Wheel weight score!

[Skip Sackett]

Well, I paid more than I wanted for a 5 gallon bucket of wheel weights the other day but I did find a new source!

I have been accustomed to giving between $15-$20 for a bucket. I was getting them for free from the repair garage that was doing the service work on my company vehicle. The bosses made us start using someone else to try to save costs. Not that my guy was more expensive, they just struck a deal for the service of our fleet. At any rate, you can't beat free and I was getting a great deal at other places too.

The new place for our fleet service is a tire store too. I got to talking with the owner and asked about the used wheel weights. He said he has two folks that get them. One uses them for bullets and the other he couldn't remember, maybe race cars for ballast.

Well, I told him he had a new "bullet customer" in me and then I asked what he wanted for a bucket. When he said "Whatever the scrap yard gives per pound is what I want." I thought I was in like Flynn, so to speak. Then I found out that the scrap yard was giving 30¢/lb!

Most times I get a 5 gallon bucket, there is just over 100lbs in them. That would be $30 + a bucket! 200% increase (kinda)

I bought them and ran home and smelted them. It took me almost 2 hours in my "turkey fryer/cast dutch oven" setup to go through that bucket, but I got just over 100lbs of ingots!

So, I am all set for awhile. Here is what that $30 translates into cost for bullets:

160gr = 4375 bullets = 0.68571428571428571428571428571429¢ each ($3.43/500)

200gr = 3500 bullets = 0.85714285714285714285714285714286¢ each ($4.29/500)

240gr = 2917 bullets = 1.0285714285714285714285714285714¢ each ($5.14/500)

I guess I shouldn't complain about $30/100lbs should I!

What do you pay for bullets?

 

[mobocracy]

It's too bad there's not a simple way to jacket them. Even at 4x pricing, $40/1000 for 240gr JSP/JHP sounds nice.

 

[Black_Sheep]

Shops that do tire work on semi trucks are another good source of wheel weights. The weights are huge, ranging from 2oz -8oz...

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

You are lucky!

Around me, any place that uses wheel weights is now required to (at least by their management) turn them in for exchange, for a reduction in cost on their new weights. I went around to almost every single one of them, (even of the same brand of store) and was told the same thing. Their regular customers who had been making bullets, and sinkers were out of a supply source.

I think that it also has to do with the litigious society we live in, and one place even alluded to that. None of them wants to be associated in any way with someone who got lead from them, turned it into a bullet, then used it to shoot someone.

I'm glad that you at least got some lead. If I could get it for what you paid, I'd tear the back pocket off my jeans trying to get my wallet out to pay them. Lead is not going to come down in price. There was a recent thread in the lounge on just that subject, that someone posted a link to.

 

[canoe on the yukon]

I can remember once getting a thirty gallon barrel full..."FREE"....The guy even thanked me for hauling them away for him..Those days are gone....A few years ago when we moved,I gave away several hundred pounds in order to lighten the moving load....Wish I had it back.

Today I even hold on to bullets cast for calibers I no longer load as an emergency supply for alloy.

 

[arthur52]

Wait til they're gone

Sometime in 2011 lead wheel weights will be gone. Better get them while you can.

 

[imashooter2]

WW around here are the same story. Everyone has a recycle deal and offering to better the deal goes nowhere. Reliable sources of alloy are tough in this neighborhood. I've been making do with indoor range scrap for a few years now and even that is getting sporadic.

My motto, if it melts, put it on the shelf. Today's "don't want to deal with it" scrap could very well be tomorrow's best alloy available.

 

[Rodrockinoff]

Scored lead for a life-time

In '84, our town newspaper converted from the old presses to computers. I had a friend at the paper and helped them out by getting rid of several hundred pounds of lynotype in 25 pound bars (free to me!). It is predominantly lead with a trace amount of tin. When melted in my pot, the tin floats to the top and can be skimmed off. It has given me great bullets for many years now... I'll never use all of it. I have made tons of smaller ingots from it but still have many whole bars that I'll never use. So many, that my "out-back" 10 X 20 shop has become "lob-sided" because I have stored all the lead against one wall! I cast and reload for 44 mag/special and 357/38 special. I just buy factory for my 9mm since that's not cost efficient. Who wants to round up auto shells at the range? Never had a misfire in 30+ years BUT I HAVE had misfires (recently) with factory ammo in the 9mm. Reloading is the way to go if you enjoy it.

 

[imashooter2]

Linotype is 4% tin, 12% antimony and 84% lead. Most of us call that WAY more than a trace.

I'd be more than happy to have my shed damaged by the weight of free lino I have stacked in it any day! Congrats!

 

[JSR III]

Another good source of lead is old plumbing. There are a lot of old houses in my area that have lead drum traps with lead pipe lines in and out. Plumbers and remodelers are a good source of lead but you will probably have to pay scrap value.

If you do have a potential repair shop source, tell them you are making sinkers, that takes away the "oh my god you are one of those evil gun people".

 

[Rule3]

Sooo Skip?, What kinda bullets are you gonna make with that there lead?????

 

[Skip Sackett]

You would have to ask!

I'm not exactly sure just yet. I have some "supply" issues right now in the 38cal 125gr LTC area. I also thought I would make up some 215gr 44cal LSWC and try them on the large side for my lever guns. At this point though, I'm not exactly sure. Just glad I have material to make them from!

 

[Hoptob]

So, I am all set for awhile. Here is what that $30 translates into cost for bullets:

160gr = 4375 bullets = 0.68571428571428571428571428571429¢ each ($3.43/500)

200gr = 3500 bullets = 0.85714285714285714285714285714286¢ each ($4.29/500)

240gr = 2917 bullets = 1.0285714285714285714285714285714¢ each ($5.14/500)

I guess I shouldn't complain about $30/100lbs should I!

What do you pay for bullets?

Well, let's see. Last time I paid $465.97 for 10,000 125 gr. plated bullets. That would be 4.53026388888893
times more than you pay for your 240 grainers.

Hmm... maybe you should teach me how to make those bullits.

 

[fredj338]

In '84, our town newspaper converted from the old presses to computers. I had a friend at the paper and helped them out by getting rid of several hundred pounds of lynotype in 25 pound bars (free to me!). It is predominantly lead with a trace amount of tin. When melted in my pot, the tin floats to the top and can be skimmed off. It has given me great bullets for many years now... I'll never use all of it. I have made tons of smaller ingots from it but still have many whole bars that I'll never use. So many, that my "out-back" 10 X 20 shop has become "lob-sided" because I have stored all the lead against one wall! I cast and reload for 44 mag/special and 357/38 special. I just buy factory for my 9mm since that's not cost efficient. Who wants to round up auto shells at the range? Never had a misfire in 30+ years BUT I HAVE had misfires (recently) with factory ammo in the 9mm. Reloading is the way to go if you enjoy it.

Actually lino is antimony, lead & tin. You don't want to skim anything off. You should be fluxing it back into the metal. The tin makes it castable & the antimony makes it hard. It makes beautiful bullets, but they are really too hard for most handgun use. Stop skimming that expensive tin away & just mix the lino 50/50 w/ pure lead for a great bullet to 1300fps+.
Free or cheap alloy is getting harder & harder to find. I have one tire shop that still lets me have 110# buckets free, I make him take $20 now & then so I can keep coming back. There use to be 95% lead ww now it;s about 75%. The rest are unuseable zinc or steel or aluminum. Ge what you can now & hoard it. A national ban is coming, it's already in many states starting 2010.

 

[Smithhound]

I'm lucky as well as having a huge surplus of Linotype, WW and tons of pure lead, several 'pigs' weighing 90lbs or so, buckets of WW and found a great deal on Lino from RotoMetals, I've been stockpiling for years. I also work for a Telephone company, so any old lead sleeves that come in, i snag. Bullets for me are essentially free, I use the pure lead and mix lino with them, I have several formulas I've put together over the years.
Here is a tip that most folks have never thought of: Auto junkyards.
These things are scattered about, some with hundreds of old cars. Talk to the yard manager, maybe give him some business on parts you need then just ask if you can go thru and take off wheel weights for sinkers (yes I will use that line as well), most don't care. Takes a little sweat equity, but it's worth it.
Also, around here anyway, we have small 'quasi' recycle places that buy aluminum cans, copper etc. Talk to them and mention you'd be interested in lead, ww, etc. Alot of them have cans, buckets that are laying around and you can pick them up on the cheap, ask them to save it for you and you'll come get it every few weeks. I've had a lot of luck on that.
Again, Rotometals has pretty good prices on Lino, a little of it mixed with pure lead will alloy out to some hard bullets.
RD

 

[VonFatman]

Way to go Skip!! It's hard to beat that deal!!!!

Bob

 

[Sunkist]

I was striking out at tire shops so I went to the local scrap yard. When I asked for wheelweights they lead me to a 55 gallon barrel full. I got 42 pounds for $14.00. I spent an evening making ingots and I'm heading back for another load. BTW if you fill a 5 gallon bucket you've got a hernia in the making. It was a lot easier paying for it than hauling it a block to my car. Lyman says 9lbs of ww with 1 lb pure lead is Lyman #2 Alloy.

 

[nonferrous]

ALWAYS tell them you are making sinkers. And then buy them Pizza.