Titan ReloadingReloading EverythingLoad DataMidSouth Shooters Supply
Inline FabricationRepackboxWidenersRotoMetals2
Lee Precision
Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 41 to 60 of 66

Thread: Local Police Range

  1. #41
    Boolit Master
    woodbutcher's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    LaFollette Tn
    Posts
    1,398
    Hi Joe.If the base of the slug looked different from plain lead,I just left it laying.Better safe than sorry.One of the lellows that helped me a bit was one of the repair shop guys from the base during WW2.He had some very interesting tales to tell.Like using surface cruising sharks for strafing practice.
    Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
    Leo
    Last edited by woodbutcher; 07-10-2018 at 10:20 AM.
    People never lie so much as after a hunt,during a war,or before an election.
    Otto von Bismarck

  2. #42
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Posts
    390
    Texted the chief today and asked about cleaning up the range. He said contractors are going to be redoing the whole berm at the end of the month. He wasn't sure if they were going to be reclaiming the lead or not as they were still in the bidding process. Maybe I'll finally score in a few weeks.

  3. #43
    Boolit Man Postell's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Indiana
    Posts
    82
    Quote Originally Posted by ThomR View Post
    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.
    Where I mine lead it's clay and under the first two inches of soil its always wet and hard.
    I use a trenching shovel and I skim the top three or four inches of soil and fill buckets up with it. When I get home I then fill the buckets up with water and let them sit overnight. I use a 1/2" drill motor with a drywall mud paddle and in reverse I turn the dirt into thick mud.
    I then hold a garden hose that is running slowly while I mix the mud with the drill motor. Very shortly your fine gravel and lead will be on the bottom with the bullets and chunks of lead above the fines.
    You need to hang on to the bucket with your feet, but it works well and it's quick. I stack buckets all summer and melt during the winter.
    I have a small containment area so I can bring back the dirt that's recycled to the range the next trip in the buckets I fill back up.
    I average 22 to 35 lbs of lead, jackets and fine gravel out of each five gallon bucket of range dirt.
    In mine the 10 and 25 yd pistol ranges for the best results, the rifle ranges the lead is a huge amount of lead fines and I have never gotten near the poundage per bucket.
    PS, if you try it make sure you spin your drill backwards, otherwise you will be wearing mud from your knees down.

  4. #44
    Boolit Master
    nicholst55's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Houston, TX Metro Area
    Posts
    3,606
    Quote Originally Posted by JoeJames View Post
    I'd wonder about tracers though. Should that be a concern?
    Any tracers SHOULD have burned out when they were fired, but if they were old enough, they may have failed to ignite. I would exercise caution with anything that doesn't look like standard FMJ bullets.
    Service members, veterans and those concerned about their mental health can call the Veterans Crisis Line to speak to trained professionals. To talk to someone, call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, send a text message to 838255 or chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat.

    If you or someone you know might be at risk of suicide, there is help. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, text a crisis counselor at 741741 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

  5. #45
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Central CA for the time being!
    Posts
    207
    I have the same deal at a local police range. It has about 10 yrs of lead in it. I usually go once a month when my old agency is shooting. Get there a couple hours before they setup. Usually get 5 to 6 5 gal buckets at 3/4 full. I have just been raking it down off the berm cause there is so much of it there. They are about 90 lbs each and are easy to manage with a dolly and a small trailer. I always help with their brass pick up and they usually let me keep it, they have a lawnmower style brass collector. It makes quick work of the brass as they have astro turf o n The first 25 yards of The range.
    Going tommorrow to get a fresh supply and test some rounds when I am done.

  6. #46
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Posts
    390
    Quote Originally Posted by Postell View Post
    Where I mine lead it's clay and under the first two inches of soil its always wet and hard.
    I use a trenching shovel and I skim the top three or four inches of soil and fill buckets up with it. When I get home I then fill the buckets up with water and let them sit overnight. I use a 1/2" drill motor with a drywall mud paddle and in reverse I turn the dirt into thick mud.
    I then hold a garden hose that is running slowly while I mix the mud with the drill motor. Very shortly your fine gravel and lead will be on the bottom with the bullets and chunks of lead above the fines.
    You need to hang on to the bucket with your feet, but it works well and it's quick. I stack buckets all summer and melt during the winter.
    I have a small containment area so I can bring back the dirt that's recycled to the range the next trip in the buckets I fill back up.
    I average 22 to 35 lbs of lead, jackets and fine gravel out of each five gallon bucket of range dirt.
    In mine the 10 and 25 yd pistol ranges for the best results, the rifle ranges the lead is a huge amount of lead fines and I have never gotten near the poundage per bucket.
    PS, if you try it make sure you spin your drill backwards, otherwise you will be wearing mud from your knees down.
    I might have to give that a shot.

  7. #47
    Boolit Master
    sargenv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Bay Area, California
    Posts
    1,452
    Instead of making something that might be too large for sifting a lot of stuff, I went to my local restaurant supply store and picked up a round wire fry basket that has a 1/4" mesh gap. I can sift about 25-30 pounds per "scoop" out of our berm, shake it well and I get a good amount of junk sifted out of the lead in this manner. I'd used the box with 1/4" mesh before and the fry basket just seems easier..

  8. #48
    Boolit Mold Reloading Rod's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Posts
    20
    The berms I get lead from are also clay and sand, I bought a metal cat litter scoop and just do a scoop at a time. I can usually get 50 or so pounds pretty quick.

  9. #49
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Posts
    390
    Ran out to the police range and got 5 five gallon buckets maybe 2/3 full of range mud. I have them filled up with water and will begin to process them tomorrow.

  10. #50
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Posts
    390
    Waiting on it to dry out. If I plan on mining clay berms in the future I might consider making a small sluice box, or similar device. I wonder if I could use an old cement mixer with a bunch of 1/4 inch holes drilled into the drum with water constantly being pumped into it.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	rawboolitmaterial.jpg 
Views:	34 
Size:	134.5 KB 
ID:	223714

  11. #51
    Boolit Grand Master

    mold maker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Piedmont (Conover) NC
    Posts
    5,429
    Tip the mixer to the point that lead ALMOST exits with the water. The mixer action will release most of the clay and the outflow of water will carry it away.
    I used this method on several tons of range scrap in dense NC red clay. The resulting lead looked like fresh indoor range scrap.
    The dross was also greatly reduced as much of the oxide was also removed.
    Information not shared. is wasted.

  12. #52
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Posts
    390
    Quote Originally Posted by mold maker View Post
    Tip the mixer to the point that lead ALMOST exits with the water. The mixer action will release most of the clay and the outflow of water will carry it away.
    I used this method on several tons of range scrap in dense NC red clay. The resulting lead looked like fresh indoor range scrap.
    The dross was also greatly reduced as much of the oxide was also removed.
    I didn't end up getting the mixer. I got about two thirds of everything melted down yesterday before I ran out of propane. I should end up with around 25 pounds of lead.
    Today I'm planning on making the hour drive to Indiana and stopping in a few tire shops to see if I can score on some wheel weights.

  13. #53
    Boolit Grand Master

    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    England,Ar
    Posts
    7,687
    Good Luck on your wheel weight run! Keep a watch out for the small Mom and Pop shops and any small scrap places.

  14. #54
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Posts
    390
    Managed to get at least some wheel weights. I went to three tire shops. One of them just said no, one gave me what's in the photo, and one said they sell all of their used wheel weights to the scrap yard in town.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	wheelweights.jpg 
Views:	24 
Size:	86.2 KB 
ID:	223763

  15. #55
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Posts
    2,911
    " one said they sell all of their used wheel weights to the scrap yard in town. "
    Ask how much they get, most scrap yards pay around .25¢ a pound. remember current yield after removing FE and ZN (steel and zinc) is around 60%.

  16. #56
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Posts
    390
    Quote Originally Posted by Grmps View Post
    " one said they sell all of their used wheel weights to the scrap yard in town. "
    Ask how much they get, most scrap yards pay around .25¢ a pound. remember current yield after removing FE and ZN (steel and zinc) is around 60%.
    I thought about that after I had already left. Next time I'm over there I might stop by again.
    I left a five gallon bucket with my name and phone number on it at the shop that gave me the wheel weights. Now I need to go sort them.
    I have a bunch of steel and zinc wheel weights from the last couple times I got wheel weights. I might run them up to a scrap yard that sells lead tomorrow and see what they will give me.

  17. #57
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Posts
    390
    I got them all sorted. Total weight with the steel clips still attached and the bucket is 58.2 pounds. Not bad for a quarter tank of gas and a little time.

  18. #58
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Posts
    2,911
    Don't forget those jackets are copper and cleaned up are worth around $1.30 a pound at the scrap yard.

  19. #59
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Posts
    390
    I got all the range scrap melted down earlier. Both trips combined I ended up with right at 30 pounds of lead. I haven't weighed the copper jackets.
    I've gotten quite a bit of lead in the last month or so. 30 pounds of range scrap, ~50 pounds today, and ~20 pounds from a local junk yard.
    All of it was free, minus the time and labor. That's enough to last me for a year or more.
    I'm going to the scrap yard on Wednesday. I'm going to see if I can get some Tin. I'm going to need some if I plan on buying a hollow point mold.

    Is there anyway I can test with basic materials to see how much Tin or Antimony is in my range scrap?

  20. #60
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Posts
    2,911
    TRY CASTING @ 720° If you don't get fill out you need more tin/pewter.

    I'd suggest you keep mining the berms in your free time and build your stockpile while you can

Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
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