Collet bullet pullers.....

[rwsmith]

I've been looking at the RCBS and Hornady bullet puller dies and they both say not to use lead or cast bullets? I use a lot of SWCs revolver and lead nose rifle bullets. What is a solution. My inclination is to get the parts and try them on lead bullets. If the bullet gets damaged I'll still have the case.

 

[rockquarry]

I have two different collet bullet pullers; one is an RCBS and don't recall what the other one is. I haven't used either in many years. They don't work well on lead bullets and I think they slightly mar or score jacketed bullets. Kinetic pullers aren't perfect, but I much prefer them and use one when I need to pull bullets.

 

[rwsmith]

I'm an experiment.....

I have two different collet bullet pullers; one is an RCBS and don't recall what the other one is. I haven't used either in many years. They don't work well on lead bullets and I think they slightly mar or score jacketed bullets. KInetic pullers aren't perfect, but I much prefer them and use one when I need to pull bullets.

...And I've collected a good many bullets over the years that I'd like to pull apart rather than use. I have an impact puller, but it gets old fast and the little parts get loose.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I have been using the Forrester collet bullet puller since 1980-81. On hard cast it pulls 2/3 +/-, on soft lead it is slightly less than 1/2. The amount of ogive effects the success rate, the rounder, the worse success! None of the lead bullets are worth reloading! However as we all know: Lead Bullets are VERY recyclable!

I gather up ammo of the same diameter bullet, for example all 44's. Then I pull bullets by shell holder: 44 Mag, Special, & Russian all use the same shell holder, 44 WCF and 444 Marlin are the same shell holder. After the collet puller is tried, then I go with the kinetic puller. There always end up being a few that just don't come apart! I only mess with these if they are in a rare/expensive brass like the 44WCF and 444 Marlin, these I go at with very nasty toothed plyers!

When disassembling live ammo, unless I just loaded the ammo, I consider all gunpowder to be contaminated. I dump it all together and usually burn it, but have put it on a wet lawn as fertilizer. Primers are also always disposed of!

One of the reasons I prefer the Forrester puller is you can drill a 1/4" hole through the top cap and insert a bolt as a knock out rod. I use a brass toilet flange bolt, they have a very large head and won't erode the tool! I have in the last few years gone to Hornady L-N-L bushings for my Rock Chucker press, I have the puller Loctited in one of the bushings because of the harsh treatment I give it.

Ivan

 

[k22fan]

The best bullet puller is probably already out in your shop. Plier shaped wire strippers do the least damage to bullets. Only the four corners of the hole that the copper wire fits through dig into the bullet. With no die in your press you put the cartridge in the shell holder, raise the ram, grip the bullet, then lower the ram. Depending on the press short cartridges might require an extension shell holder. Like collet bullet pullers wire strippers work better on jacketed bullets than soft lead bullets. Usually home cast bullets are hard enough to grip easily.

In some pistol cartridges very little or none of the bullet that is full diameter protrudes from the case. If there is only a SWC nose sticking out you can not grip that with a collet puller but you can grip it with wire strippers. Flush seated full wadcutters require an impact bullet puller. With all others it is worth experimenting with wire strippers.

This is another reason for hanging on to an old fashioned press.

 

[RDub]

A little trick with pulling jacketed rifle bullets, especially those that are very stubborn or very light in weight.. If you have the dies for the caliber, seat the bullet in just a little bit to break up any corrosion and or adhesive that might be present. Use the inertia puller just start the bullet moving, then finish off with the collet puller. This way there is very little if any damage to the bullet.
When I first started using a collet puller, there were times where the puller just didn't have enough grip to pull the bullet out thereby leaving noticeable scars on the bullet and the bullet wasn't moving at all. That's when I started using the above method.
Now this is assuming you wish to re-use the bullets. If you don't care about the bullets then use k22fan's method. That works very well.

Do not attempt to use a collet puller on lead or hard cast bullets. Just use an inertia puller. Again, if you wish to save them to shoot again..

 

[BC38]

I have an RCBS collet puller, and my experience is about the same as Ivan's, especially with roll crimped loads.
One trick I have found is to use a little scrap of wet-dry sandpaper that doesn't quite wrap all the way around the bullet. I put it in between the collet jaws and the bullet with the rough side against the surface of the bullet. I crank the collet down really tight and it almost always pulls the bullet. Unfortunately cranking it down that tightly also reduces the diameter of the bullet - ruining it.
In my experience the kinetic puller works better for the bare lead and plated bullets (they're swaged of soft lead).

 

[mtgianni]

If you cast your own use a pair of side cut pliers, [dykes] and run the case up to the top of the press, grab the bullet and lower the case. It will come out and you can then remelt them. If you are trying to save the bullets you are stuck with an impact.

 

[Skeet 028]

What Mtgianni said. I don't try to save lead bullets. They almost always get deformed even if only a little... remember the trick to seat the bullet a bit deeper with jacketed as BC38 said. especially with military ammo

 

[Luke Duke]

These are some great ideas; using dikes or wire strippers and your press. Hate Impact pullers! Would never have thought of that. This is why I like this web sight so much.