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Thread: Bullet Pullers

  1. #1
    Boolit Man
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    Bullet Pullers

    Over the years, I've played with lots of different bullet puller including the inertia hammer type, and various collet pullers. I've come to the conclusion that there is not necessarily a one-size fits all solution that will pull every bullet you can throw at it. A couple years ago, I purchased a couple Grip-N-Pull bullet pullers and let me tell you these have been by far the best. Anyone else have any experience with these or have found any better options?

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  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy
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    When I used to dabble with film camera repair I used tools very similar to these. If they work half as good as those did they should be fantastic.

    I use the Hornady bullet puller and while they work spectacularly well with jacketed bullets their lead bullet performance is sub par. How well do these work on lead bullets?

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    Those look very well made. Do they mar the cast boolit?

  4. #4
    Boolit Man
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hossfly View Post
    Those look very well made. Do they mar the cast boolit?
    They do tend to screw up cast bullets. Nothing the casting furnace can't fix though.
    Last edited by DiverJay; 09-16-2019 at 01:36 PM.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    Set of pliers works best, also ruins cast boolit but fastest of all.

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
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    I have used the RDBS collet type puller and an inertia (hammer type) and prefer the inertia puller. It's slow and fiddly, but doesn't harm bullet or case, and keeps the powder neatly contained. As MT Chambers said a pair of pliers works on cast slugs, but they will mangle a j word.
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  7. #7
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    I have one that I use just for jacketed. Put some vinyl tubing on the handles for cushion. They work great.
    swamp
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  8. #8
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    Unfortunately this are no longer made. My favorite is the Forster "Superfast" Bullet Puller-(possum type). They still can be found on ebay. Used them a lot for pulling GI bullets to make Mexican Match. I would guess I pullet apx 25K with them.

    http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/FIR...uperpuller.pdf
    2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. - "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

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  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    I have one of those inertia bullet pullers. Used it twice, put it back in the package and hung it up. Bought an RCBS collet puller. It works good for jacketed bullets, but won't grab onto lead bullets. Quickest and easiest is a simple pair of side cutters, and toss that bullet into the scrap lead bucket.

  10. #10
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    Over the years I've tried a lot of tools for pulling bullets. A pair of pliers or dikes works well with a single stage press, but ruins most bullets (no big deal with cast as they will go back in the pot). Tried a couple collet pullers but they would not work with my 44 cal and 357 cal cast bullets, not enough bullet outside the case for the collet to consistently grip. So, the impact/inertia hammer tool is all that's left, but I "improved" it. First I dropped a foam ear plug down in the cavity to lessen and harm to the bullets pulled. I fumbled with the aluminum collets that came with the tool and really disliked using them, so I use standard shell holders. If I banged on the bench top, my CD player will skip, and I didn't like the noise. I do not like hammering on cement so beating on the floor is out. I use a lead ingot as an anvil (most of mine are around 12-14 BHN if that matters). The lead does not deaden the blow enough to cause problems, I don't have to bang the ingot any more than I would hitting a steel plate. The sound is way quieter. I often hold one of my alloy "pucks" from my muffin pan "ingot mold" in my left hand while wielding the hammer in my right.

    But the most important "improvement" is my method, based on the old saying "there's only one way to eat an elephant, that's one bite at a time". If I have a lot of ammo that I want to disassemble, I will only do as many as I feel like at one setting. I once pulled 120 HXP cartridges for an "experiment" and pulling old military rounds can get really tiresome, so If I only felt like smacking 20 or even 10, fine, come back tomorrow and do some more. If I'm on a roll I might do 60 or 80. If I do as many as I'm comfortable doing, the job does not turn into a hated, tiresome task, and I have never "had to" pull a bunch in a short time...
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  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master

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    My experience is about like most of you'all's. A couple of different collet type pullers work ok on jacketed bullets. Not so well on cast. A couple different inertia pullers work pretty hard to pull cast bullets that are crimped. On cast, I pretty much have settled on using Lineman's pliers. Yeah, it damages the bullets but I just remelt them, so no big deal.

  12. #12
    Boolit Man
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    Quote Originally Posted by M-Tecs View Post
    Unfortunately this are no longer made. My favorite is the Forster "Superfast" Bullet Puller-(possum type). They still can be found on ebay. Used them a lot for pulling GI bullets to make Mexican Match. I would guess I pullet apx 25K with them.

    http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/FIR...uperpuller.pdf
    That's a very cool bullet puller!

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy T_McD's Avatar
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    My experience is that the best bullet puller is the trigger. I loathe to pull bullets. That is the limit of my frugality.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master



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    Quote Originally Posted by DiverJay View Post
    That's a very cool bullet puller!
    When they stopped production they had a close out sale. Prices where awesome so I purchased every Cal they made. I have only ever used the .22 and 30 Cal. Other than Mexican Match I cant' remember the last time I pulled a bullet.
    2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. - "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

    "Before you argue with someone, ask yourself, is that person even mentally mature enough to grasp the concept of different perspectives? Because if not, there’s absolutely no point."
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  15. #15
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    My always faithful diagonal cutters always pull out a bullet. Yea its wasted... But the brass powder and primer are good!!

    Recently I have been using a Hornady but my RCBS is what I prefer.

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  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Back in the 60's we used the Lac Cum puller by Lachmiller. Same idea but one puller head per calibre and one set of handles to switch out. Been my go to for jacketed slugs for years.

  17. #17
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    GONRA tries inertia pullers first. Here's latest experience, several years ago:
    Inertia pullers failed on Czech LSC 7.62mm Tokarev SMG cartridges.
    (Maybe be a Gorilla could doit? And bust (another) !@#$% inertia puller? ???)

    ANYWAY -my decades olde Forester Collet Puller verked! (As Usual!)
    Used a large common adjustable wrench to stoutly tighten the collet bearing on the lever.

    Pulled down 1000 + rds. Powder smelled sweet. Will reload with new Starline brass, NCNM primers just for phun.

    (Also tried and failed with some of MOST MODERN / CURRENT pullers.)

    BOTTOM LINE - try pullers until one verks for YOU and YER PARTICULAR APPLICATION!
    Last edited by GONRA; 09-16-2019 at 09:35 PM.

  18. #18
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    Most military bullets are sealed. Inertia pullers work way better on sealed bullets if you seat the bullet deeper to break the seal.
    2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. - "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

    "Before you argue with someone, ask yourself, is that person even mentally mature enough to grasp the concept of different perspectives? Because if not, there’s absolutely no point."
    – Amber Veal

    "The Highest form of ignorance is when your reject something you don't know anything about".
    - Wayne Dyer

  19. #19
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    I have been using a set of wire strippers, the big ones that will also crimp wire fittings. It does mark the bullet and destroys boolits but isn't recycling fun?
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  20. #20
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    I purchased these, with initial thoughts I spent way too much money for them -- e.g., they were grossly overpriced. Then, a short while afterwards, I took on the job of taking apart several hundred (military) .30-'06 cases to remove primers, powder, drilling holes through sides, and reassemble for a CMP clinic use -- 60 filled en blocs. Complemented with an ollllld Pacific single stage "O"-type press, I recall but two or three cases which were too stubborn (the varnish ) for their hold to be greater than required to pull the bullets. Since then, I rarely use them -- my "go-to" being the Quinetics inertia type. A "mod" I use is a bunch of wood dowels I cut to various lengths -- I didn't like the Quinetics dumping bullet AND powder -- MESS!!! -- so, the cut dowel is dropped in, enabling the bullet to be knocked out all but a smidgeon (technical term -- dowels were cut by "eye", and the plan was/is to leave just a wee bit of bullet still in case after inertial pounding: generally easily wiggled out by hand, to enable cleanly dumping powder). Problem solved, which works for me... However, for bullets varnished to cases, the Grip-N-Pull would, imho, be hard to beat. I, too, have the RCBS bullet pullers which did not work at all pulling the '06 bullets.
    geo

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check