Doble Troble Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Lead almost used to be free at the tire store, now they want $0.40/lb for it at the scrap yard. My beloved Remington Coreloks which used to be available at < $10/100 are now $15 +. What's up with the lead inflation? Don't people realize that it's a toxic metal and that you should be grateful to anyone wanting to just take it off your hands? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roscoedoh Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 DT, The price of copper, lead, zinc, and whole bunch of other commodity goods went through the roof last year. Commodities did some interesting things last year and I'm guessing since bullets are made of some of copper and lead, what you're seeing is the pass along cost because of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doble Troble Posted January 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Jason, Who's been buying all the metals? What are they making? Hopefully it's being used in the US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donmarkey Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 CHINA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron J Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 China, my friends. They are buying copper like crazy. Steel too. We are getting so much for scrap steel now, we keep types separate. What frosts my balls is why don't American companies put some people to work and make more. No it's more lucrative to run low and rape whoever needs it. Just like f&^#*&g oil. Sorry about the rant. Just the 2cents of someone in mfg for 25+ yrs. Well we still mfg here and we hired two people last year and bought 2 more machines! No big wienie, but growth nevertheless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usmc0332 Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 There was a story going around construction sites that China was completing a skyscraper weekly. Not too bad for a country that still mines coal today in the way that was done here in the 1930's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donmarkey Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 I was talking to a sale rep from caterpillar a few months ago and he told me a little story about the construction over there. He said they sold a company over there a excavator and we they went to visit the job site on a business trip, the machine was parked in the front of the site still clean as the day it was shipped. There was 40 china-men digging a trench by hand, when they asked why the foreman said the labor was cheaper than the diesel for the machine. -Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brokengun Posted January 27, 2007 Report Share Posted January 27, 2007 I know a man that is a professional scraper; he told me last year that the Chinese are taking all of the hydraulic cylinders from semi dump trailers that they can get. These cylinders are made of 4140 and 1040 hardened steel. That’s barrel steel for rifles and artillery He also told me the Chinese all taken all of the copper and brass they can get their hands on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fritz Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 I have seen all this price runnup in the metals market, and agree that it is China that is the main reason for it. I wonder how much longer, now that China is having to pay more for raw materials, that Harbor Freight can continue to sell their tools for so little. I know the old truth about cheap tools from China, but I have a bunch of them that are fine for hobbyists. And hobbyists make up a large share of the American market. Maybe now, with the increased cost of raw materials, China will just cut the wages for the people who make the tools. But since they are so low already, there is little wiggle room there. The prospect of losing sales to the US must weigh heavily on them, and they will continue to produce tools as cheaply as possible. Not only tools, but look at all the other things made in China today. With US makers, owned by stockholders on Wall Street, unwilling or unable to make a product to compete pricewise, I see no change even with the increased cost of raw materials. The raw materials cost both sides the same. Look for US made tools to increase even more in price even if they already haven't. fritz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fritz Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 If you think that the bullets like the Core-loks have gone up so much, what about all the new "supreme" bullets made by Barnes and the others who make a bullet that is supposed to be like the "magic bullet" that will do amazing things, things that baffle the mind of common man? I guess they are worth it to the man who only fires his rifle once a year, and he has spent his yearly salary in order to hunt in an exotic place (are there still some of those left?). But you know what, the feral hogs on my ranch don't seem to be able to tell the difference between a Core-lok and a Barnes (or the other "premiums"). It's like Premium gasoline, if you don't need it why pay 20 cents a gallon more? In that respect, I wonder how many people today buy that Premium gasoline. It seems that the stations sell a lot more regular. I haven't noticed a lot of Ferraris in my area lately. I used to run ethyl in my VW, it got better gas mileage. But the extra additives caused my spark plugs to foul with a white deposit, and I had to change plugs more often. Today's cars are designed to run on regular. My hogs are still running from regular bullets. fritz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cold shot Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 fritz, I bought 2-500rd boxes of rem corelocks for my 8mm's when they were 45 buck /box, same with my 30-30 150's . I know what ya mean them hogs and deer must have gone ta school to be able to tell the diff. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fritz Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 strait shooter, You got a bargain (wish I had done so). Midway's current price--- Remington Core-Lokt Bullets 8mm (323 Diameter) 185 Grain Pointed Soft Point Box of 500 Product #: 586788 Status: Available Our Price: $74.99 fritz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cold shot Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 About 1 year ago midway had 180grbtbt noslers for $11 a box, I bought 25 boxes. They were in 8mm and 30cal. I think on my lats run through I have about 6000 bullets just waiting to get stuffed. A friend sold all his ammo fixins and i picked up 5000 rem standard and 5000 rem mag primers. I do believe I am good to go for the next year or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fritz Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 strait shooter You are indeed a straight shooter. I too have stocked up over the years on brass and bullets and primers. But I seem to be running many more large rifle primers now than all the small rifle and pistol primers I have hoarded. Large pistol also, as I used to shoot a lot of .45 Colt. Now I am having to go and buy a thousand large rifle primers at a time. But that is OK, the cost of the haz mat fee makes me shop locally. As to 8mm bullets, I started casting my own several years ago because all the distributors put a premium on 8mm caliber for some reason. I sure missed out on those 500 piece boxes for $45. But, I do have about 5000 rounds of Turkish 8mm ammo from when it was 900 rounds for $45. And shipping was free (that was a long time ago).. fritz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cold shot Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 fritz, I too bought a lot of the turks ammo, but I pulled the bullet , then reloaded them for higher velocity. Have you bought a sellier/bellot 8mm's ? they're 196 gr for 8x57's They are great to shoot at 250yrds at 4x4's with 2" red circles. I gave away about 500 rdas of 45 acps. I got them in a shop closeout. I had a source for lead about 4 years ago. We collected 650 llbs of wheel weights. Lots and lots of 1.25lb bars. I also cast my own sinkers and make bass plugs. Gotta go for now, came home sick from work or was that came home sick of work, either way I'm for the day Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fritz Posted February 11, 2007 Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 I haven't bought any commercial 8mm ammo, in fact I haven't bought much besides .22 rimfire in the last 10 years. I did buy a few boxes of 6.5 Carcano from AIM because I wanted to give the old Italian carbine a second chance. I realized that the reason I gave up on it many years ago was because I was loading regular 6.5mm bullets in it. They were undersized and inaccurate. I still haven't shot it with the new ammo, but I will soon. While the safety is on the crude side, it is no worse than the Russian MNs. Maybe easier to apply. What was it with the Italians and the Russians? Did their soldiers have stronger hands, or did they just not care about a safety? Paul Mauser got it right. fritz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlunity Posted February 11, 2007 Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 Graf and sons has the best prices for now . They have fmj at .308 at 12 bucks per 100.Petrzini (SP) karl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fritz Posted February 12, 2007 Report Share Posted February 12, 2007 Karl, I read in another forum that California is thinking about banning lead bullets. Would that include the fmj surplus ammo? On much of it I cannot see any lead, and a magnet sticks to it. I wonder if that stuff would be acceptable to the state of California, in their concern for the big zopilote you have there? I know that lead is already banned from many indoor ranges and steel bullets from some ranges, even if the "range" is not in the "range" of the condor. The ban on lead shot for duck hunting has made waterfowl hunts here more expensive. But that ban comes from the feds, and that duck or goose is migrating down here from Yankeeland. We must be more caring for the creatures we hunt. I like Tony's signature on that matter. fritz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jl2695 Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Interesting post here. China is stocking up on copper, hardened steel and lead. Sounds like one of those end times prophesies taking shape. As far as cheap Chinese labor goes, a friend of mine is a nut broker. He told me that Pistachio nuts that don't split open naturally bring a far lower price so they ship those nuts to China where they are split open by hand and then shipped back and mixed with the others. I really can't see that as cost effective but he swears that they do it and turn a profit. And California is always tring to find a way to get around the Constitution and outlaw guns and shooting. Last year it tried to pass a law to force manufacturers to put serial numbers on each individual bullet sold in the state. Another bill tried to get gun manufacturers to somehow imprint a serial number on each bullet fired from a gun. Simply ridiculous in their efforts to "thwart crime". How about a few executions now and then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racepres Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 How about a few executions now and then? Well said.... I'd add that a simple digit removal or casteration may even help!!! MV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fritz Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 "QUOTE(jl2695 @ Feb 26 2007, 01:50 PM) How about a few executions now and then?" We here in Texas are leading the nation in executing criminals. We have to, we are running out of prison space. I had a friend once, a retired Navy Chief, that said the best jail was one cell. When a new criminal was arrested, the present resident was hanged. fritz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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