Panning for Lead ie Berm Mining

[GLOCKENNBOOMER]

http://www.glockpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1388

Cohutt is the official "leadwhore" on GlockPost.com. We have red clay here and it is dirty dirty work. The most I have is a five gallon bucket full, but you know what when I look at that bucket I've got I don't think about the work....

[lunicy]

A million dollars for a lead magnet. What if we get a group buy together?

[lunicy]

My range is pretty sandy. That plastic colander thing that comes from dillon works great.

[shooter2]

A number of years ago the Skeet/trap range I shot at had a huge pile they skimmed off. They use a small, portable cement mixed and simply kept it turning while running water and tipping it ocassionally to get the debris out. No, it did not seem to damage the shot. As I recall, a gallon jug was about 25# and they sold it for about 1/4 the cost of new. It worked fine and came out surpisingly clean.

[JIMinPHX]

Wow, it never rains here. When i'm done shooting I walk down to the backstop and lead is everywhere in sight. In 10 minutes I picked up atleast 5 pounds of lead.

Really? Where do you shoot? Ben Avery doesn't want people mining the berms & I only find occasional slugs at the more heavily used BLM shooting areas. I'm lucky if I find a pound in an hour there.

[Leadforbrains]

Ive done some berm mining. It is work, but I find it fun to get out and do it. I have got around 400 lbs or so smelted and put up so far. I am using it to mix with my wheel weight ingots for casting my boolits.

[Jon]

Someone suggested using some 1/4" HW cloth in the bottom of a 5 gal bucket. That seems to work fairly well. I pulled out about 75 lbs in an hour or so at the pistol range berm. Someone beat me to all the good stuff on the top though. I later found out who it was, and he's the gun club scrounge. I think he's semi-retired so it's pretty hard to beat a guy that can get out there when he wants to.

There's still plenty there, and I'll probably go back and fill up the rest of my buckets as I have time. Now to get a turkey burner and a cast iron pot. The Lee 10lb pot is waaaaaay too slow for my liking in processing lead. It's ok for melting ingots to cast bullets, but for range lead processing, it's painful.

[cohutt]

i set up a sluice box on my second attempt. recirculated water over the caked lead nuggets until everything was washed off, then repeated with a new shovelfull over and over until done.

the design was found on a hobby gold mining web site.

[MT Gianni]

Has anyone with their private range considered a ton bale of straw as a backstop? They are almost a giveaway item in late spring and early summer. I think almost all of the bullets shot would be stopped inside and when it was time to replace it because it was rotten, cut the ties, and scatter it a bit bullets should all go to the bottom in a week then it could be hauled off and burned or spread.

[targetshootr]

Our range doesn't allow mining the berm but so far they have no problem if we pick them up by hand. I say "so far" because of the large number of busybodies who make the rules which change from month to month. Someone in central NC could make a fortune if they opened an outdoor range and ran it properly.

[BowHunter252]

Our range doesn't allow mining the berm but so far they have no problem if we pick them up by hand. I say "so far" because of the large number of busybodies who make the rules which change from month to month. Someone in central NC could make a fortune if they opened an outdoor range and ran it properly.

I am in central NC. Which range are you talking about?

[Nora]

It won't have any effect with a dirt berm, but if it is a club setting, you may want to suggest they use recycled tire blocks. A conservation club I use to belong to had 2 large walls of them about 6 ft high each for the hand gun back stops. After a couple of years they became so over burdened they fell over. It was like a huge piñata of lead had broke open and lay there in a huge mound ready for collection.

[rondog]

Jeez guys, as if I don't have enough of a problem as a brass *****, now you're gonna get me to diggin in the berms at the club range? Don't temp me like this, I'm FAR too susceptible to suggestions!

[Ancesthntr]

Jeez guys, as if I don't have enough of a problem as a brass *****, now you're gonna get me to diggin in the berms at the club range?

I hear you - but when you think about it, getting lead this way is a lot easier than going to tire stores and junk yards. Usually the bullet lead is already somewhat harder than pure, so there's not much you have to do except clean it.

Oh, and a client of mine runs a range...I think that I'll have to ask about that or, if they already recycle it, if I can buy some of the lead from them (which I know they'll sell to me for a nominal price.

[clintsfolly]

a Buddy and i mined a club indoor smallbore range yesterday and got 9 5gal pails full of lead!! most was good clean globs took 3 1/2 hrs to get and clean up after best part was FREE an we got to get together and have fun clint