Bullet pullers

[CQB45ACP]

I have a Lyman hammer & Hornady collet puller. Hammer being best by far for breaking down 230gr RN 45ACP cartridges.

Whichever you choose, here are some performance improvements I learned on THR after I bought both the hammer & collet. These were not in or at least not obvious in instructions/manuals (remember that other thread?). Some are repeats of this thread too.

1. Collet doesn’t work well on some pistol bullets due to shape (limited grip area) or for lead, coated, and some plated due to hardness. Just the way it is, don’t fight city hall.

2. Let hammer do the work, not your grip nor muscles—limp-ish wrist, loose-ish grip, non-impact absorbing surface. If you grip too hard it’s going to hurt. Overall, kinda like splitting firewood.

3. Reseat bullet just a hair to break it loose, then use hammer or collet, making removal easier.

4. Ear plug or other soft material inside hammer to cushion/protect dislodged bullet.

5. Heavier the bullet, better the hammer works. Manage expectations.

6. Ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure—Don’t load a bunch of cartridges until you are really, really sure you like them.

7. With hammer, pour bullet/powder out slowly at obtuse angle so it doesn’t come rushing out and spill/splash everywhere. (Learned that one myself.)

8. Tell your wife BEFORE you whack the floor so she doesn’t freak out. (Learned that one my self—should be #1 on list.)

 

[lightman]

I bought the RCBS Bullet Puller awhile ago and just got in the Hornady cam lock bullet puller. Plus I have several of the inertia hammer bullet wackamolies.
What's your favorite way of pulling bullet?


View attachment 1123738

I'm another that would like to hear from you after you have used both of them.

I have both the RCBS collet puller and their inertia puller. Neither works perfect all of the time. I've broken a couple of the inertia pullers over the years. If I don't plan to salvage the bullets I use the top of the press and a pair of Linemans pliers and remelt the bullet.

 

[Riomouse911]

I have a Lyman hammer & Hornady collet puller. Hammer being best by far for breaking down 230gr RN 45ACP cartridges.

Whichever you choose, here are some performance improvements I learned on THR after I bought both the hammer & collet. These were not in or at least not obvious in instructions/manuals (remember that other thread?). Some are repeats of this thread too.

1. Collet doesn’t work well on some pistol bullets due to shape (limited grip area) or for lead, coated, and some plated due to hardness. Just the way it is, don’t fight city hall.

2. Let hammer do the work, not your grip nor muscles—limp-ish wrist, loose-ish grip, non-impact absorbing surface. If you grip too hard it’s going to hurt. Overall, kinda like splitting firewood.

3. Reseat bullet just a hair to break it loose, then use hammer or collet, making removal easier.

4. Ear plug or other soft material inside hammer to cushion/protect dislodged bullet.

5. Heavier the bullet, better the hammer works. Manage expectations.

6. Ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure—Don’t load a bunch of cartridges until you are really, really sure you like them.

7. With hammer, pour bullet/powder out slowly at obtuse angle so it doesn’t come rushing out and spill/splash everywhere. (Learned that one myself.)

8. Tell your wife BEFORE you whack the floor so she doesn’t freak out. (Learned that one my self—should be #1 on list.)

Good stuff! My only change would be to hit the hammer on the flat “anvil” part of a bench vise or another hard non-concrete surface. I chipped the floor of my garage hitting the puller in the same spot a few times .



Stay safe.

 

[CQB45ACP]

Good stuff! My only change would be to hit the hammer on the flat “anvil” part of a bench vise or another hard non-concrete surface. I chipped the floor of my garage hitting the puller in the same spot a few times .

View attachment 1123879

Stay safe.

Really good to know, thanks.

c’mon dear, no way this’ll hurt the concrete floor!

 

[Handshaker]

Too many times i tried the hammer, i always seems to spray powder everywhere. I chose my lee method because i already had the press and crimpers around. The other options like the camlock were very expensive and you have to get a collet for each caliber, my lee setup does all calibers.

 

[Highland Lofts]

The collets are a little pricey. Around $20 per collet, it the price of reloading.

 

[Highland Lofts]

Using the inertia hammer you need a very solid surface to pound on.
A wood surface is to weak and it has a little give to it.
To get the best results you need a sudden stop for the bullet to dislodge out of the brass case.
A heavy sturdy metal is probably the best surface to use.
I bought a 12 inch long piece of railroad rail from a steel company for this purpose and any other projects that require a strong steel surface.
It cost me $20 and was worth every penny.
A cheap mini anvil.
I do have a real anvil but I can move the piece of railroad rail a whole lot easier to where I want to use it.

Just like having extra die sets for all of the calibers I reload for I have two extra inertia hammers so when one breaks I still have two more to go threw.

 

[kmw1954]

The collets are a little pricey. Around $20 per collet, it the price of reloading.

Kinda like buying barrels for the bullet and case comparators. Need one for each size. But once you have it they are near impossible to wear out. And you only need buy what you need at the time.

 

[troy fairweather]

Keeping the collet clean is important, even just the oils from your hands can build up. I just use some alcohol on a qtip every once in a while, you can definitely feel it's getting a better bite after cleaning.on the rcbs I put a 223 case on the handle, this help a lot if your doing a bunch since the thin metal won't dig into your hand as much and it gives you some leverage so you tighten down more with less effort.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Really good to know, thanks.

c’mon dear, no way this’ll hurt the concrete floor!

I use an old butcher’s block. It’s springy, which is just what I want for the hammer to do the most work with the least effort. A solid whack, dead flat on the hammer face, and it will “recoil” popping the bullet out as the hammer rises. Inertia. Good stuff. It actually takes very little effort once you get the knack of it. Isn’t engineering great?!
Give it a try but remember Rule 1: just because it works for me doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you.

 

[ms6852]

I use an inertia hammer. First I will place a couple of the yellow foam ear blugs in the hammer, helps keep the bullet from being damaged.

 

[BJung]

For cast bullets, I use my RCBS Kinetic Bullet Puller. For Rifle loads, I use this tool that screws into my press. The bullet is raised into this look. When I lower my press, the teeth bites into the bullet and case is pulled free. Marks are left on the bullet but that is fine with me. I tend to use the same bullets for testing.

 

[CQB45ACP]

For cast bullets, I use my RCBS Kinetic Bullet Puller. For Rifle loads, I use this tool that screws into my press. The bullet is raised into this look. When I lower my press, the teeth bites into the bullet and case is pulled free. Marks are left on the bullet but that is fine with me. I tend to use the same bullets for testing.

I can’t picture how it looks in use…more pictures please?

 

[CQB45ACP]

I use an old butcher’s block. It’s springy, which is just what I want for the hammer to do the most work with the least effort. A solid whack, dead flat on the hammer face, and it will “recoil” popping the bullet out as the hammer rises. Inertia. Good stuff. It actually takes very little effort once you get the knack of it. Isn’t engineering great?!
Give it a try but remember Rule 1: just because it works for me doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you.

Make sense to me, I’m most successful when I hit a 6x6.

 

[BreechFace]

RCBS with collets

 

[Y-T71]

For cast bullets, I use my RCBS Kinetic Bullet Puller. For Rifle loads, I use this tool that screws into my press. The bullet is raised into this look. When I lower my press, the teeth bites into the bullet and case is pulled free. Marks are left on the bullet but that is fine with me. I tend to use the same bullets for testing.

Interesting.

I've never seen a tool like that.

Does it work well on lead or is lead too soft/slippery?

 

[BJung]

Interesting.

I've never seen a tool like that.

Does it work well on lead or is lead too soft/slippery?

The lead is too soft. I recommend wadded paper in the tip of your kinetic puller to prevent bullet tip damage and wack away.

 

[Y-T71]

The lead is too soft. I recommend wadded paper in the tip of your kinetic puller to prevent bullet tip damage and wack away.

I use the earplug in my kinetic puller.

I've bought 5.56 pulls in the past.

Some were advertised as "air pulled" and some were "machine" pulled.

I don't know how either procedure actually works.

The machine pulled had small marks on them that I imagine would be similar to the marks you say your tool leaves.

Not a problem for bulk blasting ammo.

The "air" pulled looked like new bullets.

 

[uuolf]

I use a Lee Single stage press i bought on amazon on sale for 25 bucks to decap before reloading, my RL press is a turret press by Lee. With no die in it, you simply put the ram to the top and the cartridge protrudes above the press, I then use coax cable crimpers to hold the bullet above the press and push the ram down, the bullet is now in the crimpers. Its simple and fast and is much easier than the whack a mole method. Powder stays neatly in the brass and doesn't end up everywhere.
View attachment 1123771
View attachment 1123772

That's what I'm talk'n bout... Thanks for the idea.

 

[BJung]

Here are two more photos of my bullet puller.