Range Scroungers Anonymous

[PhillyB]

Hey folks!

As a reloader, I do something that I'm sure many like me do. Whenever I go to the range, one of the first or last things I do while there is look for spent casings that I reload, may eventually want to reload, or just find too valuable to leave on the ground.

I was hoping to create a thread where my fellow scroungers can talk about methods, interesting finds, and generally geek out.

At my particular range, reclaiming lead isn't a very feasible task. However, people do leave some pretty interesting/valuable stuff just laying around.

So far I've found (not including non-reloadable stuff I just left there)
1) LOTS of 9mm
2) LOTS of .223 and 5.56
3) a fair amount of 45ACP
4) some 380 auto
5) some .308
6) a few 30-30
7) a few 38 Special and fewer 357 Magnum
8) one or two 32 Auto

I get pretty excited about larger rifle brass, as that's pretty expensive stuff to just leave behind.

Today I found a pretty oddball one for my range. 8 7mm RemMag cases. First time seeing a belted case, so odd in that regard alone.

 

[jkingrph]

I found a few 7.62 Nagant cases one time, a couple of boxes of .375 H&H. Plenty of 30-06.

The odd calibers I shoot, such as 32-20, 38-55, 7x57, 6.5x55, 9.3x57, 300 Savage, 45-70 and .458 Win Mag I make sure never hit the ground.

 

[PhillyB]

I found a few 7.62 Nagant cases one time, a couple of boxes of .375 H&H. Plenty of 30-06.

The odd calibers I shoot, such as 32-20, 38-55, 7x57, 6.5x55, 9.3x57, 300 Savage, 45-70 and .458 Win Mag I make sure never hit the ground.

I actually reload 7.62x54r, and a lot of what people leave behind for that is surplus. Nice brass cases, but Berdan primed.

Never actually found any at my range though. Mainly 7.62x51 or 39 surplus.

 

[simon1]

Used to scrounge brass, but don't need to now. I have several boxes of empty brass for the stuff I shoot. A friend of mine I worked with used to take a shovel and pick out the lead from the berm backstop at the P.D. range after we got through qualifying, and I helped and got some too, but I have about 50 pounds of lead ingots now so don't need to go to the trouble.

Last time I was at the local public range the brass had mostly already been picked over and all that was left was things that had been stepped on. I don't need the lead from the berm now, or the brass. I'm good.

 

[ColtRevolver]

Been picking up brass for 30 years. All totaled, I probably have about 20 gallons of brass. Anymore, most that I pick up goes in a bucket that I take to the recycler when it gets full.

 

[Ad Astra]

I'm wary of being a brass scrounger - how do I know those discarded cases haven't been loaded 16 times?

But I am a voracious lead-scrounger. I will pick up a single wheel-weight or slug.

Those .451 molds are always thirsty ...

AA

 

[PhillyB]

I'm wary of being a brass scrounger - how do I know those discarded cases haven't been loaded 16 times?

But I am a voracious lead-scrounger. I will pick up a single wheel-weight or slug.

Those .451 molds are always thirsty ...

AA

I do check all the brass for signs of stress before I do anything with them. Length of the case, any splitting, etc

 

[Ad Astra]

Well, yeah. I just like to "know" my brass.

Though range sweepings 9mm is a thing!


AA

 

[ColtRevolver]

I don't care if pistol brass has been loaded 16 times. Most of mine has been that or more. I load it until it splits. I have brass in rotation that I bought used 30 years ago.

 

[Ricksplace]

I shoot a lot of cast bullets in both handgun and rifle calibers. Rifle caliber range pick up works well for the lower pressure cast bullet !oads. High pressure rifle loads get "known" brass. I use pistol brass like @ColtRevolver does.
Gravel pits near moose hunting areas can be a treasure trove of rifle brass. You'll find 303 British (lots!), 308, 30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, 300 Win mag (lots!), .338 Win mag, a few .45-70. More moose have been harvested in Canada with a 303 British than any other caliber. Heck, the Canadian Rangers that work in the far north only recently retired their SMLE (Short magazine Lee Enfield) No. 4 Mk 1 rifles. For many years they were preferred for their reliability in extreme cold. This is what they use now: T3x ARCTIC in 7.62 NATO (308 Win)

 

[PhillyB]

I shoot a lot of cast bullets in both handgun and rifle calibers. Rifle caliber range pick up works well for the lower pressure cast bullet !oads. High pressure rifle loads get "known" brass. I use pistol brass like @ColtRevolver does.
Gravel pits near moose hunting areas can be a treasure trove of rifle brass. You'll find 303 British (lots!), 308, 30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, 300 Win mag (lots!), .338 Win mag, a few .45-70. More moose have been harvested in Canada with a 303 British than any other caliber. Heck, the Canadian Rangers that work in the far north only recently retired their SMLE (Short magazine Lee Enfield) No. 4 Mk 1 rifles. For many years they were preferred for their reliability in extreme cold. This is what they use now: T3x ARCTIC in 7.62 NATO (308 Win)

Nice!

 

[PhillyB]

I don't care if pistol brass has been loaded 16 times. Most of mine has been that or more. I load it until it splits. I have brass in rotation that I bought used 30 years ago.

I probably wouldn't trust rifle brass until I'd given it a thorough inspection. 38 Special and 380 Auto (which I reload) are generally idot proof.

 

[RandyC]

Used to scrounge brass, but don't need to now. I have several boxes of empty brass for the stuff I shoot. A friend of mine I worked with used to take a shovel and pick out the lead from the berm backstop at the P.D. range after we got through qualifying, and I helped and got some too, but I have about 50 pounds of lead ingots now so don't need to go to the trouble.

Last time I was at the local public range the brass had mostly already been picked over and all that was left was things that had been stepped on. I don't need the lead from the berm now, or the brass. I'm good.

[emoji38] [emoji38] [emoji38]

50lbs of ingots?

A friend and I recently bought out an acquaintance who's no longer able to reload/cast due to medical issues.

My 91 D250 was a wee bit heavy.

Sent from my LG-LS998 using Tapatalk

 

[Ricksplace]

You can never have too much lead. I am jealous.

 

[FarmerTan]

You can never have too much lead. I am jealous.

That's a lot of lead to load and unload!