Acquiring scrap lead for casting - current state of affairs

[VA Guy]

Given my newfound interest in muzzle loaders, the current state of affairs with all things ammo related and the fact that most of the commercial cast ball options (if you can find them) are upwards of $0.30-0.60 per round (about $7/lb) plus shipping I now suddenly have an interest in casting my own.

I was into metallic cartridge reloading for quite some time, but for a variety of reasons I never had an interest in casting bullets. I do remember scrap lead being very cheap and easy to come by with very little effort (I recall turning down $0.50/lb linotype and giving away pulled bullets to friends because I didn't want to deal with the mess and hassle). That was 10 years ago, and of course now about the best option I have been able to find is $2/lb random lead scrap on eBay. I have also read that tire shops no longer give away wheel weights for free, and some won't even sell them (I also don't have a lot of free time during business hours to go driving around to random tire shops asking for scrap).

Question is - am I overlooking options for cheap scrap lead, or is $2/lb as good as it gets nowadays? I also have the option of "mining" the berm at the range, but that takes a while to build a usable stockpile.

 

[wseidel]

Try a "Wanted Ad" in your local Craigslist. I placed one and promptly had three calls. I don't do Facebook, but that would seem to be another viable option. Hope this helps

 

[forty_caliber]

Processing scrap lead into usable casting lead has problems beyond just sourcing it. Smelting and fluxing to clean it, casting into ingots, determining hardness, mixing other metals in etc. These days I just buy lead ingots from RotoMetals. It is clean, consistent and one less thing for me to worry about. I generally order 100# at a time and I'm set for a while.

.40

 

[Ames]

Getting it cheap off a list runs the risk of not getting what you thought you were getting.
For $2 a lb., go to Roto Metals. They can sell you a half pig of pure lead (60 lb.) at apx. $2 lb., and it includes free shipping.
Yep. Free shipping on 60 lbs. and known purity. Why mess with scrap risk?

 

[user 49399]

Here's some of my methods for obtaining free scrap lead although it involves getting a little exercise which is not a bad thing.

I walk the roads in my neighborhood and pick up wheel weights that fall off cars. You'd be surprised how many you can find. Some are lead and some are zinc. I don't use zinc. Of course I usually melt and skim these twice and it makes round balls good enough for me.

I live near a lake which is drained very low in the winter time. I walk the shores then and pick up lead sinkers. A very good source.

I sometimes shoot at an outdoor public range. When no one else is there and especially after a rain I pick up lead from the dirt backstop behind the targets. Sometimes I find my own round balls.





scrap lead

 

[ZUG]

Most if not all scrap "lead" is not 100% pure which might be fine in a smoothbore but not in a revolver or a rifle (my opinion). As pure lead is almost impossible to find as scrap you can purchase it from Roto Metals as mentioned above and that's the way to go for known hardness for the pure lead you seek.

 

[VA Guy]

4 These days I just buy lead ingots from RotoMetals.

For $2 a lb., go to Roto Metals.

Learned something, glad I asked... Thanks!

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

Pure scrap can be had from your local service plumber

 

[GregLaRoche]

$2.00 a pound delivered is not bad, but a 60# piece will probably need to be melted and poured into smaller ingots, or at least cut up before you can melt it to start casting with it.

 

[andy52]

I have a pretty reliable source of wheel weights I use for casting bullets for metallic cartages but wheel weights are to hard a alloy for muzzleloader balls as least for hunting. You could use them for practice but I'd only use pure lead for hunting.

 

[Ames]

$2.00 a pound delivered is not bad, but a 60# piece will probably need to be melted and poured into smaller ingots, or at least cut up before you can melt it to start casting with it.

That's what sawzalls are for.
Without weighing a box, 60lbs might net you 30 boxes of 45-50 cal. round ball. Three thousand round ball? Its worth it.

 

[forty_caliber]

The stuff from RotoMetals comes in 5# ingots about 1x2x10. I just stand 2 or 3 up in the furnace. No cutting needed.

.40

 

[GregLaRoche]

« I have a pretty reliable source of wheel weights I use for casting bullets for metallic cartages but wheel weights are to hard a alloy for muzzleloader balls as least for hunting. You could use them for practice but I'd only use pure lead for hunting. »

I have a good source of range scrap, but it turns out to be much harder than pure lead. It seems to work the same in my smooth bore as pure lead. However, now that I am starting to shoot a percussion rifle with a minie bullet, I will need to find some pure lead for it.

 

[GregLaRoche]

Are the five pound ingots from Roto Metals $2.00 pound?

 

[forty_caliber]

Are the five pound ingots from Roto Metals $2.00 pound?

The cost per pound varies by the weight purchased. 100# carries a 9% discount.

https://www.rotometals.com/pure-soft-lead-metal-99-9-5-pound-ingot/
.40

 

[sportster73hp]

I have used recycled lead from outside backstops but prefer paying for the stuff our local club gets when cleaning the indoor pistol range. I know this option isn’t available to everyone but joe melts it down skims it and pours into ingots. Not ideal for hunting but kills paper.

 

[Justin.44]

@VA Guy One of my local scrap yards sells me lead for 80¢/lb. I've gone there a few times and they let me pick through the bins and take what I want. They always have several clean roofing boots, pipes, ingots etc. to choose from. You may have some luck from a scrap yard.

 

[Timber Wolf]

Make nice with a roofing crew, it helps if you speak a little Spanish. I am not kidding. I have asked for the lead boots and they have been freely given. I then come back with cases of Cokes or Pepsi and ice. Then the boots just started to show up. Kinda nasty sometimes with roof tar and shingle scrap stuck to some but it burns off. And the price is right. The crews tell me they get 35 cents a pound for it at the scrap yard. They are going more and more to plastic/rubber boots so this is a diminishing resource but there are still tons and tons (and tons) of it out there.

 

[11th corps]

I have been a berm miner at our outdoor range for several years. But most of the lead fired is not pure lead. Roto Metals sounds like a good option.

 

[Stophel]

Some people LOVE to scrounge. I ain't one of them. I just bought ten pounds of lead on ebay for thirty bucks delivered. It is NOT worth my time and effort scouring the countryside for a few pounds of lead.