REAL lead cost what??

[Little Wattsy]

Starting the thought process going about casting RB's. What is a fair price for good/real/soft enough lead? I found $2.69 a pound today and didnt buy cuz wasnt sure.
Help.? :surrender:

P.S. does 7000 grains to the pound sound like the correct conversion? EG: Will one pound (7000 grains) of lead make 40 .50cal (175 grain) RB's?

 

[Idaho Ron]

That is about the price right now. I think Rotometal is that price to your door. Ron
PS. oops I forgot, yes your right 1 pound is 7000 gr, and you would get 40 bullets @ 175 gr. Actually you would probably get a few less because you have to take off the dross. Ron

 

[Hunter66]

That sounds about right as far as price if it is certified as pure lead. I think the best I found was about $3.00 a pound shipped and it was certified pure to I think 99.7%. Yes there are 7000 grains to a pound.

 

[J.D.]

Starting the thought process going about casting RB's. What is a fair price for good/real/soft enough lead? I found $2.69 a pound today and didnt buy cuz wasnt sure.

Hmmmm, I bought 107 pounds of lead flashing for $32.07 a coupla weeks ago at a recycling center. When I ask about the price of lead, I was told that the bottom had fallen out of the lead market, so I ask what they would sell it for. :wink:

TRy a scrap yard or recycling center for a much better price.

 

[tg]

": Will one pound (7000 grains) of lead make 40 .50cal (175 grain) RB's"

Or you could make one really big conical...these Blacktail around here are pretty tough..

 

[Little Wattsy]

": Will one pound (7000 grains) of lead make 40 .50cal (175 grain) RB's"

Or you could make one really big conical...these Blacktail around here are pretty tough..

:rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

 

[jdstrang]

Here's a lead-price guide that you might want to bookmark:
http://www.kitcometals.com/charts/lead_historical_large.html

Looks like today it's down to about $1.25 or so a pound - if you can find it for that.

 

[cptleo1]

I traded a case of beer for an 86 lb roll of roof flashing @ the recycle yard

 

[J.D.]

I traded a case of beer for an 86 lb roll of roof flashing @ the recycle yard

Now that is my kind of trade. It is real easy to win a case of beer in this area, so a trade like that makes for an enjoyable enterprise, in so many ways.

 

[jtmattison]

Starting the thought process going about casting RB's. What is a fair price for good/real/soft enough lead? I found $2.69 a pound today and didnt buy cuz wasnt sure.
Help.? :surrender:

P.S. does 7000 grains to the pound sound like the correct conversion? EG: Will one pound (7000 grains) of lead make 40 .50cal (175 grain) RB's?

Man, I've got over $1,600 worth of lead. Woo Hoo!

I better put it in my safe!

Seriously, you should be able to get it a lot cheaper than that.

Check your local recyclers.

HD

 

[Idaho Ron]

I would like to test the hardness of roof lead. I have been told various types of lead is soft. so far I am finding that there is not as much soft lead out there as some folks think. Ron

 

[tg]

All the roof lead I have used in roofing jobs for 25 years and that which I have salvaged is very soft you can easily scar it with a thumbnail, it is probably the softest I have found.

 

[jtmattison]

I use telephone cable sheath lead. It's nice and soft. I don't have a hardness tester but using a method I found on line it tests at about 6-7 BHN. It makes great RB and conicals.

HD

 

[Jerry Reichert]

I been purchasing used wheel weights from my local tire shop for $20 for 200 lbs. When you melt them down you get about 18 to 19 lbs of material for 20 lbs of weights. In a .54 RB that is 100% lead it would be 224 grains you have a RB of 219.5 grains. I figure the patch protects the bore so no harm comes from not quite pure lead.
Any thoughts from others about this?

 

[paulvallandigham]

Wheelweights( WWs) are much harder, and because they weigh less, then tend to shoot to a different Point of Impact(POI)than pure lead balls. They do not expand in living flesh as well, but they do penetrate deeper.

They are not necessary for shooting deer, but do help out a bit if you are taking shoulder shots at wild boar, or elk, or bear, or moose.

There is no reason not to use WWs as long as you understand that you may have to adjust your sights to put them closer to your Point of Aim(POA). With a fixed rear sight, you may not be able to switch back and forth from pure lead balls to WWs very easily.

And, finally, not all WWs are made equal. You will have to sort your balls by weight with each batch, because there will be variations in the weight. Using pure lead gets rid of that problem, small as it may be. :hmm:

 

[buttonbuck]

I would ask if he is using the stick on type which according to many on the forum are nearly pure lead where the clamp on are harder. I want to see if a local tire shop can save the stick on type for me. I also wonder anyone salvages the lead aprons used to cover x-ray patients my brother said he can get them since he works on MRI machines in a bunch of hospitals.

 

[Idaho Ron]

My guns almost always shoot high and to the left when I use a harder alloy. One thing about WW's is yes the patch will protect the bore, but getting them down can be a chore. You don't want to get a bullet or ball half way down, I have seen that happen. Ron

 

[redwing]

I have shot wheel weights for 50 years no problems so far. I don't use them for hunting big game. They are great in the .32 for shooting cotton tails.

For shoots I use pure lead in my rifles. But for smooth bores on targets the WW do a fine job. The cost of WW is getting very high out here in the west. The flat ones for the mag. wheels are almost pure lead. For your informal blasting WW are great.

 

[Jerry Reichert]

I used both stick on and regular weights and melted them together in to 2 lb blocks. I'm going to have a friend measure the hardness and will report on his findings. I have noticed the balls are a little harder to load but appear to shoot at the same place on the target. Will report on findings when available.

 

[Little Wattsy]

I used both stick on and regular weights and melted them together in to 2 lb blocks. I'm going to have a friend measure the hardness and will report on his findings. I have noticed the balls are a little harder to load but appear to shoot at the same place on the target. Will report on findings when available.

looking foreword to report!