Indoor Range Lead or Wheel Weights?

[The10mmKid]

Gents,
I'd like to know the Yeahs or Nays of each type.

I have access to the range lead through sweat equity. (bunny suits, HEPA respirators, Tylenol for pain)

I have access to wheel weights through bribing efforts learned from here. (minus the uniformed officer intimidation method)

Let's hear from the experts,
'da Kid

[Oreo]

Comming from someone who doesn't yet cast...

I say go for what ever is easier. Sounds like that'd be ww, and considering range lead is probably a good bit softer and needing to be alloyed up a bit, ww seem to be the winner. Maybe a little of both though and mix as needed for hardness.

[Pitmaster]

I would definitely go with the range lead as a priority. Some effort but you will get a lot of lead in a short time. You would probably have to buy some tin, linotype, etc. but that's not a problem.

Scrounge for the WW's too. Never can have too much lead. You can also use the WW's to mix with the range lead.

[ede]

i don't cast but the range lead would be of a better alloy and cleaner to cast. i'd also think there'd be more than you'd need so there maybe the chance to sell some of the ingots. if there were enough you'd also have the bullet jackets you can sell for scrap.

[Jayhawker]

I would go with wheel weights. They are typically harder and of a more uniform alloy than range scrap.

[ede]

I would go with wheel weights. They are typically harder and of a more uniform alloy than range scrap.

that's interesting, i would of thought the wheel weights would of been made from anything and everything as far as alloys go, sort of like rebar.

[Jayhawker]

Others may chime in on this, but range scrap can be pure lead to hardball type lead in your collection. It all depends on how much you salvage of each at each trip, which lends itself to inconsistencies if you just smelt/ingot after each range trip. Wheel weights tend to have very similar alloys from manufacturers which include some arsenic for hardening.

[blueline541]

Gents,
I have access to the range lead through sweat equity. (bunny suits, HEPA respirators, Tylenol for pain)

I have access to wheel weights through bribing efforts learned from here. (minus the uniformed officer intimidation method)



Get both of 'em. Label them once you turn them into ingots so you'll know which are which, then make bullets.




It's not intimidation if you smile. I smile alot.

[Trooperdan]

I'm beginning to get suspicious of wheelweights. I'm afraid the newer weights might be contaminated with zinc because the manufacturers accept used weights back from shops and recast them. I'll bet they don't separate the zinc weights out! Still, I eagerly hunt out weights; I just smelt them in small batches and watch for abberant behavior from the weights as I tame them!

[Fatdaddy]

I think they'd still have to seperate the zinc out somehow because they still have to cast a decent looking WW to resell. Once you contaminate a batch of alloy with zinc there isn't much you can do with it, it's definitively ugly stuff.

[AdamN]

I would get it all, the range lead will be good stuff more than likely, it may be soft but if there is a large % of cast bullet shooters at the range it has the potential of being really good.

Get all the WW you can, if you dont you will regret it someday.

Any sorting or smelting issues just let me know. If/when you get ready to smelt give me a shout, I can loan you my ingot molds, turkey fryer and stuff

[GLOCKENNBOOMER]

I would get it all, the range lead will be good stuff more than likely, it may be soft but if there is a large % of cast bullet shooters at the range it has the potential of being really good.

Get all the WW you can, if you dont you will regret it someday.

Any sorting or smelting issues just let me know. If/when you get ready to smelt give me a shout, I can loan you my ingot molds, turkey fryer and stuff


Another vote for all of it.....

[MullahElRon]

BOFE!

[MakeMineaP99]

All the lead you can get, bullets, WW, lino, mono, etc.

[The10mmKid]

Silly me . . . . . . asking Alcoholics which is better . . . beer or bourbon.:animlol:

The indoor range is a done deal . . . I just have to place the call and I'm on the back-breaking(so I've heard) 'we got another sucker' list. Probably happen around November. Last crew got around 2400lbs. They can't get volunteers if our club keeps the lead proceeds.

The WW's, I'll just have to get personal with the tire shop connections and work my mojo. My mojo is not as grand as I've read here, so I have my work cut out for me.
Anyone got a cruiser, uniform & badge I can borrow? . . . . . . . just kiddin'

'da Kid

[AdamN]

Well one 2400 pound score would be good for a lot of shooting, If ya need a hand Ill bring the buckets ;)

If it turns out to soft for that 10mm I got some stuff to mix it with

[The10mmKid]

There were 4 volunteers last time. I think they split it 3 ways.
The club officer that has the range responsibility said one of the guys got pissed 'cause the recycler would only give him 0.20/lb. Had too much 'other' junk (we call them jackets) and also the economy just tanked. That volunteer said he wasn't killin' himself again. Thus . . . . my turn to chip-in. Ha! . . . . lead chips . . . . :)

This Fall clean out may work out good. I may get a light initiation (less indoor use during the Summer) verses the Spring cleaning which resulted with that 2400lb haul.

A mining we shall go, a mining we shall, hi-ho . . . .

[craig110]

The spring cleaning gave up a 2400 pound haul? :thumbsup: Something to look forward to if this cleanup is very light.

[BigDog[RE]]

You need to rent one of these seperator macines, it makes life a lot easier :supergrin:

http://www.pdgnetworks.com/images/bermine1.jpg


You run it for a little while and you end up with a pile of bullets like this (these are almost 100% jacketed):

http://www.pdgnetworks.com/images/bermine2.jpg

Its also a lot easier to mine the indoor range, as the backstop is sand and easily sifted.

[Trooperdan]

BigDog, now where can we find such a machine and what is it called? I doubt I can go to rents-a-lot and ask for a boolit seperator! :)

[BigDog[RE]]

Its some sort of sifting table with a conveyor belt below it. You throw the sand with the bullets on the table, it vibrates through the different sized grates and the belt takes the sand away.

Not sure what its called, my buddy brought it in. Table sifter maybe?

[lcarreau]

I tried to harvest lead from an outdoor range. Man that is a lot of work for the yield if you are just using hand tools. I was surprised though to find bullets that showed no deformation at all. In a few cases, I actually was able to weigh them and use em again.

A back hoe and a sifting table would be the way to go if you had access to it. Otherwise its too labor intensive. An indoor range may not be so bad if you just have to scrape the backstops.

-Lonnie

[fredj338]

i don't cast but the range lead would be of a better alloy and cleaner to cast. i'd also think there'd be more than you'd need so there maybe the chance to sell some of the ingots. if there were enough you'd also have the bullet jackets you can sell for scrap.
As noted, range scrap can be almost anything from pure lead to lino. Cast ww are pretty uniform. Smelt beloew 750deg & the zinc ones float to the top. I treat range scrap as 50/50 lead/ww mix, about 9-10BHN. So if you have time to mine the range scrap, go for it. If it's easier to bribe for ww, go for it or do both. It's just going to get harder to come by in the future.

[The10mmKid]

I have the means to test Rockwell on the ingots I'll be smelting.

Our indoor range is open to all handgun and 22 rifle. The few exceptions are no steel rounds and no necked down rounds.

There are a couple Practical Matches each month during the Winter, and I'm pretty sure they all shoot lead.

We'll see what happens in a couple months.

Da Kid

[snuffy]

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/arrow/websize/P4110016.JPG

Indoor range range lead? That's some I got from my clubs indoor range. That's after going through our sifter.

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/arrow/websize/P4110002.JPG

That's after an 8 hour smelting session.

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/arrow/websize/P4110007.JPG

Turkey fryer and 8 quart dutch oven.

All told, I got at least a ton. It took till last weekend to get it all smelted. Last count was 12 bottles of propane, and several large candles.

[craig110]

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/arrow/websize/P4110016.JPG

Indoor range range lead? That's some I got from my clubs indoor range. That's after going through our sifter.

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/arrow/websize/P4110002.JPG

That's after an 8 hour smelting session.

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/arrow/websize/P4110007.JPG

Turkey fryer and 8 quart dutch oven.

All told, I got at least a ton. It took till last weekend to get it all smelted. Last count was 12 bottles of propane, and several large candles.

Now that is pretty! Perhaps not rooster-pretty, but pretty.

[The10mmKid]

Well, we cleaned the clubs indoor range backstop Friday. The four of us recovered 2400lbs. This is my ~600lb share.

877

I'm smelting tomorrow, even if it is only going to be in the teens. :yikes:brrrrrrrrrrrrr

The other guys sold theirs for 0.35 cents/lb. I'm not ready to handle 2400lbs of scrap, but if all goes well, I'll get some of that extra the next cleanout. Hopefully trade them bullets.

I am so sore . . . . . oh my. Things hurt all over.

Smelting in the snow . . . . . . I think I'm coming down with the sickness,
'da Kid

[The10mmKid]

Hey Snuffy,
Any idea what the hardness is of the range lead you smelted?

Also,
Were you able to separate the jackets and recycle them?

Thanks,
'da Kid

[BigSlick]

Yeah, haulin lead in buckets a make ya realize ya got part ya didn't know ya had cause they hurtin :animlol:

Nice haul :thumbsup:

[BigSlick]

Most range lead I've smelted out is 8-9 BHN, mostly from pure cores of jacketed bullets with a little store bought cast mixed in.

Hell yeah you can sell da copper jackets, junk man in Tejas givin up over $2.30 / lb for it last time I was there sellin

[RugerFan58]

Nice Haul !!

[snuffy]

Hey Snuffy,
Any idea what the hardness is of the range lead you smelted?

Also,
Were you able to separate the jackets and recycle them?


Nuts! I should check back here more often.

Kid, the stuff I got varies from melt to melt, or should I say smelt. Depending on which area of the range the lead came from. It's a 10 position range, the angled steel plates were heavier on 1-5, then 6-10 were thinner, only capable of withstanding .22 rimfire.

That said, most of it runs right around 12 BHN. I tried to segregate some of the .22 lead, it's only about 8, makes great material for hollow base 45-70 boolits.

The main problem with all of it is the lack of enough tin to get good fill-out. Although the actual lead was free, it's costing plenty to add tin to be able to use it for most boolits.