Keeping Spent Brass at the Shooting Range

I have been saving my brass for over a year now so when I get around to purchasing a press I'll have what I need. My local range will give you more brass than you could handle if you ask. I have seen the collection it's kept in garbage cans and they easily have 30 cans full. Not sorted but I have been told I can have any amount I want. Just go taking people's brass while they are shooting,
 
It depends on the places and the days... and some scroungers can't tell a 45 from a 9...

I was for example told one day not to be cheap and that it was just brass, by the R.O. who swept at the end of the session and took it home...

As some have suggested, walk away if you have a choice in ranges.

Usually, it will be considered that your brass is yours, and others' is free to clean up if they don't want it; but please don't interfere with the shooting when picking it (it can be difficult on busy days).
... And ignore the arrogant pricks who look at you down their nose because you're picking stuff on the ground, even though your targets are better at 25 yards than theirs at 5.

I have also made a stock of aluminum cases that I will use if I have to shoot on questionable sessions.
 
Last edited:
Reminds me of a time...There's myself and two younger guys at the 60/100m range. These guys are shooting a well used 1899 Savage chambered in .303 Savage. They're having a blast, brass all over the place!? I ask them about their rifle and where'd all the ammo come from. They tell me it was dad's rifle and the ammo was old stuff from years ago, they had a crates of the stuff at home.
Anyhow, they eventually leave and you guessed it, leave all that gold on the ground (hundreds of cases). I start policing up their brass (I also have a '99 in .303 savage) and the RO saunters over and tells me that's a range rule no-no. I explain the situation, the brass is already now in my possession (and a stupid rule doesn't motivate me to hand it over). She (the RO) lets me keep it (like she had a choice) but tells me, "your own brass isn't an issue, but if its someone else's leave it." Yea, sure. Whatever.

If the next time guys in the next lane are shooting .303 Savage and spilling their brass about like a pubescent boy with his seed, you think I won't dive on it (the brass) when they leave!? Yea, sure. Whatever. (DILLIGAF) :)
 
sulisa said:
It's easy to have the "popular" brass taken care of, but raking up the .22 and the steel is an issue at our range. How hard is it to bring a magnet if shooting 7.62x39?
Click to expand...

Every range should have a shop magnet in my opinion. $40 at Princess Auto and you roll it around and all the steel cases get sucked up in a flash. Easier than sweeping or raking, for sure!
 
Theres no one at my range that leaves any center fire brass on the floor, everyone reloads. I mark all my brass with a black magic marker line across the head stamp. No one keeps the .22 brass but we do clean up after shooting and the .22 brass goes into a pail, then the range turns it in for scrap.
 
Keep all my brass. RO has no problems letting us go through the brass buckets. Shoot a revolver so don't have to pickup. For semi shoot steel case.


9mm is easy to get, bucket is usually full of it, so I don't bother stocking up.
 
I Don't reload yet but I have started picking up my own brass. Its my property until I drop it in your range bucket. Then again I don't go chasing the ones that are too hard to get and cause issues either.
 
I take home all my own brass to reload and clean up all my .22's and they go in the bin.

The old "if it hits the ground..." thing was from skeet and trap ranges, don't know why.
 
My best score was when a guy had a new semi-auto carbine in 45 ACP shooting up at the range and when he was finished I asked him if he was reloading and he said that reloads would void his warranty...300 cases all mine, got to love it.
 
trebor2880 said:
The policy of "once it hits the ground it's club property", is likely on based on safety. Prevents idiot titewads from straying past the firing line. As always, a few spoil it for us all.
Click to expand...

I'd like to know of one club that has that as a written policy. I can't see any way that the members would tolerate that.
 
Skinny 1950 said:
My best score was when a guy had a new semi-auto carbine in 45 ACP shooting up at the range and when he was finished I asked him if he was reloading and he said that reloads would void his warranty...300 cases all mine, got to love it.
Click to expand...

That's like finding money in my books. Puts a smile on my face... :)
 
My range (outdoor) doesn't care about who takes the brass. If a shooter has packed up, left and didn't clean up his brass, it's up for grabs. On a good day, I've walked out with 2000 of 9mm and a few hundred 223. Too bad the guys that don't clean up only shoot the cheaper calibers. Not much 45 or 308 left behind.

Trinimon said:
That's like finding money in my books. Puts a smile on my face... :)
Click to expand...
+1
 
My biggest problem is that everyone at my club seems to reload, so if you find 2 loose 45 rounds on the same trip, that counts as a major score
 
I'd only have to be told once that I couldn't pick up my own brass before I cancelled my membership at that range. I can see some of the big ranges saying that they own any abandoned brass, so it can be sold to help defray costs, and keep the costs of memberships down, but that's not the same as being told you can't keep your own.
 
The range must be kept clean. If people won't pick up after themselves, then the club has to pick it up. That means finding someone to do it, and if their time is worth anything, they should be reimbursed. Not by money, as clubs aren't flush, so why not by letting the member who cleans up the brass, keep it? That's still a lot of work, maybe ask more members to help clean up, under the same arrangement, and what do you have? People allowed to pickup brass!

I just recommend anyone picking up brass please try to pick up anything else you encounter, like .22, steel, bits of wood, shot wads, etc. not just scanning around for the goid stuff, though even that leaves the place cleaner than found.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom