Hey Everybody, Just thinking about what kind of "spent" cases I see the most of on the ground while at the Range.

All kinds of empties, but at this time of the year(right as Deer Season starts for most folks), I generally notice two particular "Cartridge Cases and their Factory Boxes" more than all the others. And I have an idea "Why" I see them the most right now.

During the rest of the year, good old 22LRs and the inexpensive 7.62x39mm cases seem scattered about fairly deep as well as lots of 9mm pistol cases. But as Deer Season approaches, two particular Cartridges seem to get more Range Time than all others.

Have you noticed it before the Range Scavengers arrive? If so, "What" are the two you noticed and "Why" do you think they are so prevelant?

.22 rimfire
.17 rimfire

30-30 and 30-06, the two most popular "deer rifle" calibers in the country!

22 rimfire, 7.62X39, 223 and 30.06

I am one of your "Range scavengers" you mentioned. I pick up from two ranges and soon will be going to add another one. Down here I find .22 cases by the bushel basket especially just before squirrl season but all summer also. Before deer season on one range 7MM Magnum, .270, 308, 30/30, 30/06, 7MM/08 and .223 are the most found but along with running a close second is 300 Weatherby magnum and 270 WSM and 300 magnum. At another range the .22 cases are knee deep with a lot of 7.62 x 39, .223, 30/30, 30/06, 308, 270 and 300 magnum. Of course ther are always a pile of shot gun shells as more deer are killed down here with shot guns in some thick swampy ares and thick trees than anything else. Pistol shells are 38, 44 magnum, 9MM and 22. Some times I come home with 300 cases of various calibers. But there are alot of reloaders so many are picked up. Those are mostly 308, 30/06, 270, 300 magnum and 7mm/08.

30/06 and 270 here.I like it because I don't have to buy any case for them.

Being near Camp Pendleton, I see mostly .223 and some .308 left behind...

On the range of the shooting club I belong to---generally the steel cases in 7.62 x 39 and 9mm blazer aluminum cases. 3rd would be .22 rimfires.

Today is was 30-06.

22 LR, 9mm, 40 S&W on the pistol range
7.62x39, .223, 30-30, 30-06, .308 on the rifle range

All summer,22rimfire,223,9mm.Just before hunting season 303 british,30-30,270win and 30-06.It's not that they are the most common hunting cartridges in use here,but rather that most of the people that use them don't handload and leave the brass behind.There is a fairly large number or 7mmremmag,300winmag and 338winmag rifles in use,but most of their owners reload.

Rimfire cases - but only if they end up in the grass. Everything else is picked up before people leave the range.

7.62 X 39 and 22 RF.

22 rimfire and steel cases. The club I belong to has mostly reloaders who police their own brass and any reloadable stuff that happens to missed by the guy before them.

.22 and .17HRM. The range I belong to most of the guys are very good about picking up there brass. Also most of the guys reload. About all I ever find in the grass is .9mm and .45 acp. If I get there when the guys with the machine guns were just there I get alot of 8mm, .308 and .223. I am a scavenger and save everything. What I can use I do and the rest goes to the scrap yard.


The public range I visit I see mostly 7.62x39 but have found quite a bunch of .223 also. As for hunting calibers 30-30 gets left behind most.

Steel cased 7.62x39 and .303...

It builds up until the range operators sweep it out, once a year or so. Anything brass gets picked up pretty quick by someone!

I'm going to discount the Federal .308 Match brass that the various LEO outfits leave. I picked up over 1,100 rounds of that stuff in one day. They must have had some kind of match going.

For the regular huntingh ammo though, normally the 30-06 is the most common, but this year, either the 06 shooters are now keeping their brass or the .270 has jumped greating in popularity since last hunting season. Amounts of .243, 7MM Mag. and .300 Win. mag. seem to be about the same.

In handgun brass, I ignore the .40 S&W, but there has been a whole lot of .45 ACP. Usually, if I hit the range on a Monday, I can easily pick up 200 to 300, sometimes more .45 ACP brass, and of that, the most popular seems to be Winchester brand with Remington and Federal not even close seconds.

Quite a few .38 Spl. and .357 Mag. brass as well. >44 Mag. and .45 Cold afre scarcer than hen's teeth though. It's a rare day to find any of those.

I only bother with brass I can use, and just put everything else in the brass bucket.
Paul B.

quote:

Originally posted by Paul B:
I'm going to discount the Federal .308 Match brass that the various LEO outfits leave. I picked up over 1,100 rounds of that stuff in one day. ...

Hey Paul, Are the Primer Pockets still tight on them?
---

Interesting responses which seem to vary around the country as to the popularity.

I neglected to mention in my initial post that I see a lot of Cases policed up and tossed in the trash. When reading my post, it reads like I'm talking about people who just let it all lay where it falls.

Ony saw a couple of "Why?" responses as to the cartridges we each see being present right now. I believe it has to do with a couple of things that seem to tie together.

1. We have the people that intend to hunt, but just don't spend a lot of time at the Range. They may only shoot 5-20 shots in a year and just stop by to make sure their rifle is still sighted in. Tend to come to the Range with "like minded" buddies.

2. Cost. I believe some of the folks who come this time of the year see the ads for "On Sale Ammo" and remember that from year to year. When it is time to buy a rifle, it seems some of them buy a rifle simply based on the fact it uses inexpensive ammo.

3. Since the Yearly Shooter is not interested in Reloading, I can understand why he has no desire to keep his spent cases. Most do pick them up at the Ranges I frequent, but I really believe some don't understand that is proper Range Etiquette. Quite often though, I've had them approach me and ask if I'd be interested in their empties.

The two I see the most across the Southeast are the old 30-30 and the 30-06, both of which show up in more abundance once the "Ammo Sales" begin.

For those of you seeing the other cartridges, are they "On Sale" in your area this time of the year? I have begun to notice some 243Win, 308Win, 7mmRemMag and 300WinMag "Ammo Sales" over the past couple of years in the Carolinas.

Have heard the brass pickers referred to as "hull whores"

Most common is always .223 and .308.

quote:

Have heard the brass pickers referred to as "hull whores"

Oh well, if the shoe fits...............

First thing I do when getting to the range is look in the trash buckets for reloadable brass.

Most popular in order would be .30-06, .30-30, .270, .243, .308. In the Magnums, 7mm has a huge edge, followed by .300. The WSM's are trailing the pack, just ahead of the .338...

.22, obviously, but among reloadable brass 9mm on the pistol range, .223 on the rifle ranges, with 7.62x39 next, nothing else close.

Yesterday it was the rimfire menagerie.
.17, .22 & .22mag.

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Paul B:
I'm going to discount the Federal .308 Match brass that the various LEO outfits leave. I picked up over 1,100 rounds of that stuff in one day. ...

Hey Paul, Are the Primer Pockets still tight on them?
---

Hot Core. YUP! They are once fired factory ammo match brass. Some of it was put back in the boxes, but most was left loose on the ground. I have on .308 rifle that is very accurate for a cheap sporter. it's a Winchester Model 70 Youth Ranger I won in a raffle. The gun cost me a whole $1.00. I gave it a good trigger job (2.5# pull) and got rid of that shorty stock made for kids. I put it in a ramline with no special bedding work. The rifle averages MOA at 100 yards with ammo it likes. The match brass was one hell of a windfall and most of the .308 brass has gotten fairly well used up, at least
for serious ful powder loads. I'll save those for the cast bullet shooting.
Paul B.

We have a lot of reloaders at my range.

Usually the only thing left is .22 or .17 rimfire. But I did have a happy day once where a guy gave me 200 .223 cases that he just shot out of his AR-15! Other than that, the stuff in the bucket is all steal cased or mil surplus.

30-06 270 and 7 mag

Hey Paul, Good for you! I always love to hear about a good deal. And a $1 rifle is a GREAT deal(even if it is a M70).

FREE Fed Match Cases - just outstanding. I like the Fed cases too. Loaded up on a bunch when I heard they were going out of the "Component Case" business.

Ramline Stocks Was that recently? I got two of them back sometime in the `70s, took the Termite Food off a couple of Rugers, screwed the Ramelines on and never had to do any bedding. I got mine "before" they started including the Rubber Recoil Pads, so I did have to add them.

Do you remember their ad of a 3/4 ton parked on the Receiver mortise of the empty stock?

Congratulations on the great scrounging.