I go to the local range, about 1 to 2 times a week.
Almost everytime, I see hundreds of empty case laying on the ground. I proceed to rant and rave about keeping the place clean and orderly.
But....I have found a vitual cornacopia (sp)...(ah, you know what I mean), of 300 Win mag brass laying around, waiting to be had.
I found 30 some cases today, and am tumbling them as I write.
I have found about 100 empty cases over the last few months, and should not have to buy any more brass for some time.
Seriously, try to respect your local range, and pick up your targets, and TRASH!!!!
Refrain from shooting the post that hold the roof up, at point blank range!!
My Dad would have kicked a lung out of me for that alone....Thanks for letting me vent...And thank you again, Mr. Litter Bug... sakofan..

Sakofan,
Littering got so bad at the club range I belong, that now every last Sat. of the month the range is closed for word parties. Other things are done but it's mostly to clean the place up.
Of course you don't see any of the litter bugs there. They figure their annual dues take care of it. Unfortunately, most littered cases are from the assult rifles; surely none for my Sako 7.21 Firebird.
May all your groups cut the same hole!
Elliott

As a boy, part of my training was that you leave a campsite, range, etc., a little cleaner than you found it. It was pressed upon me as "de rigeur" and that was that.

My local range has an extreme mess problem. The Game and Fish people recently spiffed it up, added benches set in concrete, and (mind you) a covered firing point. Still, ever time I go, there are cases and paper all over. Well, I do my part. Geo.

I'm very lucky. The range I belong to is privately owned, well, owned by the club members. I'm getting a fair collection of brass for firearms I don't have, but may have, one of these days.
I've picked up a couple thousand 38 spec cases off the ground and out of trash cans. One of my shooting partners has collected 50 to 60 pounds of 9mm brass, mostly Winchester. I've picked up a bunch of 375 H&H brass, with the bullet molds I have for my 375 Whelen, this is nearly the excuse I need for a 375 H&H. After some of the matches there's 5.56 brass by the hundreds just left on the ground until the brass bussards begin to gather round.
I've seen piles of 308 in the trash cans, but the turned out to be Mil surplus, Berdan primed. Nearly cause a terrible soul wrench to leave all that pretty brass in the can.
Jim

Hi all,

Brass litter-bugs are my favorite.

I have a personal rule with regards to range brass: As a reward for picking up 1000 peices of a given caliber, I buy a gun to go with it!!!

Well...... OK, I have bought the odd one before the 1000 mark, on spec of course!!

Joe

I gotta give South Carolina Fish and Game credit.
They really TRY to keep the place up.
And the fact that it's a free place to shoot, makes me more gung ho picking up after myself.
The scariest trash I see, is when there are bunches of empty beer cans laying around!! YIKES!!...sakofan..Thanks for your comments..

to be honest, the first thing i do when I go to the range is look through all the garbage barrels to see what interesting things people have left me.

It's nice when people clean up after themselves, but last time I swept up the range I got myself a grocery bag full of 45auto brass, they should last me quite a while.

I do the same thing. I pick up all brass even .22 rimfire when in the mood. If I don't reload it I scrap it. Just started doing it when I bought a Cetme. I figured why throw all that brass away. Someone leaves me nice little piles of Lake City 5.56 brass. Hope he keeps shooting there. Actually hope he starts shooting 5 boxes instead of only 3. I love coming home with more brass than I took.

I shoot at a club-owned local range (you have to be an NRA member to join) where the Range Officer will simply hand a broom to any visitors that neglect to clean up after themselves. Don't have to say anything - just smile and hold the broom out. Brass in one barrel; targets and other trash in the other.

I hear you, I have picked up litterally hundreds of Lake City match brass over the last few months from my local range!!!

I normaly do not pick up brass at the range, it is kept up pretty good.
The other day I put some targets in the trash and two yellow UMC boxes caught my eye they were 222 rem. after I got home I was going to take care of the brass and to my surprise it was 55gr loaded ammo new in the box.

My source of 5.7x28 brass DEPENDS upon "brass litterbugs" of the LEO variety. And since I haven't found any of them shooting on any range close, it also depends upon people in other ranges cleaning them up and sending them to me. I use them for a wildcatting prioject I have going on.

[ 08-15-2003, 04:53: Message edited by: Vibe ]

Let's not forget the low-lifes that steal the broom from the range!

For all of you that pick up brass -

Just remember to wash hands after picking up brass, and don't use hats, etc. to collect it. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IF YOU'VE GOT THE KIDS HELPING OUT - most empty cases are a source of lead, which can lead to lead poisoning.

You might not think much of it, but it's important enough to us that it's a routine part of our range safety briefing.

There are a couple of ranges I visit regularly. The first order is always to pick up the brass lying on the ground. When I get a few hundred cases they make a trip to the local gun shop where they are traded away toward loading supplies I need. The litter bugs are helping to finance my addiction........Thank you!
Rick

I used to use the brass I would pick up at the range until I got a couple case head separations and a face full of hot gas and brass particles. Good thing I always wear shooting glasses.

Now, unless I'm absolutely sure it is once fired factory brass (sometimes find them back in the box) they go to my recycle bucket. Last time I went to the scrap yard, a 5 gallon bucket full was worth $36.

Darn you, DanD...
I want that brass!! .45ACP is so hard to find and it's so expensive to buy it. I don't shoot my 1911 much at all because the empties go flying into the brush and they're gone. I turned into a brass buzzard shortly after I began to reload; now I look at every case I see laying around and usually pick it up even if I don't need it (assuming it ain't Berdan)-- I may run into somebody someday who will. It's hard to trash something as pretty and potentially useful.

[ 08-22-2003, 15:48: Message edited by: rootbeer ]

Rootbeer
Try this link for 45 brass,its very clean and cheap i think. www.thebrassman.com
I have bought several times from him and its always in very good shape and at agood price price

muskrat
live to shoot-shoot to live!