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Posted: 3/8/2010 8:53:37 PM EDT
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I have to pull about 20 bullets off some 280 hunting rounds. With the current cost of components, I would like to reuse the bullets after pulling. What is the best puller out there for this task?
Thanks, Yak |
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I use a collet puller from RCBS. I haven't perfected the use of it, so I tend to leave pull marks... They're on the ogive out near the tip though so they don't ever contact the rifling. Not the prettiest, but gets the job done. I'm sure once I figure it out a little better I will be able to do it without making a mess of them. downside is the collets are kind of expensive though, I think the local BiMart had them for like $14 or so??? I've never used the hammer/inertia type pullers. cheers, Benji |
| While there may be many who say no to this, I pulled some dummy rounds I made up, I did not have many, maybe 10 or so and I did not have a bullet puller so I used a pair of vice grips. Put the brass in the shell holder as normal and run it up through the hole with no die, clamp the vice grips firmly but not hard enough to squish it then let the bullet down while the pliers catch on top of the press. Only left a mark on 2 of the bullets that started slipping but I re-gripped and they came right out. |
| For 20 .280 loads I would just use a kinetic bullet puller. They don't work well with lightweight bullets like those commonly used for .224 caliber or less. Most anything over 70 grains will pull fairly well in any caliber. One benefit is when you do it this way you tend not to want to make anymore mistakes. |
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Quoted:
While there may be many who say no to this, I pulled some dummy rounds I made up, I did not have many, maybe 10 or so and I did not have a bullet puller so I used a pair of vice grips. Put the brass in the shell holder as normal and run it up through the hole with no die, clamp the vice grips firmly but not hard enough to squish it then let the bullet down while the pliers catch on top of the press. Only left a mark on 2 of the bullets that started slipping but I re-gripped and they came right out. Wow.......................this...............this is what I've done, on the few "mistakes" and dummy rounds I've loaded....................seriously, exactly that. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
While there may be many who say no to this, I pulled some dummy rounds I made up, I did not have many, maybe 10 or so and I did not have a bullet puller so I used a pair of vice grips. Put the brass in the shell holder as normal and run it up through the hole with no die, clamp the vice grips firmly but not hard enough to squish it then let the bullet down while the pliers catch on top of the press. Only left a mark on 2 of the bullets that started slipping but I re-gripped and they came right out. Wow.......................this...............this is what I've done, on the few "mistakes" and dummy rounds I've loaded....................seriously, exactly that. Yep same here....when I'm too lazy to use the hammer style and they arent my match loads....Hell most of what I'm loading are pulled bullets anyways.....its the poor mans collet puller 
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Quoted:
While there may be many who say no to this, I pulled some dummy rounds I made up, I did not have many, maybe 10 or so and I did not have a bullet puller so I used a pair of vice grips. Put the brass in the shell holder as normal and run it up through the hole with no die, clamp the vice grips firmly but not hard enough to squish it then let the bullet down while the pliers catch on top of the press. Only left a mark on 2 of the bullets that started slipping but I re-gripped and they came right out. Sir, my answer to the OPs question is: the one you never have to use! In all honesty I must say that I've had to use one on more than one occassion. The first one I bought was the RCBS enertia or "hammer" style. Damage to the bullet tip almost always occurred and made the bullet trash. I bought a Sinclair Int. collet style as shown in the lower right corner on page 24 of their 2009B catalog. Occasionally when case neck tension was high it was almost impossible to remove a bullet without some deformation of the bullet which didn't solve the same problem I had with the RCBS puller. I realized that if I put some of the cotton balls my wife uses for her make up into the bottom of the RCBS puller this could cushion the bullet and prevent damage. Even better to prevent grains of powder getting tangled in the powder I started using a plug of the black foam insulation normally found on refrigeration piping. This works very well and allows me to reuse the bullets I have to pull with no noticeable degradation of the performance. Lastly, Some fun stores sell the split aluminum collars seperately or you can buy them directly from RCBS. Redding also sells an equivalent quality enertial puller with a rubber cushion in the bottom already. Both Redding and RCBS sell the replacement aluminum collars seperatly when you need a replacement. HTH, 7zero1. |
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I like the cost of inertia pullers, but I broke my fourth one over Christmas break pulling some .221 Fireball reloaded ammo I bought. So cost wise, I would probably be in better shape if I had bought collet pullers.
But, the main use for my inertia puller is bumping a bullet part way out after it has been seated a little too deep. A collet puller is a poor choice for that job. Up in the tacked Gateway thread we have a link to a tutorial that shows you how to make an old school intertia puller with bits and pieces from the hardware store. |
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I have the RCBS collet puller and the RCBS "Hammer" kinetic puller
Both work and as Aero -E said its hard to beat the price of the kinetic pullers. My one and only complaint with them is with light bullets ( 55grain and down), I find I have to very forcefully strike it several times to pull the bullet. Simply not enough mass to over come the neck tension. With a heavier bullet or for the limited use you describe it should be fine. Oh one other thing and I cant take credit for thinking about it but drop a foam ear plug in the bottom of the catch tube, it will stop you from deforming the bullet points when they come loose from the case. I always used paper towels stuffed in the end but I found the suggestion of the ear plug in a thread here a few weeks ago and it works great. |
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Quoted:
I like the cost of inertia pullers, but I broke my fourth one over Christmas break pulling some .221 Fireball reloaded ammo I bought. So cost wise, I would probably be in better shape if I had bought collet pullers. But, the main use for my inertia puller is bumping a bullet part way out after it has been seated a little too deep. A collet puller is a poor choice for that job. Up in the tacked Gateway thread we have a link to a tutorial that shows you how to make an old school intertia puller with bits and pieces from the hardware store. Exactly, why I bought the stuff to make the "old school" inertia puller...I broke one of the elcheapo plastic ones the second time I used it. On my first attempt at building one I used 3/8" pipe and that worked for me for several years (I don't make it a habit of causing the need for bullet pulling) A friend of mine borrowed it and broke the cast iron lower nipple and cap. (he's a really big guy and everything he does is well....overdone?) Soooo I started the project photo shoot using bigger pipe and fittings, and in the process figured a good safe anchoring system that doesn't break like the plastic collets. I made "big guy" one and one for me. He hasn't been able to break this one yet. Still if he does what's the big deal to go to the hardware store and buy a nipple and a cap? |
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