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Posted: 8/5/2009 11:37:52 AM EDT
Was ready to leave the fun show last weekend when I was offered this container of 308's for $2.
They looked dirty, but for $2, I couldn't pass them up. 
Sorted them out. Left loading block has high primers, mid loading block are reloads, far right is possible factory loads. 
The high primers 
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Reloads, LC still has crimped sealed primer, someone reloaded with a hunting bullet. 
Time to pull bullets on the reloads. (never shoot reloads you didn't load yourself, as they could be dangerous. As in the high primers. An obvious tip off that the reloaded rounds were not loaded correctly.) RCBS collet bullet puller. Each caliber needs it's own separate collet. 30 cal collet is in the die, extra collets in box. I have added an oak handle to the end of the lever, and made a wrench that fits in the box. (saving digging in tool box for correct wrench.) 
Puller screwed into press, wrench used to tighten die in press. 
Cartridge inserted into collet, bullet all the way into collet, tighten handle, lower press ram. 
Bullet pulled. Place case in loading block. Loosen collet, bullet drops in your hand. 
Bullet is reusable. 
Another bad reload, case neck was split, Cleaned with steel wool so it would show in pic. There were 2 of these in the batch. 
Another bad case. 
Finished with the reloads. 
These looked like factory loads. One way to be sure, pull bullet and deprime. Primer pocket indicates this case was never fired. Also bullet pull was very tight. Confirmed factory load. 
All bullets pulled on reloads, 1 deformed. Powder will be dumped on lawn, time to deprime and salvage primers. 
I'm using a Lee manual decapper, mounted in an oak block, rubber end of mallet (light hits). Tweezers used to handle primers, I never touch a live primer with my fingers. You could also use a universal decapping die in press, go slow, light pressure. Wear safety glasses when deprimming. 
Finished 
How I store these unknown primers. I will use them up in case forming loads. So I salvaged 30 odd 308 cases, primers and bullets. Kept the 8 factory loads to shoot up next range session. Spent time at reloading bench, got my $2 worth. |
very nice 
I have a few hundered .308 reloads from my grandpa long ago. And some of them do not fit into the .308 rifle he gave me. 
looks like I will be trying out the RCBS collet puller like you did. Why do you handle primers with tweezers? I have not heard of this, will touching them destroy them? I will use them up in case forming loads.
and what exactly does this mean? fixing dented up cases? or sizing them to your chamber by shooting them? |
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very nice
I have a few hundered .308 reloads from my grandpa long ago. And some of them do not fit into the .308 rifle he gave me.
looks like I will be trying out the RCBS collet puller like you did. Why do you handle primers with tweezers? I have not heard of this, will touching them destroy them? I don't take that chance, so I use tweezers. Probably OCD, but it's what I do. I will use them up in case forming loads.
and what exactly does this mean? fixing dented up cases? or sizing them to your chamber by shooting them? Case forming, as in making 7-30 Waters cases from 30-30 brass for my Contender. The 7-30 Waters started as a wildcat / improved 7mm round on the 30-30 case for lever action rifles. A 30-30 case is lubed and sized in a 7-30 Waters die. Case will now hold a 7mm bullet. The shoulder of the reformed 30-30 case is blown forward to fill 7-30 Waters chamber upon firing. For fire forming loads, I use the unknown primers, and the start load for the bullet weight I'm using for fire forming. My other fire forming load is making 338 Win mag cases from 7mm mag brass. (it's the same case, just a smaller size neck.) Resize case in 7mm mag die, reprime, charge case with 10 grs Unique, push a tissue wad over powder, (no bullet). Fire case in 338 rifle, neck is now 338 size, and will resize and load as a 338 Win mag case. The fire forming takes the place of necking up in several steps with dies. So that is how I use up my unknown primers, beats using primers that cost 3 cents each. |
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So after cases were empty I tumbled then overnight in plain walnut.
They didn't look much better, still not shinny. So I soaked them overnight in my Lemshine mixture which was about 6 months old. Threw in a couple 40 cases that didn't tumble clean either. They came out looking like this. 
Not bad, tumbled them with walnut with brass polish overnight. 
That's what I'm looking for. Now they can join my brass stash. That's my large flashole cleaning tool with the red handle. Lemshine notes, Meant for dish washing, buy at Walmart in dish detergent area. I use about a tablespoon for 1 Qt of water, but I don't measure, just pour in. |
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I'm using a Lee manual decapper, mounted in an oak block, rubber end of mallet (light hits).
Tweezers used to handle primers, I never touch a live primer with my fingers. You could also use a universal decapping die in press, go slow, light pressure. Wear safety glasses when deprimming. I am with you 'till here. If any of those are Wolf LR's, better wear your ear plugs. After touching off two while inserting, I still have priming flinch. |
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Excellent job posting pic, etc! What's the ratio of Lemi Shine to water for your polishing solution??? I use about a tablespoon for 1 Qt of water, but I don't measure, just pour in. From about three of his posts up...Feel free to experiment with more or less than a tablespoon per Qt. Nothing to blow up on you. 
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thread resurrection! so say I loaded up some .308 then traded the rifle off... Can I use the RCBS puller to dissamble and salvage the bullets to use in my 300wm? Yes, a .308 bullet used in both. It won't damage the bullets? If you tighten the collet too much, you can. Normal operation, no problem. Do I need to buy the collets separately? Yes, each caliber needs it's own collet. cheers, Benji eta, look at the pic of the bullet laying on the loading block, see, not even scratched. Pic of puller in green box, 30 cal collet in die, also in die box are collets for 22, 7mm, and 338. The other rifle calibers I load for. |
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ah, nice. That's what I thought. I'm gonna get one this week. I have all my data dialed tight and know what powder is in each of the reloads that I'll be pulling. So would it be safe/ okay to dump the powder back into the jugs for use later? Or should I just fertilize the lawn? I think I've got maybe 40 or 50 rounds to do. cheers, Benji |
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If you really know what powder is in each, I'd reuse it In this thread the rounds were loaded by persons unknown, and the reloads were of poor quality. So pulled powder was disposed of. If I pull my own loads (work up loads that I did not want to fire) I would reuse the powder. Just another reason to keep good records of your loads. |
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Quoted: yah, my records are super dialed. I came up with a load sheet I made in M.S. Werd. So then each new load goes on a new sheet and each new load gets assigned a new number. I'm sure there is something better out there, but I can't think of anything else I need that's not on it. I will reuse the powder; I was mostly wondering if it was okay since it has been in contact with the chemicals in the primer???Quoted: If you really know what powder is in each, I'd reuse it In this thread the rounds were loaded by persons unknown, and the reloads were of poor quality. So pulled powder was disposed of. If I pull my own loads (work up loads that I did not want to fire) I would reuse the powder. Just another reason to keep good records of your loads. and +1 on that primer tray, that lookz nice! and I needz some of that lemi-shine. that stuff looks like a cost-effective shining solutions, eh? cheers, Benji |
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That's the old Dillon primer tray. 'Borg I'm guessing old means "no longer available"  Correct, a Dillon. Bought it in the 80's when I got my first SDB. (Square Deal B) I also have a smaller brass one that came with another SDB I bought used. The current primer tray Dillon sells is # H11-13606 for $16.95. Page 23 in the current Blue Press. (Dillon's monthly catalog/mag) It's black, "a heavy, high-quality tray large enough for the Federal primer package" edit to add pic of small brass primer tray 
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