How much brass to save

[Arkansas Paul]

I must agree with this, especially when you factor in the time.

This argument always gets me laughing.
Reloading is something I enjoy. It's a hobby within a hobby.
You don't factor in the value of your time when you're doing something you enjoy.
I enjoy watching college football, hiking, fishing, and sitting on my back patio enjoying a fine cigar. I don't stop and figure up how long those activities are going to take so I can figure out if they're worth my time. It brings me joy, so it is inherently worth my time.

I used to think it made sense if someone didn't enjoy handloading and did it just for the cost savings. But now I don't even think it makes sense then. We all (unless you're retired or disabled) have to go to work every day to make a living. We handload in our spare time. What am I going to do, say, "Well once I factor in my time it isn't worth it so I'll just sit here and do nothing."
I don't get it.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

This argument always gets me laughing.
Reloading is something I enjoy. It's a hobby within a hobby.
You don't factor in the value of your time when you're doing something you enjoy.
I enjoy watching college football, hiking, fishing, and sitting on my back patio enjoying a fine cigar. I don't stop and figure up how long those activities are going to take so I can figure out if they're worth my time. It brings me joy, so it is inherently worth my time.

I used to think it made sense if someone didn't enjoy handloading and did it just for the cost savings. But now I don't even think it makes sense then. We all (unless you're retired or disabled) have to go to work every day to make a living. We handload in our spare time. What am I going to do, say, "Well once I factor in my time it isn't worth it so I'll just sit here and do nothing."
I don't get it.

Yup. There’s so much more to life than money.

 

[packetloss]

I must agree with this, especially when you factor in the time.

Only if you don't buy in bulk. For me, 9mm costs me under $10 per 50 and that's using either RMR nukes or Precision delta V1s (i.e. a high quality, accurate, expanding HP). I don't think you could get a box of 50 of something comparable for less than $20. Even the cheap range rounds seem to go for at least $12-$13 plus tax per 50. Also, I can load up 200 rounds faster than I can drive to and from my LGS and buy ammo (10 mins each way plus however long I have to wait to make the purchase).

 

[Lo-Profile]

Coffee cans

I use kitchen waste cans, most are over half full

 

[AJC1]

I don't leave good brass behind.
If I don't load it, I can trade for stuff I do use.

Brass is currency for barter

 

[.308 Norma]

You don't factor in the value of your time when you're doing something you enjoy.

Exactly!

 

[cfullgraf]

Except for the first range I shot at after seriously getting into shooting, I rarely shoot at places where I can scrounge brass. That first range was indoors and in downtown New Orleans across from the Federal Building. FBI agents would practice there.

At the time, I only had two handguns where you could get cases left on the ground, 380 ACP and 45 ACP.

After I moved from New Orleans, ranges I shot at were private or you could only police your own brass or I was shooting in my back yard.

I did purchase “once fired” brass but over time, the various odd head-stamps were more difficult to deal with than it was worth.

I still have a large quanity of 38 Special and 9x19 cases from buying “once fired” cases. Most of my other cartridges are brass that I was the first shooter.

I have firearms for and load something north of 30 different cartridges. The quantity of cases I have on hand varies by how much I shoot it. Mostly rifle cartridges may have smaller invetories as I tend to not shoot them enough. But I have lots of brass on hand.

Anyway, generally, I have 300-500 cases reloaded ready to shoot. I like to have 500 or 1000 more cases, usually new and unfired, on hand for future use.

I buy lots of Starline brass. I occasionally buy factory cartridges and the brass gets rolled into my shooting stash.

Exceptions to the above stratedgy are 204 Ruger, 223 Rem, and 30-06. 204 Ruger is my prairie dog cartridge and I have lots reloaded for when I go to South Dakota for a prairie dog hunt. 223 Rem and 30-06 I shot in Service Rifle competition and I kept a larger than normal inventory of rounds.

 

[1976B.L.Johns.]

Another "Brass Monkey" here.
I have too much...........
9mm, that is.
Maybe 10,000 pieces that will never be re-loaded by me.
But it is difficult to sell, let alone give it away. (one of the most common range finds)

I will pay some stuff forward that I do not load, sell others.

It is always fun to find revolver brass!
Yet that doesn't happen often enough........

 

[Bazoo]

I grab any brass I can get a hold of. I either trade it or gift it.

 

[JohnMc]

This argument always gets me laughing.
Reloading is something I enjoy. It's a hobby within a hobby.
You don't factor in the value of your time when you're doing something you enjoy.
I enjoy watching college football, hiking, fishing, and sitting on my back patio enjoying a fine cigar. I don't stop and figure up how long those activities are going to take so I can figure out if they're worth my time. It brings me joy, so it is inherently worth my time.

I used to think it made sense if someone didn't enjoy handloading and did it just for the cost savings. But now I don't even think it makes sense then. We all (unless you're retired or disabled) have to go to work every day to make a living. We handload in our spare time. What am I going to do, say, "Well once I factor in my time it isn't worth it so I'll just sit here and do nothing."
I don't get it.

I agree, hobby time is valuable for the rest and relaxation factor; as a gain, not a loss.
Just like golf, video games, bowling, etc. Pick your poison.

As to brass, I'm a coffee can type. The range I used to belong to never had enough to fill buckets, at least for the last few years. A small company that sold used brass tended to get it all during the week. No matter, if I picked it up, it went into my bag, odd and ends plus what I actually load.

 

[tmd16556]

I like the cat litter buckets for cheap shotgun hulls. Not too heavy and easy to stack above the ammo cans of brass.

Ive paused loading 9mm lately too. I enjoy the process, but it’s just as enjoyable to load 38 special (actually it’s more pleasant) and has more cost benefits. If I had more time, I’d probably load it all though.

 

[jmorris]

I Am A Range Scrounger! There I said it. Now it seems that I have many, many coffee cans of the various calibers I shoot full of empty brass. More brass than I'll ever load in the years I have left. Can't seem to let it go tho, even the cans of brass for calibers I don't have, (somehow i even have 13 .50BMG shells). Am I alone in this or are there others like me.

Calm down, you’re fine. It’s the holiday’s, think about those worse off than you.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I like the cat litter buckets for cheap shotgun hulls. Not too heavy and easy to stack above the ammo cans of brass.

Man, I thought I was the only one.
I have 6 or 8 of them full of shotgun hulls.

 

[rg1]

Caution: Your brass scrounging addiction will lead to buying once fired brass from all the “dealers” out there! Next step is you will get the urge to load all that brass, Then you’ll be out of brass and crave more to reload. It’s a slippery slope!! Ask me how I know!

 

[dredd]

This argument always gets me laughing.
Reloading is something I enjoy. It's a hobby within a hobby.
You don't factor in the value of your time when you're doing something you enjoy.
I enjoy watching college football, hiking, fishing, and sitting on my back patio enjoying a fine cigar. I don't stop and figure up how long those activities are going to take so I can figure out if they're worth my time. It brings me joy, so it is inherently worth my time.

I used to think it made sense if someone didn't enjoy handloading and did it just for the cost savings. But now I don't even think it makes sense then. We all (unless you're retired or disabled) have to go to work every day to make a living. We handload in our spare time. What am I going to do, say, "Well once I factor in my time it isn't worth it so I'll just sit here and do nothing."
I don't get it.

I started loading 9mm when it was crazy expensive.
It is now pretty much back to normal.

NO! I will not waste my time on 9mm.

I will spend it on other cartridges I enjoy.
I have to split time between 45-70, 44-40, 30 Carbine, 308, 38spl, .357, .44 mag.... the list goes on.

I also have several other outdoor activities I enjoy.

So..... NO! 9mm is NOT worth MY Time.

 

[lordpaxman]

You‘ll know when you’re really a brass chicken in trouble and forget your 5 gallon pails, go to Home Depot and get the contractor garbage bags…. Yes they sell 5 gallon pails too but I wanted to try something different.

 

[Doc Samson]

At my range, there are a few VERY dedicated brass hunters. We usually are able to recognize each other and give each other a wary respect as we stake out our "pickin' territory"...

 

[conan32120]

One can tell what calibers are popular when scrounging, I have 2 cans of 6.5 cm and I don't even shoot that caliber but 9mm, 223 and .308 still got it beat

 

[kidneyboy]

When I first started reloading a nice old guy told me that 100 pieces of pistol brass and 50 pieces of rifle brass was all I'd ever need........

Its years later and somehow I know that a 5 gallon bucket holds 8-9000 pieces of 9mm, 3500 or so pieces of 45acp and that there are 70ish cases to a pound of 223.

Brass? Anybody pick up wheel weights when they find them? Asking for a friend….

Last year the indoor range I belong to changed there 6 lane backstop to shredded tires. 11 months later a company came and recovered 4+ tons of bullets from it.

 

[Bobaloo22]

The cat litter buckets are square and nest into the lid when you stack them, I hope to start the filling process soon.

 

[Howa 9700]

How much to save? All of it.

Put another way, if you could pick up nickles and dimes......and 50 cent pieces, how many would you pick up to save? Empty brass is currency....just in another form.

 

[Charlie98]

If you all want to get serious, I have a bunch of extra 100# (15gal) plastic buckets in the garage. Only novices use those little 'pails.' Of course, you'd need a forklift to lift it...

Anymore, I scrounge for MY brass, and that's about all. The one caveat to that is, is .45ACP brass... which I can never have enough of. I don't even pick up 9mm unless it's mine, or is a headstamp I like (think RP, PMC, or maybe FC.) I even leave 5.56mm lay, unless it's mine.

 

[jmorris]

I don’t think it’s bad until you have to go out and buy guns because now you need something to make the brass useful.

Especially when you tell yourself, you’re picking up the brass to save money…

 

[AJC1]

If you all want to get serious, I have a bunch of extra 100# (15gal) plastic buckets in the garage. Only novices use those little 'pails.' Of course, you'd need a forklift to lift it...

Anymore, I scrounge for MY brass, and that's about all. The one caveat to that is, is .45ACP brass... which I can never have enough of. I don't even pick up 9mm unless it's mine, or is a headstamp I like (think RP, PMC, or maybe FC.) I even leave 5.56mm lay, unless it's mine.

I'm picking up lake city 556 and purging out the other head stamps. I used to grab it all and I'm uniforming my inventory.

 

[Charlie98]

I'm picking up lake city 556 and purging out the other head stamps. I used to grab it all and I'm uniforming my inventory.

That's basically all I keep... LC and PMC. I do have some FC headstamp brass, but that was likely made at LC, anyway. It's still segregated by headstamp/date code, however.