[shoeshooter]

Seems relatively reasonable price-wise. Would think the alloy would be spot on. How about residual gilding metal? Any thoughts or experiences?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160502688964&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

[msredneck]

Too high a price

Mining the range berms is a PIA...been there done that.

at 50c a lb you should be able to get WW

 

[SubGunFan]

I don't like the possible very small particles of sand that might not flux out.

NO BERM MINING allowed at Magnolia. You can pick up what is on the surface, but NO DIGGING.

Like Neck stated...... really not worth the effort......

.

 

[shoeshooter]

NO BERM MINING allowed


.

Ain't happening...me and shovels don't get along...too much like work.

 

[Doug Bowser]

I have done this in the past. I make a frame out of 2x4"s about 2' square. THen I put h1/4" hardware cloth on the frame. Shovel the dirt in and you can shake the dirt off. The sand and dirt is much lighter than the lead. It all floats to the surface. I have done this for years and have never had a problem as long as the lead is dry when heated.

Doug

 

[msredneck]

Another negative shoe..is you get lots of jacketed bullets in "range lead"...These jackets are copper...not lead...so they float up when you melt...you gotta shake the lead out with a big spoon and then the jackets are waste...just like the clips on WW (wheel weights)

Besides that you don't know how much sand and stuff my be left in there...even from those on Evilbay....you have to wash the crap out of em from the range....and then you aint really got a clue what the composition of your mix is...

WW is just about the perfect combo for making pistol bullets....you can always add high $ lino if you wanna make the mix harder or pour a little "smoother"

Would I shoot range lead made bullets...hell yeah...I'd melt em down if someone gave em to me...it was a good learning experience...but I aint on gonna pay WW prices on Evilbay for range lead (RL)....which is what you had in that link

Just get you some WW man....its the best way to go ...a couple 50 lb boxes will make you a lot of bullets...remember even with WW...your waste factor is probably 30%

I wouldn't BS ya!....on this one

 

[Doug Bowser]

Neck,

You don't know the true alloy of WW either. I would use them for pistol bullets only. The jackets come up to the top and a re empty when they get there. The sand and dirt is lighter than lead and it floats. just scrape the sides of the pot and get the lead hot. Don't wash the lead. Water may get trapped in it. Then bang when the lead it is trapped in is added to a hot pot. A 20 pound pot will violently empty itself when a drop of water is added to it while hot.

I have been doing these things since 1957 and have had no problems using reclaimed lead.

Doug

Doug

 

[Beladran]

im going to take the stance of leave the lead in the dirt... the chances for screw up are to great.. say i go "mine" for bullets and a get a whole bucket. I am less sure of their composition than if i had bought WW's from local tire guys. Another thing while they may be free the labor cost adds up. If you think your time is worth $10 an hour and it takes you 4 hours to dig and sift out enough lead for a 5gallon bucket then whats the point? A twenty or a case of beer goes a long way on a friday at a tire shop :2c:

 

[canebreaker]

I've done it once. I dug out 6 5 gallon buckets of clay. I added water to loosen the clay some, let it set for a week. Used a mixer on my drill. poured it through a screen. Washed it again and again with mixer. Let it dry for a month in cardboard boxes. Got some popping while heating bullits, no blowouts. I ended with 52 pounds of lead and 1/2 bucket of jackets.
Copper wasn't clean, I got 15. for it at the scrap dealer.
I won't do it again.

 

[msredneck]

when I washed my range lead...I spread it out on tin pans several days to dry in the sun...

aint no way I'd ever let any water get into a melted lead pot...extremely dangerous...

Captain taught me well...

Range lead just aint worth the hassle...300 or 400 lbs WW will make you all the pistol bullets you can stand for a while