Range lead yield

[ben lurkin]

I picked up some range lead from a local guy. Any idea on what the typical yield would be on this stuff? IE if I start with 100 lb of range lead, about how many 1 lb ingots should I end up with?

[tg32-20]

It all depends on how much junk is in with the lead. IE; dirt, cardboard rocks etc. plus how many are jacketed bullets or cast boolits.

I would think a good guess would 80+

[Idz]

From our indoor range trap which is lead splats, wood and target picecs, jackets, and steel dust I typically get a 50-60% yield. Berm bullets that have been washed and sorted probably would do better.

[fredj338]

As always, depends. IF you have a lot of jacketed stuff, expect about 15% waste. If it's all lead, less than 2%. IF you pick up the rocks & ****, 50% would be about right.

[el34]

For the last batch I bought from a scrapyard I paid the price for lead, about 60c/lb. It was almost totally jacketed and when I took back the jackets I sold them as copper $2.10/lb which cut my cost in half!

[ben lurkin]

These are berm bullets. No rocks and they've been dry sifted so they're reasonably 'clean'; probably a 50/50 mix jacketed. I paid $0.40/lb for 160 lb. I was a bit leery, but it sounds like I'm into them for a pretty reasonable price; especially if I sell the jackets to the local scrap yard.

Thanks for sharing!

BL

[dilly]

Sell the jackets if you can, but some scrap yards give you grief, or 8¢ a pound. I hope the scrapping works just don't hold your breath for that to fray your cost too much.

[bandit7.5]

All the local yards here wont buy jackets as copper only as brass.

[bobthenailer]

I collect outdoor backsto bullets all year and smelt in the fall , i first seperate the lead bullets from the jacketed bullets and smelt them seperatly, for the jacketed bullets i recovered 56lbs of bullet jackets and received $136.00 from the scrap yard.
IMO the typical yeald is alot higher than WW as theres less waste material and no clips , perhaps 90%+ yeald counting the used jackets as a yeald to be sold $$$$

[evan price]

For outdoor berm lead I figure 75% yield, the rest is jackets and dirt.

[newmexicocrawler]

My last trip I shoveled into a sifter picked out the rocks, 50-50 jacketed to lead bullets. One hours worth the work two buckets 180 total pounds got me 150 pounds of lead after smelting.

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

I tend to get about 85+% out of my range scrap. But mine are picked up individually and I try to get mostly cast when I can. I probably average about 80% cast in my bucket.

[uglysteve]

I also get about 85% good lead, 15% trash. I don't save the copper. Too much work for me to try to clean, sort, and store that stuff till there is enough to sell.

I recently purchased 240lbs of indoor range lead. I finished smelting last night and ended up with 205 lbs of good lead.

[btroj]

I figure on roughly 75 to 80 percent from my outdoor scrap. Indoor range is different, I don't get cardboard, target, or other junk.

[dikman]

Coincidentally, I just "processed" a load of range scrap yesterday. I've used scrap from the BP range I shoot at, and that has a very low loss rate. Smallest calibre is .44/.45 RB, up to some very large solid slugs! However, I've just joined a local pistol club, which shoots mostly modern stuff (very few shoot BP). I went on an off day and collected a load of scrap, all small calibre and very oxidised! After washing and sorting out the bits of stone I ended up with 48 kg/105.6 lbs. After melting into small ingots I ended up with 44 kg/96.8 lbs, a loss of 4 kg/8.8 lbs. just over 8%.

I was amazed at the amount of crud that came off each melt! Even after washing there was obviously a lot of dirt still stuck in there. I only did small batches and ended up using a homemade steel "pot" that I made for melting brass and used it in my forge (the gas was too slow melting the stuff). Even on a low air blast it melted the scrap real quick, much better, but occasionally I could see the "fumes" coming off the pot igniting in the heat! Wheeee.

[olereb]

From my limited experience(new to casting)I would expect 75%-80% like some others have said,that is about what I have gotten from outdoor range lead.

[Grendel99]

How do y'all go about getting the lead from outdoor ranges? I know you use a sifter and shovel, but what I mean is time. The two outdoor ranges we have near me are public and open during daylight hours 7 days a week. There is ALWAYS someone shooting there during daylight. Do you just go at night?

[1Shirt]

I put range pick ups in large tin cans with numerous small holes in the bottom, and run water thru them untill it comes out clear. Works pretty well for me, and I have little dirt to skim off.
1Shirt!