A deal on Range brass

[Ivan the Butcher]

A gun shop that has passed by the wayside, used to sell 5 gallon buckets of range brass. Over the years I bought 3. The first at $10, the later two at $15 each. They had been cleared of 22RF, Blazer aluminum, and Commie steel cases.

The first one was 50% 38 special, the second was 50% 9mm (and a third of those were Berdan primed)

In the early bucket were a much higher percentage of 32 Short, Long, and ACP. The last bucket had quite a few 380 (in the thousand arena!)

The percentage of revolver brass just keeps getting smaller and smaller! The first bucket had the most 45 Colt cases, but most of these were the old balloon head cases (about 100) and around 50 modern cases. The last bucket 50 modern and 20 modern Nickel plated. (The number of 44 mag has always surprised me, buy the gun bruise your hand on a box of ammo and either get rid of the gun or never shoot it again, let alone reload for it!)

None of the brass was 308 or 223, but there would be a box of Norma in some odd military case, scattered in each bucket (probably recovered by High Power shooters!). The most common was 7.62x54R closely followed by 7.62 x 39. By the last bucket most of the military cases dried up. The people must be shooting steel case or recovering their brass, but my informal survey indicates almost nobody reloads old military calibers anymore!

Does anybody else reload the old oddball military pistol or rifle rounds anymore? Or am I a passing breed. The "Ammosaurs Rex" of the reloading dinosaurs?

Ivan

 

[brucev]

Once upon a time I reloaded the standard 8mm German service round as I was shooting one or another K-98's. Fine round. Fine rifles. Nowadays, I reload .30-06 Springfield and .30-30 Winchester. Must admit, have been thinking hard about a getting a nice SKS or maybe one of the shorter versions of the M-91. Either one would see me loading those rounds also. Sincerely. bruce.

 

[gwpercle]

We are a passing breed .
I reload and cast bullets for every rifle and pistol I own. Growing up in the 1960's WWII military surplus rifles were sold in barrels for $20 to $50 , surplus ammo got you some brass , a set of loading dies and you had all the oddball ammo you wanted . Reloading and shooting them was fun...I still have 4 military oddballs .
Young people seem to have more money, buy everything brand new , buy cheap ammo ...no time to reload .
Fill a magazine and fire it empty as fast as they can...do it over and over .

" Ammosaurs Rex " that term fits me to a "T".... I recently made 70 and realized ...Dang that's old .
I've offered to teach younger persons how to reload several times... not one has ever taken me up on the offer ... sad but true .
Gary

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

We are a passing breed .

I've offered to teach younger persons how to reload several times... not one has ever taken me up on the offer ... sad but true . Gary

My own sons and S-I-L are shooters, but it is my fault they don't reload. I have been so anal about ammo quality for the old military guns, I did all the reloading they needed!

The oldest grandson just turned 11, in the not to distant future, we will start with the same Lee Loader in 303 British that I started with in 1980! He now lives in the "Free State of Pennsylvania", While his 9 year old male cousins live in in the "Totalitarian Republic of New Jerseystan." I think they can start with a youth sized single shot 22 this summer when they come see grandpa!

Ivan

 

[LoboGunLeather]

I reload every caliber I shoot and I cast bullets for all of them. In some cases I have gone to the expense of custom dies for obsolete/antique cartridges, and I have ordered cases from at least two other countries when necessary to keep an old timer shooting.

Range brass? I generally ignore it. I have purchased range brass from police ranges, all one caliber and brand, all once fired. Deprime, clean, then put it to work.

 

[mtgianni]

I as most reloaders, don't let my brass stay where it falls. I reuse it.

 

[Green Frog]

I can't afford the time and effort for reloading 9 mm as cheaply as it is currently available... heck, I can still get it at giveaway prices at Wally*World! I've loaded 38 Spl and 45 ACP for decades now, so have plenty of brass. My supplies of 44 and 45 Colt brass have gotten to a comfortable level now, but if I were offered a batch of about any 32 other than 32 ACP, I'd probably have to take advantage of that opportunity. Of course for each of us, these numbers vary based on our personal history.

Froggie

 

[lrrifleman]

I am set up to reload every cartridge I shoot, plus some that I don't own yet. I cast for all of my handguns, but I am set up (almost) for my 270. I really don't want to put cast bullets in my autoloading rifles.

I am getting more into 9mm, waiting to pick up 2 I'm purchasing and 1 I recently won. While I can do it, I will buy the super affordable factory ammo, but collect my brass for reloading. I am making it a point to never be caught in an ammo shortage.

Currently, I cast for and reload: 380, 9mm, 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 41 Magnum, 44 Magnum and 44 Special, and 45ACP. Also set up to polycoat 9mm and 45s. For rifles, I reload: 223, 243, 270, 7mm Rem Mag, 30 Carbine, 308, and 30M1.

I will never turn down or walk past range brass!

 

[Univibe]

Interesting.

For 40 years of shooting, I was never a revolver guy.

Last year I bought a 686 6", and a 629 6.5". I guess I'm bucking the trend.

 

[SMSgt]

If I shoot it, I reuse it! I call it Part Two of the shooting fun course.

 

[LostintheOzone]

In 10 years you won't be able to find 30-06, 270 or 30-30 brass at the range. If you reload it, good luck finding brass.

We have brass buckets at my private range. The membership is around 500. Buckets always have some .223/5.56, 9mm and 45 acp in them. I don't gather the 9mm up anymore as I have way too much. Nobody I know reloads it. I reload it but I only have one 9mm pistol and I don't shoot it much. Might take it to the scrap dealer one day. The brass, not the pistol.

I salvage all of the .223/5.56 and 45 acp brass I find and that's usually hundreds of cases a month, sometimes more. I keep what I need and sell the rest. The money from that pays for my powder. I have to get something for picking it up and cleaning it.

Occasionally around deer season I'll find some 308, 270 or 06 brass. 30-30 doesn't seem to exist. Most of the revolver brass is kept by the shooters.

 

[Engineer1911]

I had a Enfield 303 Brit. On the happiest day of my life I sold rifle, brass, and 1 box of jacketed bullets. I delayed sale for 3 days, shot all my reloaded ammo at the range. The targets were proof that rifle needed to go to a new home. Made a profit and bought a "needed" S&W revolver.

I reload all my rifle and handgun calibers. Also cast bullets for all my handguns, .30 and .45 caliber rifle bullets.

 

[Wise_A]

We are a passing breed .

No you're not.

And for the love of Creedmoor, knock off the "young people just do mag-dumps!" nonsense. You're not even old, bro. Seventy. Not that there's any shortage of fools in the 50-90 range in the accuracy-by-volume / couldn't-hit-water-if-they-fell-out-of-a-boat set.

 

[HorizontalMike]

I use ONLY my own range brass

I have my own small handgun range of 7--12yd, but it works for me. I keep all my 9mm, .38, and .357 brass for reloading. I want to remain proficient at HD/SD and don't worry about competition shooting at home. No quick draw or hip shots, just target.

I shoot my Remington .222 rifle at the local public range. And I absolutely keep ALL .222 brass, since it is truly NOT available. All my brass in .222 is either Lapua or Nosler, and I use Remington 7-1/2 primers with H322 pushing 53gr Match King HP.

I have an original Remington Model 722 dating from January 1953 that I first shot at the ripe old age of 5 or 6yr old. And yes, my .222 still has that infamous hair trigger that is now the bane of the company now-a-days. My trigger functions correctly, but I do follow best practices and only chamber a round after aiming at the 200yd target. I do not bother with the locking mechanism, as I just keep the bolt open at all times unless I am actively shooting.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Lots of us enjoy the .44 mag.. We don't bruise our hands or bust our ears. And most of us that do enjoy it........Take our brass home to reload.

 

[AJ]

My own sons and S-I-L are shooters, but it is my fault they don't reload. I have been so anal about ammo quality for the old military guns, I did all the reloading they needed!

The oldest grandson just turned 11, in the not to distant future, we will start with the same Lee Loader in 303 British that I started with in 1980! He now lives in the "Free State of Pennsylvania", While his 9 year old male cousins live in in the "Totalitarian Republic of New Jerseystan." I think they can start with a youth sized single shot 22 this summer when they come see grandpa!

Ivan

Ivan,
If you can find one get a British .303 Trainer in .22LR. I have one and it is a hoot to shoot. Everyone at the range look at it and expect a great big boom when you fire it. You can inmagine their surprise when it goes pop. Another neat thing is no clean up of brass, all of it falls back into the gutted .303 magazine. Then when they are ready let them shoot a .303 for real. Good luck.

AJ

 

[AJ]

I have been reloading since 1973. I can cast for all the ammo that I reload. however, if I can get slug cheap enough I will buy them. I cast and reload for 9 MM, .38 ACP, .38 Special, .38 Super, .357 Mag., .45 ACP and .45 Colt. As you can see I do only handgun.
Have tried to interest others in reloading, but most can not be bothered. They would rather buy new and shoot that. More funds and less time, I guess. My one hope is my Grandson in the Marine Corps.

 

[k22fan]

[...] (The number of 44 mag has always surprised me, buy the gun bruise your hand on a box of ammo and either get rid of the gun or never shoot it again, let alone reload for it!) [...]

Does anybody else reload the old oddball military pistol or rifle rounds anymore? Or am I a passing breed. The "Ammosaurs Rex" of the reloading dinosaurs?

Ivan

I've always thought the uncomfortable recoil of standard .44 Magnum cartridges is a huge incentive to reload.

The only oddball military cartridges I still reload for are .303 British, 8x57mm and 7.5x55mm. The Swiss cartridge comes closest to really qualifying as oddball.

 

[Black69]

I also reload for what I shoot, 38, 357, 44 special and magnum, 9 mm and 45 acp. For rifles 556, 30-06 and 300 savage which is getting harder to find.

 

[AJ]

I've always thought the uncomfortable recoil of standard .44 Magnum cartridges is a huge incentive to reload.

The only oddball military cartridges I still reload for are .303 British, 8x57mm and 7.5x55mm. The Swiss cartridge comes closest to really qualifying as oddball.

When I shot a Ruger Super BlackHawk in .44 Mag. I always shot full power loads. When I changed to a Model 29 S&W, i mostly shot .44 Special loads. This was more to keep from beating up the gun than me. I have always let my elbows relax and take the brunt of the recoil with magnum loads. Wish I had been able to do so when shooting steel with a .45 ACP M1911. After several hundred thousand rounds my right hand is full of arthritis (especially in the thumb area).