Matthew Duncan Posted September 6, 2021 Share Posted September 6, 2021 Last weekend I had the fortune to shoot at Wolverine Rangers Range War. Out of one hundred 45 Colt rifle rounds I received 99 pieces of brass back. 98 were 45 Colt and 1 was 38 Special. A 98% recovery rate is fantastic (IMHO)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted September 6, 2021 Share Posted September 6, 2021 In my limited experience, brass picking seems to be reliant on posse size and worker availability, plus the number of posses that need to be put through a stage in a day. Its a matter of time available. Also, very young shooters seem to always be the best at picking brass. They're enthusiastic, have good eyesight, and THEY ARE AGILE. Most of us feel lucky just to meet the first criterion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene, SASS # 27489 Posted September 6, 2021 Share Posted September 6, 2021 Some guns are good about placing the brass into a fairly small convenient area. Many are not and throw them forward or scatter them all over. I do my best brass-picking when I can watch the shooter and see where it goes. And I've said it before: shiny brass is easier to find. My rifles are mostly all toggle-link. I count my rifle brass afterward and usually get most of it. But my two '357 '73's started throwing more brass forward after being short stroked. But they're .38's so no biggie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tequila Shooter Posted September 6, 2021 Share Posted September 6, 2021 20 minutes ago, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said: Some guns are good about placing the brass into a fairly small convenient area. Many are not and throw them forward or scatter them all over. I do my best brass-picking when I can watch the shooter and see where it goes. And I've said it before: shiny brass is easier to find. My rifles are mostly all toggle-link. I count my rifle brass afterward and usually get most of it. But my two '357 '73's started throwing more brass forward after being short stroked. But they're .38's so no biggie. When I use my Marlin (.45LC) I never count on getting much brass back it throws them mostly forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevada Gambler, SASS #10225 Posted September 6, 2021 Share Posted September 6, 2021 Hey Matthew Duncan, Were you on Posse #3? If so, that was my wife — Chiricahua Mama. And you’re welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickel City Dude Posted September 6, 2021 Share Posted September 6, 2021 I always wet tumble my brass to get them to shine, which makes them easier to find. I only shoot Starline 357 brass and I mark all my cases with a blue stripe on the head using a metal stencil I got from Armanov. This way I can quickly identify my brass from others that got picked up thinking they were mine. When I get home I put all my brass in a can for later tumbling and look for the blue stripe, If I don't see the blue stripe I look close at it to see if it is usable by me and if not I set it aside and put it in the recycle box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646 Posted September 6, 2021 Share Posted September 6, 2021 When I shoot Josey Wales, the brass pickers get to loaf. Imis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Duncan Posted September 6, 2021 Author Share Posted September 6, 2021 12 minutes ago, Nevada Gambler, SASS #10225 said: Hey Matthew Duncan, Were you on Posse #3? If so, that was my wife — Chiricahua Mama. And you’re welcome! No I was on Posse One. Was there another gun deal I missed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mean Mary 45913 Posted September 6, 2021 Share Posted September 6, 2021 24 minutes ago, Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646 said: When I shoot Josey Wales, the brass pickers get to loaf. I like to pick up brass after you, Imis! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene, SASS # 27489 Posted September 6, 2021 Share Posted September 6, 2021 1 hour ago, Nickel City Dude said: I always wet tumble my brass to get them to shine, which makes them easier to find. I only shoot Starline 357 brass and I mark all my cases with a blue stripe on the head using a metal stencil I got from Armanov. This way I can quickly identify my brass from others that got picked up thinking they were mine. When I get home I put all my brass in a can for later tumbling and look for the blue stripe, If I don't see the blue stripe I look close at it to see if it is usable by me and if not I set it aside and put it in the recycle box. Marking brass does (or can) help in getting your brass back for sure. When picking, if I notice a mark that I recognize, I'll take it to the owner and give it to them, even if they are in the posse ahead of us. Marking the bottoms is good, although the best marking is on the sides of the brass because it shows up easier at any angle, though that type of marking is harder to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Duncan Posted September 6, 2021 Author Share Posted September 6, 2021 My brass is easy to spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted September 6, 2021 Share Posted September 6, 2021 1 hour ago, Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646 said: When I shoot Josey Wales, the brass pickers get to loaf. Imis I've shot Josey Wales once every year for past three years. Last fall with five Colts. It was fun to watch the pickers come in and look around confused. 2 hours ago, Tequila Shooter said: When I use my Marlin (.45LC) I never count on getting much brass back it throws them mostly forward. None of our Marlins throw brass forward. Some would drop most in a gallon bucket just to the right, excluding a wide sweep. A few years back, a shooter brought his young son. Sawmill Mary guided him in picking up brass. She would hold him by the shoulders until it was safe and let him go.. He was like a rat terrier scrambling for the brass. I think he came away with at least $10 at end of match for his efforts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickel City Dude Posted September 6, 2021 Share Posted September 6, 2021 1 hour ago, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said: Marking brass does (or can) help in getting your brass back for sure. When picking, if I notice a mark that I recognize, I'll take it to the owner and give it to them, even if they are in the posse ahead of us. Marking the bottoms is good, although the best marking is on the sides of the brass because it shows up easier at any angle, though that type of marking is harder to do. I tried using the side marker that Double Alpha came out with but I could not get it to work reliably and the pens would dry up. I sent it back to DA and they refunded my money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus McGillicuddy Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 7 hours ago, Tequila Shooter said: When I use my Marlin (.45LC) I never count on getting much brass back it throws them mostly forward. When shooting a Marlin it’s always a Lost Brass Match. Seamus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamond Jake Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 I got back 99 out of 100 this weekend...especially impressive since many of our stages were in grass. And I wasn't in Imis' posse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckshot Sheridan Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 I figure anything over 90% is good. Only lost one SG hull in the last 3 years. That went under a prop and pretty sure the evening brass pickers held on to that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 i generally think in terms of 10% loss and have been very happy with much less over the years , i do get some "other calibers" but seldom more than a couple maybe three , i always have friends that will take them , i have to say that cowboy folks do a great job of policing brass - i appreciate that , Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 Our ranges here are gravel, with few weeds or grass for them to hide in. I lose a piece now and then, but seldom more than one. This past weekend, I shot both days, six stages each day, and got back 122 of the 123 nickeled .38's I fired, plus two brass ones, so I came home with one extra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixgun Seamus Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 The wife's rifle will usually put 3 to 4 in her hat. Mine on the other hand, I'm lucky if the brass stays in the same county. Every match is a lost brass match for me. I'm happy if I get 8 back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex Jones, SASS 2263 Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 It depends on the pickers and the type of cartridges used. We have a couple of very good brass pickers and I use 44-40s, which is generally the least used caliber. if I don't get all of my brass back, a revisit to the unloading table will usually result in finding the odd one or two that I didn't get back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Bradford Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 18 hours ago, Warden Callaway said: I've shot Josey Wales once every year for past three years. Last fall with five Colts. It was fun to watch the pickers come in and look around confused. None of our Marlins throw brass forward. Some would drop most in a gallon bucket just to the right, excluding a wide sweep. A few years back, a shooter brought his young son. Sawmill Mary guided him in picking up brass. She would hold him by the shoulders until it was safe and let him go.. He was like a rat terrier scrambling for the brass. I think he came away with at least $10 at end of match for his efforts. At our matches the local Boy Scouts work as brass pickers, each posse member donates to them. Its a win-win, they make enough to support their Scouting adventures and the shooters don't worry about picking brass and it helps move the stage along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 For me, it isn't worries about getting my .38 brass back. Some of my brass has been loaded/shot so many times that I'd prefer not to get it back and have to make the "toss it out" decision. I have concerns for others who might occasionally get a couple of my old cases -- folks whose rifle jambs on the second shot of a string. I do hope they're carefully inspecting what they get back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody Shootem, SASS # 24816 Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 Plus, Bluewater Sportsmen's Club is a multi-use range, so there were lots of 9mm and .223 brass and 12 ga. wads lying amongst the .38, .44 and .45's from our cowboy shooters. I'm sure I gave a few people some .9 mm's. Sorry. ;>) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 1 hour ago, Dusty Devil Dale said: For me, it isn't worries about getting my .38 brass back. Some of my brass has been loaded/shot so many times that I'd prefer not to get it back and have to make the "toss it out" decision. I have concerns for others who might occasionally get a couple of my old cases -- folks whose rifle jambs on the second shot of a string. I do hope they're carefully inspecting what they get back. About every time we walk the range before the next match we find a small handful of 38 Special brass. I figure one of these days to go around places I've emptied my pocket and round it up and clean and deprime it. Seldom find anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 At the NH State shoot "Fracus at Pemi", I got all my 45colt brass back and Ellie only lost 7 38's. The Boy Scouts did a great job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 Posted September 9, 2021 Share Posted September 9, 2021 We have grass on our range floor, but it gets cut before each match and I used to use the Weed Eater to cut it even closer to the ground for about 6 feet around the shooting positions. Worked well for those using toggle link rifles; 92's and 94s, not so much. Strangely, we don't see a lot of Marlins here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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