Processing 25 lbs of range lead

**bamboomaster** · January 7th, 2020, 06:30 PM

It's amazing what you can do in your kitchen sink and then over a burner in your garage. He did have the fan running and the garage door open...

Having had the experience as a "bullet-smith"running three casting machines, I often wondered what the "home brew" version was on recycling range pick-ups. Now I know and as a long-time caster, it looks like fun too.

Hope he didn't use one of those rare cast iron skillets or is planning to use the skillet for frying potatoes later in the day. But he sure looks like he knows what he's doing.

The video is about 50 minutes long, but in a quirky sort of way, I found it very entertaining! Now I'm thinking about those 8 peanut-butter jars still filled with range pick-ups from 40 years ago, thanks to the "I never throw anything away" decedent....

Here's the video:

**Walleye Hunter** · January 7th, 2020, 06:50 PM

Just get the old lead soldier kit out, it has a melting pot in it.

**Pete D.** · January 7th, 2020, 07:40 PM

I process range lead into ingots, cleaning it for use. I use it in a shotmaker.....#7.5 shot.
I do not do anything related to lead casting in the house.
Pete

**SgtRecon** · January 7th, 2020, 10:04 PM

I do the exact same thing, although I seperate the cast bullets from the jacketed figuring they are already alloyed to shoot and the jacketed core lead is softer, I generally use it for the muzzle loaders or save the ingots for alloying later. the best time to go to the range is during "Recon sunshine" or a torrential rain, it acts as a natural sluice and makes the lead easily visible and I'm not tying up anyone elses range time !
Just start all range pick up from a cold batch, never dump raw material into a molten pot that may contain the slightest trace of water !!!
I have hundreds of pounds recovered this way, sure it sucks going out in the gorton's fisherman slicker to fill buckets with lead scrap, but i live close to both of my clubs and generally live a boring drama free life

with environmental regulations going the way they are,one day it will be the new gold

**cephas** · January 8th, 2020, 09:12 AM

As a scrounger this time of year I put a few hours in the corner of hell sorting wheel weights. Can still get 10 gallon buckets full for around $20 here. Each year more and more zinc and steel weights are sneaking in.
Use a discounted propane fish/turkey fryer and a yard sale iron dutch oven pot. Definitely an outdoor project. Temperature control is imprecise but working slowly and paying attention any missed zinc weights can be culled easily. Since most range scrap is commercial I mix them in for the sn content.
FWIW post #1 in this thread is an excellent primer on recognizing wheel weights: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-Wheel-Weights
As a laugh worst scrounging I ever did was lead sewer pipe. Closest neighbor downwind, up the hill bout half mile away, asked WTF I was doing that day. Welders gloves, mask and eye protection recommended.