Do You Have a Lifetime Supply?

[bedbugbilly]

I did have until a guy that I gave some scrap iron to came back and stole all of it . . . along with quite a quantity of copper electrical wire that I had. Unfortunately, too much time had passed until the time I discovered it missing. The only recourse I had was to remember that "Karma is a b _ _ _ h". Funny thing though . . . every time I see him in public he seems to do a 180 degree turn and disappear as fast as he can.

I kind of wish he'd show up at my shop again looking for more scrap iron . . . I just happen to have a little lead I'd be happy to give him . . . . of course it's in a nice molded shape.

I just finished up caseting about 1200 rounds and am now out of lead . . . time to hit the scrap yard next week.

[lwknight]

I would have to shoot 5000 rounds per year for 30+ to run out at 85.
I don't see it happening.

[woodbutcher]

Hi all.Well at present,I only have 3 five gal buckets full of ingots and 6 of coww.Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh well.Back to the hunt.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[Patrick L]

I originally voted last summer(August 2012.) As of now, I think I probably do have enough. If I die tomorrow I definitely do!

I will still accumulate all I can get for free, but I just don't feel the urgent need that I will pay for it.

[Garyshome]

Depends on how long I live!

[Lefty SRH]

I've been at it for close to 3yrs now and feel like I have a decent supply. BUT what do you consider a "lifetime" supply. I realize it's kinda age related unfortunately.

[JakeBlanton]

I've been at it for close to 3yrs now and feel like I have a decent supply. BUT what do you consider a "lifetime" supply. I realize it's kinda age related unfortunately.

I would like to be able to say that I have 100 tons of lead, shoot 50 rounds a week, and don't have enough for the rest of my life. I'm pretty sure that my doctor would disagree.

[mold maker]

My last day on earth, I'll still be looking.

[HATCH]

I would tell everyone to start buying what lead you can.
I have about 2500 lbs and sad to say that it may sound like a lot but it isn't.
The EPA will start to phase out ALL lead that is being used in the US. Keep in mind that this may be a 5 or 10 year project for them but they are gonna do it.

2500 lbs of lead is 87500 200 grain boolits.
Well if I factor in shooting 100 rds a week (50 for me and 50 for the boy), I will be out of lead in less then 17 years.
But if I factor in my dad shooting 50 rds a week for the next two years then my supply will only last 15 years.
I think I am gonna get another 2K pounds and that will be it. I will be done getting lead.

[mold maker]

The end is on it's way. The Last lead smelter in the US is closing under enviromental pressure. It produced about 25% of the lead used in the US. The top world producers left supplying virgin lead are China and Mexico.
There will always be a little produced here as a byproduct of other mining ventures. (gold, silver copper)
Save what you have by recycling, and get all you can while it's still available.
Getting yous hands dirty, digging a berm or picking/sorting WWs may be a hassel today. It will be the differance between having/doing without, unless you have deep pockets. We are the last privledged generation, with cheap lead to be had.

[andreadavide]

Just squirreled away another 40 lbs of lead from the .22 bullet traps in my firing range. Not the easiest job, since it is a mix of lead splatter and mashed up cardboard. I smelt it on an open fire in the outside. Let the paper and wood burn in the crucible.

[CastingFool]

I'm not sure how much I have. I have it squirreled away in various stacks out in the garage, but recently I rendered about 60 lbs of lead joints into shiny ingots, plus there are more lead joints to render. I'll accept any lead I can as long as it's free, or maybe trade for it.

[braol]

The end is on it's way. The Last lead smelter in the US is closing under enviromental pressure. It produced about 25% of the lead used in the US. The top world producers left supplying virgin lead are China and Mexico.
There will always be a little produced here as a byproduct of other mining ventures. (gold, silver copper)
Save what you have by recycling, and get all you can while it's still available.
Getting yous hands dirty, digging a berm or picking/sorting WWs may be a hassel today. It will be the differance between having/doing without, unless you have deep pockets. We are the last privledged generation, with cheap lead to be had.

The last primary lead smelter is closing. There are still secondary lead smelters in the US. Sierra bullets issued a statement yesterday that they do not get lead from that smelter. All the lead they have ever used has been recycled lead from secondary smelters.

With that said, I am still new to casting. I dont have near enough lead to last, if I can save and recycle my lead I can stretch out a while. However, I do have enough for the powder and primers that I have. Someone on TGO gave me an idea to save some of my own lead. Get a couple 55gal plastic drums, fill the bottom with a foot or so of dirt and put a steel plate, leaning forward, in the drum.

[Clay M]

Not unless I die soon....I may have 500 lbs of WW.I really hate the fact that some of the WW you buy now days are zinc. Sorting them is a pain. In the old days that wasn't a worry.I can get all the WW I want for about
.28 a pound.

[Fredx10sen]

Always looking!! It's an obsession knowing that the grandkids will be taking up the obsession long after I'm gone. Something to leave The Family, down the road. Sooo define a "life time" and "enough" LOL

[vp146b4]

I have around 3500#s of lead and 300#s of tin. I cast those 405 grainers, so a 20# pot of lead goes down real fast. I just need about twenty years worth, so I think I'm ok, but if I see some lead for a good deal, I'll grab it. It is a sickness. Glad there's no cure.

[ruizhernandeztrust]

Unfortunately no unlimited supply of lead.

[DEVERS454]

I have 150lbs of "hard" lead (just needs some 50/50 bar solder from time to time) and 80lbs of dead soft lead. Another 80lbs of Lyman #2 and some 25lbs of friggin hard lead from recovered trap/skeet shot... nice for making uber magnum rounds or rifle plinkers above 1800fps.

The last 5 bags of #8 shot are in the garage along with 4 flats of trap loads.

I'm good... I can't cast that much as family time takes priority.

[duhbob]

I had only a few years worth but that has expanded here recently due to another benefit from powder coating: the fact that when you're powder coating range scrap it's just as good as CWW for shooting USPSA loads (200 grain at 840 fps)........Hardness doesn't hardly matter when the pills are plated in poly. And I have a good line on free range-scrap, tape-weights, and soft sailboat ballast that I barely even considered smelting before.

[Garyshome]

No not even close. If i shoot 2 rounds a day till I die maybe.