Are fishing sinkers pure lead?

[BigBlock]

I plan on starting to cast my own bullets soon. I know there are various ways to get cheap(er) lead, but the only one that's convenient for me is the sporting goods store near my house. They charge $3.69 for a pound of lead wire; however, in the same isle they also sell 20oz sinkers for $2.49. Are commercially made fishing sinkers made from pure lead?

 

[fatelk]

I'm pretty sure that both sinkers and wire will be pure lead; too soft for good bullets unless they are for a muzzleloader. Have you asked at the local tire shop if they will sell you used wheel weights?
I asked at the Les Schwab down the street and they said they would sell me a bucket full for $20, he figured a good 50-pounds or so, because that is what their battery distributer pays for recycling.

 

[BEARMAN]

Unless you are casting bullets or balls for Muzzle loaders you don't necessarily want pure lead. Used wheel weights from the tire shops are closer to what you want for pistol or medium velocity rifle bullets. Fishing sinkers can be pure lead or anything that the caster had available, there is no need for any special lead for sinkers.

 

[Ala Dan]

I second the use of used wheel weights; when alloyed with a pinch of high
speed babbit, they become harder and don't lead the bore of handguns when
fired above 1,000 fps~!

 

[NuJudge]

Most used wheelweights are Lead with a little Tin and Antimony and are fine, but some are Zinc, and a very small amount of Zinc will transform all the Lead in a 20 pound pot to a granular silvery mess. No amount of skimming will remove the stuff.

All the Zinc wheelweights I've seen have either "Zn" on them prominently, or Japanese/European carmaker names on them.

You are warned.

CDD

 

[scrat]

way too much money
if you buy lead you need to spend less than a dollar a pound

on e bay or ebarf you usually can get lead for about 1.00 a pound shipped to you.

http://cgi.ebay.com/30-Lbs-used-lead-wheel-weights-bullets-or-sinkers_W0QQitemZ220157745091QQihZ012QQcategoryZ31705QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem