[Anyone else get looks from the range officers when picking up your brass?]

Oh, the stories I could tell about the Volunteer Rifle and Pistol Club here in Knoxville. They had an agreement to give the Boy Scouts the brass to recycle. One of the RSO's would dig through the brass for himself then trade it for gun parts. I have watched them hold their vest pocket open to catch people's brass and they would have contests. So I painted the base of my 45 ACP with pink paint and went to the range. The RSO was stealing my brass so I confronted him. He told me to prove the brass was mine and I said they are pink. He looked in his hand then flipped his hand, dumping them back on the floor. That was one of the last times I went of my own free will.

Dumped my membership there years ago after TWRA bought the place.

 

Before TWRA,

 

the place was great to use.

[Is reloading not worth it on the common pistol cartridges?]

I haven`t read all of the responses to this thread but if you have the gear to reload when ammo isn`t available,  seems that reloading would be a viable option.

 

No matter what the cost.

[22 wally world]

I gave up on 22LR.

 

Went airgun and haven`t looked back.

 

Hope my interest has put a dent in the profits of scalpers trying to sell 22LR as a sideline.

[Who would leave 478 pcs of Federal 10mm laying on the ground?]

There is a lot of new brass on the ground. And there is a lot of well used brass. I've walked off from hundreds of 10mm that had been cycled more times than I wanted to use. This is why I do not buy used brass from some sources. Most of my worn out to me brass ends up at a local indoor that sells to bulk buyer.

How do you know of high usage on pistol brass?

 

Bottleneck cases I am leary of, straightwall cases, not so much.

[Who would leave 478 pcs of Federal 10mm laying on the ground?]

Every range trip, I spend 30 or more minutes, just picking up cases on the pistol range. Pretty much always new. :)

[Reloader question. Cheap source for lead.]

Yes, and that also includes condensation from cool boolits brought into a warmer area, or a splash from your water drop bucket.  That is why I melt all my wheel lead outside in a cast iron pot and only cast from ingots indoors; I can run away faster when in the open :eek: . 

As the old saying goes, If you see me running, you better keep up!. :x:

[Reloader question. Cheap source for lead.]

Thanks everyone for all of the suggestions and help! :)

 

I am a newbie at this subject so trying to pick up as much real life info as I can get.

 

Something else,

 

Who can recommend a good melting pot that won`t break the bank?

[Busy day loading and organizing today.]

OP,

 

:cheers: :drool:

 

Need to organize around here myself. Motivation has been low for too long.

[Reloader question. Cheap source for lead.]

Thanks Caster!

 

:)

[Reloader question. Cheap source for lead.]

  Go on cast boolits and check around many are selling at $1 a lb if you want to buy it. 

______________________________________________________________________________

 

This is probably the most reliable source you will find. There's usually someone selling WW lead, pure lead, linotype and tin. Lots of good info for casters.You can spend days just reading the stickies.

Thank you! :)

[Reloader question. Cheap source for lead.]

It's easy to forget about how toxic lead is - would be a good idea do a little research on how to properly ventilate a space where you are melting lead.

Being outside, is the only way I would do it.

 

;)

[Reloader question. Cheap source for lead.]

Lead melts at 621.5°, zinc melts at 787.2°.

I got four 5 gallon buckets of wheel weights that a friend had in his barn for 15 years. I started to sort them, but tired of that quickly, I decided to just throw them in the pot and do a slow melt while keeping an eye on the temp with my lead thermometer. I would never let the pot temp get over 700°. Out of the four buckets I only found one WW that was zinc.

I'm not suggesting anyone do this, but it worked for me.

That is interesting!

 

I think that you might be on to something. :stir: :)

[Reloader question. Cheap source for lead.]

Get a pair hand sized pruning shears like you trim bushes with. If you can cut it, it ain't zinc or steel. That only leaves rubber and plastic weights. If you can't tell rubber and plastic from lead.........

Short of buying a Brinnel Hardness gage..................that doesn`t sound like a bad idea.

 

Rubber and plastic weights?

 

Can you elaborate?

[Reloader question. Cheap source for lead.]

Hey.

 

Something else.

 

How does one distinguish the better wheel weights of old, to the newer Zinc weights?

 

Is it possible?

[Reloader question. Cheap source for lead.]

I had read somewhere to be cautious on wheel weights as the newer material contained lots of Zinc.

 

My only interest is to find usable material for pistol rounds.

 

Thanks everyone, for your comments! :)

[Reloader question. Cheap source for lead.]

What has worked well for you?

 

 

[How many here trust their life to your own reloads]

I have no problem with reloads.

 

Was once told by someone else a long time ago, if you need to shoot a perp', make sure you are using factory rounds to avoid litigation.

 

Didn`t help much, at a relatives self defense trial awhile back. The individual of the topic got litigated to the poor house.

 

Things are going to the dogs.

 

ETA, I would rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6.

[50 bmg and 300 win mag reloaders please look here]

173rd,

Are those cases fired from an M2HB?

 

I am guessing that they are.

 

What headstamp?

[Looks like more of the same for .22LR, time to get a pellet rifle]

I remember as a kid having me Daisy Eagle which went about everywhere I went except for school.  I'd give anything to have the skill with my rifles today that I had with that gun shooting BBs.  I could pick a random target and figure distance, the number of pumps, and adjust holdover and hit my target the vast majority of the time. 

You have more going for you with that airgun, than I ever thought about!

 

I would just go to 10 pumps and let `er rip! :)

[Looks like more of the same for .22LR, time to get a pellet rifle]

but most of it is panic buying and some trying to make a buck.
But yeah, all you guys switch to air rifles and the rest of us will shoot up your share.

The first statement I think, holds some truth.

The second statement, I am OK with also. I love to step out on the back porch and not have to worry about my projectile traveling too far to go where it shouldn`t. The neighbors don`t care either.

 

You can have my share. I have had a great time using something that got the job done and didn`t get me arrested from using it in my backyard. :)

[Looks like more of the same for .22LR, time to get a pellet rifle]

Heck, I learned to shoot with a BB gun with no sights! :)

LOL!

 

Dawg!

 

I had all kinds of fun in my younger days with a Daisy Powerline multi-pump rifle. I could hit anything with it and the 4X Tasco scope that I bought from K Mart.

 

The newer one that I bought a few years ago, was.......lets just say that......the accuracy that I expected from the rifle was, not what I knew from my older one. Was disappointed.

 

I lost the front sight of my old rifle in tall grass one day :wall: . The rifle went into the trash maybe a week later.

[Looks like more of the same for .22LR, time to get a pellet rifle]

I'm really close to getting a pellet gun myself. I've been looking at them and doing research, but there are a LOT of them out there. I'm definitely going above a 177 caliber. I didn't know hey made a 25 caliber. I'll have to check into that.

The new stuff even blows my mind.

 

I like .177 but I hit a few targets with it and they were still stubborn. Then I found out about .25.

 

It has a kick to it like a real rifle and is heavier than some firearms that I am shooting.

 

Something else, airguns are tricky to master. If you can master them, your regular firearm shooting will improve. Mine has. :)

[Looks like more of the same for .22LR, time to get a pellet rifle]

Yeah right.... :shake:

Hey Randall,

 

What would you say if I could offer you a source for a 1012 grain pellet? Curious as to what the caliber may be?

 

That is not a typo. :cool:

[Looks like more of the same for .22LR, time to get a pellet rifle]

I gave up on .22LR, as I stated in another thread.

 

Don`t have any problems nowadays finding pellets and the critters that I hit, hate `em.

 

.25 caliber. Break barrel rifle. Scope, and "thump", to the intended target.

 

I`m happy. :)

[22 LR AMMO AVAIL]

 I haven't bought any in several months and won't buy it at current prices.

I gave up on it. Went airgun instead. Sold off rifle and ammo that I had.

 

Weird thing is, offered the ammo pre- SH prices and many turned their noses up at it. Oh well. Don`t care now.