Pulling Bullets

[joed]

Is there a faster and easier way of pulling bullets then using a kinetic bullet puller? I have a good quantity of rifle bullets I want to recycle and wondered what other method I could use.

 

[ray15]

There are collet bullet pullers. I have a RCBS and like it and there's a Hornady version that's popular too. They work terrific on jacketed bullets and can be made to work with some lead or coated stuff with a little patience.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012943183/rcbs-collet-bullet-puller

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/851547/hornady-cam-lock-bullet-puller

 

[Sunray]

Don't think the collet type is any faster.
The trick to a kinetic puller is using an igneous rock(Best if it's flatish on one side and about the size of half a cantaloupe. Free for the picking it up too.) to bash on. Works better than concrete. Wood, of any kind, is too soft. And don't take the top entirely off unless you absolutely must.

 

[ray15]

Collet is definitely faster. You can bash a hammer on a rock in a second but it takes a lot longer to put them in and remove them from the hammer than it does to slide them into a shell holder on a press.

 

[sbwaters]

Collet is faster but often leaves a small mark. Not a problem for plinking. For an inertial puller, I use a small jeweler’s anvil lying around that I leave on the back corner of the bench. Collet puller for batches, Inertial puller for adjusting the seating die.

 

[Allen One1]

I would vote for the Hornady collet puller or similar. It is a lot easier to me and not near as messy. With the collet puller the shell case is standing up with the powder still in it. Easy to just dump it out. With the hammer the powder and bullet are inside the hammer and have to be sorted out. The collet will sometimes leave a mark on the bullet. Adjust to the least amount of pressure on the bullet that will still grab it enough to pull it out.

 

[dgod]

I have the Hornady, used a Kinetic for years, Dearly Love the Hornady, and would recommend it to anyone.

dg

 

[GaryL]

Another vote for the Hornady puller.

I've had pretty good luck with it leaving minimal or no marks. I will often cam it with hand pressure only, and save camming it over for the stubborn ones.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I have the Hornady Cam-Loc collet bullet puller and highly recommend it. The Hornady is 2-3x faster than the RCBS and easily 5 times as fast as a kinetic puller

I have a good quantity of rifle bullets

I'm not sure how large a "good quantity" is, but I had a friend come over this weekend and we pulled about 300 9mm bullets in about 20 minutes...that included showing him how to set it up and setting him up to collect/separate the cases, bullets, and powder into different containers

 

[joed]

Thanks guys, I guess it's the Hornady puller.

 

[Nature Boy]

I have the Hornady collet puller. Not sure I’ve ever got it set properly. The instructions are pure crap.

 

[SamT1]

I use an inertia hammer puller. You can run it pretty fast with the right stuff. I take a big sledgehammer head and stand it up and whack the face of it. Works good.

I’d like to see a collet puller in action. How do the guys selling pulled bullets do it?

 

[9mmepiphany]

The instructions are pure crap.

I've found that reloading instructions are about as useful as the old manuals that used to come with PCs ...if you remember these, you're officially old

Setup is pretty simple
1. Insert correct shell holder
2. Insert empty case
3. Raise ram
4. Start die body into press
5. Fully lower the Cam handle
6. Screw down die until it stops against the case mouth
7. Tighten Sur-Loc ring
8. Lower ram
9. Raise Cam handle
10. Insert loaded cartridge
11. Lower Cam handle until you have enough pressure to pull the bullet...this is done by feel, it shouldn't go all the way down.
11a. If the collet is still too high on the bullet, you can make fine adjustment by screwing in the cam plunger
12. Lower ram

 

[JO JO]

I have a rcbs collet and a hammer, I prefer the collet by far the only drawback to the rcbs collet is you need different collets it’s not on size fits all

 

[HankC]

Grip-N-Pull. I made a DIY one and works well!
https://grip-n-pull.com/products/st...QSgRsnnYy8UcAPgx_pruR-PvJSQPTIIkaAh6pEALw_wcB

 

[Stevenvalleyky]

Grip-N-Pull. I made a DIY one and works well!
https://grip-n-pull.com/products/st...QSgRsnnYy8UcAPgx_pruR-PvJSQPTIIkaAh6pEALw_wcB

Looks great to me. I'll likely be buying one soon. I appreciate the fact that they chose to make them 100% in the USA. I realize it's not electronics and components that are nearly impossible to make in the US, but they still chose to use American Steel instead of cheap chinese steel. It is also one of those things that made me wonder how people have reloaded metallic cartridges for 200 years and it wasn't made till now. It looks pretty simple to make and that is just the kind of thing I would normally do. But I think in this case, I'm going to spend double what it would cost to make myself, but I'm going to be supporting an American small business that's trying to carve out a nice little niche in the market. I want to see a company like that succeed.
To the OP joed, obviously, I pick the Grip-n-Pull. It looks about perfect to me and would work for anyone except MAYBE someone with really arthritic hands.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I appreciate the fact that they chose to make them 100% in the USA. I realize it's not electronics and components that are nearly impossible to make in the US, but they still chose to use American Steel instead of cheap chinese steel.

I did see where they are made in the USA, but I didn't see where they claim to only use American steel. Was that on their site somewhere?

 

[Stevenvalleyky]

I did see where they are made in the USA, but I didn't see where they claim to only use American steel. Was that on their site somewhere?

No, but i believe it did say made in entirely in the USA. Admittedly, I was just assuming that from that statement. If they were using foreign steel, then doing all the machining, packaging, etc here, I would still want to support them as the alternative would likely be made 100% in China. Im impressed either way, I'm WOWed If my assumption is correct that made 100% in the USA or entirely in the USA, whatever it was means using US steel as well.

 

[HankC]

I actually have all 3, RCBS collet puller, hammer type and Grip-N-Pull "kind". Cost wise, RCBS is the most expensive and I have not even used it once. I have no doubt it will be faster if you have to pull a lot but it takes longer to set up. Hammer type is easy but slow and a mess to recover the powder. Grip-N-Pull is fast and powder is in the case ready to load. I made one myself mostly because I can have one for all the calibers I load for! It does not deform bullet or leave significant marks. I only use it for a few times since I am still relatively new to reloading. Hammer type has its place, some pistol caliber bullets are hard to grip.
The one I made has all the calibers I load for now. I made from a 1/8" steel slab, 1.5" wide, I already have. Cut a slot with my band saw and drill holes along the slot to the sizes. Pretty easy to make and relatively easy to use. If just one or 2 calibers, I could buy a cheap wire stripper and modify by drill open the holes to the sizes. You can find that thing in dollar store!
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Wire-Str...3202&wl11=online&wl12=158768458&wl13=&veh=sem

 

[ih772]

I have the hammer type and collet type. I prefer the collet type by far. It's much faster than the hammer.

 

[jmorris]

Depends on the bullet, collet dies don’t always work and they are a lot less universal but can be faster. That said if you are only pulling one, two or a few the inertial pullers just might be faster to put to use.

I learned two or three decades ago that it’s a lot better to make quality loads that I want, in the quantities I need them in for use and keep bullet pullers in a dark and hopefully cool drawer. Store components the same way and make them up as needed.

 

[bikemutt]

I've got one of the hammer-style bullet pullers, used it once to pull 50, shoulder surgery next week (kidding of course).

As much as I try not to go hog wild loading something the wrong way, it does happen, I'll look into the collet puller.

 

[Stevenvalleyky]

I actually have all 3, RCBS collet puller, hammer type and Grip-N-Pull "kind". Cost wise, RCBS is the most expensive and I have not even used it once. I have no doubt it will be faster if you have to pull a lot but it takes longer to set up. Hammer type is easy but slow and a mess to recover the powder. Grip-N-Pull is fast and powder is in the case ready to load. I made one myself mostly because I can have one for all the calibers I load for! It does not deform bullet or leave significant marks. I only use it for a few times since I am still relatively new to reloading. Hammer type has its place, some pistol caliber bullets are hard to grip.
The one I made has all the calibers I load for now. I made from a 1/8" steel slab, 1.5" wide, I already have. Cut a slot with my band saw and drill holes along the slot to the sizes. Pretty easy to make and relatively easy to use. If just one or 2 calibers, I could buy a cheap wire stripper and modify by drill open the holes to the sizes. You can find that thing in dollar store!
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Wire-Str...3202&wl11=online&wl12=158768458&wl13=&veh=sem

Making them out of wire strippers came to mind immediately upon seeing the design. They may be a little thin for this purpose, may work perfectly. But for less than the cost of a collet puller, you could have the Grip n pull just buying it and still save money over buying the collets

 

[Havok7416]

I have collets and inertial type devices. If I can't get the bullet out one way I use the other. The Grip-N-Pull looks neat, but the tension is based on your strength. I wouldn't want to do that too many times in a row.

 

[HankC]

The Grip-N-Pull looks neat, but the tension is based on your strength. I wouldn't want to do that too many times in a row.

My home made one is not much harder than my RCBS hand priming tool! Really does not need to squeeze it super hard unless super tight neck tension or heavily crimped. I don't crimp my reload and I don't ever remove bullet from a factory load. Would be hard for the inertial type if need to overcome heavy neck tension. I would use the collet type if I have to do a lot for sure. They all have their places! I hope I never need to use my collet puller! I actually got mine from clearance.