $60 for at 1/3 the price.

My lead stash didn't just happen. I put in time and effort over a period of years to find it at prices I could live with. I suspect you have done the same as have hundreds and thousands of others.

[RP]

I keep getting all the WWs or any other lead I can get I have alot to some but not much compare to others. I did notice how fast a milk crate full of ingots vanished when I started casting. I think I may be good for awhile, But If I start shooting more or my kids do what I have wont last long. I pick up a bucket the other day at one tire store when getting a tire then a buddy gave me one last night fellow was going to trash. Stopped by my only tire shop that I can get WWs from owners son just got a AR and is needing mags which I have so now a bucket will cost me a mag. I have check tire stores all over and its so hard to get WWs now I am getting all I can while I can.

[Muddy Creek Sam]

Supposed to pick up anther 1500# on Wednesday.

Sam :D

[sqlbullet]

You know you are required to post pictures, right? :bigsmyl2:

As I mentioned before, I had already melted and sold over half before I got to pictures. I had all of it melted save about 150 lbs when these were finally taken.

240 lbs of pure lead ingots:
http://fellingfamily.net/isolead/lead_10302010_1.jpg

360 lbs of pure lead ingots:
http://fellingfamily.net/isolead/lead_10302010_4.jpg

About 110 lbs of 96/3/1 ingots:
http://fellingfamily.net/isolead/lead_10302010_3.jpg

About 150 lbs of 96/3/1 that is still in the source vials
http://fellingfamily.net/isolead/lead_10302010_2.jpg

Next time I will try to get picks before I process the lead.

[Matt_G]

Thanks for taking the time to take and post those pictures.
It's appreciated. :grin:

[Ferdinand]

While unimpressive by the standards here, I have only 28 years worth of lead on hand at my current shooting pace. I just paid for lead for the first time ever too - $.35/lb for about 125 lbs of pure. My ww sources are still good - just need to go buy some tires and ask for more. My last request got me two big buckets.

Bottom line, I'm still accumulating far faster than I'm consuming.

[Tazman1602]

NEVER slow down! Get all the wheel weights you can get NOW and stash them..................

Art