surface picking.

[3 gun Gus]

At the range that I shoot at they forbid mining the back stop.
But don't care if you pick a few off the surface. So each time
I replace my target I pick up two times as many as I shot.
but only cast slugs. I have been getting about 50 lb a year
more than I shoot. This is not much but all the scrap yards
refuse to sell to the public. Is it worth the work? Only if you
can't buy scrap lead at a fair price.

Gus
Doing what it takes to keep shooting.

[Hickory]

You would make a wise shopper.

[Eddie17]

I will do the the same thing. Walk the berm and grab the easy pickings. Every little bit helps!

[birdadly]

I love it when people have to walk to the 200 yard targets, gives me extra time to swipe lead at the pistol berms

[Buck Neck It]

I got caught mining the berm. I told him that I would put it right back as soon as I casted and loaded.

[Frank46]

I used to mine lead from a range that had been in use for over 50 years. When they held the high power matches they closed the pistol range. Made up a 4'x4' box out of 2x4's and used 1/4" hardware cloth think chicken wire but way smaller holes. I'd rake the berm and shovel the lead into the box which sat on top of a 5 gallon plastic bucket. Shake until all the loose stuff fell in the bucket. And dumped the lead into another bucket. Doesn't take long to get it full and hump it to the truck. Club president used to call me the mining expert. We lost the range about 8 years back but now have a better one. Still have one bucket in the garage. Frank

[dtknowles]

At our range you can't mine the berms as it undermines them and causes them to erode faster. You are not allowed to climb on the berms either but you can pick from the area around the target frames.

Tim

[mfraser264]

A low cost means to obtain lead alloy, why not. I walk the range and pick up what is on top of the ground after the Winter snow melts. Easy 50 pounds a year.

[lightman]

Its a good source for lead. Is it worth it? Who knows? If we counted our time it probably would be cheaper for all of us to just order virgin alloy. What fun is that? Don't discount the larger jacketed slugs, theres good lead in them too!

[HB0708]

I went to an out-of-the-way outdoor range early the other day in hopes of picking up some lead. I surface picked from about 7:00 to 8:15. At first I only noticed the obvious bullets, it was amazing how quickly I started identifying the badly distorted and very weathered/dirt covered ones too. I tried screening some scoops of dirt in an old fry basket I got at the thrift store, but it was actually slower than just picking the surface. I'm sure going right after a couple days of rain had something to do with that; there was A LOT of lead right on top. All said, around 75 minutes for about 65 pounds of scrap. I'm hoping for 40+ pounds of lead, but I'll see; mostly what I got were jacketed bullets.

I will say though, it was like a treasure hunt the whole time I was there. Any bullet was cool to find, but I got excited when I found 1oz shotgun slugs and the larger cast boolits (I could almost feel the antimony percentage rising in my bucket). I was actually disappointed when other shooters showed up and I had to stop picking and actually go shoot.

[fatelk]

I'm sure going right after a couple days of rain had something to do with that; there was A LOT of lead right on top.

A good rain sure makes it easier! I've got several hundred pounds in my garage right now, accumulated over a couple years. Our range has several separate pistol bays and I usually go when I have a day off during the week, so it's very easy to have a bay to myself to pick slugs for 20 minutes after shooting. After a good rain I figure I can pick about a pound per minute.

I've decided that from now on I'll only pick them during the winter after a rain. For one thing it's easier. For another I'm concerned about the tons of pulverized lead dust in the dirt and gravel in the summer when it's dry and dusty. I figure wet ground minimizes the risk.

[afish4570]

At the range that I shoot at they forbid mining the back stop.
But don't care if you pick a few off the surface. So each time
I replace my target I pick up two times as many as I shot.
but only cast slugs. I have been getting about 50 lb a year
more than I shoot. This is not much but all the scrap yards
refuse to sell to the public. Is it worth the work? Only if you
can't buy scrap lead at a fair price.

Gus
Doing what it takes to keep shooting.

If you have to be a little sly,,,,try this. Cut the leg off an old pair of jeans and sew the bottom closed... put a small garden trowel and a 3 or four pronged rake for scratching around in the wifes flower bed into the bag you just made. Early or late in day when range is not busy you may be able to quickly get 4 to 10#'s of lead quite quickly with hurting the berm or causing much attention. Modify this plan to fit your needs. Most of the complaints come from guys who dig up berm, leave holes or make $$$ from mining lead and selling it and the other members get jealous. But they are too busy lazy or lack the determination to do what we do. A day after a heavy rain storm brings the new batch to surface to replace what you have previously removed. Remember to leave the big shovels and rakes, 5 gal. can etc. home so you can be discreet and not attract attention. Just the bag and small trowel are alot more production than your hands. afish4570