Did you regret not picking up free brass......

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Did you regret not picking up free brass...... (Page 1 of 2)

Posted: 1/2/2012 2:10:24 PM EDT

before you got into reloading?

I've been reloading for a few months now and I think back on all the days I could have had a shit ton of brass. I had the mindset of "oh, I don't see myself reloading in the near future".
I worked at a gun club for 7 years and I wish I could go back in time.(with a ton of pails)

Posted: 1/2/2012 2:16:37 PM EDT

[#1]

can't answer the question as I always take the free brass.

Posted: 1/2/2012 2:17:53 PM EDT

[#2]

Nope, I started reloading at the same time I got into guns.

As we're walking up to the targets, everyone else is looking at the targets, or whatever, I'm looking down at the ground for abandoned brass.

That is too bad you didn't get a few buckets full when you worked at the gun club.

Posted: 1/2/2012 2:24:11 PM EDT

[#3]

Wish I had at least some of it back, but since you've worked at a gun club, probably not as much as you do!

Posted: 1/2/2012 2:25:57 PM EDT

[#4]

I collected mine from day 1 with plans of some day reloading. The only thing I regret is leaving tons of steel cases because everyone said they were un-reloadable.

Posted: 1/2/2012 2:58:17 PM EDT

[#5]

Yep....I left quite a bit on the ground over the years. Although I did start saving about 2 years before I started reloading. That's when I really starting going up in volume (started shooting 3 gun

)

I've been saving range pickups for about a year and a half now....i'm in the process of loading up 5000 rounds of 9mm only using pickups and not touching my stash of personal once fired factory stuff

Better late than never

Posted: 1/2/2012 3:02:18 PM EDT

[#6]

Only time I leave brass at the range is when I know they are on their last reload. Pick up my brass and you don't know what your going to get. YMMV.

Posted: 1/2/2012 3:03:10 PM EDT

[#7]

I have been reloading pretty much since I started buying centerfire guns and I can honestly say I can count the few times I ever needed to buy brass.

In a way I wish I wasn't such a brass whore , I have to really work to walk past some odd beat up crap that I have tons of at home.

No you can't have any of it!

Posted: 1/2/2012 3:04:59 PM EDT

[#8]

There's a point at which you will say "enough".

My take on range brass anymore is simple. I don't need to be picking up problems and there's problems in every sack full of range brass. Once you get enough brass to have on hand what you want you'll start to look at range brass a bit differently. I'll take the time if I see a pile of shiny 45acp brass and if stamped Winchester I'll gladly pick it up. A pile of Seller & Bellot, meh...... not today.

Posted: 1/2/2012 3:09:45 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
There's a point at which you will say "enough".

My take on range brass is anymore is simple. I don't need to be picking up problems and there's problems in every sack full of range brass. Once you get enough brass to have on hand what you want you'll start to look at range brass a bit differently. I'll take the time if I see a pile of shiny 45acp brass and if stamped Winchester I'll gladly pick it up. A pile of Seller & Bellot, meh...... not today.

I'll go along with that

I'm a lot more picky about what I'll take the time to pick up anymore.
200# of .45 brass

Posted: 1/2/2012 3:10:34 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
There's a point at which you will say "enough".

My take on range brass is anymore is simple. I don't need to be picking up problems and there's problems in every sack full of range brass. Once you get enough brass to have on hand what you want you'll start to look at range brass a bit differently. I'll take the time if I see a pile of shiny 45acp brass and if stamped Winchester I'll gladly pick it up. A pile of Seller & Bellot, meh...... not today.

Absolutely true....I fill the recycle bucket with certain brands, NT brass, and anything at all that looks questionable. My last recycle trip gave me about 140 bucks to throw back in the "gun fund"

Posted: 1/2/2012 3:13:20 PM EDT

[#11]

I think it was about round 3000 I said to myself..."damn, this is going to get expensive shooting this EBR. Maybe I better start reloading." Of course, I had already let 2500 or so lay on the ground during prior shooting sessions. This was several years ago. I pick up all I see now and regret letting all that brass lay. Heck, it wasn't even free...I paid for it!

Posted: 1/2/2012 3:26:03 PM EDT

[#12]

No regrets here. I've left a few and picked up a few. I haven't bought center fire pistol or hunting rifle ammo in nearly 15 years. I do buy bulk 5.56 because for me it is more cost/time effective.

Posted: 1/2/2012 3:35:50 PM EDT

[#13]

Yes at some point you have to say enough is enough for me it's been about 10,000 45, 10,000 9mm and 223 but it's still hard to walk by and not snag it.

Posted: 1/2/2012 5:14:31 PM EDT

[#14]

I have brass in excess, and even if I couldn't find it free, I have places of getting it cheap.

What I kick myself for is not buying a whole lot more cases of 12-gauge field loads when the K-mart by my old house was clearing them out. I bought enough that it lasted for years, but still.... it was so cheap it was ridiculous. Had I not been so young and dumb, I would have cleaned them out, and had enough to last half my life.

Posted: 1/2/2012 5:35:21 PM EDT

[#15]

Took me about 4-5 years of shooting before I became a reloader, then I became a brass whore. Looking back, yeah, missed out on some brass in the early days, live and learn. Now I pick up every piece of brass, if I can't use it I'll scrap it to cash in later.

I've tossed thousands of berdan primed 308 brass cases in the past though before I started saving brass for scrap value.

Posted: 1/2/2012 6:06:07 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Yes at some point you have to say enough is enough for me it's been about 10,000 45, 10,000 9mm and 223 but it's still hard to walk by and not snag it.

i have become a fair weather brass whore. gone are the days i stoop in the snow/mud for brass. unless it is 308 or 3006, or a large pile of 556.

Posted: 1/2/2012 6:21:03 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Yes at some point you have to say enough is enough for me it's been about 10,000 45, 10,000 9mm and 223 but it's still hard to walk by and not snag it.

i have become a fair weather brass whore. gone are the days i stoop in the snow/mud for brass. unless it is 308 or 3006, or a large pile of 556.

I'm still an all weather brass whore hell I dug some 44mag out of frozen mud today

Posted: 1/2/2012 6:35:10 PM EDT

[#18]

I helped my dad reload when I was a kid, so I never left any brass behind.

Posted: 1/2/2012 8:15:39 PM EDT

[#19]

Whenever I shot, I would pick up brass just to clean up after myself... got home and couldn't throw it out... it all came in handy when I started reloading... I have buckets full of stuff I don't shoot from when my kids clean up when I take them... they wont listen when I say "just the. 223..." I leave all the brass in a back barn... when I started reloading I sat in the garage and sorted it for hours... years worth of range pick ups... I had always thought it would be impossible to get into reloading until I did it with my brother in law... easy as pie... enjoyed it ever since...

Posted: 1/2/2012 8:43:57 PM EDT

[#20]

When I got into shooting I figured I would get into reloading at some point so I always picked it up. Some ranges I go to say to only pick up what you shot that day. To that I say I am going to get my range fees back and then some. While everyone goes down to check targets I scrounge it up, or while waiting on the one zeroing lane. I havnt bought brass for a long time, in the future I will probably only buy 6.8 because not enough of it can be had at the range.

Posted: 1/2/2012 11:11:17 PM EDT

[#21]

I was all serious about getting my brass once I started shooting IDPA but the matches were getting so packed with shooters I felt like I was holding up others shooters. So I backed off and left my brass.
Then this husband and wife brass scrounged team show up with a brass weasel and sorting pans and multiple 5 gallon buckets and "harvest" 5 stages worth of brass. Their AMC Pacer was dragging the mufler it was so packed with loot.
No one said a word.

Guess what I got for Christmas? A fucking John Deer lawn mower converted into a brass harvesting combine!

Not one nugget of brass shall escape me!

Posted: 1/3/2012 2:31:25 AM EDT

[#22]

I've had to train myself not to pick up 9X19 any more. I have a lifetime supply now and it just keeps piling up.

Posted: 1/3/2012 3:18:23 AM EDT

[#23]

I scrounge about all I can other than .40. I've got that coming out of my ears. I usually tried to keep most of the brass even before I reloaded.

Posted: 1/3/2012 4:04:47 AM EDT

[#24]

I've helped sweep away so much brass before I even knew about reloading that it makes me sick to my stomach to think about. Now the ranges around me either frown on picking up others brass, or more recently everyone has stated keeping their own brass.

I have decent amounts but I'll still take more at this point, especially now that I've got a progressive press.

Posted: 1/3/2012 4:28:28 AM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Yes at some point you have to say enough is enough for me it's been about 10,000 45, 10,000 9mm and 223 but it's still hard to walk by and not snag it.

i have become a fair weather brass whore. gone are the days i stoop in the snow/mud for brass. unless it is 308 or 3006, or a large pile of 556.

I'm still an all weather brass whore hell I dug some 44mag out of frozen mud today

if you saw my mountain of brass you would understand.

Posted: 1/3/2012 4:32:03 AM EDT

[#26]

no and i still have no desire to reload

Posted: 1/3/2012 6:17:10 AM EDT

[#27]

Yes, I very muchly regret.

There is a gravel pit in way northern MN that is full of brass and steel cases, wolf was $80 per 1k so we shot a lot more of that.

Back in the day when I was younger and dumber we just left it all lay, everything from 5.56 to .50 brass.

We even took pictures of how much was laying there because we thought it was cool at the time.

Posted: 1/3/2012 7:11:47 AM EDT

[#28]

I've always picked up brass when I saw it.. I've even thought about buying guns for the caliber of brass that I have. Think how much money i'll save!

Posted: 1/3/2012 2:59:29 PM EDT

[#29]

Right now I have containers full of brass waiting to be reloaded. It depends on how much effort it will take to recover what I find on the ground now. If it's on concrete in a nice pile, I'll pick it up. If it's strewn all over the place on a rifle bay, I'm not going to comb the place looking for it.

Posted: 1/3/2012 3:05:19 PM EDT

[#30]

Fortunately I had made the decision to pursue reloading before I started seriously shooting so I didn't leave a whole lot at the range. But I do find myself feeling like a street beggar at times looking for brass at the range. They have a strict policy of not allowing you to pick up brass that you didn't shoot, so unless it just happens to bounce out of their stall, I can only stare longingly at the buckets of shiny brass dreaming of what could be.

Posted: 1/3/2012 3:08:12 PM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Yes at some point you have to say enough is enough for me it's been about 10,000 45, 10,000 9mm and 223 but it's still hard to walk by and not snag it.

i have become a fair weather brass whore. gone are the days i stoop in the snow/mud for brass. unless it is 308 or 3006, or a large pile of 556.

I'm still an all weather brass whore hell I dug some 44mag out of frozen mud today

if you saw my mountain of brass you would understand.

I would easily believe you, have no doubt about that. Me personally I will pick up most brass except .22LR and varoius versions of that and steel cases. Rifle brass I spot check to see which primer pockets have been reamed and scrap those. I figure that reamed rifle brass that is laying there is laying there for a reason.

Posted: 1/3/2012 3:32:13 PM EDT

[#32]

I pick up every piece of brass I can, whether I load for it or not. I'll sort it out when I get home.

And I regret not pickup up more of it when I could.

Posted: 1/3/2012 3:56:42 PM EDT

[#33]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Yes at some point you have to say enough is enough for me it's been about 10,000 45, 10,000 9mm and 223 but it's still hard to walk by and not snag it.

i have become a fair weather brass whore. gone are the days i stoop in the snow/mud for brass. unless it is 308 or 3006, or a large pile of 556.

I'm still an all weather brass whore hell I dug some 44mag out of frozen mud today

if you saw my mountain of brass you would understand.

You know the rules here. Pic or it didn't happen

Posted: 1/3/2012 4:42:06 PM EDT

[#34]

I have saved most of the brass from my past before I started this sickness this year.

Looking back I know I missed out on a ton...

Live and learn.

Now I pick it up and I mean everything just because it can turn into more brass for me... scrap or keep...

I love this hobby!

Posted: 1/3/2012 5:40:26 PM EDT

[#35]

I started picking up brass for about 6 months before I started reloading because I knew that I was eventually going to get a press and the equipment-I sure am glad that I did. I've never counted exactly how much brass I've acquired, but I know I've loaded between 3-4k of ammo in the last year on my press, and I have yet to pay for a single piece of brass. I also started picking up brass for calibers that I envision myself getting into in the future.

If only .308 brass was as prevalent in my neck of the woods as .223

I may end up having to actually buy some .308 brass.

Posted: 1/3/2012 5:46:05 PM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:
can't answer the question as I always take the free brass.

This. Ive sold tons of it here on the EE and gunbroker as well as having a bunch hoarded.

Posted: 1/3/2012 5:51:06 PM EDT

[#37]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Yes at some point you have to say enough is enough for me it's been about 10,000 45, 10,000 9mm and 223 but it's still hard to walk by and not snag it.

i have become a fair weather brass whore. gone are the days i stoop in the snow/mud for brass. unless it is 308 or 3006, or a large pile of 556.

I'm still an all weather brass whore hell I dug some 44mag out of frozen mud today

if you saw my mountain of brass you would understand.

You know the rules here. Pic or it didn't happen

ask and you shall receive
thats 60-70K pieces 556, 4 buckets full of 9mm 2 of 45acp, 3-4 of 308, 6 of 40 cal(not counting 20K i have sorted in packs of 1000 in another room) and a few other assorted sizes im forgetting. there is a smaller mountain on the other side but i forgot to take a photo of that. buckets in photos are full to the brim BTW

Posted: 1/3/2012 6:10:39 PM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Yes at some point you have to say enough is enough for me it's been about 10,000 45, 10,000 9mm and 223 but it's still hard to walk by and not snag it.

i have become a fair weather brass whore. gone are the days i stoop in the snow/mud for brass. unless it is 308 or 3006, or a large pile of 556.

I'm still an all weather brass whore hell I dug some 44mag out of frozen mud today

if you saw my mountain of brass you would understand.

You know the rules here. Pic or it didn't happen

ask and you shall receive
thats 60-70K pieces 556, 4 buckets full of 9mm 2 of 45acp, 3-4 of 308, 6 of 40 cal(not counting 20K i have sorted in packs of 1000 in another room) and a few other assorted sizes im forgetting. there is a smaller mountain on the other side but i forgot to take a photo of that.

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r42/par0thead151/IMG_3516.jpg
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r42/par0thead151/IMG_3517.jpg

Thats a nice start

Posted: 1/3/2012 6:30:30 PM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Yes at some point you have to say enough is enough for me it's been about 10,000 45, 10,000 9mm and 223 but it's still hard to walk by and not snag it.

i have become a fair weather brass whore. gone are the days i stoop in the snow/mud for brass. unless it is 308 or 3006, or a large pile of 556.

I'm still an all weather brass whore hell I dug some 44mag out of frozen mud today

if you saw my mountain of brass you would understand.

You know the rules here. Pic or it didn't happen

ask and you shall receive
thats 60-70K pieces 556, 4 buckets full of 9mm 2 of 45acp, 3-4 of 308, 6 of 40 cal(not counting 20K i have sorted in packs of 1000 in another room) and a few other assorted sizes im forgetting. there is a smaller mountain on the other side but i forgot to take a photo of that.

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r42/par0thead151/IMG_3516.jpg
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r42/par0thead151/IMG_3517.jpg

Thats a nice start

start?
i need photos of something to aspire to, you know a goal. and not a commercial reloaders stash

i do need more 308/7.62 as i have a few beltfeds to feed and FAL's

Posted: 1/3/2012 6:56:34 PM EDT

[#40]

I'm not commercial

and I had to stop using 5 gal pails although I do have two 15gal ones I can only stack these two high, each has 300# of .223 in them and there are 6 total. I only load .45 and .223. These two are ALL 08 LC W/ NATO cross, fired semi auto

Posted: 1/3/2012 7:05:40 PM EDT

[#41]

Quoted:
I'm not commercial

and I had to stop using 5 gal pails although I do have two 15gal ones I can only stack these two high, each has 300# of .223 in them and there are 6 total. I only load .45 and .223. These two are ALL 08 LC W/ NATO cross, fired semi auto

http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/9097/picture028hc.jpg

any ideas on total quantities of 556?

from those photos, it looks like you dont own any brass, looks like GM has a lot of brass though

Posted: 1/3/2012 11:14:01 PM EDT

[#42]

Hell yes! I just started reloading this year and I can't help but think of the 18+ years of my adult life that I let brass lie.

Now every time I go to the range, I think about how I get my admission fee back in range pickup brass!

Posted: 1/4/2012 2:42:59 AM EDT

[#43]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I'm not commercial

and I had to stop using 5 gal pails although I do have two 15gal ones I can only stack these two high, each has 300# of .223 in them and there are 6 total. I only load .45 and .223. These two are ALL 08 LC W/ NATO cross, fired semi auto

http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/9097/picture028hc.jpg

any ideas on total quantities of 556? Must be in access of 160K total as I have a stash of WCC too

from those photos, it looks like you dont own any brass, looks like GM has a lot of brass though

They were in the dumpster. Damaged hinges

ETA and in case you missed this pic here it is again. 200# of .45 brass and thats not all of it either

I should have about 25K of it. By the way thats one of those 15gal pails.

Maybe we need a brass whore thread

Posted: 1/4/2012 5:28:24 AM EDT

[#44]

Quoted:
I was all serious about getting my brass once I started shooting IDPA but the matches were getting so packed with shooters I felt like I was holding up others shooters. So I backed off and left my brass.
Then this husband and wife brass scrounged team show up with a brass weasel and sorting pans and multiple 5 gallon buckets and "harvest" 5 stages worth of brass. Their AMC Pacer was dragging the mufler it was so packed with loot.
No one said a word.

Guess what I got for Christmas? A fucking John Deer lawn mower converted into a brass harvesting combine!

Not one nugget of brass shall escape me!

you should know the rules by now.
Pics, or b.s.

Posted: 1/4/2012 10:30:03 AM EDT

[#45]

i dont reload yet, but keep most of my brass. so no regrets there. what i do regret is the tens of thousands of rounds of brass we chucked over the side of the ship when i was in the Navy. ammo cans, too.

Posted: 1/4/2012 2:10:17 PM EDT

[#46]

Quoted:
i dont reload yet, but keep most of my brass. so no regrets there. what i do regret is the tens of thousands of rounds of brass we chucked over the side of the ship when i was in the Navy. ammo cans, too.

You almost made me cry

Posted: 1/4/2012 2:51:55 PM EDT

[#47]

Quoted:
I'm not commercial

and I had to stop using 5 gal pails although I do have two 15gal ones I can only stack these two high, each has 300# of .223 in them and there are 6 total. I only load .45 and .223. These two are ALL 08 LC W/ NATO cross, fired semi auto

http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/9097/picture028hc.jpg

How did you come about that much brass...for free?!

Posted: 1/4/2012 3:09:25 PM EDT

[#48]

He is "winning" in the brass department...

Posted: 1/4/2012 3:32:08 PM EDT

[#49]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I'm not commercial

and I had to stop using 5 gal pails although I do have two 15gal ones I can only stack these two high, each has 300# of .223 in them and there are 6 total. I only load .45 and .223. These two are ALL 08 LC W/ NATO cross, fired semi auto

http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/9097/picture028hc.jpg

How did you come about that much brass...for free?!

Nothing in life is free

I have friends in low places

Posted: 1/4/2012 3:43:20 PM EDT

[#50]

I came within one day of gaining 12 five gallon buckets full of once fired .223 for nothing. My brother had just filled me in on his latest qual shoot (law enforcement) mentioning the brass. I told him I'd be there to pick it it up anytime. Asked him about it again a few days later and was told one of his coworkers snagged the whole lot the day before.
I don't even reload and I was (am) heart broken.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Did you regret not picking up free brass...... (Page 1 of 2)

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