Small tire shops are going to be your best bet (closest to correct, for pistol bullets) if they have a balance machine. The big stores already have companies that recycle lead and they pay. Lead is at a premium right now, so if you have a connection you will want to “grease the wheels” so your friendship is a lasting one. Plumbers are an excellent source, if you want soft lead. Printers, if they still run older equipment, will some times part with Linotype lead. I have even used solder for circuit boards, mixed with plumber’s lead to make bullets. The most exotic lead I have used came from the lining of an X-ray room. When you start mixing lead use the expected bullet weight to get you close to the correct blend. For example, with pure silver solder a 230grn bullet will weigh 210grn+- (hard & almost no leading); however, if you use pure lead it will come out at 240+-(soft & most leading). They will also shrink differently (.451 to .458 diameter at the extreme). You can make bullets a little harder by quenching them in water when hot out of the mold. Unfortunately you loose a lot when you size, because pure lead comes out of the mold larger than the harder alloys, so you work the lead more making it soft again. It’s fun to play with, just remember to wash yourself and clothes after. Always keep children away from contaminated areas and use proper (way more than enough) ventilation. I would also suggest adding lead testing in your yearly physical, they won’t test for it unless you ask (if you shoot you should do this anyway).
