Need Advice-Need to Pull Bullets and Reload Rounds with Insufficient Powder Charge

[gerrym526]

Guys,

Could use some advice. When I first started reloading 3yrs ago, made rounds of 45ACP loaded per the Lyman manual with 3.8 grams of Bullseye. Shot half the 3yr reloads and found that the cases became discolored because the powder charge was too light (on another thread I posted, most came back with a recommendation for 4.6gr of Bullseye).
Now I have to pull the bullets, and reload with the increased powder weight.
My questions-
1) I'm assuming when I pull the bullet, I should discard the powder-not try to reuse-correct? (have a hammer style puller that operates on one cartridge at a time and when I dump the bullet out, the powder falls out as well).
2) I don't need to recap because the primers should still operate-correct?
3) Case mouths will need to be re-sized (using a Lee powder thru expander die with Pro auto disk for powder drop).
4) After seating the bullet, will need to finish with the normal Lee Factory Crimp die as a final step.

Did I get the steps right?
Thanks for the help.
Gerry

 

[Sam1911]

Yeah that's a bit light. Probably no reason not to shoot them unless you really don't want to, but pulling bullets is a pain.

1) Naaah, you can reuse the powder. I'd just get a couple plastic yogurt tubs. When you knock the bullet loose, shake the powder out carefully into one, then tilt the puller up the rest of the way over the second one to drop in the bullet. Should be pretty easy to separate out most of the powder from the bullets.

2) Primers should be just fine.

3) Hmmm... See, I'd probably want to pull the decapping pin out of my sizing die and resize the cases (without removing the primers). Your bullet tension is set by how tightly the case is resized, much less by anything having to do with the case mouth. You've already had a bullet in these cases. Tighten them back up before you stick another one in.

3b) Then yeah, you'll want to expand the mouth a hair for ease of seating the next bullet, and drop your powder.

???) Seat your bullet. You can crimp here, too, to remove the little bit of case mouth belling/flaring you did in 3b.

4) If you want. No real reason to, or not to, but if that's what you're used to, the FCD probably doesn't hurt anything most of the time.

 

[steelerdude99]

Gerry
This is just one guy's opinion and what I have successfully done.

Try to do one round from start to completion to test "neck tension" while not resizing. By the way, re-size is the step that's done with the de-cap and re-size die. The case mouth is flared via the powder / charging die.

I have found that soft lead and soft plated bullets "sort of squish" and may not give sufficient neck tension if pulled.

1) As long as you know w/ 100% certainty what the power is AND you don't get it dirty with grit or oil. No need to discard the powder.
2) TRUE ON 2.. no need to de-cap and then re-prime
3) Case mouths will need to be re-bell'ed (or flared), but that's done automatically when the case is powder charged.
4) After seating the bullet and using Lee Factory Crimp die, see if the bullet is loose. If you can push in in further, by hand ... it's too loose. If it is too loose, try resizing w/o de-capping by removing the de-capping pin.

Chuck

Guys,

1) I'm assuming when I pull the bullet, I should discard the powder-not try to reuse-correct? (have a hammer style puller that operates on one cartridge at a time and when I dump the bullet out, the powder falls out as well).
2) I don't need to recap because the primers should still operate-correct?
3) Case mouths will need to be re-sized (using a Lee powder thru expander die with Pro auto disk for powder drop).
4) After seating the bullet, will need to finish with the normal Lee Factory Crimp die as a final step.

Did I get the steps right?
Thanks for the help.
Gerry

 

[Sam1911]

He could get away without resizing. Is it really worth the bother and risk that some won't have proper neck tension?

 

[au_prospector]

If it were me assuming your not having failure to eject problems I would shoot them and make a note to up the charge on the next batch.

In fact on my next batch of reloads I would test charges at 4.1 grains, 4.3 grains, 4.5 grains and 4.7 grains of Bullseye. Make up a dozen rounds of each. When you get to the rounds that dont discolor the brass so much and work the slide without jamming ~ that is your stopping point. Likely that load will be more accurate as well.

 

[918v]

I would get a 12lb recoil spring and shoot them. Armand Swenson's accuracy test load was 3.8grs of Bullseye under a 185gr SWC. Can't get much lighter than that.

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

Just received my RCBS collet style bullet puller today and disassembled some factory rounds of .32 ACP to measure and *WOW* is that thing cool. Screw it onto the press with the correct collet, push the ram up until the bullet enters the collet, tighten the collet and pull the bullet.

The case stays right side up and slides out of the shell plate with the powder intact so you can dump it neatly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVVgG-KXaP8

I'm done with inertial style pullers after experiencing this thing....best thing for pulling bullets ever, IMO.

VooDoo

 

[Nikdfish]

+1 for collet style bullet pullers. Makes the job tons easier!

Nick

 

[rondog]

How many rounds are you talking about here? Unless you have hundreds of them, I'd just shoot 'em up.

 

[oldpapps]

gerrym526,

Do these loads cycle your pistol?

If they do (and I would think that they do), I would use them for sighting practice. And if they don't, single feed them with the same practice, sighting, breathing, squeeze. So they soot a little. Your going to clean the weapon and brass anyway.

Just my thoughts.

 

[beatledog7]

Find yourself a short-barreled .45ACP revolver--you know you want one anway--and shoot 'em through that.

 

[readyeddy]

For step 3 I think you meant to say that the case mouth needs to be re-flared, not re-sized.

Anyway, I would just shoot the 3.8's. So what if the cases get discolored.

 

[Sam1911]

For step 3 I think you meant to say that the case mouth needs to be re-flared, not re-sized.

Yes, he did. But I wouldn't jump right to that step -- I'd resize first.

But I'm with everyone else -- just shoot them up! I hate pulling bullets!

 

[SlowFuse]

This may be an oddball suggestion...

I don't see mention of the projectiles used, but if you have some OAL to play with try seating them deeper. That will increase the pressure. As long as you can do this and stay in spec on length this is probably something I would try instead of disassmbling.

Or just shoot them as is, if they function.

 

[Mike 27]

I have to agree with all of the comments to just shoot them. If the only issue you are having is discoloration it wont hurt to shoot them and save the heart ache of pulling them all down. If you must pull them I would pick up a collet puller if you have a lot to pull.

Mike

 

[BYJO4]

As several others have said, I would go ahead and shoot them. The brass will clean up and then increase your powder charge on the next loading.

 

[rondog]

I proudly loaded up 200 .303 British rounds, they looked great. But when I shot some of them it turned out my Enfields didn't like boat-tailed bullets, every one of them I fired keyholed. Bullets hit the target perfectly flat.

So, I had to pull the bullets from all the rest and dump the powder back in the jug. Then I had all those cases that have to be deprimed and resized, lube cleaned off, then reprimed and loaded again with flat based bullets. This is a project still in progress, I'm only going to do a few at a time so I can be sure they work well.

So, if you can shoot those up, I'd do so!

 

[Reefinmike]

A) You should always test out atleast a box or so of a new load before loading up a sizeable quantity. regardless I would set them aside for range fodder if they dont perform as you please. I load a 235gr lead cast truncated cone seated deep at 1.170 with 3.9gr BE... Its accurate, its low recoil, it doesnt lead the barrel a bit and it keeps the brass 8 feet right, 6 feet behind me.

1) I save my powder when pulling bullets and mix it back in the jug. If the powder is safe to be fired in the cartridge, there is no reason it isnt safe to be removed and put in another cartridge
2)you can punch the primer out and reseat it 100 times and it will still function just fine
3)Id remove the decapping pin on your die and resize all cases. on long cases like 38 and 357, ill keep the decapping pin in for a random pull and just size it enough to not punch out the primer
4) If you want to... with most bullet shapes, weights, calibers and materials, I get along just fine using the standard lee seating die that applies a taper/roll crimp as the bullet is seated.

 

[Sam1911]

[Slightly off topic:]

But when I shot some of them it turned out my Enfields didn't like boat-tailed bullets, every one of them I fired keyholed.

More than likely your SMLE bores are oversized for the bullets. Might need to go to a larger bullet to get decent accuracy.