yet another newbie question

Joined
May 13, 2009
Messages
85
Likes
2
Feedback: 5 / 0 / 0
I have access to wheel weight and want to trade or sell them to anyone interested. My question is this, how many bullets can be cast from 5 gallon buckets of weights? I don't want to ask for too much in return and look like a jerk. Just need some input here guys.
 
Is the bucket full? Are you going to sort them and clean them to get all the junk out? I have picked up a few buckets in the last several weeks and paid about .20-.25 a lb from the tire places. There are about 110-120 lbs of WW in a bucket. I figure I get about 75-80 lbs of good ingots after I cleaned out all the crap and stick ons. This was a few years ago. I havent smelted any of the new buckets yet and I imagine with the increase in steel and zinc it will be less.To answer your question you get about 35 200 gr SWCs per lb of clean metal. But the number is going to vary based on the weight of the bullets.
 
You don't specify the type of bullet.

Approximately 18,883.2 158-grain .38/.357 SWCLs, on the assumptions contained in the attached.
 

Attachments

  • Weight of Lead.pdf
    31.7 KB · Views: 7
You don't specify the type of bullet.

Approximately 18,883.2 158-grain .38/.357 SWCLs, on the assumptions contained in the attached.

This assumes the 5 gal is a solid block of lead. No air space, clips, valves, and all the other junk in the buckets.
 
Actually, the calc assumed a 90% density in the bucket, which I admit was a SWAG.
 
I always figure 100 lbs of lead per 5 gallon bucket. There is 7000 grs to a pound so divide by bullet weight and multiply timed 100
 
what are the best places to get lead, other then the obvious...junk yard and or tire shop? i would like to widen my search for lead but not sure what places might have it.
 
Besides wheel weights, I use linotype, lead plumbing, lead flashing from roofs and chimneys and lead flashing and outlets from wood gutters. Of all these things, wheel weights are the easiest to find. Linotype is great for rifle bullets and very hard handgun bullets if you can find any and plumbing and flashing are getting hard to find.
 
Not junk yards , but some scrap yards where they buy copper and metals will part with some. I went to the recucle place in berwick maine area and the guy said 'no way' , but I had talked to the owner on the phone prior to that. So I ended up paying 15 cents apound for wheel weights. They had other lead, roofing stuff and plunbers lead. But thats softer then I wanted. Have to add a little lyno ,and thats scarce in the free world. Got 40 lbs lyno and use it on occasion. If you buy wheel wieghts look for the ZN as you don't want zinc. When I bought ww's I talked the guy down as he could garrentee all were lead. wanted 32 cents a pound. Just my 2 cents of input. Bob
 
And, he probably paid the tire shop that brought them in a mere 10 cents a pound. So, he still made a 50% profit.

Not junk yards , but some scrap yards where they buy copper and metals will part with some. I went to the recucle place in berwick maine area and the guy said 'no way' , but I had talked to the owner on the phone prior to that. So I ended up paying 15 cents apound for wheel weights. They had other lead, roofing stuff and plunbers lead. But thats softer then I wanted. Have to add a little lyno ,and thats scarce in the free world. Got 40 lbs lyno and use it on occasion. If you buy wheel wieghts look for the ZN as you don't want zinc. When I bought ww's I talked the guy down as he could garrentee all were lead. wanted 32 cents a pound. Just my 2 cents of input. Bob
 
Its all about profit for some. I do not care so much as long as I have a 2 year supply of what I believe I want. I figure if he made 20$ off my purchase its ok as I got what I wanted for me. You can have 8 lbs powder and 5,000 primers. But , if you cast and have no lead where are ya? Store boughts ok, jacketed too. I just like to know I have options. My 06' likes HPBT and I buy them 100 at a time. My acp likes whatever I feed it....210 gr swc. My cas stuff is 250gr. Not to mention loading for 12ga black powder and reg. Its a hobby , hobbies are enjoyed and not a chore. Now I do not like sizing and lubing. But the rest is ok. After 2 months of sizing and lubing the 1800 .452 LCs I cast I will do that chore sooner than before, as I only about 200 at most in a sitting. Doing a bevel base is worse. But its my time , my way. Just have fun and be safe. Bob
 
I hope to be making a deal today on a 55 gallon barrel of wheel weights. Waiting for the guy to call me back. He's retiring, and selling the biz, and has always been good to me. That should keep m in hard lead for a while. Now, to get some soft lead for the swaging. BTW, got a PM from the guy who is making the swaging dies. Mine are on the way.

Here's the pics:
Everythingfor100shipped.jpg


upgraded40cal008.jpg
 
It depends on your area I guess. To me they wouldn't be worth anything because I get all of my WW's for free. Even people that buy them usually don't pay more the $25 for a full bucket. I don't get any where near 18,883 out of my bucket. I figure around 120 pounds of good lead after smelted. Multiply that times 7000 grains and divide by 200 grains for the bullet I cast and I only get around 4,200 bullets from a bucket
 
Scored the deal. Turned out to be a 30 gallon plastic barrel, and it was only 1/2 full. Good thing, cause it weighed almost 2,000 pounds! Cost me $100.

Three trips cause I didn't want to over stress the springs on the Durango.

My dies came in, and I have started swaging, but broke a cheap pivot pin (which I stupidly made from low carbon steel a long time ago) on the RCBS "JR" press. Will fab a replacement from grade 8 bolt, and will post pics as soon as I get something that looks great. I'm very impressed with what I made so far though.
 
Back
Top Bottom