cleaning range bullet pick-ups?

[whelenfan]

Just grabbed a few lbs of range pick-up lead and was wondering if i need to clean it further than picking out the grass and sticks. Any help would be great. Thanks

[flyingmonkey35]

Don't bother picking out the grass sticks or rocks.

Just put it your smelting pot and skim away the dross and debree

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

Pick out any live rounds and you're good to go. Grass and sticks are extra flux, IMO. Washing range scrap doesn't do much but spread lead to places you don't want it (eg your yard). Mostly it's just not necessary and is a PITA. It also makes you wait before it's dry to smelt it.

[AlaskanGuy]

Just like JayHawk says.... Pick out any live rounds, and throw it in... If you throw a live round into the mix, it makes quite a mess, and you will surely be visited by the tinsel fairy. Dont ask how I know... Be sure to wear your PPE whenever you deal with hot lead..

[whelenfan]

Thanks guys, that's what I thought. keep everything nice and dry and I should be golden, right?

[40-82 hiker]

Thanks guys, that's what I thought. keep everything nice and dry and I should be golden, right?

And live rounds! As others just mentioned. Can't believe how many of those I have found myself when sorting through the range junk. Scarey...

Don't underestimate the live round issue, please. They get tarnished/mudcaked, so are not all that easy to see.

[jeepyj]

Just to mentioned one other thing just because it happened to me recently. For jacketed boolits that you find I've started to cut them in half. One day i was casting and I had 2+/- lbs of range lead on the bench so while I was doing a reset and adding more lead I threw them in as well, there was only 3 or 4 half jacketed. One popped quite nicely (being sarcastic). Yes they were very dry but i figure there was moisture trapped between the jacket and the lead inside. Now i'm quite gun shy and only add them as I'm heating up my pot. Just a precaution for those who have never seen the tinsel fairy.
Jeepyj

[Colohunter]

I have been using a bench vise to crush jacked bullets just enough to create a crack for the lead. That seems sufficient to lead all the lead to escape.

[bangerjim]

It may slow you down a bit, but do not add cold "stuff" to a hot mix. I bring everything up from cold, with only about a 1/2" of liquid lead in the bottom to get the heat spreading nicely. Adding cold stuff to a big old pot of molten lead can lead to potential steam expansions and wonderful shiny silver decorations for all around.

Moisture can and will seep into a lot of things we melt, so be cautious!

banger

[GoodOlBoy]

Yep as has been said just pick out the live rounds for the most part. I leave everything else in. As long as you start from a cold pot (as has been mentioned I know) and come UP to temp you don't even have to worry about moisture. But again (as has been mentioned) NEVER EVER add cold scrap to a hot pot. That just INVITES the tinsel fairy, and ya don't want that no matter how much ya like jazz hands!

GoodOlBoy

[btroj]

The pot does NOT need to be cold, just don't have molten lead in the bottom. Once the lead is solidified you don't need to worry about the tinsel fairy.

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

Personally, I prefer to have about a 1/4" of molten lead in the bottom before I dump in the rest. You're only going to get a visit from the TF if water gets below the top of the molten lead. So a little molten lead on the bottom won't be an issue. It will actually speed up the melt. It's amazing how long a batch of all jacketed bullets takes to melt. It's almost twice as long as a batch of cast.

The bottom line is: never drop rough lead into a pot full of molten lead. Not worth the risk.

[koehlerrk]

Beware the TMJ bullets... those silly, completely encased projectiles. The lead inside melts, then looks for a way out. Beware of spitters... and now you know why I smack them all with a hammer to crack the jacket before they go in the pot.