Purchase of WW's

[Land Owner]

My regular tire guy hurt his back, closed his one-man shop for an extended period, and told me to go to a new (to me) tire guy. Tough call being an independent businessman getting hurt in Covid times. I will continue to give him my business, as soon as he reopens, and my need for tires demands.

In the meantime, I stopped by a new independent tire shop yesterday. While at the new shop, I noticed many loose and "lonely" WW's lying on the floor. I asked if he had any he could give or sell me for casting boolits. Then he "floored" me. He has five 5-gal. buckets set aside for a guy that already pays him $90.00 per bucket. Wow! I won't compete with that.

IMO, that is a HIGH price to pay and almost 5 times more than I have ever paid. Most 5-gal. buckets of WW's I have found were free. Other times (~10%), WW's were purchased for a gratuity of $20 per bucket.

A lot of Company stores locally won't sell or give them away, stating Corporate policy "to keep them out of the environment" (HA!). Green Weenies. Anti-gun I think. I don't buy services or tires at these stores.

I always ask at Car Dealerships and Tires Shops, just in case, though I don't "need" any more. I already have a personal lifetime supply (~500#'s of Pb-WW alloy ingots minus Tin and another 350#'s of uncut nuclear shielding Pb). I have not done the math, but that's more alloy and lead for 255 grain (and smaller) boolits than I will ever cast, load, and shoot.

What is your experience?

[StuBach]

Local shop used to just give them to me so I would bring them a case of Bud Light whenever I dropped but and they’d throw them in my trunk. Than one day I was told the owner won’t let them any more cause he worked out a deal with someone for them but they wouldn’t tell me what the deal was, later found out it was $50/bucket which is too rich for my blood.

Local Ford dealership will sometimes throw them in my trunk for me when I’m having service done so I do the same deal of a case but their corporate policy says they aren’t allowed to and new local leadership cracked down.

A lot of the large companies do setup reclamation programs I know where they have to turn over their scraps to some provider who pays them by weight. This is more of a cost cutting move than a “green” move. We might be willing to pay them more per pound but they don’t have systems in place to account for that payment so it’s too much hassle for what will probably end up being a couple thousand a year if a large company did it nation wide. Locally impact might be a couple hundred bucks a year difference if you have an avid shooter, but that’s just not worth the effort for a large company.

[contender1]

When you see COWW ingots sell for $1.00 a lb,,, here,, and you consider that a 5 gal bucket can hold a bit more than 100 lbs of WW's, anything that is under that price can be fair. At $50 a bucket,, I'd say very fair,, as long as it's mostly lead type COWW's & not a bunch of zinc or whatever.

Smaller independent shops also look at $$$$$$$$$ and when they have to buy WW's, they must PAY for them. A fee for selling a bucket full is just good business. Even a good, regular customer should understand this.

I've used the very same independent tire shop for over 30 years. Just this past week, I needed a few tires. While there,, as I always do, I POLITELY asked about getting some COWW's. I was allowed to get some for free. I didn't try & take a huge amount,, not quite 1/2 bucket myself. But while there,, I also inspected the owner's handgun, fixed a small issue with it, and when asked; "What do I owe you for that?" I said, "I'll whip your butt. You already let me get some ww's & such. Besides, we are friends." And as I was about to head out,, I also gave him a new "work knife" I had in my truck. It was one of the knives I bought at a FoNRA event trying to win a gun. I had bought 6 of the dern things. Tickled him when I did that.
I can stop in & get some ww's whenever I need some,, and I appreciate them. but I also know he has to save & sell some.

Basically, use,,, but don't abuse a person's business or friendship. Give something in return besides normal business.

[TimD]

When you see COWW ingots sell for $1.00 a lb,,, here

Not many tire shops provide COWW in ingot form. There is time and effort included in that ingot at a $1 per pound.

What would be a reasonable price for a 5 gallon bucket full, $75, $80?

I am curious how much zinc you feel is acceptable in a bucket full.

Thanks,
Tim

[MrWolf]

To ME, anything over $20 a bucket is to much based upon the expected amount of smelted lead and the work involved. I figure I have 2,000 lbs of smelted lead and am working on my own ranges so will be recycling my own. If I need more I would rather buy from our folks here to help them out.

[StuBach]

Given the effort and scrap (zink, iron, clips, etc) I have never seen value in paying more than $30 per bucket. If I can sort it at a scrap yard and make sure everything is quality than the value is different but in my area about 20-30% of any bucket I sort is scrap I can’t use so if I’m having to clean and smelt I’m looking at 50# useable out of a bucket. At $1/lb I’d rather save my headache and buy from someone on the forum. I know several local members who sell for 1-1.50/lb so rather save my free time for casting rather than “smelting” (yes I know this is not truly smelting but it’s the word I use for it).

[bangerjim]

I gave up on COWW several years ago when the ratio of Pb alloy weights went below 50%. Not worth my time effort and fuel. I have bought clean 3x fluxed and in 1.5# ingot form from known people on here for anywhere between 50¢ and #1 a pound. Heave only knows where the prices will go these days with all this scramble for gun stuff!

And now the GUBMINT is stepping in to make legal gun transfers almost impossible. It passed the House last week and will squeak thru the Senate by one (1) vote - - by you know who! SAD. You will not be able legally to loan/hand your gun to wife, family, or friends without going thru an FFL for a fee and waiting period. How stupid.

THE GREAT AMERICAN GUN GRAB BEGINS

banger

[Conditor22]

I got 210# new-all-lead COWW in a deal, probably the last COWW I will smelt since I have/use boolit traps with all my guns (including 530grn 45/70)

[TimD]

I may approach a few of the local shops now that I have a better idea of a fair price and see if it is worth the effort.

I need to investigate boolit traps so I can recycle what I shoot.

I will watch the Swappin & Sellin forums here for ingots (assuming that is the place to look).

Thanks for the help.

Tim

[TimD]

Thats a great find. I have never seen new COWW!

[MrWolf]

I got two boxes of new coww. Always meant to trade someone for used ones but heard a few times we just reuse the old ones and then life got in the way. Have them somewhere around here.

[Uncle Dave]

I just picked up a 100 lbs of wheel weights from my long time provider of Large truck tires. The nice part is the weights are generally larger in size so it sorts faster. I pay a bit over current scrap price for the buckets full of mixed materials. I paid him $10 for approximately 100 lbs. I have been noticing that the lead per bucket has been really going down fast. Does anyone have a profitable idea for all that Zink. I must have 600 pounds already separated During my sorting and it is only worth $.08 a pound at the scrap yard for “wheel weights “.
Dave

[Winger Ed.]

Does anyone have a profitable idea for all that Zink.

About 20 years ago, scrap yards paid 9 cents a pound for Lead, and had been for a long time.

As Lead dries up, casting boolits from Zinc is in our future, and its price probably won't go down over time.
Some folks are already doing it.
Check out the youtube videos on it, and there are even a few threads here in the archives.

I don't dig or sift at our range, but I pick up boolits if I see them in the berm laying on top of the ground.
I've already picked up 4-5 big heavy 40-something cal. Zinc ones, and a couple of .30cal.
And this is a range with few re-loaders, and almost nobody casting.

[Dunross]

I just paid $40 a bucket for wheel weights. Full to the brim and from my cursory inspection look like they'll go 90% or better lead weights. I wasn't sure if that was a deal or not, but after posting here about them decided it was fair enough. More than double that I wouldn't even consider.

[Gundogx2]

Work with a girl who’s brother has an indoor range working out a deal for his scrap lead when he cleans it out 2-3times a year usually just takes it to the scrap yard


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[Jniedbalski]

I remember in the 80’s early 90’s tire shops almost begged you to take them. They even helped me load them up in the truck.and where always free

[lightman]

What is your experience?[/QUOTE]

I have had much better luck with smaller shops. The bigger places often have contracts with scrap places or have a corporate policy against selling to the public.

Look for a small shop and consider transferring some of your business to them. Our local shop gives me weights for free but I also buy my tires from him and have other service work done. I usually take them a box of donuts the following morning after picking up weights.