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Thread: Local Police Range

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Local Police Range

    I just got permission to reclaim bullets from my local police range. This is a private range that is not open to the public. They shoot around 9,000 rounds of 40 and 45 for their qualification a few times a year. Should be able to get at least two or three pounds of lead out of there.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master Wheelguns 1961's Avatar
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    Good going!

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wheelguns 1961 View Post
    Good going!
    I am going on the 4th. I'm probably going to spend several hours there.
    The nice thing about it is that it's less than a mile from my house.

  4. #4
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    Any Idea what the backstop is like? Clay, gravel, sand, rocks?

    You may want to bring help, a shovel, rake, wheelbarrow, sifting screen (preferably hanging from a 2x4 A-Frame, several 3-gallon buckets (5 gal is too heavy)

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grmps View Post
    Any Idea what the backstop is like? Clay, gravel, sand, rocks?

    You may want to bring help, a shovel, rake, wheelbarrow, sifting screen (preferably hanging from a 2x4 A-Frame, several 3-gallon buckets (5 gal is too heavy)
    Honestly have no idea what the backstop is like. You have to drive up over a small hill to get to the range so it can't be seen from the road. I plan on buying a shovel and more buckets. I have a heavy duty metal grate that I'm going to attach a metal screen to that has quarter inch holes.
    Based on what the chief told me I calculated that they roughly put 300 pounds of lead in the berm for their qualifactions, plus all the times the individual officers go out and train. I should be able to get a significant amount of lead out of there if all goes well.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master

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    It sounds like a good source for you. Take lots of buckets so you don't have to move full buckets. If my memory serves me, a full bucket will be 200-240#! A 2 wheel dolly would still be nice unless you can drive right up to the backstop. Forth of July! Take lots of water! And Good Luck!

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    There are places where you can get free buckets, but you will have to clean them out. When I need buckets, I visit the bakery at our local Meijer. Walmart will have them, too, but they charge $1 per bucket, but they will be very clean.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    You are very fortunate to now have access for mining. I have a brass source, but they have with held permission to mine the berms because of "liability". I try to leave things cleaner after having been there. Your range officer will probably appreciate it if you can pick up some trash while you are building your stash. If you are fortunate, you might develop a source for removing their fired brass from the range as well. Just let them know you are interested. Some agencies are required to trade in their range brass when buying fresh ammo. Others just store it until they run out of room because many scrap dealers pay so little for it. Good luck and be careful in the heat.

  9. #9
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    ▲▲▲+1 ▲▲▲ IF you want to be able to go back, I would spend extra time leaving it looking better than when you got there.

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy
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    I've already been given permission to pick up the brass after their next qualification.
    I've got a week off of work in a couple weeks. I might end up going back to the police range and getting some more lead if it ends up being a good source.

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy
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    Along with good advice above look after your own health too, mining can be a dusty operation and change of clothes/coveralls and dust mask will come in handy, good luck hope you do well

  12. #12
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    I mine a lot of lead from a pistol rang that is mostly FMJ bullets. It's a certain amount of trouble rendering it down due to the jackets, but I have found the lead in FMJ bullets seems to be harder than I expected.

    I've been saving the jackets with the intent of trading them to a scrap yard on town for lead. No idea what I can get for them, but not really looking for money, so hopefully I can make them worth something.

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy
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    Doing a rough calculation, 9,000 bullets at 180 grains

    each should net you about 230 pounds of lead.


    The 45's should sweeten the pot. Great find!

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
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    I ran out there earlier to check it out. It's a dirt berm with two very heavily used shooting spots. I bought a shovel and more buckets yesterday before work. I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

  15. #15
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    clip all bullets that don't have hollow bases or points,
    put a guard over the top of your smelting pot just in case you missed a couple
    flux sever times with wax and pine sawdust to get all the lead out of the jackets
    the jackets are worth around $1.30 a pound at the scrap yard if you clean them.

    Here, police shoot some non-lead projectiles. I wouldn't recommend smelting these

    Best of luck

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by ThomR View Post
    I ran out there earlier to check it out. It's a dirt berm with two very heavily used shooting spots. I bought a shovel and more buckets yesterday before work. I'm looking forward to tomorrow.
    Good Luck, and don't get overheated. I don't know where you are but around here it is misureable hot and humid. If you regularly work outdoors you know what to do. If not, start drinking some water before you leave home and continue to do do. A Gatorade along the way won't hurt. Early is better than mid day. Just pace yourself. Like I said, be careful and Good Luck! Oh Yeah, we like pictures! Lead porn ya know!

  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grmps View Post
    clip all bullets that don't have hollow bases or points,
    put a guard over the top of your smelting pot just in case you missed a couple
    flux sever times with wax and pine sawdust to get all the lead out of the jackets
    the jackets are worth around $1.30 a pound at the scrap yard if you clean them.

    Here, police shoot some non-lead projectiles. I wouldn't recommend smelting these

    Best of luck
    I usually smash them with a three pound hammer on a piece of railroad track.

  18. #18
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by lightman View Post
    Good Luck, and don't get overheated. I don't know where you are but around here it is misureable hot and humid. If you regularly work outdoors you know what to do. If not, start drinking some water before you leave home and continue to do do. A Gatorade along the way won't hurt. Early is better than mid day. Just pace yourself. Like I said, be careful and Good Luck! Oh Yeah, we like pictures! Lead porn ya know!
    Southern Illinois. Forecast for tomorrow is 95 degrees. I work in a hot environment, but I plan on taking lots to drink and taking frequent breaks to make sure I'm not getting overheated.

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy
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    Well I went out to the police range this morning. The berm is made out of clay and was wet so it was pretty hard to get lead out of it. My sifter was basically worthless. I ended up just picking up bullets as I saw them. I don't think I did too bad for an hour and a half of work. I'll melt it down later and get a total on the weight.
    Click image for larger version. 

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  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy
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    Managed to get 8.2 pounds. Not bad for just picking them up. I checked the weather and the next ten days are supposed to be sunny. I might try going back out there next weekend to see if the berm has dried up any.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

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