You will learn far more at the casting, loading, and shooting bench than you ever will at a computer bench.
For a long time I thought about a ton of ingots would be a sufficient lead reserve. Then I bought a shot maker, OK maybe 2 tons of ingots would hold me. Now I've gotten on this powder coating bandwagon. Is 3 tons going to be enough? SIGH
Enough, is always lots more than you have. With tonnage in ingots, I can't drive past a WW in the road.
Am I obsessed?
I would look over the sticky on Pewter Identification and be on the lookout for pewter and EPBM (Electro Plated Britannia Metal) both are better than 80% tin. Might want to have a small electronic scale able to run on batteries so you can get a clear idea of the weight, but at garage and yard sales I have been reluctant to weigh items in front of the seller. Not sure how seller will take to my plan to melt their "treasure" into bullets. One pewter mug even with plastic bottom would be around 350 - 400 grams of 85 to 95 percent tin. Might even have a little copper to help toughen the bullets.
A little is good, a lot is better and too much is just enough! A few lbs. more than I'll ever need is my goal!
SMOKELESS IS JUST A PASSING FAD!-STEVE GARBE
FORMER NJ HUNTER EDUCATION INSTRUCTOR
GOA LIFE MEMBER
SASS LIFE MEMBER
ADAPT, IMPROVISE, OVERCOME!
"ANY MAN WHO THINKS HE CAN BE HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS BY LETTING THE GOVERNMENT TAKE CARE OF HIM, BETTER TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE AMERICAN INDIAN!"-HENRY FORD
I'm just glad dragons hoard gold instead of lead. Can you imagine the chaos?
"RUN FOR THE HILLS!!! The dreaded Smaug descends from the North to devour our virgins and steal our wheelweights!!!"
WWJMBD?
In the Land of Oz, we cast with wheel weight and 2% Tin, Man.
For sure! I snag any solder bars or even roll solder I see at the scrap yard. 30% tin 50% tin it's all good at scrap prices. Check where your scrap yard throws cast. Before I found out what alloy EPBM really was I saw several pieces in the same bin as the cast faucets and other cheap cast junk that was not aluminum. I missed out that time. Was gone when I went back after internet search.
It's age & volume related, but if I had 2 tons, it would probably not be enough. I am always looking to add to my stash.
EVERY GOOD SHOOTER NEEDS TO BE A HANDLOADER.
NRA Cert. Inst. Met. Reloading & Basic Pistol
I figure 2400 lbs will last me a lifetime. I have a 100... That was free so it's a good start. I'll keep working on it until I get to 1K. The problem for me doesn't seem to be lead. It seems to be pistol powder. If lead is the needle in the haystack, w231 and hp38 are the Holy Grail, Sasquatch, and Loch Ness, combined.
Since I started casting last year, I have picked up 800lbs in mostly COWW's, a 65lb hunk of boat ballast, and have about 80lbs more coming that was formed to use as tractor weights--so just shy of 1000lbs pre-ingot weight. At the rate I am finding it now, it will be a continuous search for lead--especially since my wife started shooting this year.
My Feedback, (did I buy or sell to you? Please add your Comments)
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...hlight=novalty
More is better. I don't care if it's an 800lb sailboat keel or 1 WW in a parking lot.
Twice as much as I have now. Ask me next month and I'll give the same answer!
10X more then I have now would be my goal so around 10,000lbs would do.
Doc
Why not just ask "How much TREASURE would be enough" or, "If you had a Gold Mine, how much would you dig up before you stopped"?
I have over 1,000 pounds of different alloys. I have slowed down some, but I'll never pass up a good deal or a scrounge opportunity.
I think that most of us do it because it is fun in its own way!
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits." - Albert Einstein
I find it is like a sickness. At first I thought I would like to have about 300 lbs at all times. Now at about 1200 lbs. I am thinking 2000 lbs but then what? I do not think it ever ends.
'The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.
Daniel J. Boorstin
The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.
Albert Einstein
Um-m-m....MORE!
_________________________
DRNurse1
Education is one thing you can give away freely while suffering no personal loss and likely increasing one's own knowledge.
Properly vetted source information prevents GIGO, the scourge of the internet.
My goal is to live long enough to cast and shoot all that I have collected! You asked....What is your lead collection goal?
It is not a SICKNESS.....We are all Treasure Hunters!
Never mind, my wife says the Treasure Hunting is a sickness, too!
DC-1
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits." - Albert Einstein
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |