Question for all of you lead miners out there

[robpete]

I have the opportunity to go clean up at a shut down pistol range. I'm planning on using a sifter and a shovel. What is the best technique for maximum lead recovery, while minimizing the dirt and crud take home? Thanks!

[Wag]

I've never done it but I have to believe you don't have to dig too deep.

--Wag--

[bayjoe]

Lowe's has some screen, I think it is for outside stucco. Comes in sheets of approximately 30" X 60". It works great for sifting

[Trelan]

You want to try to have the soil as dry as possible so that it will crumble to dust and fall through the sifter easy. The other hint I can give you is to build a stand for your sifter so that you can shake it back and forth without having to hold onto the weight.

[btroj]

Depends on soil type. Sand and loam will sift well, clay won't.

I have clay so I pick by hand. My daughter and I can get 25 pounds in around 10 minutes. We shoot some, pick some. Best day was 400 rounds of handgun fired, 160 pounds of lead gathered. All that in around 3 hours. Good day.

[Bullshop Junior]

I always used a sifter make from small expanded metal, built on a rocker stand It worked really well.

[robpete]

Depends on soil type. Sand and loam will sift well, clay won't.

I have clay so I pick by hand. My daughter and I can get 25 pounds in around 10 minutes. We shoot some, pick some. Best day was 400 rounds of handgun fired, 160 pounds of lead gathered. All that in around 3 hours. Good day.

Did you guys have to dig much or was it all hands? those are impressive figures.

[btroj]

I find that shooting moves stuff to the surface. I don't ever dig. I move stuff around not he surface with my foot at most. A 44 mag shovel does an excellent job of digging when needed.

I figure that I am gathering mostly bullets fired years ago. Time, frost heave, and shooting bring them to the surface. Dry conditions make it easier. Our berms at times are almost like dust on the surface, those conditions are best.

Pick low use days and times and have at it. I got 1400 pounds this year, all by hand. Think about it this way, always bring home more than you take. Runs 10 pound surplus each range trip and in 20 trips to the range you are 200 pounds ahead. After a few years you have a nice stash.

I don't want it to become like work. I have fun with it. I do weigh each bucket when I get home and keep track for the year. Goal was 1 k pounds this year blew that away.

[robpete]

beautiful. I'd be happy if I'm half as successful. Definitely encouraged!

[AlaskanGuy]

I built a rocker this year... Kinda the same like they use for gold.... I would take a pic, but it is burried for the winter.... Our soil is very wet due to rain, so i use a gloved hand to spread the gravel against the screen once i drop a shovel full in....

AG

[kungfustyle]

If you get a bunch remember your brothers here

[30CAL-TEXAN]

In the berms I have mined, most of the good stuff is in the top 3 inches of the surface of the berm. I have an old galvanized pail about 3 or 4 gallon size with the bottom cut out and expanded metal welded in place. I scoop the surface of the berm with a flat shovel and chunk it in the bucket. after a couple of shakes and spins I dump the goods in a 5 gallon bucket. Repeat....

after I have filled a couple of buckets I scoop and chunk the fine dirt that was sifted out back to the top of the berm to reface it. It doesn't take long to fill several buckets with scrap.

If you choose to go this route I will give you these hints:

*The welded construction was an upgrade from my first attempt with a plastic bucket - the plastic bucket worked but it didn't last long.
*Make a large and comfortable handle for the bucket, the wire handle will tear your hand up in a hurry.
*Be aware that there will likely be a need for hand sorting or other processing before you can smelt, but hey - it's free right?

That's about it - have fun.

[btroj]

I take a large plastic cup down range. Mine hold 13 pounds when full. This is then dumped into small bucket kept at firing line. This bucket will hold around 60 pounds. If it gets full it gets dumped into a larger bucket in bed of truck. I have never filled that one.

I figure a 30 pound day is poor, 50 isn't bad, over 70 is good. Have broken 100 on three occasions, they were awesome days. I still have almost 4 full 5 gal buckets to smelt down.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Don't overlook the modest garden hose which (in warm weather) can flush away a lot of soil, sand. etc and leave you with generous piles of lead pieces that are easy to gather up. If you happen to have access to a creek/stream you can "pan" the stuff easily. Make sure that what you wind up with gets a chance to dry well before you attempt to smelt. A good shovel and a garden trowel helps makes things go easier. LLS

[Gtek]

Took me a while to focus where most of the bullets are in the trajectory line from firing line elevation to hill, I get side tracked real easy with a fat one laying behind me. I made a 2x4 frame that sat on wheel barrel with 1/4" mesh on top. Throw a couple shovels on top and bang away frame to cart, when you are close take GLOVED (Trust Me) hands and finish off. Also had large enough plastic tray to dump on, then pick up tray and dump in bucket. Little dirt in the mix does not bother me, to be dealt with at home base. I sort and throw back on mesh frame at house, rinse a couple times to reduce pot mess. Store dry place for a while and when the day comes, get to melting. Gtek

[Jal5]

I do the same as btroj here with our clay soil just a smaller total than he does! My old back can't take that much bending for that long. But I never see anyone else doing mining/gathering at our range so I am happy.

[btroj]

It backers an obsession after a while.

My suggestion is to keep it fun. As load as you are running a net surplus then all is good.

Best goal is to always bring home a bit more lead than you took with you.

[375RUGER]

How much are you planning on harvesting? A lifetime supply/enough to make some money also? A few hundred pounds? If the answer is a life time supply-think motorized. 2 guys can harvest 250# and hour with my homemade sifter bucket (manual). It's a 5 gallon bucket with a screen in the bottom.

[varmint243]

I use expanded metal lathe from Lowes for the screen.
I have a U shaped box with only three sides framed so I can scrape the lead in and pour it out easily of the side with no wood.
It sound like it wouldn't work properly but it does.
A full drywall bucket of range scrap gets me about 90-100lbs of lead
It is a fair amount of physical work.
Sadly, 100lbs of lead does go as far as you think if you are a pistol shooter.

IMO kids shouldn't be exposed to the lead hazard without proper safety precautions.
Lead is bad for everyone, but worse for the younger ones.

[robpete]

I have an old concrete sifter of my grandfather's. It will easily harvest 25+ pounds at a time. Unfortunately, this is not going to be a day of pleasure. I have one shot at this before the weather changes again and freezes me out. Excavation is set for the beginning of the year. My goal is 10 full five gallon buckets. There's more there, but I'll be toast after the ten.