Best way to pull bullets?

[Koshinn]

Using this impact hammer thing is terrible. Is there any other way to unload a whole lot of .308 and .223?

[Ryno12]

I use an RCBS bullet puller in a single stage press. You get a single puller & get different size collets to fit the appropriate bullet caliber. Haven't noticed any deformity in the pulled projos either. Much nicer than the inertia hammers.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/680804/rcbs-collet-bullet-puller

[themonk]

You need a Hornady Cam-Lock Bullet Puller - http://amzn.to/2aHuz76

It just adds it like a die for your press.

[HKGuns]

I use two methods each has its benefits.

For more than a few I use the Hornady cam lock puller.

For one or two I use a kinetic hammer.

[Ned Christiansen]

The Hornady collet setup works really well, it's what I use for making Mexican Match out of Swiss GP11 (7.5X55).

Fast and efficient, but depending on the pulling effort and how tight the collet has to be, some bullet distortion can occur. In my case it's OK, I use the GP11 bullets for .300 Whis.... I mean, Blackout.

[Koshinn]

Is there any difference between the hornady and rcbs?

[Ryno12]

Is there any difference between the hornady and rcbs?

They're essentially the same. After they're set up, the lever that clamps the bullet into the collet requires about a quarter turn to tighten. The Hornady has a vertical motion whereas the RCBS has a horizontal motion.

There's some videos online that show both in action.

[markm]

I run the Forster, I think. There's really no efficient way to pull a lot of bullets.

[Ned Christiansen]

Well markm, although bullet damage is substantially increased, let us not forget the efficiency of the pewpewpew method. ;-)

[Leaveammoforme]

I use a kinetic puller if I will be reusing the brass. It sucks and I'm overwhelmed with a "zero efficiency is happening" feeling.

On trash brass I use my "wiggle-wiggle-pull" method hence forth referred to as WWP.

Starting with a junk piece of brass I place the mouth over the loaded cartridges' projectile. I then WWP and remove the projectile. Then I throw the case used as a tool in the recycle bucket. Dump the powder from the pulled case in a container and then use the case as the tool for the next cartridge.

WWP moves right along at the cost of ruining brass.

[markm]

Well markm, although bullet damage is substantially increased, let us not forget the efficiency of the pewpewpew method. ;-)

True. The bullets are hard to find too. Iraqgunz gave me hundreds of rounds of sketchy ass Izzy ammo... not IMI. I pulled all of those. And a bunch of crushed Independence Ammo (Kaboom city) M193. I pulled all of that garbage down. Brutal bullet pulling sessions. I have a dedicated, old single stage for .223 pulling.

[Koshinn]

Why use a single stage for bullet pulling?

[Ryno12]

Why use a single stage for bullet pulling?

How else would you do it???

[SIG]

What Ryno12 suggested. The RCBS bullet puller works very well with no damage to the bullet. Just get a collet for each caliber you shoot.


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[jbdesigns]

What Ryno12 suggested. The RCBS bullet puller works very well with no damage to the bullet. Just get a collet for each caliber you shoot.


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I have pulled hundreds with the rcbs. Works great. Easy, fast and no damage to bullet


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[T2C]

You can use one station on a progressive reloader to pull bullets. The RCBS collet in the correct caliber will work well and won't mark up the bullet in most instances.

Some foreign surplus ammunition have soft projectiles and they will deform when you pull the bullet. If you don't shoot the marked up bullets past 100 yards you may not see any difference in accuracy unless you are shooting them through a bolt action rifle with a high power scope. I use marked up pulls for practicing offhand shooting at 100 yards.

[Ryno12]

You can use one station on a progressive reloader to pull bullets.

You can but it's still in "single stage" mode but less user friendly than using a real single stage press.
Since the bullet pulling die requires human interaction, it can't be used in a progressive in its true sense. That and the case feeding & removal process in a progressive press will be cumbersome when pulling down loaded cases than in a single stage press.

[T2C]

You can but it's still in "single stage" mode but less user friendly than using a real single stage press.
Since the bullet pulling die requires human interaction, it can't be used in a progressive in its true sense. That and the case feeding & removal process in a progressive press will be cumbersome when pulling down loaded cases than in a single stage press.

I agree a single stage press would make pulling bullets easier, but I have pulled a few thousand bullets from old 30-06 and 8mm cartridges using my Dillon 550B and a RCBS collet puller.

I use the RL550B like a single stage press for reloading large caliber and precision ammunition. If I had to do it over again, I would have purchased three single stage presses for reloading rifle ammunition and kept my Square Deal B reloaders for pistol ammunition.

[Ned Christiansen]

I have used my Hornady collet puller for GP11 only, pretty substantial crimp and it deforms the bullet slightly trilobal every time.

[T2C]

One thing that has helped me over the years is to run factory or surplus ammunition through the press and push the bullets in 0.010" - 0.015" before using the bullet puller. This breaks the seal and loosens the crimp a bit. It makes it easier on the bullet puller and leaves fewer marks on the projectiles when using a collet puller.

[markm]

One thing that has helped me over the years is to run factory or surplus ammunition through the press and push the bullets in 0.010" - 0.015" before using the bullet puller. This breaks the seal and loosens the crimp a bit. It makes it easier on the bullet puller and leaves fewer marks on the projectiles when using a collet puller.

Makes sense. I'd like to try this on some of the steel cased .223 I've tried pulling. I think Hornady's steel cased 55 gr is really hard to pull down.

[sjoliat]

One thing that has helped me over the years is to run factory or surplus ammunition through the press and push the bullets in 0.010" - 0.015" before using the bullet puller. This breaks the seal and loosens the crimp a bit. It makes it easier on the bullet puller and leaves fewer marks on the projectiles when using a collet puller.

This is similar to what I've heard some precision shooters that are loading way in advance do, in that they load the rounds fairly long initially then seat to proper depth a few days before shooting. So far I've not had a need to do this when pulling down, and I swear I'll buy a cheap seater if I ever need to because I hate messing around with the seating depth on proven loads.