pulling cast bullets

[thomis]

I have the Hornady cam-lock puller that is supposed to only be able to pull jacketed bullets. can it pull plated bullets?
what calamity should I expect if I try and pull a cast bullet with it?
last, are the impact pullers the way to pull cast bullets?

 

[45lcshooter]

Thinking your question in my head I would think that inertia pulling is the best way for any bullet.

 

[ReloaderFred]

If you're not trying to salvage the bullets for reloading, just run them up in your press and use a pair of pliers to grab them with. Then withdraw the ram. You'll have to use something to protect the threads in the top of the press, but that's the fastest way I've found to pull cast bullets. I then just remelt them and make then into new bullets.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[thomis]

^^^^ jeez, why didn't i think of that?? ^^^^

thanks!

 

[45lcshooter]

Remember pliers are big and the only ones I've found that work for anything press related is needle nose.

Then trying to find something not to mar the surface of the threads, plus big pliers. What a mess.

Inertia hammers, are around 20 bucks, great investment rather than bending a ram and waiting several weeks for replacement, or have to replace a 200 dollar press.

My vote is inertia hammer.

 

[James2]

I am with Fred. Pliers and the press pulls bullets quickly. It does tend to put some marks on the bullets. I too cast my own, so back into the pot they go.

You didn't say why you needed to pull the bullets. Too hot of loads are one good reason for pulling bullets. I would rather just shoot some paper and start over, if they can safely be fired, than pull bullets. I hate pulling bullets. The powder is supposed to do that.

 

[ReloaderFred]

You're certainly not going to bend a ram on a press pulling bullets....... I've pulled a lot of bullets on my Rockchucker (duds turned in at the range), and never hurt anything. For protecting the 7/8 x 14 threads, I've used a piece of leather with a hole cut in it for the nose of the pliers to stick through. I've also cut off the plastic sleeve from a 12 gauge shotgun shell and used that, since it just fits the hole.

Doing it this way you salvage the powder, if it's a known entity, the case and primer. The only thing damaged and lost is the bullet, which becomes a new bullet in short order.

I'm still thinking about that bending the ram part........?? The ram is designed to withstand pressure measured in tons, so how does pulling a bullet from the neck of a case factor into damaging the ram? Just wondering if there's something I'm missing, since I've pulled a lot of bullets with this method, and the only ram I ever damaged was swaging bullets, and it was easily fixed. Tremendous pressures are produced when swaging, but very little when pulling bullets... Just saying.....

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[James2]

A pair of slip joint pliers works great.
I have not found it necessary to protect the threads. It doesn't seem to have any effect on them doing this on my press. (Herter's Model 3 Press)



Collet Bullet Puller

You can get different size collets for this type.



Someone gave me the Collet in the picture. I have never bought a bullet puller. For what few I have ever had to pull, the pliers do just fine.

Collet bullet puller in use.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Thanks, James. That's how I do it on the Rockchucker, too.

Fred

 

[BYJO4]

I use an inertia puller for anytype pistol pullet. Easy to use and wont damage even a lead bullet.

 

[thomis]

I have the Hornady cam-lock puller that is supposed to only be able to pull jacketed bullets. can it pull plated bullets?
what calamity should I expect if I try and pull a cast bullet with it?

I have a ziplock bag of about 35 or 40 cartridges that need the bullets pulled that i have collected over the last 15 or 20 years. mostly, they are bullets seated too deep before I got the die set right. most of them so long ago i forgot what powder and primer so it will just be to salvage the bullet and cases.
thanks guys, i got some good ideas from you. and enjoyed the pics, thanks.

 

[joecil]

I have an RCBS Collet type and absolutely useless on cast bullets, but works great on plated and jacketed. Now for the cast I use the standard hammer type and they work good for them.

 

[7075-T7]

I've tried the pliers method with 240 LSWC's in .44 magnum and it was a miserable failure. 2 mangled bullets that were still in the case and no progress made.

+1 for kinetic/inertial pullers. Though, it took a while to pull the box of 50 I mis-loaded :banghead:

 

[Mike 27]

If you aren't going to reuse the bullets I would give the collet a try, but I think that it is going to mar up the cast. I would think that will be the only issue you should have using it though. I have a collet puller and an inertia, and would recommend an inertia puller in your inventory as well.

 

[oldpapps]

Before I got a 'hammer' type puller, when the need came up, I would use a pair of 'vice-grip' pliers to hold the offending bullet and just ease it out with the pull of the ram.
The inertia 'hammer' type is all I use now. I also use it to get smaller brass out of bigger brass. You know, rattle tub cleaning 40s and find that a 9 has slipped in (dual usage here). How to get that 9MM case out of the 40? Use the 'hammer' bullet puller.

 

[45lcshooter]

I didn't see anywhere that thomis said what press he has. In this day in age with everything high priced and newbies, if not stated what press they have, I'm assuming they have a Lee.

I've tried pulling bullets with pilers the way mentioned by sticking the the pliers down the hole. And pulled down and the bullet slipped and somehow the ram bent on the way back crashing down. It was a Lee, forget the model, but it made its way to file 13 and then found my RockChucker.

 

[Nevmavrick]

I've used a cordless screwdriver to drill a long wood screw into the nose of the bullet, then used the pliers to hold the screw and withdraw the round with the press. My problem was that I had .41 Mags, and couldn't reach the bullet through the top of my Rockchucker.
The bullet was then thrown into the collection box to be remelted later.
Have fun,
Gene