Going On My First Range Scrap Dig

[308Jeff]

Decided to take Monday off work and head out to a desert shooting spot to see what we can come up with. Hopefully, it hasn't been recently excavated by someone else.

Not only excited about the prospect of getting some free lead, but really looking forward to spending some quality time with the Dad.

Taking a shovel and screen, some dry panning pans, some guns (of course!), and a roll of heavy duty trash bags in case there's some trash to pick up.

[Budzilla 19]

Good luck! You guys gonna have some fun! My Dad has been gone for 8 years now, so I don't get that any more. Enjoy your time together. Good on you for cleanup of trash.

[samari46]

I made up a screen with some 2x4's and 1/4" hardware cloth. Would take one bucket and stick the screen on top shovel in the good stuff shake then get another bucket and dump in the pickings. Had to stop with the full buckets too darn heavy. Lost count of how many buckets I filled as most of the shooters shot hard cast bullets and they were just laying on the ground. Lost the range but 7 years later would love to go back and see what is on the ground. Frank

[308Jeff]

Thanks, guys.

Dad and I went out today with mixed results. There are literally tens of thousands of bullets out there, but the ground is far to rocky to have any success with a shovel and screen. Instead we were forced to pick up whatever we saw on the surface. The area has been shut down to shooting, and it looks like someone had done a fairly good job of picking up all the "junk". Lots and lots of bullets still there though. We picked up 17 lbs in about an hour and decided to head to another shooting spot that had a dirt berm.

As soon as we got to the next spot, we realized we had miss communicated and left the screen at the first spot! Big bummer. Decided we were going to just go back to the first spot some time later and take some knee pads/knealing board and small buckets and just pluck from the surface again.

All in all it was a great time. The weather was perfect, and I got to spend some time with my dad out at my childhood stomping grounds. I'd forgotten how beautiful it was.

As a bonus, I spotted the old International TD-9 dozer I used to operate grading roads and cleaning out/digging water holes when I was a kid. Felt amazing to climb up on it again. Hoping one day I can buy it and restore it.

And as we were leaving the area, spotted a coyote. He stopped long enough to have his picture snapped.

It was a near-perfect day.


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[dbosman]

Take the rocks if you need to. They'll float on the melt.

[leeggen]

Dad used to run an old dozer like that one, it was a love hate relationship. His was just about worn out and the owner refused to repair it until it quit. Looks like you did alright with the recovery of lead. Every little bit helps, plus you cleaned up an area.
CD

[lightman]

It sounds like you had a good time being out with your Dad. And the lead should still be there. Regroup and try different tactics next time. Thats a cool looking old dozer. I guess its started with a pony motor? Good way to get your arm broken, if I remember correctly! The oldest one that I ran was not that old. I think it was a 1957 model. A powerful but slow beast!

[teg2658]

Wear a dust mask and keep your lead level down. This is the voice of experience.

[Sasquatch-1]

A full bucket will net you about 70 to 90 pounds depending how many jacket bullets are in the mix. Don't forget those jackets have a fair value at the scrap yard.

If you're talking about gravel screen out as much as possible. As already stated the rest will float to the top.

[woodbutcher]

:D If rocky ground,do it the easy way.Lawn rake and a shovel.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[308Jeff]

Thanks, y'all. I had a great time out there. Hoping I can still get in there to pick up some more, even though the BLM has fenced the area off since I was there.

[Teddy (punchie)]

Double the 1/4 screen off set the little squares to make 1/8 if you will. Cover month and nose from dust. Have fun !!!