Bowling Pin Shoot and Nice Brass Pick-up

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BinRat

BinRat

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On this last weekend, I went to a sort of informal bowling pin shoot, after being invited by the organizer, a LGS owner. It was held at an outdoor range that I wanted to check out because I'm considering joining. By informal, I mean that they kept score and there were range officers, but it wasn't for the purpose of competing for any awards. It was just for practice and fun.

And, boy, it was fun! I had a blast, literally. I didn't get any great time scores, but it sure was a good time. The best time I saw on my card was 10.6 seconds.

There were about 15 or 20 shooters during the time I was there and none of them were picking up their brass. I could hardly believe it. So, when they were in between stages and pins were being reset, I asked each one if they were planning on picking up their brass, and when they responded that they weren't, I asked if it OK with them if I did. They told me to have at it. So, I approached the guys (range officers) that were running it and asked them if they had claims on the brass as part of organizing the thing, or if I could pick it up. They told me to take what I wanted. In fact, one of them told me to check out the next range bay to the north because an Illinois club had shot there a couple of days previously and, "Those guys never pick up any of their brass."

It's been a long time since I've been somewhere to shoot where there was so much brass lying around for the taking. I ended up leaving with 353 9mm, 109 .40S&W, and 151 .45acp that I didn't come with. My shooting buddy that I drove with picked up about the same amount, and there was still more on the ground, but we were too hot and tired to continue. It's rough picking up brass from the 1 to 1 1/2 inch size gravel that composes the ground in the bays. I just finished sorting and a load is in the tumbler as I type.

Over all, a very good day, but any day shooting usually is.
 
Bowling pin shoots are fun. Glad you had a good time and made such a haul of what sounds like once fired brass. I never understand folks who don't save their brass. Even if they don't reload, they likely know someone who does. Maybe I'm just frugal (read that as cheap).

By the way, I use a revolver for bowling pins. It's a lot of fun but I'm too slow to win so if I can't clear the table with 6 shots, that's the breaks. And the spent brass goes in my hand not on the ground. :)

Jeff
 
I don't understand those who don't save their brass either. When I asked them if they'd be saving their brass and they said they wouldn't, I even asked them if they were sure, that if they ever wanted to begin reloading, it would be a good idea to save the brass for that eventuality. A couple of them actually seemed to think that wasn't a bad idea, but still weren't interested in picking up their brass. You can't say I didn't give them every chance.

Yeah, I was pretty thrilled to be getting so much once fired.

I just pulled the first load from the tumbler and it sure is purty.
 
Years ago I would go to pidgon ridge (hwy 39) on monday mornings and pick up brass. It was common to pick up 20-30 lbs of assorted castings. There were times I didn't even shoot. I kept myself and buddys supplied for years after they closed down the place. I really miss doing that, as i enjoyed the hike up the hill.
 
Local indoor ranges around here almost no one picks up brass. Range rules can only pick up your own, rest belong to the range which they tumble, bag and sell.

If someone wanted to reload shotgun -- good lord are there TONS of once fired hulls free for the taking at the local public trap ranges. Nobody reloads, they just sweep into 55 gallon barrels as trash. Can stop by an pick up a couple thousand any weekend.
 
That must have been the pin shoot at Schultz's. I missed that one, had some family stuff going on. Usually those are real busy shoots and most people leave brass just to keep from slowing things down.

It's a good club and inexpensive to be a member. They expect a modest amount of volunteer labor from members each year, but it's fun volunteering. Range availability is usually excellent, I have been out twice during lunch in the last week and there were only a few other shooters each time.
 
You're right Fred, that was the one. Shorty and his crew do a real nice job of running it too. However, this shoot wasn't busy at all. There were times when no one was shooting, except for the side area with the old bowling pins on the berm. In fact, they mentioned that they might end it early if no more shooters showed up.

There was plenty of time to pick up brass between stages and when there were no shooters.
 
I can't understand why I always find so much top quality, once-fired brass at our club. With the expense of ammunition on the increase, it is baffling. Just last week I carted off nearly a full five-gallon pail, mostly once-fired Federal .45ACP. There was also a decent batch of 9mm & .40S&W. It seems that on every trip lately I come home with more brass than when I started. I suppose it must be the folks who are just getting into it, as our club membership has increased by quite a lot in the last two years. I also observe younger males blasting away with AR's of all sorts, and most of them could not be bothered with policing their brass. Good for them, and good for me. Carry on.
 
I even asked them if they were sure, that if they ever wanted to begin reloading, it would be a good idea to save the brass for that eventuality
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's because "new" shooters rarely think they're going to reload, ever. They don't have the background or family experience that makes reloading a possibility. Then, much like me, they find the realities of cost savings or an ammo shortage and they take a class, they dabble in it, and they get hooked. And tsomeday they regret all that great new brass that they left lying around for someone else to claim.
 
^^^Good observation.
I started reloading long before there was "mail order" ammunition sales or reloading components. I think it was the Mc Clure (?) Volkmer Act that changed all that back in 1985-6(?), and I was excited to see such good deals in paper flyers that the mailman brought every week or so.
I had to reload because thats all I could afford, and borrowed an older shooter's equipment to get started. I pretty much learned most of it from one of the old Speer manuals, and a few gun rags that I could not afford to subscribe to back then. It is amusing to me to watch folks leave so much good brass all over the place, but I have done well saving it.
 
Truly amazing the amount of brass left on the ground. A couple of weeks ago I went to my favorite shooting spot on Monday morning, and picked up a 5 gallon bucket full plus a McD's burger bag full that I just had to use when the bucket was full. Sorted it all out and had about 1100 .223, and over 1,000 .45, probably twice that in 9mm, plus a double handful of .308, .30-06, a couple dozen .45 LC, and some 8mm commercial brass.

I have quit trying to talk buddies into reloading if they don't already. Non-reloaders just don't seem to have any interest in reloading, and those that do reload hang on to their brass. Frankly I don't understand how so many guys can complain about availability and cost of factory ammo, yet have no interest in making their own.

More brass for those of us who do reload. :neener:
 
One of our best brass "findings" happened last year; a group of wealthy gents had finished up a day's shooting with their new .416 Rigby bolt rifles; seems they were taking a group safari trip to Namibia. My son and I let them use our sun shelter and range equipment, just to be friendly. The five of them gave us 214 empty cases, all Norma, along with a few loose loaded rounds and factory boxes. Being that I have an old .416 Rigby of my own, we were excited to say the least.
 
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