Bullet recovery at outdoor range
holdenvc...@gmail.com
I've been looking at old threads about constructing home ranges, and
something no one seems to talk about is recovering the bullets. Or
does everyone just leave them in the berms forever?
I shoot mostly lead from handguns, and I'm thinking that the long
winters here would be a good time to learn to cast my own bullets, and
if I can recover the ones I shoot during spring and summer, that would
be a nice little bit of recycling to be able to do.
I'm hoping there's something I can construct for maybe a couple
hundred bucks. Has anyone done something like this at their own home
ranges? I'd be very grateful for any advice anyone can offer.
-Ian
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Steve W.
# Hi,
#
# I've been looking at old threads about constructing home ranges, and
# something no one seems to talk about is recovering the bullets. Or
# does everyone just leave them in the berms forever?
#
# I shoot mostly lead from handguns, and I'm thinking that the long
# winters here would be a good time to learn to cast my own bullets, and
# if I can recover the ones I shoot during spring and summer, that would
# be a nice little bit of recycling to be able to do.
#
# I'm hoping there's something I can construct for maybe a couple
# hundred bucks. Has anyone done something like this at their own home
# ranges? I'd be very grateful for any advice anyone can offer.
#
# -Ian
#
Bullet trap. Local range uses a venetian blind style made from steel
plate on the handgun range. No need to sift dirt or sand just go down
with the scoop and collect the lead. The trap opening is 6'tall. Behind
the slats there are some heavy truck mud flaps to stop any returns. Then
behind the flaps they have the standard RR tie wall with dirt berm
behind it. You should be able to build one reasonable if you have a way
to get the slat steel. The sides on this one are heavy steel C channel
with slots cut so the slats slide in. They are retained with bolts so
they can be replaced if they get damaged. The one they have will handle
any handgun round as long as it isn't AP or the like.
--
Steve W.
R.L. Horn
<holdenvc...@gmail.com> wrote:
# I've been looking at old threads about constructing home ranges, and
# something no one seems to talk about is recovering the bullets. Or
# does everyone just leave them in the berms forever?
I've been involved in recovering bullets from a club range. It's darned
hard work, but doable. You just dig up the berm and sift out the bullets.
If you want to regularly recover bullets for recasting, though, you're a lot
better off with a bullet trap. It needn't be particularly large, just big
enough that you won't miss all that often (I'm assuming you'll set it up in
front of a backstop). A piece of steel plate, 3/8" or heavier (the heavier
the better), angled at 45 degrees to the ground does the job pretty well for
pistols. A large trap might need a rubber-strip curtain to keep everything
contained.
Some folks use old tires for a backstop, but I can't honestly recommend it.
I've been whacked too many times by bullets bouncing off tires (and, for
some reason, they always make a beeline for your head or groin).
# I'm hoping there's something I can construct for maybe a couple hundred
# bucks.
The costs will be decided by the resources and equipment at hand and how
fancy you want to get. It could be as little as a few buck's worth of
tractor diesel to construct a berm, or many tens of thousands of dollars to
hire equipment, purchase earth, put up sheltered stations, safety baffles,
snail traps, etc.
Henry
wanted to do what your are planning.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1517980/posts
You may want to look into what your state and county may say about this.
Their concern should be limited to safety of your neighbors, but make sure.
A couple of gun ranges (commercial) on Long Island and in FL got some heat
from Neighbors who moved in knowing the gun ranges where there.
Are you going to need special insurance coverage incase of a wayward bullet?
Some of the long time shooters in the NG may be able to offer more
information.
Hope you will post follow-ups to keep us informed of your progress.
Henry
BAJJERFAN
> ...
I think most folks would just go out and pick them up. You can either
set up some sort of trap or have your berm sloped. Many will be easy
to find, esp after a rain. just put them in a strainer and wash the
dirt off. Not sure what to tell you about the highly corroded ones;
maybe just end up with more slag or doss. Dross is the crap that
floats on top of molten lead.
Omelet
holdenvc...@gmail.com wrote:
# Hi,
#
# I've been looking at old threads about constructing home ranges, and
# something no one seems to talk about is recovering the bullets. Or
# does everyone just leave them in the berms forever?
#
# I shoot mostly lead from handguns, and I'm thinking that the long
# winters here would be a good time to learn to cast my own bullets, and
# if I can recover the ones I shoot during spring and summer, that would
# be a nice little bit of recycling to be able to do.
#
# I'm hoping there's something I can construct for maybe a couple
# hundred bucks. Has anyone done something like this at their own home
# ranges? I'd be very grateful for any advice anyone can offer.
#
# -Ian
There are such things.
Google for "bullet traps".
--
--
Peace! Om
"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a Bitch."
-- Jack Nicholson
Louis Boyd
# something no one seems to talk about is recovering the bullets. Or
# does everyone just leave them in the berms forever?
#
# I shoot mostly lead from handguns, and I'm thinking that the long
# winters here would be a good time to learn to cast my own bullets, and
# if I can recover the ones I shoot during spring and summer, that would
# be a nice little bit of recycling to be able to do.
#
# I'm hoping there's something I can construct for maybe a couple
# hundred bucks. Has anyone done something like this at their own home
# ranges? I'd be very grateful for any advice anyone can offer.
#
If your range has a dirt berm you could use a "dry washer" like old
time miners used to separate gold from dirt sand and gravel. It just
shakes the gravel in a hand or motor driven rocker box and the heavy
metals separate out by gravity Wet washers work too but they're
messy. Dry washers work best on dry crumbly soil. If the soil has
clay and clumps then a wet washer will do better. I haven't used those
specifically for recovering bullets but I've done some hobby gold
mining and the same machines efficiently separates bullets and lead shot
from dirt and gravel.
Google:
dry washer
sluice box
trommel
riffle box
Those are all machines for separating heavy metals from dirt or gravel.
professorpaul
range is not "hot" I'll dig up some lead. Since there is a lot of
dirt, you need to wash it off, etc. Then just melt it down and away
you go!
Rubaiyat of Omar Bradley
# I'm hoping there's something I can construct for maybe a couple
# hundred bucks.
It would probably be more practical to use a "snail" type bullet trap,
but this seems like something that would be difficult to do for just a
few hundred $. Also, what will you do to keep down the lead dust?
See http://www.snailtraps.com/popups/wetTrapDetail.htm
sta...@prolynx.com
#
# I've been looking at old threads about constructing home ranges, and
# something no one seems to talk about is recovering the bullets. Or
# does everyone just leave them in the berms forever?
#
# I shoot mostly lead from handguns, and I'm thinking that the long
# winters here would be a good time to learn to cast my own bullets, and
# if I can recover the ones I shoot during spring and summer, that would
# be a nice little bit of recycling to be able to do.
#
# I'm hoping there's something I can construct for maybe a couple
# hundred bucks. Has anyone done something like this at their own home
# ranges? I'd be very grateful for any advice anyone can offer.
#
# -Ian
#
If you go digging around, pretty soon you don't have a berm. What you
probably need to construct/buy is a bullet trap. Costs more than just
piling up some dirt, though. These can range from a plate of steel at
45 degrees with a pit of sand underneath to a fairly fancy arrangement
with a curved snail that drops the fired lead into a can underneath.
These days, just the iron is going to cost you more than a couple of
hundred bucks. What you have to have depends on the loads you use.
Stan
Gerald "Brick" Brickwood
<holdenvc...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:fvb5ek$c5p$1...@grapevine.wam.umd.edu...
> ...
Then put in a steel bullet trap so you can recover the bullets with having
to re-excavate and sieve the berm's soil to recover the bullets. These days
machine time for the excavating equipment and screening unit will be very
high. But if you really like the idea of screening the soil use a medium
grained sand and keep it as clean as possible then you might be able to do
it with a shovel and hand-opearted sieve. But i guarantee you'll hate it
after the first cubic yard!
Charles
# Hi,
#
# I've been looking at old threads about constructing home ranges, and
# something no one seems to talk about is recovering the bullets. Or
# does everyone just leave them in the berms forever?
#
# I shoot mostly lead from handguns, and I'm thinking that the long
# winters here would be a good time to learn to cast my own bullets, and
# if I can recover the ones I shoot during spring and summer, that would
# be a nice little bit of recycling to be able to do.
#
# I'm hoping there's something I can construct for maybe a couple
# hundred bucks. Has anyone done something like this at their own home
# ranges? I'd be very grateful for any advice anyone can offer.
#
When I was a kid and life was simpler, we used to go to a police range
in West Reading (when no one was there) and dig lead bullets out of the
berm behind the targests. No one ever saw us, so we weren't bothered at
all. A metal detector would help find the ones you missed.
Better yet, shoot in the winter when the snow's 4 feet deep. Then the
bullets recovered are in almost perfect shape, except for the rifling
marks.
Charles
Jim Yanik
news:fvg2v8$b44$1...@grapevine.wam.umd.edu:
# The one they have will handle
# any handgun round as long as it isn't AP or the like.
Nobody should possess or be shooting AP -HANDGUN- rounds.
I believe they are illegal to manufacture or possess.(US,civilians)
--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net
nick hull
Jim Yanik <jya...@kua.net> wrote:
# Nobody should possess or be shooting AP -HANDGUN- rounds.
# I believe they are illegal to manufacture or possess.(US,civilians)
IIRC, it is perfectly legal to make and use AP handgun rounds, just
illegal to sell
Free men own guns - www(dot)geocities(dot)com/CapitolHill/5357/
.
Hank
wrote:
#
# It would probably be more practical to use a "snail" type bullet trap,
# but this seems like something that would be difficult to do for just a
# few hundred $. Also, what will you do to keep down the lead dust?
#
Dust was also the problem I had. I built a trap, figuring I'd end up
w/ less lead in my berm. Instead of inert lead bullets in the berm I
was ending up w/ lots of shaved lead and dust. I decided to just
leave the lead in the berm.
However, if somebody can come up w/ a better idea I'll give it a
try.
Omelet
wrote:
# # I'm hoping there's something I can construct for maybe a couple
# # hundred bucks. Has anyone done something like this at their own home
# # ranges? I'd be very grateful for any advice anyone can offer.
# #
# # -Ian
# #
# If you go digging around, pretty soon you don't have a berm. What you
# probably need to construct/buy is a bullet trap. Costs more than just
# piling up some dirt, though. These can range from a plate of steel at
# 45 degrees with a pit of sand underneath to a fairly fancy arrangement
# with a curved snail that drops the fired lead into a can underneath.
# These days, just the iron is going to cost you more than a couple of
# hundred bucks. What you have to have depends on the loads you use.
#
# Stan
http://www.snailtraps.com/
--
--
Peace! Om
"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a Bitch."
-- Jack Nicholson
Omelet
"R.L. Horn" <ne...@eastcheap.org> wrote:
# On Thu, 1 May 2008 01:12:52 +0000 (UTC), holdenvc...@gmail.com
# <holdenvc...@gmail.com> wrote:
#
# # I've been looking at old threads about constructing home ranges, and
# # something no one seems to talk about is recovering the bullets. Or
# # does everyone just leave them in the berms forever?
#
# I've been involved in recovering bullets from a club range. It's darned
# hard work, but doable. You just dig up the berm and sift out the bullets.
#
# If you want to regularly recover bullets for recasting, though, you're a lot
# better off with a bullet trap. It needn't be particularly large, just big
# enough that you won't miss all that often (I'm assuming you'll set it up in
# front of a backstop). A piece of steel plate, 3/8" or heavier (the heavier
# the better), angled at 45 degrees to the ground does the job pretty well for
# pistols. A large trap might need a rubber-strip curtain to keep everything
# contained.
#
# Some folks use old tires for a backstop, but I can't honestly recommend it.
# I've been whacked too many times by bullets bouncing off tires (and, for
# some reason, they always make a beeline for your head or groin).
#
# # I'm hoping there's something I can construct for maybe a couple hundred
# # bucks.
#
# The costs will be decided by the resources and equipment at hand and how
# fancy you want to get. It could be as little as a few buck's worth of
# tractor diesel to construct a berm, or many tens of thousands of dollars to
# hire equipment, purchase earth, put up sheltered stations, safety baffles,
# snail traps, etc.
Stacked wet newspaper is supposed to work well too.
--
--
Peace! Om
"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a Bitch."
-- Jack Nicholson
Zomby...@cox.net
wrote:
#On May 2, 5:01 pm, Rubaiyat of Omar Bradley <cowartmi...@yahoo.com>
#wrote:
##
## It would probably be more practical to use a "snail" type bullet trap,
## but this seems like something that would be difficult to do for just a
## few hundred $. Also, what will you do to keep down the lead dust?
##
#Dust was also the problem I had. I built a trap, figuring I'd end up
#w/ less lead in my berm. Instead of inert lead bullets in the berm I
#was ending up w/ lots of shaved lead and dust. I decided to just
#leave the lead in the berm.
#
#However, if somebody can come up w/ a better idea I'll give it a
#try.
#
Berm-a shave?
--
"Before all else, be armed" -- Machiavelli
Harold Burton
2x2 frame with hardware cloth nailed to it's bottom. After I did my shooting
I'd shovel earth from the face of the berm, sift out the bullets and throw
the earth back higher on the face of the berm. 20 0r 30 minutes of that
would get me 20 pounds or so of fired bullets. I'd melt them, flux'em with
candle wax and separate lead and dross and cast'em into small ingots. I fed
my electric lead heater with those and cast my bullets cheaply. I found
cutting the reclaimed bullet metal about half and half with wheel weights
gave me a pretty usable
alloy but never was particular about it. If it cast well it generally shot
well.
Harold Burton Sr.
<Zomby...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:fvnsi6$4ub$1...@grapevine.wam.umd.edu...
> ...
MRC
> ...
I just recently completed the remediation and disposal of lead
contaminated soil at a gun range. The contamination was not a large
issue, it was the disposal issue. It was done for aesthetic purposes.
We had to dig and remove all the lead casting we could find. Someone
prior to our getting on the job had tried to sieve the soil. They did
recover at least a partial drum (at least that was all that was left out
there). The owner I think did this thinking he could sell it but
unfortunately there was no market he could find that would take it.
We worked on that site for several weeks. I think we disposed of at
least 2000 CY of soil and there was still castings left! The developer
call it quits and was satisfied with what progress we had made. The
digging part was easy but the disposal was the most expensive part of
the job.