Cleaning up brass from yard

[WhiteKnight]

Okay guys here's the story:

I have enough land to have a .22LR shooting range in my backyard. However, I shoot from a variety of positions and locations about the yard, and rarely pick up my brass.

Lately I've noticed the yard is beginning to look a little "white trash-like" and something needs to be done with these thousands of .22LR brass lying about.

I've been thinking about using one of those contractor magnets that's attached to a long pole like a metal detector and sweeping the yard for a couple of hours to pick all of this stuff up.

Except I've been shooting for a couple of years this way, and some of the shells are hidden under a half inch or so of dirt.

Thus I've been browsing the internet the past couple days looking at "uber magnets" that might potentially be able to suck up the shells straight through the small layer of dirt.

Any suggestions?

 

[MikeB]

A magnet won't pick up brass shells.

 

[lee]

Cleaning up brass

Brass .22 cases will not be picked up by a magnet.

 

[riverdog]

A magnet won't work, but an industrial shop vacuum might. Also, talk to the guys at a Skeet & Trap range about how they "mine" for lead shot. Good luck.

 

[tc300mag1]

Shop vac ...lawn sweeper.. a lawn vac will work but i wont guess the longeivity(sp) of the cutter blades

 

[ocabj]

I remember a long time ago I asked my dad about a "brass magnet". He couldn't stop laughing.

 

[ExpatGator]

I use my Simplicity riding lawn tractor with the four foot deck. That sucker (literally) will pick up most of the brass, shotgun shells and a good amount of the broken clay pigeons. Yeah, such use tends to wear the blades out pretty quickly, but blades will take a new edge and the time saved is worth it.

 

[BluesBear]

You're just funnin' us ain't ya?



Even Wolf .22 ammo isn't magnetic.

 

[Kharn]

Ask the neighbor's kid if he wants $1/lb to pick it up. Its worth a shot.

Kharn

 

[Kobun]

"I'll take one brass magnet and a case of elbow grease along with the one foot yardstick."

Vacuum or new topsoil will get rid of your problem.

On the other hand, having a yard that is close to impenetrable for metal detectors maby isn't such a bad idea, if the time comes to bury something....

 

[Chipperman]

Are you sure you don't also want one of these Metric Adjustable Wrenches?
They are a must have with all the foreign stuff nowadays.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Mayhaps he could pick me up a bucket of steam and a couple fathoms of chowline.

 

[biblefreak]

In the wire pulling buisness we were always looking for sky hooks and wire stretcher! Also could use some smoke in a can so I can put the smoke back in any electronics I accidently let it out of!!

 

[DigitalWarrior]

Keys to the Hummer.

 

[TamThompson]

Maybe use one of those pet hair brooms that they sell to use on carpet--they have very closely spaced bristles.

 

[Third_Rail]

I'd say leave it and put another couple inches of soil and new seed. You WANT metal bits scattered all around... just in case.

 

[The_Antibubba]

Plan for the long term

Leave the brass there. Be sure to shoot some Russian steel-cased rounds. leave those down, too. Cover with a lalayer of fresh topsoil next year. Repeat. When the time comes that you must cache your AK and a few spam cans in a sealed pipe to prevent it's seizure by the Feds, your yard will be a metal detecting nightmare.



, , or ? You decide.

 

[c_yeager]

Id recomend the vacume method. Although simply adding topsoil would work too. Its just more work that way. And don't forget to pick up some blinker fluid while your getting that magnet. You WILL need it.

 

[Tamara]

Brass magnet and a...

Can of prop wash and a coil of flight line.

 

[Mal H]

I like the vacuum idea, it should work. As for the ones already buried, why bother? From now on use a giant tarp strategically placed - easy to set up and easy to dump out at the end of the session.



I once sent a newbie to the plant stores to pick up a standard liter of neutrons since we were starting to run low. The counter man gave him a stainless steel bucket with a lid and told him to keep it upside down on the trip back since the neutrons tend to float up and leak out!

 

[shermacman]

Dude! Leave 'em in the ground, cover carefully with potting soil and water occasionally. Next Spring bright shiny new .22lr rounds will sprout! Harvest early, if you leave them on too long they will leave more lead in your barrel. Depending on birds in your area you may have to cover with cheesecloth. The crows are the worst cuz they know what those bullets will do! Tie the cloth down with 50' of shore line. Grab some caulk to fix the break of dawn. Pick up some glue if there has been any heart break.

 

[Third_Rail]

Best answer yet!

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I always wanted to find those massless strings and frictionless pulleys that my engineering professors kept referring to. Oh, and in my business, we are always striving to discover the mystical unobtainium.

Seriously though, my Snapper bagging mower will suck up almost anything. I can run it on the driveway and it will suck up anything within about a foot of the mower deck perimeter.

 

[fslflint]

I would leave a nice long answer but I'm quite busy. you see, I have to grease the exhaust bearings on my new truck and then check the headlight fluid, and then change the spark plugs on my old deisel. I had a long day too, went to every rental place in town looking for an 18" I beam bender and a shelf stretcher. never did find one.:banghead:

 

[Rickstir]

I keep my brass magnet in the same box I keep my carton strecher.