I Am Hard Pressed To Believe This

[41mag]

I recently lucked into a permanent source (if the kenyadent isn't reelected) of 97/3% lead/antimony alloy for whatever the spot price is on lead. I am moving to a point where all I am going to have to do to it is add 2% tin and have great boolit alloy of known parentage.

These days, repeatability in the alloy is a hard thing to accomplish.

Rich
Sua Sponte

Well this was another reason I stocked up on some of the ISO cores while I had the funds to do so. It might not be perfect for everything, but they are VERY clean, a known alloy, work for most everything I load in handguns, and are not much of a hassle to smelt down. If I need harder or softer I have pure Pb to help go softer and Mono and Lino to head the other way.

[garym1a2]

I lined up a long haul trucking company. 30 cents a pound and mostly lead with very few steel ones. most of them are large also.

[bld451]

I have a shop giving me weights. Just a lucky stumble into a situation where they were mad at the battery guy. Getting to the point I am wondering if it's worth the time sorting. When I started a couple years ago, I got 80-90% lead. Now 30%. Not complaining about free weights, but as I get more, the time spent sorting is getting less rewarding. Getting .09/lb for the steelies, so that pays for some propane.

My new deal is range scrap. I can mine about 300# in an hour or two, reduce that to 260 # in a Saturday, and sell the jackets for .60/lb locally. (I know, and I'm checking another yard this time.) Seems to range from 9-12 BHN, and casts great with adding 1% tin. I'm just hitting my stride in the rendering department and I'm thinking about slowing down a lot since I have a good supply. Laying it in as trading stock at this point. I think I figured the other day I had enough for 200 rds a week through my 38 and 45ACP for my projected life of 81 yrs.

Sure looks good in the garage!

[.458]

Oh how I wish we had lead wheel weights out here. I'm in one of 7 states that has banned lead wheel weights due to the possability that they may end up back where they came from. I have been finding diver's belts and old drain pipe though. The pipe seems to be nearly pure unless it's a junction of solder but the diving weights may be about anything. My guess is that the diving weights are made from scrap. They don't need to be pure they just need to be heavy.