Range brass price

[AlbertaSheepdog]

Hey all,

I'm trying to get my hands on some bulk brass (50-60 lb worth). My local range is quoting $2 per lb of mixed brass. I'm just wondering if this is a decent price. I'm reloading common calibers (mostly 9mm, 40 sw, .45 acp and .223) and there are a few buckets there that are mostly made up of those calibers.

What say you all? Buy it? Or look else where

 

[CyaN1de]

Well 100 223 cases weigh about 1lb 6oz. So that puts the 223 around $2.75/100. If you're only getting 4 or 5 cases per pound it would work out to much more.

Fired 9mm cases sell for about $40/1000. Can't recall how many 9mm in a lb but 2000 cases was roughly 20lbs iirc.

 

[bertn]

If you call your local scrap metal co. they can tell you how much they would pay for the brass you can't use, then do the math.

 

[bigedp51]

The problem as I see it is you do not know how many times the brass has been fired. It could only be once or the shooter left it lay because it had been fired many times.

Second problem, the brass is not from the same manufacture, same lot etc, meaning mixed brass. For pistol practice mixed isn't bad but rifle brass and their higher pressures will be.

Below are the chamber pressure differences between .223/5.56 cases with different case capacities and the same powder charge. This is my load with mixed brass for 100 yards or less practice blasting ammo and keeping the pressure at safe minimums in my AR15 rifles. I would "NEVER" use mixed brass in my bolt action .223 rifle when loading for the best accuracy meaning tight groups.

Below American Lake City military cases with 30.6 grains of H2O case capacity and 25 grains of H335 powder.

Below represents .223/5.56 cases with the minimum case capacity of 28.8 grains of H2O and 25 grains of H335 powder. This is 6,000 psi higher chamber pressure than the Lake City cases.

This mixed ammo is OK for AR15 carbine practice but group size will suffer, I load cases from the same make and lot for my AR15 A2 HBAR target rifle and my .223 bolt action. Depending on the type shooting you are doing sorting and weighing mixed rifle brass looking for uniformity is a total waste of time.

 

[577/450]

If you are loading for plinking and fun shooting range brass is ok. If you are into precision long rang etc then the brass matters. JMHO

 

[AlbertaSheepdog]

Just for range use at the moment. Eventually would like to load for idpa which I plan to start in the summer. Do not plan on using my reloads for competitive shooting until I get better at it and find the right load.

 

[LUTNIT]

Unless the brass is at the very least sorted and possibly even cleaned I wouldn't pay much over scrap prices.
$2/lbs is pretty much scrap price (at least locally for me) so I wouldn't have much issue paying that.
The .223 I would be very careful with but pistol brass wouldn't be a major concern for me. If it's not split or has weird marks, I'd reload it.

 

[AlbertaSheepdog]

well, I bit the bullet so to speak and purchased a 5 gallong bucket of range brass from my local range. very simple transaction, and I was able to hand pick the bucket (they had several in the back with a variety of cases... basically just depended on who was shooting what on the day it was collected. I was able to handpick a bucket that was pretty much totally full of assorted 9mm, .40, and .223. There was some .45 and .308 in there, as well as some .357/.38spc. All in all I think it was a good haul.

Came out to about 30% 9mm, 30% 40sw, 20% .223, and 20% .45/357/38spc/.308. Along with a few other odd pieces that I had no interest in.

I poured the bucket into two equal size boxes of this size:


After sorting, it was like Christmas morning!


Also got a few live rounds in the mix, nice little bonus




All in all it cost $120, and I walked away with a boatload of brass. Now to clean and polish it all, and get going on my bullet casting.

 

[HeavyTread]

How much of that turned out to be steel cased?

 

[AlbertaSheepdog]

Maybe 30 cases total, I think it was some old surplus makarov. If say out of the entire bucket there was maybe .25 lbs of junk (steel cases, .22 lr, 12 gauge shells, debris, etc)

 

[Schecter 81]

I just bought 10,000 9mm brass from Marstar for 470 plus 65 shipping. Mixed headstamp. All sorted. I have been finding a few 38 super and 380 auto but out of the 3000 I have loaded I have only found 5-6 so far. I would say that is much easier for your 9mm. If you look around I think you can find better deals than sorting at $2/lb.

 

[AlbertaSheepdog]

How much was the shipping in 10,000 9mm cases?

 

[bigi]

I pick up in GTA 10000 9mm mixed range brass for $200.

 

[scott585]

well, I bit the bullet so to speak and purchased a 5 gallong bucket of range brass from my local range. very simple transaction, and I was able to hand pick the bucket (they had several in the back with a variety of cases... basically just depended on who was shooting what on the day it was collected. I was able to handpick a bucket that was pretty much totally full of assorted 9mm, .40, and .223. There was some .45 and .308 in there, as well as some .357/.38spc. All in all I think it was a good haul.

Came out to about 30% 9mm, 30% 40sw, 20% .223, and 20% .45/357/38spc/.308. Along with a few other odd pieces that I had no interest in.

I poured the bucket into two equal size boxes of this size:


After sorting, it was like Christmas morning!


Also got a few live rounds in the mix, nice little bonus




All in all it cost $120, and I walked away with a boatload of brass. Now to clean and polish it all, and get going on my bullet casting.

what range? is the deal only for members?

 

[bartlet33]

That's cheap in mho. Easier than picking for yourself.

 

[waepek]

Great deal I'd say. Wish I can find a place that sell brass that cheap in Vancouver.