Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Brass catcher

I'm looking for a brass catcher for my AR 15.
The Caldwell units have mixed reviews, so I'm asking for recommendations.
Thanks.

Brass Goat is an option. I have one but have not used it yet.

I like my SME, never had an issue with it.

https://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Made-Easy-SME-BRSC-Catchers/dp/B07MLXWL4B

I have the Caldwell unit and put the adapters on three rifles. Works like a champ.

Same unit, different name, more than likely same factory. 😀

I've got a cadwell that has the velcro that velcros around the handguard and it's okay. but there's another type and I can't remember the name that actually has a piece that mounts in the picatinny rail but the rest of the system snaps in and out of that looks to be a lot better system than the one I have. maybe I'm thinking of the same one Swifty provided the link to but I really think it's something just a hair different but same idea.

Brass Goat works really well and doesn't require fastening to the pic rail.

Brass Goat

This one worked well for me.

That's what I use, though the .458 SOCOM tends to kick it off about the 4th round, so snapping it back in place keeps it there. The only catcher that reliably works with my .458 is the Caldwell unit but the scope mount doesn't allow its use anymore. Two piece would but I got away from them, so the goat it is.

Brass Goat works well for me. Easy switch from rifle to rifle.

I need to go that route, I have the velco version, it may catch 75% of the brass.

Ordered 2 of em and there isn't room under my scope for the adapter.

Works on my AR-15 22.

Brass Goat is on standby now.

The bad reviews of the Caldwell units mentioned melting, anyone here experienced melting problems?
I don't think I'd be happy with the Brass Goat, as it appears to be a solid plastic, noisy, and I'm a klutz when getting to a stand.

10gauge - won't the adapter move past your scope/mount?

It will but there isn't enough fore and after adjustment in the slides on the bag.

If I didn't have the offset AR mount it would work fine.

Same issue if you put the mount block on the rear side of scope mount.

Quick question please. How does this Brass Goat mount? I'm guessing from the looks of it that it clips to the magazine? My little pea brain can't see any other way it would work.

Thanks

It’s an individual thing. I have no problem with a cantilever even have room to spare.

Is that the Caldwell?

The bag looks a good bit larger than my Caldwell if it is.

SME, bag is suppose to hold 100 rounds.

👍

The brass goat clips around the mag well.
Not the magazine

Thanks! Appreciate it!

Caldwell Rail mount works pretty well for me. Not on all of my rifles but most due to rail availability.

It’s pretty sweet when varmint hunting, the bag holds quite a bit of brass. I didn’t experience any melting or anything.

I have both. The brass goat is better in my experience.

only melting I experienced on my Cadwell that the hot brass sticks to the bag sometimes, not like it's melting holes in the bag

For more on the Brass Goat check out the Brass Catcher for Use with A Scope thread. I posted some pics of one mounted on an AR, and a post about a smaller hopper that is available for the Brass Goat.

I tried the velcro attached units many years ago. They're better than nothing most times, but still a PITA.

Next, I tried the Caldwell unit with the rail attachment. It works pretty well, but I found it impossible to use with one-piece cantilever rail scope mounts. This led me to use Warne QD steel rings, the highest they offer. They seem to be pretty solid rings but I'm not so sure about repeatability---I haven't experimented to see just how good (or bad) they are, but I was able to install the rail attachment easily enough and bought one for each AR I owned at the time. Like others, I found that hot brass melts the fabric and I eventually ended up with holes that allowed brass to escape. I acquired another AR and bought another complete setup and just used the new bag, but it suffered the same fate. I patched the holes with duct tape applied inside and out, but that was not a good permanent solution.

I then learned of the Lyman Tac Star brass catcher and bought two and also extra rail mounts. The Tac Star is more or less immune to the melting issue, apparently, but it's not perfect. The bag does not have a wire frame to keep the bag fully open, but it works okay while hunting if you are mindful that you can spill your brass.

So now the Brass Goat appears. I've got one on order and I hope I like it as much as the rest of you guys do. We'll see. I just wish I'd known about this a long time ago because I'd only have needed one to begin with, and it appears to be a just about perfect solution. I HATE losing brass!!

I used 1/8" hardware cloth and built a screen on the right side of my bench.
It will occasionally kick a hot brass back at you, but I'm not chasing my brass! 😉

I had the mesh bag with the forearm strap, so so. Save a good bit of brass but caused a few malfunctions. Bought the rail mount Caldwell & it's much better. Perfect for my Varmint model. But not all my AR's have rail space available.

Just ordered the brass goat & somehow feel really good about it, & I ain't even seen it yet. The concept seems solid anyway.

I should have mine in a couple of days. If it's as good as I expect I'll be very happy with it. I'll report my findings.

I have both Caldwell bags and like the one that uses the mount and not the Velcro strap.

Have not had much trouble fitting it to rifles with different scope mounts,never shot more than 20 rounds before emptying the bag.

I got 2 bags and several of the mounts to put on other rifles.

Did find that the velcro bag works but you have to bend the steel bars to really get a snug fit around the handguard.

going to try and mount one to my mini14, those SOB can really fling brass

Brass goat looks like a nice design... though I would want one made with more "premium" materials for ultimate durability. I doubt the extra cost of doing so would shoo me away.

I made one out of a fishing landing net. Cut the handle off and fitted it vertically in a block of wood, with lead poured into holes bored in the bottom of the block of wood for weight/stability. Set it up right beside the AR on the bench and all the brass caught smartly. Gathering dust now that I rid myself of the AR.

I first tried the Caldwells with the velcro straps but never could keep them tight enough due to recoil and weight of the brass. Scratch that idea.
Then I went to the rail mounted bags and found out that it wouldn't mount with a cantilevered scope mount which just about all my ARs were wearing. Scratch that idea.
Next up was the Brass Goat. Wow. Best thing to come about since sliced bread. Started noticing more jams due to a case bouncing back into the chamber. Pisss on them too.
Sooo, Changed out all the cantilevered mounts and replaced them with Vortex high rings and installed the rail mount bag and finally all is right with the world again

I use the Brass Goat - best of breed imo. I've been using it for about a year and a half.

Mine came today.

It fits the receiver very well and seems to be very securely attached.

I took a photo of the inside where cases are deflected.





I believe it when someone says they've had problems with brass bouncing around and re-entering the action. I suppose that would depend on a lot of things. It may not happen at all in some circumstances. If it does happen to me, then I already have a plan: I will get some velcro tape with adhesive backing and line the inside of the shell of this thing, fuzzy side up, to minimize the bounce. If that doesn't work I'll think of something else.

I'm really happy to have one single accessory that will fit all of my ARs without extra hardware and all that rot. I hope it works as well as I think it will.

not a catcher but a field expediant if your shooting from a bench, with a scope.If you wear a ball cap with the adjustable snap in back ,mot have a u shaped big hole above it ,pull scope onto scope via that big hole ,adjust bill over ejection port ,bill will catch and deflect shells down to the bench intead of outward ,away from bench

Brass goat and don't look back.
I have 4 of them with 10 and 30 round holders.
Super easy to pop on, off a ar15, I use mine extensively coyote calling, at range, in -20 to 90 degree temps, no failures, no bounce back, no issues ever.
I use them on my 6.5 grendel, 224 valkyrie, 223s, 6x45, 6x6.8 rigs.
I tossed out all my bag style catchers.

Thank you Sir! Just ordered one! Appreciate it!

Brass Goat users....have any of you noticed a change in the rifle's point of impact with it on?

I cannot imagine how this thing could possibly affect the point of impact.

I used mine this morning for the first time and I LIKE it! I did have one single instance of an ejected case lodging itself sideways inside the shell...I guess 6.8 SPC brass just happens to be just the right length to do that. It wasn't a big deal at all, I was just a little baffled when after firing three rounds only two were in the hopper. A fourth round might have knocked that one stuck case loose.

I can highly recommend the brass goat.

I learned long ago that anything that might change the vibrations of a rifle could impact group size or POI. Not necessarily will...but could. I received my Goat a couple of days ago and took it out yesterday to try out. I happened to have a recent 3 shot group target that I fired with the Grendel and, with the Goat attached, the 3 shot group I fired overlaid the previous group exactly. However, with my 223 the POI shifted enough to notice. Not enough for me to miss a varmint at the ranges I'll shoot, but noticeable. The group opened up significantly as well, but that could just be me. The POI change was not.

Just wondered if anyone else had noticed differences with and without the Goat. That being said, I certainly do like the way it catches brass! Much better than any method I've tried before.

If you figure out how the brass catcher is affecting POI, I'd sure like to know about it. That kind of thing is one of many that keep me interested.

Did you happen to shoot the rifle without the Brass Goat attached?

I've been shooting both the 223 and the grendel a lot lately. Got the Goat Friday and tried it Saturday. I actually had a target i fired several days ago when I was checking the POI of a new load in the grendel. I taped over the holes and fired another 3 round group and it clustered exactly on top of the previous group. With the 223, the group was about 1.5 inches left and slightly high and it opened up to about 1.5". I'm not saying the Goat caused the 223 to move... could have been the scope got bumped or whatever, maybe just me. After the grendel results I didn't think it was the Goat, but just thought I'd ask the question if anyone else had noticed a shift.

Tested mine today along with 3-4 other things, not good but WTH. A gun I built with not that much testing. My reloads,& a new mag from brand I hadn't tested.

Just 29 rounds.. Singles, then triples to see if it would ball up. I could hear the singles falling into the box. The brass goat eating them.

Not an extensive test by any means, but I like it!! I'll shoot more AR's now.