Cost to Reload 12gauge Slugs
- Thread starter Gobc
- Start date
We cast our slugs from pure lead. Unfortunately the price of pure lead is dictated by offshore markets.
Since the last time I bought pure lead from my supplier, which was not that long ago. There has been a .40 cent per pound increase in pure lead.
Having said that we have not increased our prices.
But we do sell a lot of them. With the Lee key slugs being the most popular.
Since the last time I bought pure lead from my supplier, which was not that long ago. There has been a .40 cent per pound increase in pure lead.
Having said that we have not increased our prices.
But we do sell a lot of them. With the Lee key slugs being the most popular.
Works for me too
Although i buy my slugs.... and then crimp.... But sometime i make a full load using Unique and White WW wads 
- Location
- Central Alberta
Scrounging like crazy.........stick on wheelweights are a big part of my soft alloy supply, as well as some scrap from a machine shop, and a 20 some lb chunk of isotope lead. I'm gonna save that for hunting loads, tossed a bunch downrange already. For plinker slugs, I'm going to try some scrap from an indoor range, mostly from .22 bullets and cast pistol boolits. Many have had good luck using clip on wheelweights, I think that BlueMike uses these for his slugs he sells.(Feel free to correct if I'm mistaken)
If you are looking to get started doing any casting, I would start gathering material now, as lead wheelweights are on the way out,banned in U.S., can't be long here.Auto makers/suppliers are already a ways down the road to lead free wheelweight total usage. And, AFAIK, wheelweights are the last largely commonly available base alloy for boolit/slug/ shot making. I just got a couple of buckshot moulds in the mail, gonna try them out this weekend, should be good, I'll try staright clip on WW, water dropped.
A friend was looking into it, and the foundry/broker he spoke to is selling pure lead for $2.85/lb. Minimum order 1000 lbs. And the big companies won't sell small lots to the private individual, as the minimum order was something like 20,000 lbs. Yeah. that's maybe too much, even for me to want on hand. I don't wanna pay that for lead. I can scrounge enough for my own needs, if I try hard.
Lead market prices climbing, and China buying up all it can get it's hands on. I'm off to melt 6 big bucketfuls of WW tomorrow! Better off to have a bunch in ingot form, you never can have enough if you are seriously getting into it for a longterm hobby, as, IMO, supply is finite, demand is up, as is price.And if it is in ingots, it's saleable by the lb. if you decide to get rid of it.
If you are looking to get started doing any casting, I would start gathering material now, as lead wheelweights are on the way out,banned in U.S., can't be long here.Auto makers/suppliers are already a ways down the road to lead free wheelweight total usage. And, AFAIK, wheelweights are the last largely commonly available base alloy for boolit/slug/ shot making. I just got a couple of buckshot moulds in the mail, gonna try them out this weekend, should be good, I'll try staright clip on WW, water dropped.
A friend was looking into it, and the foundry/broker he spoke to is selling pure lead for $2.85/lb. Minimum order 1000 lbs. And the big companies won't sell small lots to the private individual, as the minimum order was something like 20,000 lbs. Yeah. that's maybe too much, even for me to want on hand. I don't wanna pay that for lead. I can scrounge enough for my own needs, if I try hard.
Lead market prices climbing, and China buying up all it can get it's hands on. I'm off to melt 6 big bucketfuls of WW tomorrow! Better off to have a bunch in ingot form, you never can have enough if you are seriously getting into it for a longterm hobby, as, IMO, supply is finite, demand is up, as is price.And if it is in ingots, it's saleable by the lb. if you decide to get rid of it.
