[Blueraven81]

Old news Lead

Well a month or so ago I bought lead for $32 per bag and thought to myself that I should probably buy more. However the way my luck is, if I bought 10 bags, two weeks later the price would drop or I'd find it cheaper somewhere else.

Well I was traveling through Missouri last week and decided to stop by Graf and Son's in Mexico to check on the price of lead. I heard that was the place to buy from. Well, they were at $38 per bag.

Two days later, I was back home in Omaha and the very next morning I was at Guns Unlimited buying shot but not at the $32 as it was a month ago, now it's at $35.

I figure my two Boys need about 3600 more shells to get them through this year's High School trap season, so I bought 10 bags, I probably should have bought more.

So long story short, if you need lead, at least for the next few months, you better go buy it now.

Craig

 

[stokinpls]

If you're using a MEC, that should be enough.

 

[Blueraven81]

Yea it will be enough, however I question my sanity on the decision to reload this season. The school gets factory shells for $55 per flat and I figure my reloads cost around $46 per flat. That's not much savings.

Also, I reject around 3-4 shells per hundred and put those in the "fun" bin for meat shoots and things like that, so I'm probably not saving anything.

I guess I do kinda enjoy reloading though and after buying my Mec 9000 last year, I have to justify that purchase somehow.

With eight conference shoots this season, I think I'll save my reloads for practices and have my Boys shoot the factory loads at the shoots.

I don't really "customize" my reloads anyway and I would hate to have my Boys lose a rock because of a reloading error on my part.

Damn, I know kid's activities were not this expensive when I was kid!!!!!!

Craig

 

[Stl Flyn]

If you went from Missouri to Mexico to get lead, that is some extra cost. LOL
I take it there is a Mexico, Missouri.

 

[skeeljc]

It looks like the price is heading back to $2.00 per pound.

Jim Skeel

 

[shannon391]

With corn, cotton, soy beans, copper, and oil prices all rising, hold on to your hat, It's going to cost a lot more just to get by.

 

[grnberetcj]

Over the past few years I normally reload approx. 35 bags worth on a yearly basis. So, each year I would purchase a ton (80 bags), presently I have enough shot in stock to reload (at my present rate of 15k) for the next 16 years without having to buy any more. I think the highest price I paid was $18.00, most was less.

Curt

 

[hmb]

That chart above is not the real price of lead. Lead closed on Friday at $1.20 a pound. And in 2008 the high was about $1.75 and it was never over $2.00 a pound as depicted above. HMB

 

[amboy49]

I just bought the last 10 bags of #9 shot the Indiana Gun Club had plus another 10 bags of 7 1/2. Price was $34.95 plus Indiana 7% sales tax per bag. Phil said he had a skid ordered that will deliver the first 10 days in March and the price will be going up $5.00 a bag ! !

Where are the specials on factory shells I can take advantage of ?

 

[amboy49]

BTW, unless you're in your mid 60's or younger you're never going to use all of that shot. How about I take a couple tons off your hands at $20 so your poor widow doesn't have to deal with it ! ? 8 >)

 

[skeeljc]

The chart I posted is the producer price. Lead may go for less on the spot market but the chart shows where lead is headed.

Jim Skeel

 

[b12]

China don't want our lead now. They told us to shove it about 6 months go. Speculators are holding the price up.
The batteries that are needed to run the new cars are not made with lead. They take to much energy to be useful. Even the tire companies of many states are not using lead anymore. Bill

 

[mrskeet410]

Old news Lead

China imports lead ore, mostly from Australia. China exports smelted lead. Smelting lead in a nasty business, hard to do profitably in places with strict health and environmental regulations.

Recycling car batteries is a real nasty labor intensive job. Surprisingly China does little of that. In USA almost all car batteries are recycled. Whodda thunk that?

 

[mrskeet410]

So where do these "speculators" store all this lead? And where do they get the money to finance this inventory?

 

[JerryP]

mrskeet410 , I saw a tv show about recycling batteries. The batteries were shredded into pellets and the components separated by machine.
Hi tech.

 

[b12]

Mostly stored on paper until they have a buyer. Orders are place with recycled plants. Also large salavge yards store hugh quanities.
Try to sell some at the salave yards. you don't get much for it. Some yards right now won't even take anymore. Happened that way 2yrs ago. The yards won't sell it back to you only at market price. There is more of this crap out their than what is needed.