Average % lead in range scrap

[Jtarm]

Anyone got a WAG on how much lead you recover from jacketed range scrap?

This is a local indoor range that only allows j-words.

[AndyC]

Well the copper jackets are very light by comparison, so I'm going to say at a guess that at least 98% of the recovered metal's weight should be a soft lead alloy.

I recovered a lot of j-words a few years back and smelted them down, but I didn't weigh them before and after...

[frkelly74]

Also, a side note, You can possibly sell the jacket material back to the scrap yard for brass or maybe even copper prices. This is not true everywhere but it is worth asking about. It must be pretty clean and have all the steel sorted out of it to get the better price.

[AndyC]

I sold mine to a scrapyard as #2 copper (which was generous of them) but all steel has to be removed and you want to get any hint of lead out of the jackets - bounce them a lot.

[Huskerguy]

I reclaim lead from an indoor range. The last big batch I did I think made around 65-70% of lead. Lots of garbage in there, even though it was inside. I also attempt to pull out the jackets but they are not all the same material. If you want top price you have to separate them and make certain they are clean. I lump them all together and take less for them. They take forever to amount to much money. I am not sure they are worth it. I do have some old bottles full of jackets on some of my reloading room shelves.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Pound wise or size wise ? Amount wise the jackets and garbage fill up my pot , pound wise I am losing as not all jackets are releasing all the lead and the dirt rock and sand adds up , but as I did 2 batches last few nights and ended up with 240 lbs or more from about 1-2 hours of sifting and picking at the range .

If the berm was drier it would have been less waste , still worth it .

[Jtarm]

Pound wise or size wise ? Amount wise the jackets and garbage fill up my pot , pound wise I am losing as not all jackets are releasing all the lead and the dirt rock and sand adds up , but as I did 2 batches last few nights and ended up with 240 lbs or more from about 1-2 hours of sifting and picking at the range .

If the berm was drier it would have been less waste , still worth it .

It’s indoor so dirt shouldn’t be a problem.

A local range is selling $1 per lb, so I’m trying to decide if it’s worth it.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Well it probably comes down to how much you value your time , or disposable income , I find it takes a fair amount of time rendering the scrap , but I kind of enjoy doing things for myself so its just part of the do it your self for me .

$1 a pound for the scrap ? If I was needing it maybe , but if I could source other scrap I would go that route unless I had a scrap yard willing to buy the jackets , I do not have a yard willing to take the jackets so that is all waste for me .

[mroliver77]

I average around 60% lead return and 20% jackets and 20% trash. I smelt with a woodburner with a half of a Freon tank inset into the top of it. I fill tank with scrap and then a pint or so of used motor oil and light it on fire. I flux and stir and scrape the dickens out of it with oil, wax and sawdust. My scrap guy gives me dirty brass price for jackets.

[farmbif]

I think that $1/lb is worth it, especially if you don't have any other local sources for bullet casting alloys.. indoor range stuff is usually nice and clean and if you got a scrap yard that is honest there should not be any problem getting #2 scrap copper price for the bullet jackets after melting the lead out.
I've learned through the years not to walk away from resources I have use for that are reasonable priced as long as I can afford it. if you pass it by you just might regret it if you got nothing but much more expensive options in the future. But at $1/lb I'm pretty sure you could resell it just as it is, folks can see exactly what they are getting, and get your money back from fellow casters right here on this site.

[Conditor22]

I have found that IF you don't flux at least 2 times with wax you won't get all the lead out of the jackets.

Sorry never weighed before and after.

[Jtarm]

$1 a pound for the scrap ? If I was needing it maybe , but if I could source other scrap I would go that route unless I had a scrap yard willing to buy the jackets , I do not have a yard willing to take the jackets so that is all waste for me .

Yeah, guess I need to get off my butt & start calling around to the scrap yards.

I’ve seen several threads about estate sale scores, so my wife, who is an estate sale junkie, turned me on to a phone app.

No reloading stuff yet, but I did score a nice old Coleman lantern, Army sleeping bag, and machinist vise at one.

[FLINTNFIRE]

I wish you luck in your pursuit of lead and alloy , I still have a stash of wheel weight from before this state banning lead wheel weights , but I like to get range scrap and other when I can .

I find that with the amount of bullet scrap I am processing that even fluxing 2-3 times or more I still have lead mixed in , but with all the debris and jackets that are not compromised it is going to be that way , as its just my time digging and sifting I am okay with a loss of alloy and after a few hours of kneeling stirring and scooping and all I am glad to be done with it .

I would rather get my scrap from cast only and the bigger the bullet the better , but I take what comes and keep casting and coating and putting aside for the future , on scrap yards the one I had bought lead from and sold old cartridge brass to closed down , still kicking myself for not buying more of what they had .

Have cast and coated some in exchange for scrap , mainly as a favor to a few , not my preferred way of getting lead unless it is making larger sinkers instead of bullets .

[heebs]

Huskerguy is spot on. 65-70% by weight will be your recovery from a berm. Indoor range should be closer to 70-75%. You will have some bullets that are complete FMJ that will not release the lead unless you put a hole in the bullet. Flux it and cast it. It is harder that you think. Range lead comes in at 98.3% lead 1.6% antimony .1% tin.

[Jtarm]

I the one I had bought lead from and sold old cartridge brass to closed down , still kicking myself for not buying more of what they had .

Copy that. Back when I was a small-time caster, I bought from a scrap shop that let me pick through 55-gallon drums full of COWW and lino. I’d fill a 5-gallon bucket & call it a day. Sometimes I’d find huge, clean tractor WWs.

In hindsight, wish I’d taken whole drums. But, I was young, poor, and married to a flake I later sent packing, so I doubt I’d have been able to keep em.

[NyFirefighter357]

You will have some bullets that are complete FMJ that will not release the lead unless you put a hole in the bullet. Flux it and cast it. It is harder that you think. Range lead comes in at 98.3% lead 1.6% antimony .1% tin.

I once got a load of range scrap like this, You need to cut or smash all full jacketed bullets or they will explode. I had a cover on my pot so it didn't do any damage. I'm sure it would at least make a big splash of molten lead. I found not only that I had to flux 2-3 times but I had to get the jackets pretty hot to get them clean. What I did was took the jackets & dross out and put it to the side, when I was done I smelted the jackets & dross a second time.
These day's I wouldn't turn lead down at that price but I would stock pile it in buckets and if I had other lead or cleaner lead I would start with that & keep the range scrap smelting for later use.

[Garyshome]

"A local range is selling $1 per lb, so I’m trying to decide if it’s worth it."

I would pick up maybe 45-50 Lbs. smelt it see if it's worth it.

[CraigOK]

I agree, I'd give it and try and see what you end up with.

[GregLaROCHE]

I get almost all my lead from range scrap. I used to think jacketed bullets all had pure lead cores, but have since seen comments say often they use hard lead. I guess range scrap is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get. Mine has surely varied in hardness.

[Huskerguy]

As someone pointed out above, what is your time worth? How much are you going to get? What is your goal in all of this? As I said earlier, I remelt a bunch of range lead. I probably have 6-8 full buckets ready to melt right now, just waiting for the right day. It is a lot of work and there are fuel costs involved. I use an old plumbers pot that works OK, doesn't do big batches but keeps the lead from getting too hot. I have used a friends turkey fryer and that gets with the program.

If range lead yields about 70% you will have around 11/12 ounces of lead per pound. I know how crappy our range lead is, there is everything in it from shotgun wads, paper, to matting that is used to deflect bullets. A range that allows the bullets to stay more intact may yield more. If you have the equipment and want to spend the time, I say give it a go. Buy enough to give you some good results and set a side a nice windy day and start melting. You will find out how much work it is! However, it does look nice when you have piles of ingots setting around to admire!