Yes, I can buy it from my local recycling center, usually in the form of roof flashing or plumbing vent boots. However, I currently have 260lbs of raw, cleaned lead from a 1000lb lab door. (We replaced it) I split the total metal with three others.
An unemployed Jester, is nobody's Fool.
the only real difference between a good tracker and a bad tracker, is observation. all the same data is present for both. The rest, is understanding what you're seeing.
I had a lot of ww given to me for casting a few 100's of bullets for him.
I have bought several hundred pounds of lead from a medical lab that were used to transport shots. It makes good bullets for the 9mm to the 45 without adding anything. I got them for 1.00 a lb.
I have a few friends that always look out for it for me and have had about 140 lbs.of babbit that is used to toughen up the mix for rifles when needed.
I also traded for some Linotype that has been cast into wadcutters that make it easy to figure out how much to add. And lastly i use some 95/5 to fillout the mold if needed.
I still find a handful on my own but i like having friends as well.
I go by one of the tire stores from time to time bearing a 6 pack of beer and usually leave with 40-50 lbs of weights.
I was told by a tire dealer, that lead wheel weights are being done away with. Most are now zinc or steel.
An unemployed Jester, is nobody's Fool.
the only real difference between a good tracker and a bad tracker, is observation. all the same data is present for both. The rest, is understanding what you're seeing.
They are, but they are still about 70 percent lead in the collection buckets.
If you need lead, make up a written indemnification letter. Most businesses need this to eliminate their responsibility in the disposal/recycling of lead nowadays.
Lead is harder to find in some States than in others. Lead wheel weights are being outlawd in some states. Networking works. Like some of the others posted, ask your friends, family and coworkers to look for you. Talk to the shop that you buy tires from or that does your mechanic work. Ask at auto salvage yards. Talk to any roofing or plumbing contractors that you know. Talk to any telephone installers or contractors that you know. Talk with any general contractors in your area. Talk to any scrappers in your area. You know, the guys with a yard full of appliances and scrap. Run a want to buy ad in the local swap shop or craigslist. Check with any local recycling places. Many won't sell to the public but a few still will. Visit the Cast Boolit site for more ideas. They also have a swapping and selling section and often have members selling lead for fair prices. I would forget about any letters or documents until someone ask as I've never been ask. Always be on the lookout. Try to become familiar with things made from lead. I'm not a YouTube fan but there are some videos on there about lead that may give you some additional ideas. Good Luck!
My ex brother in law demos commercial and industrial buildings. At times has found pure lead T-cap, little over a ton from one building a few years back.
I get mine for my labor picking it up off the face of the berm at my gun club. After a good rain the berm is covered with exposed bullets. If there is a shooting area near where you live, check out the backstop. If I spend 10 or 15 minutes picking up range scrap after a shooting session I easily have about 10 times the lead I deposited.
I don't use this guys technique, I just pick them up, but you get the idea.
I have scored buckets full of lead wheel weights by trudging through auto junkyards with a pair of wheelweight pliers and a bucket. Give the skeevy guy out front at the desk a $20 bill which probably will go right into his jeans pocket. After the first time I wised up and put the bucket on a hand cart. A kids wagon would be pretty good too- what you don't want to do is lug that 100 pound bucket a quarter mile back to your car.
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
Lots of sources, as has been mentioned. One thing that surprised me is once word gets out and folks know you collect lead some folks will call you and ask you if you want some lead they just found somewhere. Old plumbing ingots or wheel weights in Dad or Grandpa's basement or garage they used to cast sinkers. Sometimes rural estate sales and/or garage sales anywhere. Dive weights, which can be about anything. Mine have required some juggling to use and get to the alloy I've been casting. Sometimes telephone line lead cylinders are acquired and they're always good lead. It's out there, a fella just has to keep scrounging.
NRA Benefactor 2008
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me." John 14-6
I used to have a good source of WW in southern Idaho, a Dodge dealership, but it is hundreds of miles out of my way now. Have lived in Helena, MT for over 6 years, and still haven't found a decent source of WW around here. I'm still living off of the many hundreds of lbs I got from the Dodge dealership, supplementing with bullet scrap picked up where I shoot.
If anyone knows of a good source around Helena, let me know. I'll pay, or trade, or whore myself out....
Any hospitals nearby? When they upgrade their doors to the X-ray room, that can be up to 300 lbs right there. I've seen them wheeled right out the hospital entrance. And I didn't have a truck then!
A lot of old window sash weights were made of lead. You might make a deal with a window installer.
An unemployed Jester, is nobody's Fool.
the only real difference between a good tracker and a bad tracker, is observation. all the same data is present for both. The rest, is understanding what you're seeing.
I have probably scrounged more wheel weight lead than all but the most dedicated ... the 7,000# keel on my sailboat is made up of probably 80% wheel-weights scrounged from Oregon tire stores . I also have nearly 800# of clip-on wheel weight ingots in my loading room. Having said that, I think wheel weights are, sadly, nearly a dead-end street as a source of casting lead.
Several big issues are popping up - the first being that all but small dealers no longer sell their wheel-weights, making sourcing increasingly difficult. Secondly, zinc is taking over for lead and the bucket of lead you pack out of the tire shop will contain a higher and higher percentage of scrap as time goes on. Thirdly, clip-on weights have largely given way to stick-on's which are nearly pure lead and must be brought to usable form through the addition of antimony and tin.
Mystery lead can be used for high volume shooting where accuracy and consistency is not a big issue but I have found it a pain in the butt to use. If you are serious about your casting, you will require lead of known quality - otherwise issues from fill-out to inconsistent BHN will become an issue. Commercial lead of known make-up is not so expensive that it is increasingly not worth the effort necessary to qualify your lead and bring it up to spec. before it can be turned into consistent bullets.
...my family owns a tire shop.. I pilfer their used weight bucket when it fills up. Then there's my best friend's father's Salvage yard. I take a set of wheel weight pullers up there each summer and have at it.. which reminds me I'm overdue, he's about to scrap out for the final time in August and retire.
How much do you need Jim?
"Ignorance is acceptable, because you can remedy it with knowledge and research. Stupidity is when you guard your ignorance." Ted Nugent
"Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you."
...my family owns a tire shop.. I pilfer their used weight bucket when it fills up. Then there's my best friend's father's Salvage yard. I take a set of wheel weight pullers up there each summer and have at it.. which reminds me I'm overdue, he's about to scrap out for the final time in August and retire.
