A couple more buckets...

[imashooter2]

Shot USPSA at the range that gives me the scrap from their indoor range on Sunday. This range is 75 miles up a toll road and I only get there a few times a year. I always borrow the wife's Impala for this one, having learned my lesson from hauling home 5 buckets in my '93 Mustang once. They had 3 buckets and I took them all (what else?). After we got home I let one go to my partner who is just starting out and still a little low on stock.

Anyway, a good day playing shoot and move games and couple hundred pounds of free lead to boot. Life could offer a lot less.

[targetshootr]

What percentage is j-worded? I've started picking up lead at our outdoor range and I'm not sure what to do the those. I read they'll make a pop as the lead melts inside. I'm surprised how much lead I've got over the course of several trips and I don't do any digging.

[imashooter2]

With range scrap, every bucket is different. If I had to estimate this stuff over time though, it would be about 50% .22's, 25% jacketed and 25% commercial cast. No problem with jacketed popping from this indoor range scrap. They split and splatter on the armor plate backstop. For your outdoor scrap, you have 2 issues:

1) TMJ bullets that didn't split in the dirt backstop will build pressure in the jacket till it vents which can cause a little jet of molten metal to ruin your day.

2) Water can seep up between the jacket and core of FMJ, JSP or JHP and cause a steam explosion if you drop them into molten lead.

You can get past either of those by smelting in a heavy pot with a good lid and not adding new material to molten lead.

Free lead is free lead. Take it!

[targetshootr]

Thanks for the pointers. I wish I'd been picking them up way before now, considering what lead costs per pound and the gas it takes to run around looking for ww. It adds up quick.

[armoredman]

Thanks for the tips - I am getting some range lead soon too.

[Rottweiler]

1) TMJ bullets that didn't split in the dirt backstop will build pressure in the jacket till it vents which can cause a little jet of molten metal to ruin your day.

Don't ask how I know about that one...

TMJ's get a little bite from a pair of lineman's pliers to nick the jacket before they go into the pot here.

[imashooter2]

Targetshootr, I've been known to pick a couple bullets off the surface when I walk to the backstop too... I usually just pick the cast bullets and leave the jacketed. 99% of the cast you pick up will be commercial cast and the alloy is usually Taracorp (92/6/2). I segregate that melt since I have relatively little of it and use it for rifle only.

Armoredman, if you are getting large quantities of outdoor scrap I recommend you turn the buckets out into a wheel barrow or onto a sheet of ply wood and load the pot with a long handled shovel. It really isn't practical to do large quantities without adding more material to already molten lead. Turning the material out of the buckets gives you a last chance to look it over for dud .22's. Loading it into the pot with a long handled shovel means you aren't standing right over the melt if something goes bad. I do it that way with my indoor scrap. So far, no surprises, but better safe than sorry!

[MT Gianni]

A tap from a 4 lb hammer works well on TMJ's also. Gianni