Digging through the brass bucket

[cabezaverde]

Tonight, while in my loading room, I was thinking about how much harder to get and more expensive brass is becoming. I started scratching around in some of my "scrap brass buckets".

Amazing some of the stuff I used to throw from my range scrounging adventures. Now I am looking at it with new eyes. Might have to go through those buckets again before I get rid of any of it permanently.

[hoosierlogger]

Amen If I had back all of the brass I left lying on the ground at the range before I started reloading I would be alot better off right now. Kind of sickening to think about isnt it?

[cabezaverde]

Amen If I had back all of the brass I left lying on the ground at the range before I started reloading I would be alot better off right now. Kind of sickening to think about isnt it?

I am a long time reloader, so never left it lie. Now I am going to be less picky about what I keep.

[atr]

everytime I go to the range I scrounge brass.....it is amazing how much good brass is thrown away....

[docone31]

Perhaps my idea of converting Berdan cases was really not so far fetched.
I know it can be done, the trick is to do it simply.

[Beekeeper]

docone31,
Check with Buckshot.
He has a method of converting berdan using shotshell209 primers.
I don't have a lathe so I haven't tried it but I did download it and put it in my book

beekeeper

[docone31]

I have been in tough with Buckshot on this. We never did go through with it though.
He is a very patient, decent person to deal with.
This is the idea I was working on.
http://users.ameritech.net/mchandler/primer.html
The main reason we never went through with it,
The Berdan brass was just too thin. At the time I couldn't see many reloads from them. Now, however, I wish I had not melted my brass into ingots. I had thousands of cases in .303 British, .308, 30-06. My prime stable.
Shortly after my conversations with Buckshot, I stumbled onto a couple of thousand MilSurp each.
By the time I am going to need a convertor, the brass will be used up.

[EMC45]

I'm guilty myself. I would cast a scornful eye at a particular caliber and say to myself "I will never load for that caliber". I now grab everything.

[trickyasafox]

i pick most anything. If I can't use it, maybe a friend can or I can use it for trade, or maybe luck into something in that caliber.

brass pickings are getting slim in my area though. some days its all I can do to come back with what I started with.

[Ole]

The range where I shoot: You can't pick up brass unless you fired it.

[Shiloh]

everytime I go to the range I scrounge brass.....it is amazing how much good brass is thrown away....

Been doing this for years. I'm in good shape but always vigilant.

Shiloh

[Shiloh]

I have been in tough with Buckshot on this. We never did go through with it though.
He is a very patient, decent person to deal with.
This is the idea I was working on.
http://users.ameritech.net/mchandler/primer.html
The main reason we never went through with it,
The Berdan brass was just too thin. At the time I couldn't see many reloads from them. Now, however, I wish I had not melted my brass into ingots. I had thousands of cases in .303 British, .308, 30-06. My prime stable.
Shortly after my conversations with Buckshot, I stumbled onto a couple of thousand MilSurp each.
By the time I am going to need a convertor, the brass will be used up.

Nice Post and link !! Thanks!!

Shiloh

[JW6108]

Been doing this for years. I'm in good shape but always vigilant.

Shiloh

That's the answer right there.

[Gunslinger]

I started collecting 9mm, .38 and .357 mag brass years before I stated reloading... I've always known that I would start sooner or later... and am glad that I acquired so much brass through the years.

I did the same with 30-06 brass that I fired. Norma brass is pretty expensive here, so when I started reloading I had accumulated some 300 casings...

[hoosierlogger]

I just joined the local range today $20 bucks a year they have at least 10 ranges from 15 to 300 yards and clay pigeon traps as well. Today I took my .45acp, 9mm, and my lil .380. out for a little plinking. I left there with about 250 rounds of .45acp brass, 175 ish 9mm, about 25 .38 spl, and probably 150 .40 S&W. Not too bad for the first trip to the range. The best part is it is 3 miles from home.

[JIMinPHX]

The range where I shoot: You can't pick up brass unless you fired it.

Where do you usually shoot?

[JIMinPHX]

Lately I've been doing pretty well finding .45acp, .40s&w & 9mm brass at the place that I usually shoot out in the desert. Apparently a bunch of yahoos go out there every weekend & shoot the place up silly, but don't bother to clean up after themselves. Every now & then, I go out there with about 4 garbage bags & quart size jar for brass. Sometimes I find other calibers too. Unfortunately, most of the .223 that I find is steel case. Same goes for the Russian .30s, both 39 & 54. The guys that shoot the 7mm mag & the .308 seem to clean up after themselves pretty well. I only find one or two of them once in a while. I've probably found over a hundred live .22s. Somebody that shoots there is a slob with them too, even now as ammo prices are up & availability is down.

[nicholst55]

Jim, a lot of folks have discovered that the steel .223 can be reloaded at least once. The necks tend to split after that.

[Ole]

Where do you usually shoot?

I usually go out to the stix and shoot in the desert. :)

When I go to the range, it's almost always Rio Salado Sportsman club (on Ellsworth/NE Apache Junction, on the way to Saguaro lake)

[JIMinPHX]

I've never been to Rio Salado. Somebody told me they have a good long rifle range there. Do you need to be a member or something to shoot there? I usually either hit the desert or the Ben Avery Range.

By the way, I tried some of your boolits this morning with very good results.

Thanks,
Jim

[Ole]

I've never been to Rio Salado. Somebody told me they have a good long rifle range there. Do you need to be a member or something to shoot there? I usually either hit the desert or the Ben Avery Range.

By the way, I tried some of your boolits this morning with very good results.

Thanks,
Jim

They sell daily memberships for $6 or $7, can't remember which.

They have 7, 25, 50, 100, 200 yard marked target stands. They have a fairly large metal gong setup @ 300 yards.

I never go there during the weekend. Way too crowded.

Happy to hear you had good luck with the boolits. I had the same results first time I shot them. It's great to be able to shoot the SKS on the cheap once again. :Fire::drinks:

If you can't find any 7.62x39 brass, let me know and i'll share 100 of my stash with you. I was able to get 1000 IMI cases from Wideners before they ran out. These are some nice looking cases. Very nice annealing and they look to be better than the WW or PMC brass that I have been using.

[ljshooter]

everytime I go to the range I scrounge brass.....it is amazing how much good brass is thrown away....

Same here. I have no shame in asking others for their 45 and 40 brass when they are done.

[JIMinPHX]

If you can't find any 7.62x39 brass, let me know and i'll share 100 of my stash with you.

Thank you for yet another generous offer, but I found 20 pieces of Fiocchi brass out in the desert the other day. I think I'm alright for now.

[Jon]

I picked up some 9mm, 40, and 45acp brass the other day. It's usually pretty slim pickings. I think I'll start picking up the steel cased stuff too if it can be reloaded once.

I'll use it for winter loads.

[Recluse]

If I pick up any more $#%& 40S&W brass, I'm gonna have to buy a $#%& 40S&W caliber pistol. I have over a thousand rounds of the stuff right now, and that is just from what manages to find it's way into my range bag--I try to sort through the stuff BEFORE I put it in the bag. . . I shudder to think how much of the stuff I'd have if I DIDN'T sort best I could before tossing it in my range brass bag.

:coffee:

[Jon]

If I pick up any more $#%& 40S&W brass, I'm gonna have to buy a $#%& 40S&W caliber pistol. I have over a thousand rounds of the stuff right now, and that is just from what manages to find it's way into my range bag--I try to sort through the stuff BEFORE I put it in the bag. . . I shudder to think how much of the stuff I'd have if I DIDN'T sort best I could before tossing it in my range brass bag.

:coffee:

I'm sure someone reloads 40 and would trade you for something that you need.

That's what I plan on doing with the brass I pick up here and there.:drinks:

[Hipshot]

Hey,
This is a cast bullet site------why don't you guys go to the scrap yard with your unwanted brass and trade it for lead ! [smilie=1:

Hipshot

[Hang Fire]

Lately I've been doing pretty well finding .45acp, .40s&w & 9mm brass at the place that I usually shoot out in the desert. Apparently a bunch of yahoos go out there every weekend & shoot the place up silly, but don't bother to clean up after themselves. Every now & then, I go out there with about 4 garbage bags & quart size jar for brass. Sometimes I find other calibers too. Unfortunately, most of the .223 that I find is steel case. Same goes for the Russian .30s, both 39 & 54. The guys that shoot the 7mm mag & the .308 seem to clean up after themselves pretty well. I only find one or two of them once in a while. I've probably found over a hundred live .22s. Somebody that shoots there is a slob with them too, even now as ammo prices are up & availability is down.

Same here, there is one spot where the locals go to blaze away, good pickings. I trained the wife years ago, out riding the ATV's, she can now spot a glint off brass in the grass (well, here, in the cacti) better than I can.

[geargnasher]

I pick up whatever I can, whenever I can, and have been known to use a large accumulation of a particular caliber as an excuse to by a gun chambered for it!

[JIMinPHX]

If I pick up any more $#%& 40S&W brass, I'm gonna have to buy a $#%& 40S&W caliber pistol.
:coffee:

They're on sale at Cabella's this week...
S&W Sigma .40 cal -$349.99
Glock 17/22 .40 cal $524.99
Springfield XD .40 cal - $519.99

:Fire: