Where are the best sources for free bullet lead? I used to use wheel weights but those seem to have dried up.? - General discussion Forums

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Forums / Public / General discussion / Where are the best sources for free bullet lead? I used to use wheel weights but those seem to have dried up.?

Author	Message
RacerX Members 106 posts Location: East Timor Occupation: X-ray technicianYodeler Age:	#48730 2008-05-19 00:37 GMT



WorldWideWonder Members 106 posts Location: Cocos Islands Occupation: Extra Age:	#48731 2008-05-19 00:51 GMT
	HOW DID THEY DRY UP THERE'S MORE CARS ON THE ROAD THAN EVER , AND ALL TIRES NEED A BALANCE ? THAT WAS WHAT I USED

Fangs Members 107 posts Location: Egypt Occupation: Bhikkhuni Age:	#48732 2008-05-19 01:08 GMT
	Wheel weights have dried up because the dealerships are selling them to recyclers now that the price of lead has gone up I worked a deal with a local city maintainence shop to put five gallon bucket in their tire shop Got about 30 pounds in a month The other less appealing option is to scrounge the parking lot of a semi truck tire store I would get about 2 to5 pounds a week from there

GiddyUp Members 103 posts Location: Ecuador Occupation: Bailiff Age:	#48733 2008-05-19 01:23 GMT
	CHINA

AngryWolf Members 103 posts Location: French Guiana Occupation: Foreman Age:	#48734 2008-05-19 10:30 GMT
	Junk yards or Salvage yards.* Plumbers shops or those who operate from their home and store supply's and old lead lines, or pipes, drains for scrap in a separate building.*

CherryBerry Members 105 posts Location: Marshall Islands Occupation: Accountant Age:	#48735 2008-05-19 13:15 GMT
	If all else fails try the shooting ranges. If it is in the embankment or bullet trap, you know that someone else got it down range and you should be able to recover the stuff and also make it work. First thing you have to do is get permission from the owner or caretaker of the range, then don't screw it up, cover your digs when you are done. Don't leave the pit bigger than you found it.

FireHead Members 110 posts Location: Belgium Occupation: Thatcher Age:	#48736 2008-05-19 14:33 GMT
	These days the words "Free" and "Lead" do not belong in the same sentence. Hell, they don't even belong in the same paragraph any more. Like you, I used to get used wheel weights free from my local tire store. Then a few years ago, I had to start paying as much as 25 cents per pound for them. The last time I got some from a local tire store, I had to pay $1 per pound metal clips dirt and all. The price for lead has gone up dramatically and the days of free lead are over. I am very fortunate in that when I was working, we used radio isotopes and they came in lead containers. We just asked for a permit to take the containers home and I ended up with over 200 pounds of good lead. It is perfect for making lead balls for my muzzle loader but I have to add some tin to make bullets for my center fire cartridges. At a dollar per pound for dirty lead, for me, it is not worth buying wheelweights any more. I just order tin ingots and add it to my pure lead from the isotope containers.

BerryNice Members 116 posts Location: Samoa Occupation: Kinesiologist Age:	#48737 2008-05-19 17:04 GMT
	Look for places that store old large cables or have old large cables hanging around. Many of these, especially direct bury - had a nice pure lead sheath so the cable's weight would help pull it into the trough when laying it, and, the extra weight prevents the cable from surfacing - like rocks do. Electric companies, radio transmitter stations, and radio towers used this cable. The old cable is usually left lying around because it would cost too much to have it properly disposed of. However - they know it will slowly disappear when fishermen use it for weights............ always say you are making fishing weights and trolling balls. Since trolling balls weight 10+ pounds - you can easily justify cutting out 100+ pounds.

RadioActive Members 102 posts Location: Wallis And Futuna Islands Occupation: Crofter Age:	#48738 2008-05-19 17:29 GMT
	A little odd, but a good source of clean "virgin "lead would be a radiation shielding or leadburning outfit. They use pure lead to maintain shielding consistency. If there is one in your area ( dont want to ship lead by the lb), worth checking out. They sometimes sell diving weights & fishing sinkers as a sideline. Unmolded scrap might be a little cheaper & you still have to pay by the lb ,,,,but it is the "good stuff" Wheel weights are "mostly" lead & not the best for bullets. Best regards

SnazzyNotes Members 125 posts Location: Namibia Occupation: Redsmith Age:	#48739 2008-05-20 11:46 GMT
	with the cost of lead sky rocketing, the "free" sources have, as you noted, dried up. I haven't located any tire store etc that isn't selling the used weights to be recycled. All my sources dried up too. Maybe you can swing a deal with a local junk yard that will allow you to pull the weights on junked cars yourself. Good luck