Anyone have a recommendation for a good brass picker upper that works in dirt/sand, and also concrete?

Mostly for pistol brass 9mm and up.

The roller baskets works quite well. Better on concrete than gravel.

Something along these lines:

Caldwell 125789 Brass Retriever https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R...cp_apa_yEtJBbSMJ3RJQ

I have something similar that I bought through Dillon Precision years ago and they work pretty well for pistol cases. .223/5.56 case sometimes don't always fully cooperate though.

Your fingers.

A class of Basic Academy cadets.

Using your fingers you pick them up one at a time anyway, so I use the Ettore 49036 Grip'n Grab, for about $18 bucks, from Amazon.

Roller baskets work well on hard surfaces. Okay on packed dirt. On sand it's 50/50, picks up half, buries the other half. On soft ground they're better if you strategically "poke" rather than roll. Orient the basket the same direction as the case and dab at it.

Brass picker upper ?? I recommend bribing a couple of 10 year olds !!

No privates or rookies available? In my experience the rollers are only good for hard smooth surfaces.

Shoot more steel and use a magnet.

Garden Weasel Nut Gatherer.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Garden Weasel Nut Gatherer.

What size do you recommend? I would assume small?

quote:

Originally posted by Nismo:

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Garden Weasel Nut Gatherer.

What size do you recommend? I would assume small?

I think the small one is the right one. I knew lots of 9mm and .38 Super shooters who used them at USPSA matches.

I have the roller basket type and it works well. My range floor is concrete.
Truth be told I got it as a gift but for $55 from Dillon I would not have bought it myself.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Garden Weasel Nut Gatherer.

I never heard of this before, but one look at it on Amazon and I can see how it works!

https://www.amazon.com/Garden-...+Weasel+Nut+Gatherer

This is great for concrete, high volume pickup. Bring money.

the rolling baskets work pretty well in sand/dirt but you get a lot of rocks also (anything that's the size of a casing.

They make a .22 and a larger size basket/roller... make sure you get the larger one if you want to pick up centerfire. The .22 one bends if you do that with it and then won't keep .22s inside.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwNT-RVqnK4

I second the 10-year-olds idea. Many hands make light work... plus it's easier for them as they're closer to the ground.

if you are standing in one place, use a tarp.

I use an inexpensive small painter's drop cloth.
Just spread it out and when finished shooting just
gather it up and there's your pile of brass.

Stay safe
Poli Viejo

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Garden Weasel Nut Gatherer.

I learned about this about 15 years ago, but the Nut Wizard brand. My brother was living in SE Alabama (near Foley), and he had quite a grove of pecan trees. I was visiting and watched him use the Nut Wizard to pick up all of those pecans. It comes in various sizes for different applications. I checked out their web site and ordered the small size, which I thought would be about right for brass. At the time, they were not advertising the product as a brass picker, but it took off and now they actively advertise and sell to the shooting community.
 
It works well here in AZ, where our typical pistol bay is hard packed dirt, with small rocks, which sometimes get in with the cases. We use either the "punch" method, or roll it. Either works on our ground. Nut Wizard also offers a steel wire thingie that fits on a 5 gallon bucket, and the wires on it will spread your picker basket open so the cases fall right into the bucket.
 

I'll be sure to order one soon.

Our outdoor range consists of a thick layer of loose sand at the firing line, so I hope it will at least pick up most of them (and probably half of the rocks too)

The current method was to use the garden rake and rake everything to the center in a pile, and pick through the dusty mess.