Howdy Pards
A large, outdoor shooting range I’ve used for years has tall, dirt berms for backstops. They are possibly 20 feet in height.
The berms are tall enough that various shooting clubs have their target sheds behind them.
Years back when our club was retrieving target holders from a shed, I noticed an abundance of brown and black pebbles on the ground.
Not brown and black pebbles. Nope … spent bullets. All shapes and sizes but 38 and 45 wad cutters are the most frequently encountered. Plenty of 9mm and 45 FMJs too. I suspect they skid along the ground and slide over the berm in the manner of a roller coaster.
They form an abundant, seemingly endless supply of casting lead. I’ve made use of them for decades.
I cast them into ingots and label them as “range lead”. While probably useful as is for low-velocity reloads, I typically add some linotype or 60/40 solder for additional hardness and to improve pouring quality.
Recently with time on my hands I took 30 minutes to pick up range lead … about all my complaining back would permit. I was rewarded with 19+ one-pound ingots. That’s a whole mess of 70-grain 25 caliber bullets and no small amount of 40, 44, and 45 bullets.
I frequent a near-by indoor range. They probably have a “ton” of backstop lead. While I suspect they sell it to a recycler, a next step would be to determine if they’d part with some of it for me.
I’ve been casting for several decades. For most of that time my primary lead source was used wheel weights. Tire stores gave them away free or charged a nominal amount. Now they sell them to recyclers. When asked about availability of used wheel weights, their reaction is not unlike asking them to donate a kidney.
So … backstop lead is my source of plentiful, free casting lead. The only expense is my time.
Mention this to alert Pards to a lead source of which they may not have been aware.
Keep on the sunny side.
Adios
Fort Reno Kid