Price of lead

[Darrin McDonal]

I was just wondering if anyone has purchased lead chunks lately and if so what have you been seeing for price? I know shot generally costs more than bulk or chunk so that may not be the same.
The reason I am asking is because I just relieved a chap of about 120 lbs of large pure lead chunks at .50 cents a lb. How did I do?
Thanks guys for the input.
Darrin

[dan55]

I would say you did good!

[Darrin McDonal]

Thanks, I hope it's in the ball park.

[Charlie B]

Reclaimed lead is selling for .70- .80 a lb. you did good!

[wattlebuster]

Darn good price. I would have jumped on it 

[Darrin McDonal]

Excellent. I usually dont get that lucky.

[moleeyes36]

Pure lead goes for at least 75 cents a pound at junk yards around here when you can find it.  One junk yard said lead is harder to get all the time because of EPA restrictions on handling and disposing of it.  I don't know if that's correct or just his story since he didn't have any.  

[jamesthomas]

 The last lead I bought was $1.00 a Pound. I cleaned him out of about 75lbs. Before that I bought around 50 pounds at .50 cents a pound, so I think ya done real good. I have enough now for the rest of my life. 800 rds. of .490s. plus 250 rds. of .395s. I still have 91 lbs. of lead in ingots. I've given away about 25lbs of lead to help get new folks rolling when they first start casting for themselves.

[duca]

Hi Darrin; That sounds Great to me. I bought 18lbs at $1.75 a lbs.

[smylee grouch]

The last that I bought was 50 cents #so you are in the ball park the way it sounds. I had over a ton of lino type that I was getting 50 cents # for too but its all gone except for what I saved for my self.

[Darrin McDonal]

Well then I should be good to go for a while with 210 lbs. on hand.

[LH]

Scrap dealers can be a good source.  I bought some scrap sheet lead from the local dealer last summer for 35cents/lb.  but that was the cheapest I've seen it in several years.  Found a shower pan awhile back when I stopped by an old house being torn down.  Found about 50lbs of plumbers lead in 6lb ingots in a barn which the owner had no use for and gave me. Roof flashing, goose neck water meter connectors, sailboat keel ballast........ Keep your eyes peeled and every once in awhile you'll stumble onto a deal.  50lbs sounds like a lot of balls, but if you get to doing much shooting, it'll surprise you how fast you can shoot it up. I've probably got 1200 to 1500lbs of soft lead right now,  but I'm looking all the time.   

[750k2]

http://www.rotometals.com/Bullet-Casting-Alloys-s/5.htm

[David R. Pennington]

When we moved my wife's grandmother a few years ago we found dozens of jars of fishing sinkers her grandfather had cast. I have shot most of that. My uncle brought me a huge lead ingot a few years ago. I don't know what it weighed, it was about 2 and 1/2 feet long. I still haven't used it all. It's hard to get pieces cut off small enough to fit in the pot. I have used up a few pieces of roof flashing. I recently got one of those shower pans from a remodel project. It made a pretty good load in the wheelbarrow when I hauled it out to the shop. Dad just gave me a piece of old sheet lead he had. I should be good for a while.

[magyar]

Typically when I jog or take the kids for a walk I will watch the curbs for wheel weights. Yes, I know its not pure lead, but the squirrels and deer dont seem to care! Over the course of this year alone I have collected 6 pounds. Last year I found 12. All free of charge. Gives the warm and fuzzies to recycle and keep my town a little cleaner i suppose. Now waiting for a nice cool fall day to put them in the smelting pot and mold into balls.

[T*O*F]

50lbs sounds like a lot of balls, but if you get to doing much shooting, it'll surprise you how fast you can shoot it up

A couple of friends who actively shoot in the N-SSA every month go thru up to 800 lbs a year.  Those 500+ grain minies and .69 caliber musket balls really gobble it up.