Toocold6
Member
I am truly a brass whore. I spend as much time picking up brass as I do shooting.
Range brass - Yes or No?
- Thread starter pcgunner
- Start date
At my outdoor range I normally figure on 10% shrinkage with semi-auto's, so I never worry about using any pick up brass. After I clean, inspect and size it it is no different than the rest of my brass.
Vigo
Member
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2012
- Messages
- 46
- Reaction score
- 24
Range brass is fine if you inspect and clean it after you find it. I shoot revolvers and lever action rifles mostly, and only seldom find what I want. Once in a great while I'll pick up some .38 Spl. I've never seen stray .357 brass in any quantity on the ground at my range. Most is 9mm Parabellum or (less commonly) .45 ACP.
The outdoor range where I shoot also has become more diligent about recycling range brass, so there is less on the ground. Most of what I have for brass is from factory loads I've shot over the years; I just never threw any of it away, at least until it's kaput.
What I do more often is hang out until our range closes, then collect loose bullets with the RSO from the berm backstop. I melt them down in my Lyman pot and make musket balls from them for my flintlocks.
The outdoor range where I shoot also has become more diligent about recycling range brass, so there is less on the ground. Most of what I have for brass is from factory loads I've shot over the years; I just never threw any of it away, at least until it's kaput.
What I do more often is hang out until our range closes, then collect loose bullets with the RSO from the berm backstop. I melt them down in my Lyman pot and make musket balls from them for my flintlocks.
Range brass, my known source
Since 1974 I have bought the following ammo: 1 box 30-06, 1 box 38 Spl wadcutters, 1 box 223 American 223 Rem, 1 box 158 gr 38 Spl.
Today my unit of measure for empty brass is 1 gallon milk jugs. My 9 mm, 40 S&W, and 45 ACP probably was shot in Glocks by other shooters. My 38 Spl, 357 mag, and 44 mag was shot in revolvers belonging to other shooters, firearm brand unknown.
All of my rifle brass is range brass; 223 / 5.56, 25-06, 7 mm Rem mag, 308, 30-06, 303 Brit, and 45-70. 223 brass is either once fired with crimped primer, new once fired commercial, or unknown reloaded brass. All my other brass was once fired and recovered at the range.
I have never had a brass problem / case failure that was a problem because I don't shoot max loads. Paper targets don't care about velocity, and dead is dead at 1,400 fps or 3,700 fps.
Since 1974 I have bought the following ammo: 1 box 30-06, 1 box 38 Spl wadcutters, 1 box 223 American 223 Rem, 1 box 158 gr 38 Spl.
Today my unit of measure for empty brass is 1 gallon milk jugs. My 9 mm, 40 S&W, and 45 ACP probably was shot in Glocks by other shooters. My 38 Spl, 357 mag, and 44 mag was shot in revolvers belonging to other shooters, firearm brand unknown.
All of my rifle brass is range brass; 223 / 5.56, 25-06, 7 mm Rem mag, 308, 30-06, 303 Brit, and 45-70. 223 brass is either once fired with crimped primer, new once fired commercial, or unknown reloaded brass. All my other brass was once fired and recovered at the range.
I have never had a brass problem / case failure that was a problem because I don't shoot max loads. Paper targets don't care about velocity, and dead is dead at 1,400 fps or 3,700 fps.
sarg1c
US Veteran
Visit a local range and pick up a lot of good brass. I also visit a range where people are qualifying for carry permitt. Love it when they use a .38 SPC. They just dump it in one place unlike the automatics. Nothing wrong with doing it. And like someone has said ,rifle brass I usually separate into brand but pistol brass I sometimes just load a mjx. I do separate it at times but not always.
I have never had a problem with range brass. All of my 45 and 38 have been range brass. I get a few 357 and 44. It is cheaper than buying it. Just clean it and inspect it. I determine the quality of my range trips on how much free brass i pick up.
Magload
US Veteran
New Lapua for my bench rifle and only for test loads, and Hornady 9mm for my tight chambered S A range Officer Champion. Everything else is range brass. You buy once fired and it is just range brass. Inspect it and load it. Don
Ducky2002
Member
Back when factory ammo was relatively cheap, I always scouted the ground around the shooting tables first (members only club) and picked up all the brass that applied to me. Now that the price of ammo has skyrocketed the only brass found on the ground is Berdan primed. So it is haunt the gun shows and look for decent new or used brass.
metalman60
Member
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2014
- Messages
- 70
- Reaction score
- 28
Picking up range brass
I think the practice is ok, as long as you are reasonably certain you are not picking up the brass, that some other reloader/shooter is trying to recover. As a practice, I never bring home more brass than I shoot- (9mm 45 ACP).
Recently, due to the hysteria about gun control and such, I bring revolvers only to the range. That way I keep the brass I came with
Metalman60
I think the practice is ok, as long as you are reasonably certain you are not picking up the brass, that some other reloader/shooter is trying to recover. As a practice, I never bring home more brass than I shoot- (9mm 45 ACP).
Recently, due to the hysteria about gun control and such, I bring revolvers only to the range. That way I keep the brass I came with
Metalman60
Interestingly enough, since posting this I've been to our local range (outdoor) twice - and have only noticed 2 other reloaders besides myself.
A couple we went with who were shooting 9mm and 9x18 (makarov) had a bag full of commercial bullets - I didn't take their brass because most of it was 9x18 and much of it looked aluminum (non shiny cases)
There was however a gold mine of brass laying outside the shooting area - it seems the last stall is near a grassy area and brass just collected there - so the wife and I dug in and took handfuls of brass - came away with a of 9mm, a few 45's and some stuff we don't load which I'll bring back next time and dump in their bucket.
A couple we went with who were shooting 9mm and 9x18 (makarov) had a bag full of commercial bullets - I didn't take their brass because most of it was 9x18 and much of it looked aluminum (non shiny cases)
There was however a gold mine of brass laying outside the shooting area - it seems the last stall is near a grassy area and brass just collected there - so the wife and I dug in and took handfuls of brass - came away with a of 9mm, a few 45's and some stuff we don't load which I'll bring back next time and dump in their bucket.
Rick_A
Member
Famous last words!
But seriously, I like to shoot with others as it means more brass for me.
I think it's rude to take it from others unless they offer.
At one range the proprietor would not unhand my .44 Mag brass and .45ACP on moon clips. I literally had to snatch it back and swear at the guy to get him to back off. What a weirdo. Never been back there again.
DWalt
Member
My problem is non-reloading friends who always collect their brass and give it to me. I always take it just to be polite, even though I already have enough in most calibers to last several lifetimes. It may be tough to come by someday.
fredj338
Member
All brass needs a good home. It becomes karma gifts for a new reloaders or trade mat'l for something I don't have. Rather me pick it up for that than some idiot selling it for scrap.
Last edited:
I pick any range brass. Tumble all. Mostly 9x19,.45 & 38/357. Only problem with .45 is need to watch for small primers in some (blazer). With 9's - many even after resizing,loading & taper cripming, bullets are loose in case - able to push bullet to powder with slight pressure (again mostly blazer). And of course some military brass has crimped primers. Also some seem not to 'stay resized' - - even after sizing and taper crimping won't chamber. For 'house/sd' loads I use only my once fired cases. But I still scrounge all range brass I find for plinking - just sort well.
KSB
KSB
AveragEd
Member
I've only accepted used brass on three occasions. A very good friend watched someone shoot a 20-round box of Remington .300 REM Short Action Ultra Mag factory ammo at our club's rifle range and leave the brass behind. He knew I had one of those rifles and kept the brass for me.
The second instance was when my son's brother-in-law, who doesn't reload but knows I do, gave me 200 pieces of .223 REM brass from Remington factory loads that he had fired in his rifle.
Finally, I bought 600 pieces of once-fired Remington .38 Special brass from a person I know well who doesn't reload.
Other than those instances, I prefer not to risk scrounging what others have discarded, especially in the case of bottleneck rifle brass. I know many thousands of pieces of range brass have delivered satisfactory performance for many people. I have no inclination to become the exception to that rule when new brass in most popular calibers is as affordable as it is. If new brass cost a lot of money, perhaps I would change my mind.
Ed
The second instance was when my son's brother-in-law, who doesn't reload but knows I do, gave me 200 pieces of .223 REM brass from Remington factory loads that he had fired in his rifle.
Finally, I bought 600 pieces of once-fired Remington .38 Special brass from a person I know well who doesn't reload.
Other than those instances, I prefer not to risk scrounging what others have discarded, especially in the case of bottleneck rifle brass. I know many thousands of pieces of range brass have delivered satisfactory performance for many people. I have no inclination to become the exception to that rule when new brass in most popular calibers is as affordable as it is. If new brass cost a lot of money, perhaps I would change my mind.
Ed
comtedeloach
Member
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2012
- Messages
- 150
- Reaction score
- 93
If you have a question, don't try to load maximum charges in them. But the should be quite useful for lower pressure loads. Range brass is like a gift of God, just say thanks and use with caution.
gertieharry
Member
I pick up everything. I have friends & relatives that pick up brass in two states for me . I separate, tumble, count it all. Whatever I don't use I take to gun shows and sell or trade it.
What's with these blazers? Thought it was me!
I've just picked up a few blazer and for the life of me couldn't figure out why they wouldn't prime.
Thanks for posting this, at least I know what to do with them now and I can stop wasting my time LOL - small primers sheesh.
Last edited:
Vortec MAX
Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2014
- Messages
- 447
- Reaction score
- 254
If I had said "NO" to range brass, I would not have this ammo can full of recycled goodness.
1,087 rounds of 9mm ready for the wife and kids to shoot up. I might help too. This is all brass picked up over last summer.
Mike
1,087 rounds of 9mm ready for the wife and kids to shoot up. I might help too. This is all brass picked up over last summer.
Mike
muddocktor
Member
You can thank the tree huggers for the small primer 45 brass.
The "no lead" primers only come in small pistol size, hence the 45 brass with small primer pockets.And yes, I shoot range pickups all the time. Found me 12 44 Mag cases last trip to the range earlier this week.
Last edited:
