Cheapest place to buy .490 lead balls?

[cowboys1062]

 I am looking for the cheapest place to find .490 lead balls. 100ct to 500ct. Either hand cast or factory. I've read somewhere about a Fletcher, Boyd who sells them but I can't find any information on him. Does anyone know of him? I tried to Google him with no results. Can anyone give me his contact information or someone else who sells .490 lead balls at a good price? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Respectfully, cowboys1062.

[Red Badger]

I would suggest that if you are planning to shoot regularly you buy a mold, and make your own.  You can melt lead in almost any fire (charcoal, wood or gas) and that way you can truly know what your spitting out the muzzle.  and it is cheaper in the long run.... I find and remelt my lead time after time...

[pilgrim]

I would suggest that if you are planning to shoot regularly you buy a mold, and make your own.  You can melt lead in almost any fire (charcoal, wood or gas) and that way you can truly know what your spitting out the muzzle.  and it is cheaper in the long run.... I find and remelt my lead time after time...

      buy the lead from Salvage Yards or http://www.zipmetals.com/Lead-Ingots-999_c_42.html

[punjab]

The best place I know to buy round balls and the cheapest is Eddie May 159 Ridley Rd. Chatsworth Georgia 30705  Phone 706 586 8225  He does not have a website but give him a call.I have not bought from him but I know people who have and they were happy with the deal.Anyway it can't hurt to call.

[cowboys1062]

 Thankyou all for the replies. I will call Eddie and see what he has to offer. Also in the works I'm going to do some research to learn how to cast my own lead balls so I don't have to rely on anyone. I've looked at some stuff I might need at Midsouth Shooters Supply. As I go along I'm positive I will need some guidance on what to do and how to do it. I just want research what I'm going to need and get some experienced opinions before I start to purchase anything. I would be proud to actually make lead balls with my own two hands and even prouder shooting a lead ball that I actually made! I can't wait to get started. Any advice, information, or anything that would help me along would greatly be appreciated. Respectfully, cowboys1062.

[Dogshirt]

I've been shooting Aardvark Enterprises (21448 Viking Way NW Poulsbo, WA 98370 360-779-5374) cast balls for 4 or 5 years now. I pay $25 per 500 for my .45 and $28 per 500 for my .54. For that price it's not worth my time to cast my own, and my rifle likes them.
He doesn't have a website. I don't know what shipping would be, I just get them from the shop.

[DandJofAZ]

I've been shooting Aardvark Enterprises (21448 Viking Way NW Poulsbo, WA 98370 360-779-5374) cast balls for 4 or 5 years now. I pay $25 per 500 for my .45 and $28 per 500 for my .54. For that price it's not worth my time to cast my own, and my rifle likes them.
He doesn't have a website. I don't know what shipping would be, I just get them from the shop.

Those "one price for all you can get in it boxes" at the post office are great.  Shipped a mixed lot of lead shot and various buck shot 14# for way less than any other method...
Doug

[hotfxr]

I was getting lead shipped to me in the small $5.95 USPS priority mail boxes. 25 pounds of lead and at my house in three days or less. Gotta love it.

[beezlebob]

Well, I went to the tire shops here in the Phoenix area and most of them are owned and run by Mexican folks who throw nothing away, and didn't want to part with any, so I go to a salvage yard close to me, and they were busy and refused to help me out. Said if I came back early in the morning they might help me. $1.25 a pound. I decided to heck with it and ordered ten lbs and with shipping it came to about $32.00 with shipping. I can at least start now on casting some of my own round balls.

[rdstrain49]

Forget the tire shops, wheel weights are NOT pure lead.

[graybear]

I have heard that a lot of the newer wheel weights contain metals that don't mold well and will contaminate your whole batch of lead. I used to buy a lot of lead plumbing, roofing flashing, stick-on wheel weights and other sources of lead on fee-bay. I bought a lot back in the day. I used it for R.E.A.L. bullets & .50 cal. rb. I bought an old Lee bottom pour electric melting pot & melted everything into one & half # ingots. I have 100 % lead, 99%lead/antimony alloy, #3 alloy, 93% alloy & mixed alloy from odds and ends of sources I use for sinkers. I  found that 1% antimony makes the lead fill out the mold a little better. Just my experience, your usage may vary.

[Hawken50]

   The stick on wheel weights are still decent lead. Clip ons are mostly zinc.

[Hanshi]

I've been very fortunate in acquiring soft lead.  I did pay for some, here and there; but I also got hundreds of pounds for free.  I have so much now that I'm giving a 200lb + or - sheet of lead back to the guy who gave it to me.  He probably has a ton of the stuff, already.  He's a muzzleloading fanatic like me and also is in the construction business.  He can thus get ALL he wants.  As a result I cast everything I shoot.  I've also got lots of "old" WW that I use to cast pistol bullets from; I got use to casting my own long, long ago.