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Anyone interested in a group buy for lead for reloading
- Thread starter dgr416
- Start date
Sooo, why the secrecy? Where are you getting it and how much does it cost?
There has been an ongoing push to eliminate lead for years. Wheel weights have been changed from lead to steel/zinc nation wide. Soon the tires of all the older cars will be changed out and the older clip on lead will finally be off the road. The use of lead shot for hunting game birds has been heavily restricted already. You can still buy lead of course, but sources have become fewer and free lead is nearly gone without some good connections.
If you are pouring your own bullets, chances are you are not using pure soft lead, but with a little antimony and tin added you are good to go. Right now, if you are stocked up on primers and powder, and can pour your own bullets, there is no ammo shortage and no price gouging problems.
Will lead be unavailable in the future? My bet is yes. Many indoor ranges have banned the use of cast bullets already, but making it outright against the law? Doubt it... but there could be a situation where one might not care about legality and a steady supply of bullets is needed.
If you are not a caster now, maybe you are considering it.... if so here is a chance to stock up on lead all at once...if you don't want a ton of lead around, then you can buy hardcast from places like rotometals for a little over 2 bucks pound. If you don't want to cast your own, then by all means wait, and wait some more... stock up on jacketed bullets when this shortage ends or buy some cast bullets from a local caster.
The current shortage is not the first and certainly won't be the last. Make a plan for the next shortage, execute your plan, dont get caught short or without ever again.
If you are pouring your own bullets, chances are you are not using pure soft lead, but with a little antimony and tin added you are good to go. Right now, if you are stocked up on primers and powder, and can pour your own bullets, there is no ammo shortage and no price gouging problems.
Will lead be unavailable in the future? My bet is yes. Many indoor ranges have banned the use of cast bullets already, but making it outright against the law? Doubt it... but there could be a situation where one might not care about legality and a steady supply of bullets is needed.
If you are not a caster now, maybe you are considering it.... if so here is a chance to stock up on lead all at once...if you don't want a ton of lead around, then you can buy hardcast from places like rotometals for a little over 2 bucks pound. If you don't want to cast your own, then by all means wait, and wait some more... stock up on jacketed bullets when this shortage ends or buy some cast bullets from a local caster.
The current shortage is not the first and certainly won't be the last. Make a plan for the next shortage, execute your plan, dont get caught short or without ever again.
The mom and pop shops around are giving me all I can stand to process. For any SE GA folks, a fella in Jax has an ad on Craigslist asking someone to rummage through barrels that are chock full of metal, including lead (I think it was old pipe) if you want to. Their claim was hundreds of pounds. If I had time, I would. I shoot into a box filled with rubber mulch when I just am punching paper... so I lose little to nothing and can hold on to the material to recast. I do that with my pistols... .22s... pellet guns.
The idea of a group buy is intriguing but between the tire shops still having WW for free (though I do give whoever lets me empty their bucket some $$$ out of appreciation... seems appropriate) and being offered lead by other sources here and there, I’m not there yet. I haven’t even ventured over to the river where there are some ship building/dismantling where I’m sure there are lead-ballasted keels around. Chances are I’d have to move in the next few years anyways and transporting more than a couple hundred pounds is going to be a PITA. Just got 25# of 50-50 solder for $2/pound within the last month off Facebook marketplace. I got something like 30-40# of lead from some WW I got a few weeks back I processed last night after it cooled off.
I got into casting late, so I never knew the heyday of no zinc/steel wheel weights but it seems pretty good still. If in a few years I’m retired and am settled, I may jump in on a future group buy if I haven’t already stockpiled so much, it’s a moot point. I’m interested how this one turns out.
The idea of a group buy is intriguing but between the tire shops still having WW for free (though I do give whoever lets me empty their bucket some $$$ out of appreciation... seems appropriate) and being offered lead by other sources here and there, I’m not there yet. I haven’t even ventured over to the river where there are some ship building/dismantling where I’m sure there are lead-ballasted keels around. Chances are I’d have to move in the next few years anyways and transporting more than a couple hundred pounds is going to be a PITA. Just got 25# of 50-50 solder for $2/pound within the last month off Facebook marketplace. I got something like 30-40# of lead from some WW I got a few weeks back I processed last night after it cooled off.
I got into casting late, so I never knew the heyday of no zinc/steel wheel weights but it seems pretty good still. If in a few years I’m retired and am settled, I may jump in on a future group buy if I haven’t already stockpiled so much, it’s a moot point. I’m interested how this one turns out.
If they ban lead which they easily could your screwed .In California you can't hunt or even target shoot with any bullet containing lead .I am try to get enough people to make it worth while to get a bunch at one shot way cheaper . You use to get free wheel lead weights but that's impossible these days and the new ones are not even lead .It only takes one turd to ruin this as I have seen on here .
Even in the 1990s it was not easy to find free lead in the suburban Atlanta area. Don't get discouraged guys. The lead you are considering will be amazing easy to work with. Those pallets in Birmingham are loaded with small strips of the lead making it really easy to get in your pots getting your melt going fast ! The time and effort you save chasing free lead and getting it ready to cast will be huge. You will have plenty of time to love the process... GO for it guys Don't let anyone be a stick in the mud and spoil a group buy. Group buys are awesome. I've been in on a few group mold buys over at cast boolits back when Lee and others had time to do custom molds and it always took longer but it always worked out well with the right guys steering the deal and making it happen
Lead ban, IF the government bans lead. You'll not be shooting your bullets any place.
Bullet manufacturing has already ramped up for copper bullet production.
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Bullet manufacturing has already ramped up for copper bullet production.
Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk
IMHO, I don't see an outright ban on lead bullets or lead in general. I can see the government restricting the use of lead bullets on public land... commifornia has really stirred the pot. Or how about a 50 cent per round tax on factory ammo of any type..
I know not everyone can step our their door and rip off a couple hundred rounds, but for those of us that can, there will never be any lead bullet police.
I like jacketed bullets for some guns and ill buy more when prices come down, but most of us shoot calibers that are perfectly happy with cast bullets... 9mm, 45acp, 30-30, 357/38spl... and many more. You can powder coat those same bullets and they are even better.
In times of civil unrest (or any SHTF situation) ,politically or strategically initiated shortage, when those jacketed or straight copper bullets are gone, ill be happily turning out lead as long as my primers and powder hold out.
I know not everyone can step our their door and rip off a couple hundred rounds, but for those of us that can, there will never be any lead bullet police.
I like jacketed bullets for some guns and ill buy more when prices come down, but most of us shoot calibers that are perfectly happy with cast bullets... 9mm, 45acp, 30-30, 357/38spl... and many more. You can powder coat those same bullets and they are even better.
In times of civil unrest (or any SHTF situation) ,politically or strategically initiated shortage, when those jacketed or straight copper bullets are gone, ill be happily turning out lead as long as my primers and powder hold out.
