Best way to recover range lead?

[JSnover]

The jackets will float. Never melted plated bullets but I imagine the same thing would happen if you get it hot enough. The copper will float.

[38 Super Auto]

I made a screen out of two layers of 1/4" hardware cloth. I offset them so that the holes were about 1/8". It's not perfect and I don't get .22 bullets, but I do get a lot of rocks. I put legs on the frame so that it would stand up on the slant of the berm. Another suggestion is to use a rocking chair bottom to ease the sifting. I have not tried that one.

It is a lot of work, but I have collected a lifetime supply (maybe?) from the berm. There is a lot of cleanup involved - I do like the idea of the pressure washer before beginning the smelt.

[mike in co]

or you could buy indoor range scrap from me, and skip the dirt part.....
yes you must smelt, no i do not ship, local pickup only. always below market prices.
the smelt produces aprox 65/70% lead...very soft lead...bullet cores are soft near pure lead.
you get about 30% bullet jackets, my scrap yard buys them at range lead scrap prices...so no loss of money.

mike in co
aurora colorado

[mike in co]

go on windy days, when no one is shooting, throw the shovel full in the air above your screen,let the wind blow the light crud away.

mike

[Bill D]

So recovered 22LR bullets how hard or soft?
You can go to a Gold prospecting store they have more sizes of Classifiers that or made for use with a 5gal bucket.

[pjh421]

As long as you keep your smelting temp low (use a pyrometer) anything that's not lead will float to the top, especially if you stir in some Marvelux or its equivalent. Then just skim it.

I've used the car wash too. I had a big screener in the back of the Ranger. Just climbed up there and sprayed. The dirt, etc ran right out the back of the bed. I have to say, though, that that's not my preferred method as its tough to stir the lead around on the screen while you're removing the dirt.

Dumping it on the driveway where you can kick it around as necessary while you garden hose it is, I think, a slight improvement. Then just shovel it into your smelting pot as full as you can get it. As the ore lets the molten lead out, shut off the gas to the burner. Let the lead solidify (still plenty hot, though) and then shovel in a few more scoops of wet ore. Fire up the burner again. Repeat until you have to flux & skim to make more room in the smelting vessel. Keeping as much lead mass in the smelting pot as possible will retain more heat, thus speeding up the re-heat cycle.

Paul

[cohutt]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=28368