Local Police Range

[Grmps]

You may want to think about modifying your sifter to something like this and hang it from 3 2x4s in an A-frame. sides will keep the material in, and hanging it will save on your back (lead gets heavy fast). you my want to bring a garden rake or a grub rake to rake the surface, breaking it up as you rake your way into the berm.
[my 2¢ worth]

[ThomR]

You may want to think about modifying your sifter to something like this and hang it from 3 2x4s in an A-frame. sides will keep the material in, and hanging it will save on your back (lead gets heavy fast). you my want to bring a garden rake or a grub rake to rake the surface, breaking it up as you rake your way into the berm.
[my 2¢ worth]

I need to make a better sifter for sure. I hadn't thought about the grub rake. I need to go get one of those.

[dbosman]

In my experience, lead expands when heated. If there are no folds or cracks in jackets or plating, there will be after there is molten lead for them to float on. Do cover the melt pot though, just in case. I'm also assuming you always start with a cold rendering pot and never add after you start heating - to avoid hidden water.

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

[ThomR]

In my experience, lead expands when heated. If there are no folds or cracks in jackets or plating, there will be after there is molten lead for them to float on. Do cover the melt pot though, just in case. I'm also assuming you always start with a cold rendering pot and never add after you start heating - to avoid hidden water.

I always put the range scrap in a cold pot, usually with a lid on it. If the range scrap is wet or may contain hidden moisture I will only melt down as much as I can fit into the pot at one time. I never add range scrap to an already melted pot.

[lightman]

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.

I was really hoping you would make a big score. But, every little bit helps. Theres a learning curve to mining berms and its different with every soil type. I expect you will refine your tools and methods and continue to pick up more and more.

I really miss the days when Bullseye Shooting was in its heyday. All of those 185-230 grain bullets just laying there!

[jsizemore]

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.

I got red brass price for mine.

[mold maker]

I also used to get the red brass price because of the small amount of lead left on the jackets. I always figured it was just a way to reduce the payout more than an actual grade.

[ThomR]

I was really hoping you would make a big score. But, every little bit helps. Theres a learning curve to mining berms and its different with every soil type. I expect you will refine your tools and methods and continue to pick up more and more.

I really miss the days when Bullseye Shooting was in its heyday. All of those 185-230 grain bullets just laying there!

If the clay berm wasn't soaking wet I am pretty sure I could have gotten a lot more lead out of it. I might try running out there next saturday and try again.

[woodbutcher]

Used to go out to the shooting range in my home town.Got a lot of FMJ stuff,but also a lot of lead.Reason?It was the old Navy machine gun range,from WW2.Mostly .45ACP,.30 and .50 cal stuff.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[Plate plinker]

If the clay berm wasn't soaking wet I am pretty sure I could have gotten a lot more lead out of it. I might try running out there next saturday and try again.

Mining clay is probably like farming clay. You will have a short window of "easy work" its either rock hard or soaking wet. You might invest in a pick axe. Hack into the sweet spots and see what you come out with.

Keep us posted this is always a interesting story.

[Grmps]

just brainstorming, if it's dry and hard, take a mantis type small rototiller and break the clay loose.

or https://www.amazon.com/True-Temper-4...ong+Cultivator

this has a thousand uses.

[ThomR]

I'm going to stop by the police department tomorrow and talk to the chief about cleaning up some of the branches that are hanging down in front of the berm. There are a lot of small trees and shrubs growing on top of the berm, and some of them have started hanging down in front.
I have a week off of work starting the 16th, so I hope I can make it out to the range to do a little cleanup work and get some more lead.

[ThomR]

On a side note, I have a friend that works at a hospital who is going to check the xray and nuclear medicine departments for any lead they may want to get rid of.

[lightman]

Those isotope containers make nice bullets. And its really clean lead.

[nagantguy]

I was years ago a consummate berm miner, as it was my only source of lead but than I learned the local scrap yard sold lead at just above spot price and I than inherited several thousand pounds of Lyman #2 alloy and when I became a firearms instructor we built an indoor range with a handy lead “collector “ which is a series of baffles and all than precious metal drops into a barrel outside!
Keep at it; it was always very satisfying to mine my own lead, didn’t need to go to the gym on days I did! Lead that used to be bullets or boolits tends to make good boolits; and you can always sweeten the mix with your preferred alloy to make your favorite flavors!

[ThomR]

Those isotope containers make nice bullets. And its really clean lead.

It's a pretty good size hospital. I'm really hoping she finds a bunch of lead there.

[ThomR]

I was years ago a consummate berm miner, as it was my only source of lead but than I learned the local scrap yard sold lead at just above spot price and I than inherited several thousand pounds of Lyman #2 alloy and when I became a firearms instructor we built an indoor range with a handy lead “collector “ which is a series of baffles and all than precious metal drops into a barrel outside!
Keep at it; it was always very satisfying to mine my own lead, didn’t need to go to the gym on days I did! Lead that used to be bullets or boolits tends to make good boolits; and you can always sweeten the mix with your preferred alloy to make your favorite flavors!

I'm going to try to spend more time at the police range. Hopefully I can bring home 20 pounds or more.

[Petrol & Powder]

I think you'll have better luck when that clay dries out. It's harder to dig when it's rock like BUT it will also separate from the lead easier.

[ThomR]

I think you'll have better luck when that clay dries out. It's harder to dig when it's rock like BUT it will also separate from the lead easier.

That's the plan.

[JoeJames]

Used to go out to the shooting range in my home town.Got a lot of FMJ stuff,but also a lot of lead.Reason?It was the old Navy machine gun range,from WW2.Mostly .45ACP,.30 and .50 cal stuff.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

I'd wonder about tracers though. Should that be a concern?