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Old April 25, 2013, 09:05 PM   #1
BerdanSS
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Lead alert!

Just though I'd share this. A good friend and hunting buddy of mine and I have been doing serious talking about casting our own round balls, bullets and cheap practice sabots out of a heaping bucket of tractor wheel weight I got a few weeks ago.....Then this happened.

My buddy called me this afternoon while I was at work, to tell me he had been given the chance to rummage through and old garage that is being cleaned out to be rented. He was told to take anything he wanted but was limited to one load in his little ranger.

He apparently found an old 40 gal cooler in the back under a pile of junk. When he flipped the lid open, inside was packed full to the top with BARS OF PURE LEAD He just called to tell me he weighed 10-12 of 22-25 bars and they all were exactly 10.5 pounds each Looks like we need to find some melting equipment and molds quick.

I couldn't believe it. We have been talking for weeks about lead prices and a good source to get some. These were completely free, minus the cost of gas to drive 7 miles each way to get them.
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Old April 25, 2013, 09:18 PM   #2
Beagle333
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'Gotta love a good lead find! Great score!
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Old April 25, 2013, 09:31 PM   #3
Lucas McCain
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I never have seen pure lead in bars. Bar molds were used for like scrap lead or wheel weight salvage. If they say Pure lead on them they are. All the pure lead I ever used was in 5# rounds 3 of them connected together. Any way when you strt casting bullets you will want a hardness tester and that will tell the story of what it is
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Old April 25, 2013, 09:48 PM   #4
GP100man
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SEE !!!

The sun Does`nt shine on the same dogs hiney ALL the time !!!!

Good score !!!!


Did I say Good score YET !!!!

WARNING - - - WARNING - - - - WARNING


CASTING YOUR OWN PROJECTILES IS ADDICTIVE 1 TIME & YOU MAY BE HOOKED FOR LIFE !!!

Don`t believe me look at Beagle333 !!!!


Just remember it`s all fun until the lead runs out !!!!

Bunch of lucky DAWGS !!!

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Old April 25, 2013, 10:14 PM   #5
Beagle333
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Whaddya mean? I only been doin' this a couple of months. I can quit any time I want to. I just don't want to.
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Old April 25, 2013, 10:16 PM   #6
BerdanSS
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GP

Beagle is the one that got us talking about it in the first place I'd swear I talk about "turtle busters" in me sleep

From the pics he texted to me, they look like some one made their own ingot mold for (whatever reason) 10.5 pounders. The reason I say this is they are perfect rectangles with rough edges and sides. They are hand stamped with "PURE LEAD" on them with 1/2" Letter stamps. I'm guessing it's true? Whey would someone go to that much trouble to make "fake" pure lead bars.

How many .490 round balls can I make with 231 pounds of clean lead before I run out
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Old April 25, 2013, 10:27 PM   #7
TennJed
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Lead alert!

My goodness, how many bullets can you get out of 250 lbs of lead?
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Old April 25, 2013, 10:55 PM   #8
GP100man
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7,000 grs to the pound ,do the math . I run out of toes to count that hi !!!

The bars were probably some type of shielding from radioactive materials.

Good certified stuff !!!

Some Muzzle stuffers may just trade ya out of it ,Wheel weights for pure .


Any time ya wanna Huhhh , Yeah Rite !!!

Quitings easy , I`ve done it 6-700 times !!!
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Old April 26, 2013, 10:25 AM   #9
hdbiker
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casting

I been casting sinse 1976.I have a 1984 Ruger Super Blackhawk,that I've put 3 five gallon pails of wheel weights threw it.I used to get them for free,not anymore. I'm reduced to picking up spent bullets from the berms lately.I was tested for lead exposer and was slightly elevated,but dockor said not enough to treat.SO BE CAREFULL CASTING LEAD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hdbiker
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Old April 26, 2013, 11:21 AM   #10
anothernewb
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There used to be a time when you could buy pure lead right from the hardware store. I have a supply of lead "pigs" from an old hardware store that closed out long ago. They are old lead soldering ingots.
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Old April 26, 2013, 12:36 PM   #11
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Nice score!

I just picked up 150 6ft strings of stained glass lead for $20!

Boomer
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Old April 26, 2013, 07:16 PM   #12
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Quote:
I was tested for lead exposer and was slightly elevated,but dockor said not enough to treat.SO BE CAREFULL CASTING LEAD
You either were smoking while casting or handling lead, or eating without washing after handling lead. Or, eating lead-based paint?
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Old April 27, 2013, 07:24 AM   #13
Mike / Tx
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Awesome find congrats to the both of ya.

Quote:
7,000 grs to the pound ,do the math . I run out of toes to count that hi !!!
Well just plugging in the average weight of most of what I pour at 250grs, I could easily get around 7K's worth out of 250#. Sure wouldn't mind hitting a score like that myself for sure. Of course for the .357's it would be about double that number, man o man, wonder what a pile of those going about 60# or so would look like? THose baggies wouldn't be big enough there Beagle.

And speaking of that "Beagle" fellow, my wife said I wasn't allowed to read any more of his post. She said we don't have the money to be picking up every this, that, and the other mold, just to stay up with him. I tried to explain I wasn't trying to stay up with him, I was trying to stay ahead of him, but that didn't work either, she ain't budging. I'll have to browse his post on the down low now so she don't find out. I sure hope she don't find out about the 3 or 4 MP group buys I'm still in on.
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Old April 28, 2013, 09:57 PM   #14
Beagle333
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It's Turtle season in AL!

I am in for a couple/three more GB's from Miha too.... it's definitely an addiction. But I can wait for the next GB to mature as long as I got this little 155 grains of fun here.
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Old April 28, 2013, 10:18 PM   #15
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I get 7.7 rounds per pound with my 900g .62 bullets.
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Old April 29, 2013, 11:54 AM   #16
Sure Shot Mc Gee
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When he flipped the lid open inside was packed full to the top with BARS OF PURE LEAD

Many many years ago auto body men used bar solder to repair car body's with. Even in today's manufacturing of vehicles there are individuals on the assembly line that smooth seams on a vehicle using bar solder. There are still a few body-men that use that old school technique yet today when working on antique cars or very expensive European models. If those bars are labeled as 60/40 and other such numbers or stenciling is seen on them. Your friend would be much better off selling those bars then melting them down for bullet cast. Blended Bar Solder is indeed spendy and hard to find in the market place these days. The only (other) lead material I can think of that came in a molded form was babbiting lead. It too has a value and was smelted with a special intention or purpose in mind. Comment here: Just something you and your friend should be informed of.

S/S
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Old April 29, 2013, 12:46 PM   #17
armoredman
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Don't forget plumbers' lead - I bought a bar of 100% pure plumbers lead a few years ago, 5 or 10 pound bar, can't remember, sold it to a muzzle loading friend of mine.
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Old April 29, 2013, 12:56 PM   #18
Sure Shot Mc Gee
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Yup your absolutely correct armoredman. I forgot to mention that one in my earlier comments. Thanks for the reminder Sir._
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Old May 4, 2013, 11:25 PM   #19
BerdanSS
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I'll have to get a picture or two of them...storing them in his garage right now till we get equipment.
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Old May 22, 2013, 11:15 AM   #20
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I once found 75pounds of lead shot in some plastic buckets on the side of a road...you never know where or when you get lucky
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