Pulling .44 Special cast bullets

[orpington]

I need to pull cast bullets from .44 Special rounds. I have pulled bullets before in longer cases by using vice grips around the bullet and placing the case in the press, with the vice grips where a die would be. I have a Redding reloading press and, because this is a shorter round, the case does not extend far enough to use the same approach. I cannot get the vice grips in the threaded hole for the die.

I tried screwing a machine screw into the bullet and pulling the bullet by gripping the machine screw, but the screw pulls out each and every time.

 

[Englishmn]

Get a hammer puller and find something solid to hit it on.
Coarse screws for wood do better screwing into lead.
edit
You could also use a piece of pvc pipe that fits around your ram as a brace for your pliers.

 

[Jack B.]

Get a bullet puller.

 

[troy fairweather]

lead bullets can be hard to pull even with a press puller. the wack a mole pullers are dreadfully slow. one old school way it to use a wire stripper.

 

[Paul Kersey]

Cut a piece of pipe or conduit about 3" or so. Raise the ram till bullet is above the pipe.

 

[lightman]

Lead pistol bullets can be hard to pull with a bullet puller. I'll 2nd or 3rd the suggestion on the piece of PVC pipe and pliers. I use Linemans pliers but those wire strippers will do the same thing. This will pretty much trash the bullet buy it never bothers me to remelt a bullet.

 

[Charlie98]

Lead pistol bullets can be hard to pull with a bullet puller.

They can? Never had a problem with cast or jacketed...

I bought an inertia puller some years ago, I found I use it a lot more than I thought I would. It's also nice to be able to recover the bullet (and still be able to use it) and the powder charge (in some cases it's a question of what's under the bullet!)

 

[orpington]

Problem solved...only because this was the 5th reload for this brass and I decided to eat the few primers in the few pieces of brass.

Initial plan was to wedge the vice grips on the underside of the press. Surprisingly difficult to accomplish anything. Plan #2...

Took metal snips and cut hole in the side of the case. Salvaged Unique powder. Cut case in two, can now melt lead and cast bullets.

 

[PapaG]

I hope you had a bunch of em. Lots of work for a few cents worth of components.

 

[orpington]

26, I think.

What else was I going to do with my time?

I'll salvage anything...

 

[Hondo 60]

I'll 3rd-4th-5th the bullet puller votes.

https://www.amazon.com/Impact-Bulle...&qid=1548390463&sr=8-6&keywords=bullet+puller

$10.65 with free shipping

 

[lightman]

They can? Never had a problem with cast or jacketed...

I bought an inertia puller some years ago, I found I use it a lot more than I thought I would. It's also nice to be able to recover the bullet (and still be able to use it) and the powder charge (in some cases it's a question of what's under the bullet!)

If I had not felt this way I would not have posted it! Maybe I've pulled more than you or maybe the ones I pulled had better crimps? If you like your inertia puller, Great!

 

[cfullgraf]

I'll throw my vote for an inertia hammer bullet puller. I have a farrier's anvil to hit my puller against which is great.

Pick an object that will not deflect easily like a metal plate or an anvil. Concrete kind of works but it is better if protected by a steel plate. Hitting an inertia puller against something that may deflect or deform like wood will not work as well. Too much energy is wasted in the deformation of the rebound material.

P.S. My anvil has been an invaluable tool in my shop. I use it for all sorts of things requiring me to hit something against a firm object. It is a tool that fits the category of "I cannot justify it before I bought one but I cannot live without it after I did". I bought mine used from a farrier school that was replacing their anvils. Even new, they are not terribly expensive compared to the benefits they provide.