lbs of lead per 5 gal of range scrap?

headednorth

headednorth

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Ive accumulated around 4 gallons worth of range scrap and was curious how much lead I can expect to get from it. Is there a general rule of thumb to go by? X lbs/5 gallons, 100 lbs of scrap yeilds X lbs of lead, X% waste after smelting, something like that. Did a quick search and saw some results for WW but nothing for range scrap. Figure somebody must of weighed before and after. Just curious.
 
it really depends on the scrap and where you picked it up. Indoors, out doors. Does the indoor range ban lead or is it cast bullet only indoors.
There is a lot of lead substitutes being used in pistols, frangible, even zinc core? Also the jackets take up some of the mass as well.
The last indoor range smelt I did was about a 65% return. Lots of crud comes up and needs to be removed from the top. Its pretty heavy and I guess it contains a lot of copper and heavily oxidized lead that does not want to melt.
 
Outdoor range. I sifted it to get out most of the sandy material and picked out as much of the pebbles/wood/rubber backstop, etc, but Im sure there's some amount of all that stuff still in there. I know the jackets will be waste, didnt think of any type of non-lead bullets being in there.

Figured someone at one time would of weighed their bucket before and then weighed the lead after. TBH, Im just bored and was looking at it and thinking how much lead I might end up with.
 
headednorth said:
Outdoor range. I sifted it to get out most of the sandy material and picked out as much of the pebbles/wood/rubber backstop, etc, but Im sure there's some amount of all that stuff still in there. I know the jackets will be waste, didnt think of any type of non-lead bullets being in there.

Figured someone at one time would of weighed their bucket before and then weighed the lead after. TBH, Im just bored and was looking at it and thinking how much lead I might end up with.
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well your not that bored or you would have fired up the smelt and gave us a report[smile]
My out door range scrap days eneded a few years ago. I do not get access like I used to. Now these days if I have 10-15min to kill I just pick up the bullets off the ground and the big 45cal splatters around the steel plates. I can easily get 2-3 lbs just walking around and picking up the ones that look like lead to me.
I forget the numbers but the last range bucket I did was about 60# I think I got about 40# from it. Its also fairly soft. Th copper jackets can be sorted and scrapped. The steel come right out with a magnet of course. I was able to sell my copper jackets when scrap was very high about 10 years ago. I only have about 2 lbs on hand now as im not actively collecting and smelting range scrap much anymore
 
mac1911 said:
well your not that bored or you would have fired up the smelt and gave us a report[smile]
My out door range scrap days eneded a few years ago. I do not get access like I used to. Now these days if I have 10-15min to kill I just pick up the bullets off the ground and the big 45cal splatters around the steel plates. I can easily get 2-3 lbs just walking around and picking up the ones that look like lead to me.
I forget the numbers but the last range bucket I did was about 60# I think I got about 40# from it. Its also fairly soft. Th copper jackets can be sorted and scrapped. The steel come right out with a magnet of course. I was able to sell my copper jackets when scrap was very high about 10 years ago. I only have about 2 lbs on hand now as im not actively collecting and smelting range scrap much anymore
Click to expand...

Lol, true. Im on the lookout for a cheap cast iron pot.

Sounds like pretty much what I do. I bring a bucket out to the plates and basically scrape up handfuls of lead along with sand and everything else at the base of the plate stand, little bit on the surface of the berm, but I dont go digging and sifting out there. Bring it home and scoop it into an old spaghetti strainer to get the sand out and then pick through to get most of the other stuff out.

Not sure if the club is even ok with it, but I do it when no one is around and Im not doing any digging so I dont see the harm. I assume if I asked anyone, the default answer would be "no".

So by your numbers, Im looking at around 66% lead.
 
headednorth said:
Lol, true. Im on the lookout for a cheap cast iron pot.

Sounds like pretty much what I do. I bring a bucket out to the plates and basically scrape up handfuls of lead along with sand and everything else at the base of the plate stand, little bit on the surface of the berm, but I dont go digging and sifting out there. Bring it home and scoop it into an old spaghetti strainer to get the sand out and then pick through to get most of the other stuff out.

Not sure if the club is even ok with it, but I do it when no one is around and Im not doing any digging so I dont see the harm. I assume if I asked anyone, the default answer would be "no".

So by your numbers, Im looking at around 66% lead.
Click to expand...
when searching the out door ranges if they places target frames away from the berm from the back of the impact area on the target look at about a 40-60 degree angle behind the target backer on the ground you will find a pretty good concentration of lead.
Also on the berns look high... the stuff has a habbit of creeping upwards a bit above the impact area and on the surface. The nuggets can be tough to spot with some oxidization on them, they start to look just like rocks.
 
Range scrap is probably a more accurate guestimate at 90-100lbs smelted.
Ww vary on size of clip on, number of stick on , and amout of zink mixed in...no way to guess other than it will be less than range scrap but more valuable than soft indoor scrap.
 
The bottom half of an old 20# propane tank and a Bayou burner will do nicely for a smelting setup. Just be sure the tank is thoroughly flushed out before you cut or the ATF will be looking through your remains for evidence. [wink]

You have to be very careful to not 'poison' your melt with zinc. At the casting seminar they showed us how to just toss it all in and slowly heat so that once the lead begins to melt you can separate the crap before it starts to melt. You won't have that problem with copper or steel, but zinc melts at ~787F vs. lead at ~621F. If you melt the zinc, it will turn your lead into a metallic oatmeal-like mess.
 
I think it will be difficult to get any kind of average weight. I have smelted a lot of range lead and although I know that I get a higher yield of useable alloy compared to wheel weights there are still a lot of differentials. I collect mostly from the 50 yard berm because it gets the most activity. Sometimes it seems that I get a lot of jacketed bullets, however, in the early fall just before deer season I get a lot of shotgun slugs from all the hunters sighting in their slug guns. That changes the ratio considerably. Lot of big chunks of heavy lead. At other times it seems like a lot cast bullets. I also pick out all useless debris at the berm (rocks, sticks etc). In my shed I have many buckets of range lead, wheel weights, lead pipe, general scrap. I find it is enough work keeping up with smelting, casting, sizing, loading and so on, it has never occurred to me to weigh before and after. Let us know what you figure out. Interesting.
 
Sweeney said:
Well, a 5gal pail of lead would be +/- 566.588014 pounds or 3966116.098 grains.
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Lol, maybe if you had a 5gallon bucket shaped ingot
All clean large ww brimmed maybe 150lbs...usually theres alot of trash in one though
 
headednorth said:
Will do. Just need some inexpensive pot or pan and a burner.
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My first smelter was a old sinlge burner colman stove....the "old" style... pump it up spin the little valve type. Then a small pot all picked up at a yard sale for $4 along with a half gallon of colman fuel.

https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Sportster-Dual-1-Burner-Stove/dp/B00CHHSSWQ mine was well used and about 30 years old.

and something like this:
http://www.agrisupply.com/carolina-...fb506ubwiZeY6-oWkwHk_NMK_SJjj2J4aAhvKEALw_wcB

I found everything but my respirator , welding gloves and eye/face shield at yard sales and thrift stores. Also sometimes used commercial cooking stores have deals. I got heavy duty muffin pans cheap.
 
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mac1911 said:
My first smelter was a old sinlge burner colman stove....the "old" style... pump it up spin the little valve type. Then a small pot all picked up at a yard sale for $4 along with a half gallon of colman fuel.

https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Sportster-Dual-1-Burner-Stove/dp/B00CHHSSWQ mine was well used and about 30 years old.

and something like this:
http://www.agrisupply.com/carolina-...fb506ubwiZeY6-oWkwHk_NMK_SJjj2J4aAhvKEALw_wcB

I found everything but my respirator , welding gloves and eye/face shield at yard sales and thrift stores. Also sometimes used commercial cooking stores have deals. I got heavy duty muffin pans cheap.
Click to expand...

Hey just saw you posted this. Kind of dawned on me looking at the pot in the link that Im better off with a smaller pot due to the fact that its going to be heavy af. TBH, I was thinking dutch oven type of thing, big batches, get shit done, etc, but then I thought of the weight of a large cast iron pot filled with molten lead.

They tend to have cast iron at Goodwill or SA? About time for me to make a tee-shirt run anyway. Im a sucker for a $0.99 tee shirt.
 
dixiejarhead said:
Totally worth the effort regardless if you have the time.
Click to expand...

Will do. I'd probably have to weigh a bunch of them and come up with a average, but I dont really come across too much of the stuff. Been collecting here and there for a couple of months now and am about 3" shy of filling a 3.5 gal bucket. (3.75? I forget. Its one of those joint compound buckets. Not a full 5 gal though.) Im going to weigh it tonight for the hell of it.
 
headednorth said:
Hey just saw you posted this. Kind of dawned on me looking at the pot in the link that Im better off with a smaller pot due to the fact that its going to be heavy af. TBH, I was thinking dutch oven type of thing, big batches, get shit done, etc, but then I thought of the weight of a large cast iron pot filled with molten lead.

They tend to have cast iron at Goodwill or SA? About time for me to make a tee-shirt run anyway. Im a sucker for a $0.99 tee shirt.
Click to expand...

I also have a Dutch oven. 10 or 12 qt. With the wire handle. It's good for large batches. Holds approx 50lbs I large stainless soup ladle to fill the muffin pans. I don't try to lift the large pans. ESPECIALLY BY THE WIRE HANDLE. If I get a chance I will take pictures. I found all my pans/spoons/ladles/stainless for smelting at Salvation Army, Thrift stores and church yard sales.....church yard sales have a larger concentration of "older" sellers who are more likely to have good old heavy duty cookware.
You need to reinforce the dollar store stainless soup ladle with a dowel or it will bend.
 
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mac1911 said:
I also have a Dutch oven. 10 or 12 qt. With the wire handle. It's good for large batches. Holds approx 50lbs I large stainless soup ladle to fill the muffin pans. I don't try to lift the large pans. ESPECIALLY BY THE WIRE HANDLE. If I get a chance I will take pictures. I found all my pans/spoons/ladles/stainless for smelting at Salvation Army, Thrift stores and church yard sales.....church yard sales have a larger concentration of "older" sellers who are more likely to have good old heavy duty cookware.
You need to reinforce the dollar store stainless soup ladle with a dowel or it will bend.
Click to expand...

Good info thanks
 
headednorth said:
Will do. I'd probably have to weigh a bunch of them and come up with a average, but I dont really come across too much of the stuff. Been collecting here and there for a couple of months now and am about 3" shy of filling a 3.5 gal bucket. (3.75? I forget. Its one of those joint compound buckets. Not a full 5 gal though.) Im going to weigh it tonight for the hell of it.
Click to expand...


Even if all you do is cast it down into 1lb ingots for a rainy day... Still worth it. Lead is getting harder and harder to find due to stupid liberal regulations.
 
So weighed what I have. I have a 3.5 gal bucket which I would guess is around 2/3 full. Weighed in at ~86lbs.

Should be around ~37lbs per gallon of range scrap, minus the weight of the bucket. We'll see what Im left with after I get off my ass and get something to melt it down with. So a typical 5 gal bucket of scrap would be about 185 lbs.

Fwiw, I sifted the scrap through an old spaghetti strainer to get out most of the sand then picked out most of the big chunks of debris like stones, wood chips, rubber, wads, etc. Still a ton of copper jackets and possibly non-lead bearing rounds.
 
headednorth said:
So weighed what I have. I have a 3.5 gal bucket which I would guess is around 2/3 full. Weighed in at ~86lbs.

Should be around ~37lbs per gallon of range scrap, minus the weight of the bucket. We'll see what Im left with after I get off my ass and get something to melt it down with. So a typical 5 gal bucket of scrap would be about 185 lbs.

Fwiw, I sifted the scrap through an old spaghetti strainer to get out most of the sand then picked out most of the big chunks of debris like stones, wood chips, rubber, wads, etc. Still a ton of copper jackets and possibly non-lead bearing rounds.
Click to expand...

All the non lead stuff will come to the top. Copper jackets are good scrap. Just co over them with a magnet to get rid of the steel.
 
headednorth said:
So weighed what I have. I have a 3.5 gal bucket which I would guess is around 2/3 full. Weighed in at ~86lbs.

Should be around ~37lbs per gallon of range scrap, minus the weight of the bucket. We'll see what Im left with after I get off my ass and get something to melt it down with. So a typical 5 gal bucket of scrap would be about 185 lbs.

Fwiw, I sifted the scrap through an old spaghetti strainer to get out most of the sand then picked out most of the big chunks of debris like stones, wood chips, rubber, wads, etc. Still a ton of copper jackets and possibly non-lead bearing rounds.
Click to expand...

I dont remove most crap because as said it will float to the top...its the saftey hazards you have to remove.
Like batteries from tire pressure gauges, or with range scrap removing any live rounds.
There are alot of random things that can cause you to get burned.
 
MGnoob said:
I dont remove most crap because as said it will float to the top...its the saftey hazards you have to remove.
Like batteries from tire pressure gauges, or with range scrap removing any live rounds.
There are alot of random things that can cause you to get burned.
Click to expand...

Yes .....I have had a few primers and dud rounds go in a pot ....although I keep a lid on,smelt pot and most things will pop before they start tossing molten lead around.
 
So finally got around to smelting today. Hooked up with Squished and got a good sized dutch oven and skillet plus some nice cast iron pieces for ingots. Look like little half round muffins along with a couple of the molds that look like ears of corn. (Thanks again Squished) Got a turkey burner from Walmart along with a strainer and a ladle. From work got some sawdust for flux and some old spoons and spatulas.

Anyway, weighed a full 5 gal bucket before I started and it was just about 170 lbs. Started around 930 and finished up around 430.

Total weight of the ingots was 136 lbs.
Total weight of the jackets was 24 lbs.
The other 10 lbs was a lot of sand, pebbles and some lead mixed in with the dross.

Funny thing, in searching for an average number I found nothing online. Watching Youtube videos they would say "I started out with X, and ended up with Y lbs of lead." I would do the math and it seemed like they were getting around 80% lead. 80% of 170 is exactly 136. Pretty freaky I thought, but who knows what the numbers will be from batch to batch.

Anyway, those were my results. 1 bucket takes 7 hours to give me 136 lbs of lead and around 24 lbs of copper jackets. (havent check with a magnet for steel and also havent checked for bullets that have a lead core but are sealed all the way around with copper.)

Side note, I paid $20 for a propane tank at Lowes friday afternoon. If a scrap yard calls the jackets #2 CU, Ill get around $48 dollars for the copper which will pay for 2 tanks of propane. Nice little bonus.
 
Dakar652 said:
but how many bullets will the ingots make? :D

i'd be really interested to see someone do that math for say x# of 175gr projectiles. someone else...not me :D
Click to expand...
136 lbs X 7000 grains per lb = 952,000 total grains.
952,000/175 grains = 5440 bullets.
 

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