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Picking up your brass etiquette


Parastang

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I find that by marking the brass, you let the other guys know what your intentions are. And its more common for shooters not to help you with brass than will.

Many shooters pick something like ( 9mm ) so that they do not have to chase brass. = so they don't want to help you chase yours.

At the shooters meeting or when you sign up - Just ask say the you would like to get your brass back- .

Ask at the start of the day who wants help to get their brass picked up.

I have never expected any one to help me find my brass, When I do get help I try and return at least as much to them as they found for me.

And I don't normally walk the targets during my scoring so that I can get my brass.

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I am usually shooting, score keeping or SO, so I am not lazy, just don't have time to pick up brass during a match...wish I could pick up more brass.

Jamie, I know how you feel.

We get out there to setup and there is usually a ton of brass on the ground from others using the range. Just wish I had more time to clean up some of the stuff others have left behind.

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This past weekend at the Gator Classic was a "lost" brass match. They allow the Explorer Post to police the brass, and they sell buckets of the stuff at the end of the match for a very cheap price. Even beyond that, with that amount of shooters, and the grass in the shooting bays, I didn't even pick up the round from the unload and show clear. There were several times I looked down after hosltering and saw more than one .40 with a Precision moly bullet in close proximity. With the limited aount of time between shooters ther sometimes is just not enough time, to find one round, pick up brass, paste targets set steel and get them painted and teh next shooter started. And this was a match with four (4) RO's per stage.

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I shoot IDPA mostly so we're really only dealing with a couple types of brass (9 and 45). At most of the ranges I shoot at we wait until after teardown to pick up brass. Anyone picking up brass during the match gets chastised pretty heavily. Fine with me, because by that time most folks are ready to go home and I get to pick up their brass too. :devil:

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I try to pick up my brass. But since I'm shooting a revolver, it is pretty easy for me to scoop it up quickly.

Yeah- in cute batches of 6! I hope people give mine back now... most people let me pick up my 45 moon clips. roflol.gif

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I try to pick up my brass. But since I'm shooting a revolver, it is pretty easy for me to scoop it up quickly.

I've had people tell me they don't mind picking up my brass for me as I too shoot revolver and use moon clips.

At our club after shooter completes the COF and the RO declares the range to be clear people move out to paste targets,reset steel and pick up brass without any interuption in the flow of the match. Having one of those nut collectors from dillion go a long way. Having several people doing that job also helps. Most shooters I've run into want their brass as they reload.

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The local custom rules. Culture varies from allowing extra time to allow the shooter to get his brass, to the other end - the feeling that all brass belongs to the unpaid setup and teardown crew. And everything in between.

Personally, between resetting, scoring, running shooters, etc., I don't have time to hunt brass. When I'm running a squad, as long as I have at least three folks resetting and pasting, others can pick brass up until we're ready to run the next shooter - we can't wait on brassing. I occasionally pick up some brass, but it's rare.

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As much as I love shooting... I hate picking up brass. It's dirty work... a tad worse than reloading in the annoying department. Hell most of the time I almost forget to get my mangs/moon clips after I run a stage! Only when it's easy to pick up (meaning in neat large piles) will I bother most of the time. I'm not kidding when I say that the need to pick up expensive super comp brass is what's holding me back from going to the dark side. mellow.gif

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As much as I love shooting... I hate picking up brass. It's dirty work... a tad worse than reloading in the annoying department. Hell most of the time I almost forget to get my mangs/moon clips after I run a stage! Only when it's easy to pick up (meaning in neat large piles) will I bother most of the time. I'm not kidding when I say that the need to pick up expensive super comp brass is what's holding me back from going to the dark side. mellow.gif

It's not that bad.... Come on over to open. If you order your gun now, you may have it for the beginning of next season.....

Just sayin...

SP

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...once you have been doing this for a few years, you will have at least one 5 gallon bucket each of 9mm, .40, and .45 ACP...

Only one bucket each? :blink::D

At my club everybody used to pick up their brass. As folks get older, and with the move to cheaper 9mm and 40, it's only the super, super comp and 45 folks who go after their brass. Also, since our club can have 90+ shooters on our five bays, even though there are enough folks to assign to brassing, in the interest of getting home early people hustle along and the time to pick up brass during the match seems to disappear.

It's actually gotten to the point that I will use my once fired brass for practice, where I can recover it at my leisure, and use multifired range pickups for club matches where I don't feel bad letting it lie (it helps that I shoot minor 9 in Production, and have a Case Pro).

Edited by kevin c
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I typically pick up a few pieces after each shooter until I get my number of fired cases back. I quickly grab 3-6 pieces on my way back after pasting and resetting. I find that this method eliminates the "brass grazing". If I want more, I'll stay after the tear down.

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At one of the ranges I shoot at for the most part we help pick up each others brass kinda pick up as much as we can put it on a prep table and the people that want brass kinda root threw it and share then you have the guys with the brass wands and get a bucket full and keep it all never heard one of them ask if any one wanted to get any out the bucket they didn't have a problem filling we have problems with back ups at time also due more to chit chatting and nobody posting or picking steel back up

Edited by prodfastc
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I dont know, I guess what starts out right ends up right, match etiquette is sometimes assumed,.. at our club everyone usually helps, and its made clear to new guys by the seasoned shooters,..one or two guys are grabbing brass for the shooter,. a couple few to paste, ususally too many...doesnt really take much when everyone works together, the brassers are typically done before the stage is set, we dont wait for brass hoggin if it didnt get done, get it when you can...now when the stages get big it always seems the brass gets it last..and we have guys that use the brass wands too, most of them use it for everyone else as well..it will be interesting to see how they handle it at a large match like Area 2 in a couple weeks, with that crowd I bet they wont let me dig for brass, ..shoot and move on is my guess...

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I dont know, I guess what starts out right ends up right, match etiquette is sometimes assumed,.. at our club everyone usually helps, and its made clear to new guys by the seasoned shooters,..one or two guys are grabbing brass for the shooter,. a couple few to paste, ususally too many...doesnt really take much when everyone works together, the brassers are typically done before the stage is set, we dont wait for brass hoggin if it didnt get done, get it when you can...now when the stages get big it always seems the brass gets it last..and we have guys that use the brass wands too, most of them use it for everyone else as well..it will be interesting to see how they handle it at a large match like Area 2 in a couple weeks, with that crowd I bet they wont let me dig for brass, ..shoot and move on is my guess...

Larger affairs, like Area-level events, are usually "lost brass" matches. Check the match booklet. It will say whether it is.

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I dont know, I guess what starts out right ends up right, match etiquette is sometimes assumed,.. at our club everyone usually helps, and its made clear to new guys by the seasoned shooters,..one or two guys are grabbing brass for the shooter,. a couple few to paste, ususally too many...doesnt really take much when everyone works together, the brassers are typically done before the stage is set, we dont wait for brass hoggin if it didnt get done, get it when you can...now when the stages get big it always seems the brass gets it last..and we have guys that use the brass wands too, most of them use it for everyone else as well..it will be interesting to see how they handle it at a large match like Area 2 in a couple weeks, with that crowd I bet they wont let me dig for brass, ..shoot and move on is my guess...

Area 2 is a lost brass match. Large squads and any extra time spent can be a real danger on the short days. Let the RO's have it, they do a good job!

Later,

Chuck

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I started out shooting Tuesday Night Steel in AZ and USPSA in NM. Not picking up brass, taping, or setting steel is a big no-no. But I have shot other places which are not as considerate.

A2 is a mixture of loss brass and pick it up. As a general rule it is a lost brass match. But the ROs will let you pick up your brass if it does not adversely effect the running of the stage.

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If it delays the whole match, inconveniences the rest of the squad & causes me to get home later than I otherwise would, then I am against it.

If some shooter really insists on ratting their every stage brass, they can stay after the match & go fetch it then. Otherwise, leave it lay & get on with what we all came for: shooting!

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I started out shooting Tuesday Night Steel in AZ and USPSA in NM. Not picking up brass, taping, or setting steel is a big no-no. But I have shot other places which are not as considerate.

A2 is a mixture of loss brass and pick it up. As a general rule it is a lost brass match. But the ROs will let you pick up your brass if it does not adversely effect the running of the stage.

Since A2 is a major, the shooter will probably want to see the scoring*. While you are looking at your copious hits, the on-deck shooter is doing their last look. If you have a good squad, most everything is taped and reset behind the scorekeeper. There probably won't be much time until the next Make Ready. And it is rude to be messing around on the stage when the on-deck shooter is preparing to unleash their wrath...

Later,

Chuck

* and yes, you can have a delegate follow the RO. Picking brass will still probably interfere with the on-deck shooter to some degree. Don't do it!

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When I first started shooting in 1994 someone (usually one of the new shooters) would pick up brass after each shooter. If I did it on one stage someone else would do it on the next. Every shooter got back the brass they wanted. Then along came .40 and almost free brass. Overnight all the .40 shooters stopped helping. They felt that they did't want theirs back so why pick up someone elses. Then production became popular and that finished off many other shooters from helping. Now only those of us shooting Super are left to pick up our own brass. I will RO, tape and restore the stage until its my turn, then I am ratting my own brass till I can't find any more. Its rare to see anyone help these days other than another Super shooter.

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I guess I have only shot at a range full of nice guys. in a squad of 7-8, there a few people taping and resetting and a few people helping pick up brass, and by the time the RO is done scoring, everything is done and ready to roll. Whichever job I'm doing, I usually am also having a friendly chat with someone else doing it.

I personally want *my* brass back (all the same headstamp), I don't want other people's. So it's important to me to get all/most of mine back when possible. I wouldn't freak out if I went somewhere that people weren't that friendly and helpful, but I'd probably use by B lots of ammo there and not stress about the brass. Part of the reason I shoot is for the friendly camaraderie and ability to learn.

I guess I never realized that on-deck shooters were so delicate and sensitive, but I guess that's cool. :cheers:

Edited by motosapiens
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When I first started shooting in 1994 someone (usually one of the new shooters) would pick up brass after each shooter. If I did it on one stage someone else would do it on the next. Every shooter got back the brass they wanted. Then along came .40 and almost free brass. Overnight all the .40 shooters stopped helping. They felt that they did't want theirs back so why pick up someone elses. Then production became popular and that finished off many other shooters from helping. Now only those of us shooting Super are left to pick up our own brass. I will RO, tape and restore the stage until its my turn, then I am ratting my own brass till I can't find any more. Its rare to see anyone help these days other than another Super shooter.

Exactly. It's the me-first "I paid my dues" attitude that is killing the everybody-helps volunteer match. When I started, brassing was just one more thing everybody helped out with-- RO, scoring, taping, setting steel, brassing, setup & tear-town. We didn't lack for setup and tear-down help in those days either. The shoot-thru MD & stats people even got their brass back.

What if people started saying "nah, I'm just here for fun, don't bother taping for me since I won't tape for anybody else"?

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I stopped shooting about 6 years ago to spend more time with my son while he played varsity sports, and started up again about a year ago. Back then, picking up brass, taping targets and setting steel was done after each shooter at my local clubs. When I started up again I found that almost no one picked up brass and if you wanted yours you pick it up when you get a chance between shooters (if taping and resetting steel is getting done by someone else). I think Ace38super hit the nail on the head, 9mm and .40 S&W brass is so plentiful now, no one bothers picking brass after each shooter like they used to. With the way my low back is though, I can't say as I'm too disappointed! :rolleyes:

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All,

Who knew this would end up being such a HOT topic? I was just curious by asking. I never meant for the bickering between some. Oh well we are all FREE to our opinions. I have have come to a couple of conclusions:

1. Some people are there entirely to focus on their shooting and do not want to drift off what they have planned. Good for them.

2. Some of those people are WAY too serious, and I question if they are even that good. :rolleyes: .

3. Some don't mind and are there to have a good time and don't mind helping another shooter save a buck. They are the ones who realize it only takes about three guys to rest a stage and instead of standing around in between shooters they might as well help a guy save some brass. :cheers:

4. Yes there are matches which there is a lost brass rule. And there are ranges with the same rule. GREAT! that was a question I needed and answer to.

So now that I have said that don't go getting all bent out of shape. Those of use that don't mind helping each other will keep helping. I don't pick up brass generally twice during a stage. Once before my turn. I don't set my own targets because I don't feel its right. While the stage is being set for ME I get my focus. My plan is already made after watching a guy make a run. After I shoot I don't help because I am watching my score. If you want to stay focused than by all means do what you need to do. :bow:

Thanks for the impute.

"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes...Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."

-Thomas Jefferson

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I usually shoot at about a dozen different ranges during the course

of a year (besides the large matches) and each range has a different

outlook on picking up brass - ranging from a formal program where

sheets are spread out and everybody picks up brass, another range

where it is mandated that no brass be left on the ground, to other

ranges where no one picks up brass.

All depends on who you're shooting with - I've been "reprimanded"

at various ranges for picking up brass or not picking up brass,

until I realized that each range is different.

If the CRO shoots a .38 super, they usually are very interested in

picking up brass. If the CRO is shooting Production, they are

probably against picking up brass.

Good luck -

Jack

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