Range brass protection

I've been following this thread and continue to remain completely dumbfounded that someone would go to the levels of ignoring requests to have their brass left alone, asserting it is *my brass* and I haven't given you permission to take it (and that is ignored), as well as having some bubba milling about at your feet while you're firing, picking up your brass. It's just absurd.

I have a friend that will more than gladly let you borrow a postage stamp, but you have to repay him with a stamp, not money that represents the cost of the stamp. His philosophy is that a stamp is worth more than the cost of the stamp, as the stamp represents expenditure of the effort to purchase the stamp.

My brass that I've shot that is sitting on the ground is worth more to me than a piece of brass that is not mine sitting right next to mine. My brass has already been picked up/found by me for the first time (i.e. I've put in the effort to find it). It has been through a variety of cleaning and inspection steps. I know that fired case of mine has a firm primer pocket (otherwise I would have marked/culled it), I know it's not one of those 9mm cases with an internal step (because I would have culled it), and I know there were no neck splits in it right before I fired it.

I'm quite non-confrontational. But if someone was taking my brass after I told them it was mine and to leave it alone - it would be made very clear he was taking my property and he did not have permission to do so. And if he didn't stop then I'd be off to range management - as many many others on this thread have stated.

OR

I try to go only to ranges that if you are not shooting in one of the shooting stations you are not allowed on the firing line.

I have seen members come to the range in the later afternoon to pick up brass on the ground and didn't even shoot. Didn't even pretend to shoot and didn't bring any gun.

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I am guilty of that one, sort of. On rainy days, when no shooting is going on, I’ll go there and pick the lead out of the berm, they turn white and have the dust knocked off of them.

I’m not in the confrontation crowd, if a simple “those are mine and I reuse them” doesn’t work and you are going to continue to let them hit the ground, at best it will be a distracted range session, what’s the point, at that point.

^ I've done it as well, when no one is out shooting. I've also took a bucket and picked up bullets out of the berms.
Again, when I do this, I'm the only one there.

Taking brass and bullets is fine- its stealing them that's objectionable. I take brass from everyone- but I ask everyone first. I tell everyone I see that I reload and ask for their brass...

I’ve not encountered this problem before.

I've only ever encountered it one time and that was at a public range. Never will go to one again.

I only shoot at a public range, and if someone wants my brass, he/she asks. We actually have a few guys who don't reload and will go down the line and offer once fired brass gratis to anyone who wants it to reload. If no takers, it goes into the range scrap bucket.

I picked up range brass for years, but not without asking shooters if it was ok with them, or interfere with their shooting session. hdbiker

Like Walkalong, not been an issue I've faced. I shoot mostly at private clubs, and the members have been overwhelmingly courteous.

I don't reload .380, 9mm, or .40S&W as I'm more of a revolver guy. I do always police my brass, and if someone else wants it, fine by me. I do keep and reload my .357, .44, and .45 Colt brass, but they don't get scattered around by my revolvers or single-shot rifles.

I do save and reload my rifle brass, but the only semi-auto that kicks brass any distance is my AR. I buy 5.56 in bulk and don't worry too much if I don't recover all the brass.

My other rifle brass--especially the Ackley Improved cases fire formed from Lapua brass--are like gold to me. My dedicated range guns have the ejectors removed and I pull each spent case manually. Haven't lost one since I started doing that. I would readily have words with someone who tried to make off with one of my carefully prepared rifle cases.

I'm guessing most of us are looking at this post to see if their talking about them

At least noone has threatend to shoot anyone yet...

PWC said:

At least noone has threatend to shoot anyone yet...

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no, we don't do that. We are responsible gun owners.

otisrush said:

I have a friend that will more than gladly let you borrow a postage stamp, but you have to repay him with a stamp, not money that represents the cost of the stamp. His philosophy is that a stamp is worth more than the cost of the stamp, as the stamp represents expenditure of the effort to purchase the stamp.

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I can certainly understand that.

My brass that I've shot that is sitting on the ground is worth more to me than a piece of brass that is not mine sitting right next to mine. My brass has already been picked up/found by me for the first time (i.e. I've put in the effort to find it). It has been through a variety of cleaning and inspection steps. I know that fired case of mine has a firm primer pocket (otherwise I would have marked/culled it), I know it's not one of those 9mm cases with an internal step (because I would have culled it), and I know there were no neck splits in it right before I fired it.

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Exactly the way I feel. That is one reason why I mark all of my cases, because I will often pick up other brass that is left on the ground, and I treat MY brass differently when I get back to the bench, for the exact reasons you mention.

I shoot on state land at a dnr created shooting spot. No rules other than those that apply to the woods in general. I dare someone to pull some dumb stuff like that. This is why i dont go to ranges. Though i do pick up brass its when no one is around.

1KPerDay said:

https://www.gracomodels.com/bigcatcher.html

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Just snagged one of these...have used their handheld version before to great success.

Russellc

RussellC said:

Just snagged one of these...have used their handheld version before to great success.

Russellc

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Be warned, the crappy camera tripod from Walmart he recommends works but they break quick especially if you let hundreds of cases pile up. I've gone through like 6 tripods.

Rule3 said:

After saving range brass for my retirement fund, the price of range (yellow) brass has gone down the tubes, Most scrap places do not even want it, if they do you are lucky to get .37 cents/pound!!!

There is no reason for me to pick up any brass that is not mine.

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1KPerDay said:

Be warned, the crappy camera tripod from Walmart he recommends works but they break quick especially if you let hundreds of cases pile up. I've gone through like 6 tripods.

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Thanks, I've got 2 of them, one much heavier duty than that one, and an ancient aluminum job that would hold up an elephant, and is almost as heavy. I've taken to hauling my range stuff and guns around in one of those collapsible wagons!

Thanks for the heads up,

Russellc

1KPerDay said:

Be warned, the crappy camera tripod from Walmart he recommends works but they break quick especially if you let hundreds of cases pile up. I've gone through like 6 tripods.

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For my semi-pistols, I bought just the net and made my own 'net holder' out of 3" PVC. (Sets on bench, so about 18" of PVC) About 18" of 2X6 on bottom. (Offset to one end) Cap on top end. Closet flange on low end. Drill (2) holes in cap to mount net. Don't glue the cap. Better to be removable for portability, plus, you can store paper targets inside it.

Actually pretty stable, but ya can clamp it to the bench if need be.

Otherwise,,,

I have a couple-3 Caldwell ~pic rail~ catchers for my rifles w/pics

Have some revolvers,,,

Some single action bolt guns,,,

All in all, very little of my brass ever touches the ground,,,

(Fortunate enough not to have the same problem as the OP, but..... I DO have a raging case of 'lazy'!!!! LOL!)

Those Caldwell pic mount bags are worth the money, and cheap. I've caught them on sale for less than 30 bucks. Only problems I've ever had
were 1. I forgot to put it on after loading, 2. Not very often, once pretty full one might slip out and drop at my feet, 3. the hot cases can sort of glue them selves to the bag with a slight melting...so slight I've used the same bags for a few years with no holes resulting, so not really a problem.

Like you said most brass never hits the ground.

Russellc

There are few fellas at my range that are either independently wealthy or don’t reload or both

I see the aftermath of their range sessions. One guy shoots a 50 BMG and leaves his once fired brass on the bench. Another guy must have a love affair with 30 caliber artillery as I found some 300 Jarrett and 300 RUM in the same pile on the ground. That’s some expensive brass to leave for the range buzzards. He was probably too sore and disoriented from the concussion to pick it up.

Anyway, if anyone shoots these howitzers let me know and I’ll send them to you

At the range yesterday a fella filling the range bucket with 50 BEO had to be 200+ YES! I could not help my self took it all. 200 50 beo rounds he tells me he got a deal $1000.00 for 500 rounds.
$2.00 a round and he's plinking like it's 22 ammo.

jeeptim said:

$2.00 a round and he's plinking like it's 22 ammo.

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WOW!!!

On time I saw a guy shooting 45 LC with a henry and just up a left his brass laying all over the place. You should have seen the scramble for that brass once he walked out of the range. I was going to try and get some but I was afraid I'd get hurt.