Primer Damage from Pulling Bullets?

[idahoglock36]

Can primers be damaged from pulling bullets with the hammer type puller?

I have 300 .223 I need to pull and would like to reuse the brass and primers. I'm changing over from the 55 V-Max to the 40 grain and don't really want to just shoot them up (I can use the bullets elsewhere and salvage the powder). Can the priming compound be knocked loose during the pull? These reloaded rounds need to be accurate enough for ground squirrels and shot from a bolt gun not a semi-for plinking.

Thanks

 

[moxie]

I've never tried it with rifle cartridges, but I have pulled many bullets from handgun cartridges and reused the primed cases. They all went bang.

 

[rcmodel]

No, they cannot be damaged in a hammer puller, nor will they blow up and shoot your eye out.

Gofer it!

rc

 

[JDGray]

300? That sucks I hammered 200 apart last year, and don't wish that chore on anyone. All re-reloaded cases went boom.

 

[rcmodel]

Yea!

.223 sure isn't the best caliber ever to pull bullets with an impact puller.

If I had 300 to do, I'd buy a collet bullet puller.

Otherwise, you could beat a hole in a cast iron anvil before you get them all out.

rc

 

[FROGO207]

I did buy a Collet puller a while ago and dont know how I got along for all these years without it! Bonus is that is about 3X faster and quieter than using the hammer type by a long-shot. I find myself buying mew Collets all the time now. BTW I got a Hornaday Leverlock

 

[idahoglock36]

Thanks guys. Pulled the first 100 it took about 40 minutes. Luckly I don't do this every day!

I did notice some primer compound in the pulled powder, not a lot just a couple of chunks. I think I'm going to pull the primers as well. No sense in ruining a weekend shoot over $10 in primers.

Thanks again for all the replies!

 

[medalguy]

Take a look at the Forster collet puller. I goofed on some 308 and had to pull about 50 rounds, took me all of about 4-5 minutes to do it. Fast and easy. I have an inertia puller and I'm ready to throw that thing away it's so slow.

 

[JimKirk]

Forster used to make one like this:

Jimmy K

 

[weeniewawa]

I had a 1000 +- .223's to do and got the collet puller

I recommend the Hornady collet puller

went very quick and you can just dump the powder and do not have the mess or

contamination you would have with the hammer.

before you ask why I had 1000 to do, I had resized them with standard full length dies

that worked fine in a Mini-14 and that rifle was stolen

I then got an AR which is picky about the case size

 

[tlen]

IMHO Collet pullers work better on jacketed rifle & pistol bullets. Kinetic pullers work best on lead pistol bullets. No puller will damage primers.

 

[RainDodger]

If you're a serious handloader and you do a lot of it, get a collet puller. They're much easier on things, especially bullets. Nice and gentle, and you simply pour the powder out of the case. No muss, no fuss. I never use my kinetic plastic hammer thing.

 

[dsv424]

Shouldn't be any problem. I've done quite a few .223 with kinetic hammer. Although, with a job that big I would seriously consider getting the Hornady Bullet Puller. It is much easier, just get the collets for the calibers you have. The only time I ever use the hammer is when its 1 or 2 rounds to be pulled.

 

[rcmodel]

I did notice some primer compound in the pulled powder,

In that case, you are crushing them when you seat them by using excess force.

The primer pellet should not be in pieces after seating, unless you crushed them in.

It follows then, that pieces should not fall out through the flash hole when pulling bullets, unless they were crushed beforehand.

rc

 

[FROGO207]

RC is correct. Do you use a press mounted primer? I find that it is waaay too easy to crush a primer with that type of setup and use the Lee hand primer.