Stray Brass in Action Bays

[Baron66]

The action bay that I like always has lots of brass left behind from past shooters. They pick up 80% of it and leave the rest. While I'm there, I always look out for brass and keep everything that I pickup. I don't spend an hour crawling in the grass or anything but I always end up with twice as much brass as what I shot that day.

Our range policy simply states that any brass that ends up in the brass bucket is theirs, and that it's very important to keep the brass picked up or else the EPA will shut them down.

My question: Is it acceptable for me to keep all the brass that I pickup in the action bay or should I just take my own and put anything else in the brass bucket, or leave it on the ground for the range to pick up?

 

[KansasSasquatch]

Sounds to me like they're just worried about keeping the range clean, whether or not the EPA would shut them down, and not like they're worried about recycling the brass. If I were in that situation I'd keep picking up whatever people leave behind until someone from the range says something about it.

 

[jerkface11]

If the range wanted it they would send someone put there to pick it up.

 

[josmund]

Discarded brass is fair game at my range.

Lot's of people shoot who don't reload. If the range want it for the recycle bin, they would post it somewhere. Of course, the issue could be resolved with a simple question to the range supervisor.

 

[45lcshooter]

3 of the many ranges im a member of, have 5 gallon buckets nailed to the 6x6 posts that hold the roof up. Your supposed to gather your brass and put in the buckets. But people through cig butts, ear plugs, shotgun shells, in there as well. All they are going to do with it, is scrap it (if the can get to it before a brass rat like me gets it first). People are supposed to throw shotgun shells in the trash so they can be burned with all the paper targets.

I look at the buckets first, then go to the pistol range and just walk the grass. If nothing are in the buckets but 22lr, then i can usually find about 50-100 brass pistol cases from 9mm 40 and 45acp. then call it a day, and go to the range's clubhouse, and have a 1.00 Mason jar of Old Milwaukee.

 

[rcmodel]

Finders Keepers in my big book.

If the range rules say you can't take it out of the bucket, don't.

But, How are they to know if the brass you pick up in your lane is yours, or left on the floor by others that didn't follow the range rules?

rc

 

[medalguy]

I fairly consider anything on the ground as trash. I pick it up, sort the paper and such and put it in the trash barrel. Anything else, well........it gets disposed of.

 

[Havok7416]

It shouldn't matter if it's not in the range bucket. I frequently pickup brass from the previous occupant.

 

[PhilMc]

I frequent an outdoor state run range and as people see me collecting brass from the area they many times will ask if I want theirs. I almost always come home with more brass than I shoot. Indoor ranges present a little more of a problem, once it's in the buckets it's theirs. I try to pickup as much of the surrounding area's brass as I can, but often come home with less brass than I started with.

 

[j1]

Possession is 9/10 of the law. If you want it keep it. It is then yours.

 

[LT.Diver]

$1.00 for Old Milwaukee? I think they owe you 90 cents!

 

[jamrock]

The second best part of shooting a match is coming home with more brass than you left with helps me justify the cost of shooting a match to the wife. At the outdoor range where I compete they don't care. At the indoor ranges they want us to only pickup whats in our lane. I would avoid a range that wouldn't let me at least pick up my own brass. Need to order one of those brass wizards to save my back at the outdoor ranges.

 

[Potatohead]

Pick it up OP, and dont feel a bit bad about it! If you dont, somebody like me will! Ive become quite the brass scrounger...and no, Im not proud of it.

 

[KansasSasquatch]

Pick it up OP, and dont feel a bit bad about it! If you dont, somebody like me will! Ive become quite the brass scrounger...and no, Im not proud of it.

You should be. You're making something useful out of things that most people consider to be trash. In a world where so many people waste so much it's good that there's some people making an effort to keep useful stuff out of landfills. And very large portion of the brass that gets recycled by commercial outfits just ends up getting shredded and sent to China anyways, so it mightn be helping keep prices lower over here and helping our economy rather than China's. Be proud that you're not as wasteful as others.

 

[Potatohead]

I like the way you look at that

 

[FastCut]

I always pick up my brass....if I see a guy next to me shooting something I picked up I point at it and make a "?" and usually he'll signal to just take it. I still don't get people that don't at least pickup their own brass. I usually get to my lane in the indoor range I use and its covered to the point needing a sweep before I start. If no one objects, I just put it in the side pocket of my range bag and sort it when I get home. If its something I don't use then it goes in the recycle bin or gets offered to people at work I know could use it. The range doesn't care and I usually go home with a lot more brass than I started with. I reload 9, 40 and 45 but have lots of 380, 38, 357 and 44 so I just save it and eventually give it to someone I know so I feel good about it and it keeps my costs down. The range just dumps it as they make so much on ammo and range fees they cant even be bothered with sorting and selling it.