COTEP.org - i got a surprise in the mail

I just had the shocks and struts replaced in my car. The shop also does tires. I asked if it was possible to get some of the scrap wheel weights and he said sure no problem at all. He sells the scrap at pennies a pound so no big deal to let me have a bucket of it. There was a lot of valve stems and trash mixed in with the wheel weight but once I got it sorted I have probably 50lbs of weights. Not all of that will translate to lead but it will probably be over 40lbs of lead. Last week I spent a couple hours and poured over 350 .401 bullets for 38-40 WCF. I was able to smelt down some of the wheel weights and still have probably close to 35-40 lbs of weights to smelt.

Just to give you an example of the cost savings-

Box of 50 factory 38-40 WCF $45
Box of 50 reloaded with store bought components and once fired brass $12.
Box of 50 reloaded with cast bullets and once fired brass $3-4

I also load for .45 and shoot .45 at the same $3-4/50 so the cost savings is significant and adds up quick with .45 at $20-$25/50

I have plans on casting for the .32 H&R Magnum that I have but I still have 800 store bought bullets left from when I bought a bulk box before I started casting.

It's hot sweaty work that I used to do out in the yard but now I do it in the garage with a shop fan blowing the fumes so it is more tolerable now. It is a great sense of accomplishment when you have a box of hundreds of bullets you made from scrap trash that some shops still throw in the garbage. One trip could result in enough bullets for a year for the average shooter. One other bonus the shop worker that helped me get the box in the car also shoots .45 so I plan on bringing him a few hundred bullets when I need to pick up more lead.

I also have the Lee sizer and it comes with liquid Alox as a tumble lube it works fine but is nasty stuff to clean up, similar the cosmoline. I want to get an RCBS size and lube but don't have the money for it yet. Much better with the wax type lube ring instead of the tumble lube. I have been toying with the idea of selling some of my .45 cast bullets but I haven't had the time to cast enough to make it worth while. Maybe soon!