Reusing pulled bullets

[thub]

Has anyone had a problem using previously loaded bullets after pulling them. I see that the crimp I left in my .223 bullets after being pulled is very visible. In fact in pulling a couple of them with the Hornady bullet puller it pulled the jacket off of the core right at the crimp line. I really don't feel safe in using the pulled bullets, I think I will toss the bullets, save the powder and the primed brass. Has anyone else had this problem and how do you feel about it. There are about 300 rounds that I need to pull because the head space is a couple of thousandths too long.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Only you can tell if the damage to the bullets is too bad to salvage them. It sounds like you might want to back off the crimp or not use a crimp at all.

 

[Axis II]

YEP! waaaay too much crimp! Toss those bullets that the jacket came off of and i would go ahead and toss the others too just to be safe. If you reusing the brass with the primer you have to pull the decapping stem and resize cause the bullet will be too loose after you pulled it, at leas this is my experience. Did you use the same powder in all the rounds? I pulled a bunch of rounds this weekend and some were h335, h322 and benchmark. I couldn't decipher what was benchmark and h322 so all the powder went into a jar and tossed outside.

 

[boom boom]

YEP! waaaay too much crimp! Toss those bullets that the jacket came off of and i would go ahead and toss the others too just to be safe. If you reusing the brass with the primer you have to pull the decapping stem and resize cause the bullet will be too loose after you pulled it, at leas this is my experience. Did you use the same powder in all the rounds? I pulled a bunch of rounds this weekend and some were h335, h322 and benchmark. I couldn't decipher what was benchmark and h322 so all the powder went into a jar and tossed outside.

IF you have plants, most powder is el primo fertilizer (high in nitrogen). Due to additives, I would not use them for food bearing plants.

 

[Axis II]

IF you have plants, most powder is el primo fertilizer (high in nitrogen). Due to additives, I would not use them for food bearing plants.

We have a foot of snow so cant get to the plants. I just toss it into the burn pit to be later burned with boxes and wood or the front yard. I did toss some on a rose bush that wasn't looking too good back in the summer and watered it right after and it did very well.

 

[thub]

YEP! waaaay too much crimp! Toss those bullets that the jacket came off of and i would go ahead and toss the others too just to be safe. If you reusing the brass with the primer you have to pull the decapping stem and resize cause the bullet will be too loose after you pulled it, at leas this is my experience. Did you use the same powder in all the rounds? I pulled a bunch of rounds this weekend and some were h335, h322 and benchmark. I couldn't decipher what was benchmark and h322 so all the powder went into a jar and tossed outside.

Yes, I am positive it was H 335 I have it marked and it is very visible that it is so I am not worried about using the powder

 

[Blue68f100]

I would get a body dies to size the case without breaking them down. Redding and others sell a body die. Redding Type S die is a bushing die and body die. You just run it without the bushing.

Like the others have said way too much crimp. There is no reason to crimp a 223 round. 99.99% of the time a crimp will hurt the accuracy.

Your profile does not show which part of the world your in. If your close to me I would bump the shoulder back for you.

 

[thub]

I would get a body dies to size the case without breaking them down. Redding and others sell a body die. Redding Type S die is a bushing die and body die. You just run it without the bushing.

Like the others have said way too much crimp. There is no reason to crimp a 223 round. 99.99% of the time a crimp will hurt the accuracy.

Your profile does not show which part of the world your in. If your close to me I would bump the shoulder back for you.

Thank you so much for that info. I pulled the decapper out of an rcbs die and tried running a case through but it just crushed the case. Thanks , for the offer but I live in Austin.

 

[Walkalong]

Case gauge is handy for setting up sizers.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1016251573/le-wilson-case-length-headspace-gauge

http://www.sheridanengineering.com/index-1.htm

Or at least check sized cases in your action to be sure you have sized them enough, but the case gauge will also keep you from sizing too much.

 

[Axis II]

Thank you so much for that info. I pulled the decapper out of an rcbs die and tried running a case through but it just crushed the case. Thanks , for the offer but I live in Austin.

Did you remove just the pin or the whole entire rod? If you remove just the little silver pin you will still have the rod and expander ball. Im guessing the reason it crushed the case was no rod/expander ball to guide it in the die right.

Primers are cheap i would just lightly size and decap them and start over. I tried resizing some pulled brass over the weekend and said forget it and just decapped them.

 

[Walkalong]

If he only removed the pin the expander ball is likely crushing the necks trying to get in there. If he removed the whole decapper assembly he should be ok as far as crushing cases, but the necks will come out very tight.

No reason to pull the pin, just resize/decap, then reprime with the same primers.

 

[Blue68f100]

With a body die you would not have to tare down the round. Your able to size them as is.

 

[thub]

With a body die you would not have to tare down the round. Your able to size them as is.

I ordered a body die from Midway yesterday hopefully there will be enough room with the bullet still in the case to bump the shoulder back a few thousandths, and yes I do use a headspace gauge. I believe while I was loading my full length sizing die was not in the press tight and in fact it was loosening as I kept on reloading. Did not discover that my die was loose until I was all done. My mistake.