Praise for Collet Bullet Puller

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TheTinMan

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I had to pull bullets from 20 300 Blackout cartridges and 10 .45-70 yesterday. The tried and true RCBS inertial bullet puller is OK for 2 or 3 cases, but a Forster collet type bullet puller in my Co-Ax press made this task much easier and neater.

I never had to pull this many bullets at one time before. I did eventually break my first RCBS hammer-type puller and had to get a new one so there’s that too.
 
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Any time I need to pull bullets on a cartridge with a crimp, I first seat the bullet "a touch deeper in the case".
This "breaks" the crimp and makes pulling much easier. I know it's an extra step, but its worked well for me and in many cases preserved the integrity of the pulled bullets to be loaded again w/o a decrease in accuracy.

WYT-P
Skyhunter
 
I've had to pull >25. You don't want the plastic hammer for that job. I think I have four collets for different calibers.
 
Instructions for the plastic hammer type say never to be used over concrete. Strike against soft wood instead. Mine have lasted thirty years or more.
 
I had a friend that was a Commercial Loader. He loaded a batch of 10,000 rounds of 308 Win using the wrong lube. He used an early Teflon spray lubricant that contaminated the primer pockets (causing primer failure!) He had to pull the whole hatch! I was interested in what product he uses.

He used a Forester collet puller. I have one I bought through him and every collet they make! I have modified mine with a 1/4" hole drilled up through the top to allow the insertion of a brass 1/4" Toilet bolt. This allows you to give a nudge to bullets stuck in the collet. (I learned that you needed a trick from my commercial friend.) Then I showed him my trick and gave him a bolt!

The bolt will hang into the bullet space, but inserting the loaded case will push the bolt the correct distance. Tighten the collet, lift handle, stick hand between puller and case to catch bullet, release collet. Just the bolt's weight will usually cause the bullet to release. IF not, a little pressure on the head of the bolt will jar the bullet free. The oversized bolthead reduces stress on the palm of your hand.

Been using mine since 1983!

Ivan
 
Alk8944 said:
Be aware that most of the time a collet bullet puller will not work with lead bullets there is not enough friction with the lead bullets! They are fine with jacketed bullets and, usually plated!
Click to expand...

Those ten .45-70 cartridges were loaded with 405 grain RNFP lead bullets. The collet worked fine, but that may have to do with the shape of the bullet. The cylinder continues a bit forward of the crimp groove.
 
I had ~350 45 Auto Rim reloads with lead bullets. I took a chance and ran them thru a carbide sizer. Was able go pull most of the bullets by hand after that.
 
I ended up with a couple of these pullers in a bunch of misc reloading stuff.
One in .30 the other .22


They work great and are fast. They do leave tiny stab marks on the sides of the bullet depending on the bullet itself (jacket thickness, hardness, etc)

I use the 30cal mainly to pull usable bullets from dud rounds found at the range and other sources.
They just get sorted out as to weight and reloaded again as range ammo. Surpisingly accurate even with the imperfections that can sometimes be left to the outsides of the jacket.

Dud AK rounds get pulled with the same puller. The bullets make nice light load rounds in 303Brit.
 
pantannojack said:
Instructions for the plastic hammer type say never to be used over concrete. Strike against soft wood instead. Mine have lasted thirty years or more.
Click to expand...

Yes. And you don't need to smack them hard. Hammering firmly gets the boolit to unseat.
 
Harbor Freight 'End Nipper' will pull any bullet except flush seated wadcutter. Gentle handle pressure leaves a barely visible nick on each side of the bullet. You might not be able to reuse SWC semi-auto caliber bullets with a taper crimp, but the bullet comes out. I also use the Hornady Universal Extended Shell Holder.

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