I'm not a hoarder either. I prefer to think of the brass, lead, primers, bullet molds, powder, guns and safes as part of a well diversified investment portfolio. I hope I have more than I'm ever likely to need and only half of what I want.
I feel pretty good about my stash of 2-300 cases for each rifle cartridge I load. Doesn't sound like much compared to some folks but it will last me quite some time at my current rate of consumption.
Endowment Life Member NRA, Life Member TSRA, Member WACA, NRA Whittington Center, BBHC
Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe
I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call, Lonesome Dove
Some of my favorite recipes start out with a handful of depleted counterbalance devices.
I have so much brass,, I sold over $8,000 worth for a trip to Perry.
One guy and his father in Dallas bought 22,000 rds of 5.56 alone.
Premier Brass ***** here,, LOL
Really a true statement. I finished the last of my 1994 primers a few months ago, $11/k I think. Working on some RedDot powder that is at least 15yrs old, maybe $15/#? So buying in bulk is saving $$ over the next 5-10yrs as everything goes up. Not to mention you'll always have reloading supplies if you are buying & replacing as you go. Not much gets cheaper as tie moves forward.
EVERY GOOD SHOOTER NEEDS TO BE A HANDLOADER.
NRA Cert. Inst. Met. Reloading & Basic Pistol
Mine works pretty well in the grass, and also in the pea gravel on my range.
I'll pick up brass that I reload for. I don't take brass that I don't have a gun for. If a stray .380 or .40 gets picked up with 9mm, or 45 ACP gets picked up with 45 GAP, I save those and give them to friends who use 380, 40 or 45 ACP. Someone who reloads that caliber would put that brass to better use than having it sit on my shelf.
Another thing that works really well is: http://www.amazon.com/Steelgrip-TA51...s=pick-up+tool
We call it a gopher. It seems we picked ours up at Ace, but I could be wrong. Not as fast as the nut thing, but usually only get the brass.
I made a "tool" to pick up brass; a 1/2" dowel about 3' long with a hole drilled in one end (lengthwise). I found a piece of spring steel, mebbe 1/8" diameter and tapered the ends and bent one end 90 degrees for about a 1"-1 1/4" "leg". Forced the straight end into the dowel about 2" deep. I find a case, don't matter what caliber, stick the wire "leg" in the case mouth and pick it up. No bending...
My Anchor is holding fast!
MDI the whole reason I have a .45 Glock is because of all the .45ACP brass I accumulated picking up brass with that device of mine.
For info,,, They don't work all that well on gravel but on dirt or grass they are just fine. You're always going to get some debris but usually it is minimal. After you use it for a while you get the hang of keeping the junk out. I can even pick up brass off gravel if it hasn't been trampled into the gravel.
Randy
"It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
www.buchananprecisionmachine.com
I saw a feller try to use one of the "Nut Picker Uppers" at the local shooting spot and along with brass it collected small rocks, cigarette butts, bottle caps, and assorted trash. Worked quite well at that though, nuttin' smaller than a pea was picked up...
My Anchor is holding fast!
I pick up range brass, bag it, and keep it. Unfortunately no ones left a bunch of once fired .43 Spanish for me to pick up
I have never bought brass for ANY gun I have ever had. What I don't reload for either gets sold here or scrapped at the local yard.
Im new to the loading world, but I grab whatever I can. Im good for 38 and 357, but just starting 30/30. I shoot at a small club that has a brass bucket they keep. I don't take from that, but if im cleaning up my fired brass before I leave, and the last people left something I need on the ground.... oh ya its coming home!
I cry a little inside every time I see that happen. Same reaction my "Eco" cousin has when I eat tuna fish (oh those poor dolphins). Mine's worth being sad about though...I don't think I'll ever own a .40, but who knows? I may make some jacketed .44 Mag. bullets outta those cases...
To this day I still pick up brass when I see it even though I have tons, old habits run deep. Guess I don't want to ever run short.
May all your bullets find the Bullseye.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |