Fair price for lead?

[H3NT3]

What is a fair price for clean lead? This is lead sourced from a shooting range.

Looking to trim my inventory.

Online I see prices in excess of $4/lbs. But on Armslist my lead is well below that at around $2.12/pound and not getting much attention. Am I short selling myself here? Am I too expensive? I think I paid around $1.00/pound a few to several years ago.

 

[Goofball84]

There are a lot of asking prices of $3 per lb. On e bay most sold listing of ingots are averaging $2 per lb after shipping included. Personally, I don't have access to a range to scavenge, and live in NY so lead wheel weights are getting scarce. I have only bought ingots at less than $1.50 per pound. I personally wouldn't risk $4 for an unknown, un- guaranteed make up ingot. I don't know if some zinc got mixed in, or if its all soft pipe lead, etc. So at $4, plus possibility of me having to remelt and add additives to adjust hardness, is to high for me.

That said. I'm sure there are people out there that will pay $4 per lb for lead. But it might take a awhile to sell. If you are asking $2.12, I would think it will sell eventually.

 

[brewer12345]

$1.30/pound used to be my bogey. That was then this is now. $2 will probably sell. Somewhere between $1.50 and $2 is what I expect to pay for something like range lead.

 

[Random 8]

At $2.12, you're slightly higher than RMR bullet cores of known alloy. Using that as a baseline, I believe you are high today, and probably high going forward. Metals in general are trending down.

 

[bullseye308]

Most folks I hear from stop at1.75/lb shipped, or around 1.50 + shipping. But it does seem to sell on evilbay for $2+ shipping, so there is that.

 

[AJC1]

I paid 1.67 a pound from rmr shipped. I consider 2.00 a pound decent. When you buy from a nonbuisness you risk zinc contamination.
Where are you and have you posted here...

 

[lightman]

You can usually buy range scrap ingots, wheel weight ingots or soft lead ingots over on the Cast Boolits site from $1 a pound to $1.25 a pound, sometimes with shipping included and sometimes plus shipping.

I don't like to price other peoples goods but I would say you are a little high. Maybe relist it at $2 and see what happens.

At the end of the Summer of 2017 I bought 5600# of sorted wheel weights for 40cents a pound and several hundred pounds of wheel weight ingots for 70 cents a pound. I had to travel a little ways for these.

 

[bluejay75]

Will be worth the membership at Castboolits for sure. Might find that rare mold you’re looking for while you’re poking around. Take a look in the Group Buys as well. Something in there for everyone and you will see first hand where the majority of the new bullet designs come from.

 

[Phidelt208]

So this is a great question, and the price seems to vary by location.
I mostly load 9mm & 45ACP so my comments are centered around that. I would never pay more than $1.50 for clean, hard lead.
For most people you can buy 147gr 9mm bullets for a 6-7 cents each this comes out to $ 2.85 per lb already cast and coated.
I find it hard to spend my time casting if i'm not saving at least half the cost. Casting a bullet start to finish just takes to much time.
I don't believe most people are actually selling their lead for $3 or more a pound, maybe a few get lucking but is anyone really that desperate to cast bullets. And if they are they can buy pure ingots of 96/4/2 for $2.52 a lb shipped. Just my observations for the prices of lead I see in the PNW.

 

[AJC1]

So this is a great question, and the price seems to vary by location.
I mostly load 9mm & 45ACP so my comments are centered around that. I would never pay more than $1.50 for clean, hard lead.
For most people you can buy 147gr 9mm bullets for a 6-7 cents each this comes out to $ 2.85 per lb already cast and coated.
I find it hard to spend my time casting if i'm not saving at least half the cost. Casting a bullet start to finish just takes to much time.
I don't believe most people are actually selling their lead for $3 or more a pound, maybe a few get lucking but is anyone really that desperate to cast bullets. And if they are they can buy pure ingots of 96/4/2 for $2.52 a lb shipped. Just my observations for the prices of lead I see in the PNW.

9mm is the worst example, because rmr jacket bullets are 9 ish cents each. This is the example of why it's a waste for some to cast. If your shooting NATO cartridges, stay clear of casting. Now start buying 357 or 44 mag and it becomes more clear. Starting with the fact zero ammo is available.

 

[brewer12345]

9mm is the worst example, because rmr jacket bullets are 9 ish cents each. This is the example of why it's a waste for some to cast. If your shooting NATO cartridges, stay clear of casting. Now start buying 357 or 44 mag and it becomes more clear. Starting with the fact zero ammo is available.

Some casters also use the same bullet in 38 and 9mm. Cast and process a huge pile of lee 125 grain round nose flat points and you load both cartridges out of the same pile.

 

[reddog81]

$1.50 used to be my limit. I haven't seen much for sale lately and nothing under that in over a year locally. I'm not desperate for lead but if I needed it I might consider $2 for local pickup. Anything over that and having it mailed to me probably makes more sense.

FWIW I've seen people try to sell lead for $5 a pound on Craigslist. It sat there for a while but eventually disappeared.

 

[AJC1]

Some casters also use the same bullet in 38 and 9mm. Cast and process a huge pile of lee 125 grain round nose flat points and you load both cartridges out of the same pile.

Being efficient never hurt a soul

 

[Seedy Character]

Not getting much response from Armslist?

Since they went full '****, their traffic is way down.

I made SEVERAL buys from Armslist and some sales and trades.

They made money on advertisers.
Adding a listing charge for sellers, I can support.
Adding a fee to look at ads and contact sellers is stupidity. The sight traffic and listings dropped dramatically.

Smart blisters added email or phone numbers, to get buyers.

Armslist list has blurred ads to non-members.

What was a great sight, is now a pawn shop inventory sheet, because of greed.

GunBroker has it's own issues, but I have used it and continue to use it.

 

[larry7293]

Missouri bullet sells hardball at a reasonable price.

 

[Highland Lofts]

I found some lead a month or so ago for 60 cents a pound and had to melt it down & clean it.
Here locally the guys are selling it from $1.50 to $2.00 a pound in ingots.