Marking Brass Cases

[akinswi]

So my last range session I spent over 15 minutes looking for a lone 30-06 case and to no avail never did locate it. There is something disconcerting about leaving the range with 49 out of 50 pieces of brass. Anyone who preps brass understands.

Now, I was thinking of getting bright orange fluorescent paint or marker and draw a line all the way around the case closer to case head to help me locate the brass on the ground .

I thought of drilling a hole in a 2x4 then cut out a section where I could line of a marker so I can draw a perfectly straight line on the case as I rotate it.

Anyone else have a method of marking brass

[Marco Califo]

To make them easier to find, shoot somewhere else, fashion a brass catcher out of anything (card board box, sideway trash cans), or get a metal detector device
https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.c...-(4-color-pack) would enable segregating different sets of brass.

[jetinteriorguy]

You can buy brass catchers for a Garand.

[John D]

Really? 15 minutes for one piece of brass?? Talk to your reloader buddies...they must have hundreds (if not thousands) of extra cases that have accumulated over the years. I know I do....

[akinswi]

John D,

Brass isnt cheap and I spend alot of time trimming measuring etc every piece I reload. Its not like its a 9mm case where there are thousands laying around. I count on one hamd how many times i find a random 30-06 case lying on the ground at a gun range.. Also all my reloads are in lots of 50, the brass I shoot comes in bags of 50.

Jet,

Did not know they made one for an M1, I googled and they do but it looks so awkard .

Marco,

I was think of fashioning a card board box shaped in L with the bottom still in place to prevent the occasional on that goes astray. . our range isnt mowed very often So I just take an electric weed eater and trim a wide swath out in front of me most of the time the cases are thrown 3 oclock and land on the concrete, but about 10% of the time theygo at 1 oclock and go out in the grass.

[Marco Califo]

Good. 1 o clock is where your box goes. I suspected you meant grass or weeds. A HFT metal detector could help.
Www.Harborfreight.com 67378, 62307.
They used to have cheaper basic units. I do not know if the hand size would work. You may find a lot more brass, too. Maybe an electric weed whacker?

[RC20]

Our gun range has a screen for the AR shooters, Garand shooters can use it as well.

As for lots of 50, phew. You can have a case get mucked up for any number of reasons.

Break it into lots of 45 that way you have spares.

And if you need 100 cases PM me and I can send you 55 once fire RP 30-06 for the cost of shipping. That way you have some excess if you loose one or damage it in reloading (occasionally I catch a rim wrong and it gets dented so badly its useless or one stuck that I have to destroy to get out of the die.)

[akinswi]

Thanks RC, I bought 1100 cases all from the same lot brand new during the pandemic, The extra 100 are for lost/and damaged .

I saved a few hundred for matches since M1s are more accurate with virgin brass. This lot im currently on reload number 7, annealing has really improved case life. If I can only figure out how to keep the extractor from gouging my cases heads would be golden

[Unique]

I’ve done the same in my yard shooting and trying to find one brass.
Sometimes I spread out a white sheet and other times I use a metal detector if I loose one, or a couple.

[Jim Watson]

I have a simple deflector for my target AR. It drops empties by my side instead of throwing them in the weeds.

[jetinteriorguy]

Originally Posted by akinswi

John D,

Brass isnt cheap and I spend alot of time trimming measuring etc every piece I reload. Its not like its a 9mm case where there are thousands laying around. I count on one hamd how many times i find a random 30-06 case lying on the ground at a gun range.. Also all my reloads are in lots of 50, the brass I shoot comes in bags of 50.

Jet,

Did not know they made one for an M1, I googled and they do but it looks so awkard .

Marco,

I was think of fashioning a card board box shaped in L with the bottom still in place to prevent the occasional on that goes astray. . our range isnt mowed very often So I just take an electric weed eater and trim a wide swath out in front of me most of the time the cases are thrown 3 oclock and land on the concrete, but about 10% of the time theygo at 1 oclock and go out in the grass.

I can’t speak to the Garand for sure since I don’t have one, but I have used one on both a Mini14 and a Mini30 and they work great. As far as them being awkward, I’ve only used them from a bench which didn’t bother me at all, but for moving around and shooting from different positions it could get awkward I suppose.

[gwpercle]

I can't stand to leave the range with fewer cases than I came with ...
That just ruins my day .

Try spreading out a tarp in the area where your brass falls . Or change your firearn ,,,
I shoot bolt actions if I want to make 100% sure the brass doesn't go AWOL .
Same for revolvers ... all the brass is left in your hand .
30-06 doesn't have to be semi-auto ... trade that M-1 in on a 1903-A3 Springfield and you will loose no more brass forever !
Gary

[akinswi]

Originally Posted by gwpercle

I can't stand to leave the range with fewer cases than I came with ...
That just ruins my day .

Try spreading out a tarp in the area where your brass falls . Or change your firearn ,,,
I shoot bolt actions if I want to make 100% sure the brass doesn't go AWOL .
Same for revolvers ... all the brass is left in your hand .
30-06 doesn't have to be semi-auto ... trade that M-1 in on a 1903-A3 Springfield and you will loose no more brass forever !
Gary

or I can have both . lol