Pistol Bullet Puller

[Shiloh]

I have several hundred pistol rounds that are on the warm side and want to pull and reload them.

I have an old Hornady collet puller with the screw type handle. There is not a lot of room to get a bite on the bullet. Of the have dozen I have tried, I have destroyed the case. When the collet is cinched down, it pushes the case mouth down and destroys it.

Any Suggestions?? I suppose I could use the inertial puller to move the buller out to get a grip, but that means doing it twice. It may still be faster and less spilled powder to do it that way.These were Bulk Hornady XTP bullets loaded years ago, actually 1994. Didn't even know I still had them. Because of my surgical recovery, I have been looking through stuff. These bullets are now $20 a hundred, New brass is almost $30, plus powder.
THis is a significant expense.


The closest collet for .40 cal is the Hornady #10 which is for .375. The next one is the #11 which is for .41 cal. The #10 fits over the bullet with no issues,

Is there a collet puller that works better than the others? I'm all ears ladies and gentlemen. HELP!!!

Shiloh

[Kevin Rohrer]

Sadly, your only alternative is a kinetic bullet puller being pounded on a block of wood or plastic. And don't forget the ear protection.

[john hayslip]

I just did this on another thread but here goes. John Barsness wrote sometime ago about putting the cartridge in the shell holder and raising the ram til the bullet just clears the top of the press. Grab the bullet with a pair of wire cutters braced across the top of the press (no die installed ) and lower the press. It has worked for me with little or no marking of the bullet
It's fast and cheap - give it a try and see if it'll work for you.

[trixter]

For my use the Lyman kinetic bullet puller (hammer) works great. I did learn to put a single ear plug in the bottom to take the shock of the bullet hitting the bottom directly. I tried striking the wood, but it is too soft, the concrete garage floor was OK, but hard to get to, then I remembered the bench vise at the end of the bench with a mini anvil molded in, and the flat part is perfect.

[Any Cal.]

If you can't raise the ram past the top of the press like mentioned above, use a 1/2" drive socket laid over the ram in the bottom of the press, and raise the bullet through the drive hole.

[farmallcrew]

I just did this on another thread but here goes. John Barsness wrote sometime ago about putting the cartridge in the shell holder and raising the ram til the bullet just clears the top of the press. Grab the bullet with a pair of wire cutters braced across the top of the press (no die installed ) and lower the press. It has worked for me with little or no marking of the bullet
It's fast and cheap - give it a try and see if it'll work for you.
How doesn't the wire cutters chew into the bullet? That is if you want to reload that bullet.

[Shiloh]

If you can't raise the ram past the top of the press like mentioned above, use a 1/2" drive socket laid over the ram in the bottom of the press, and raise the bullet through the drive hole.

The ram is too short on my particular RCBS press. There is also no way to raise the ram and there is a linkage to the ram from the handle.

I just pulled 140 with the kinetic bullet puller. in about an hour and a half. I have about 340 rounds to go. What a PITA.

SHiloh

[rodsvet]

Trixter, I'm surprised you didn't have the head of the puller shatter on the concrete. Thats what I did with my first kinetic puller. If you use a 2x4, you smack the cut end not the sides of the board. The other end should be on the floor. It works well and you can sit in a chair while doing it. Your puller will appreciate it. Rod

[Bullet Caster]

If the boolits (bullets) are hard to pull try seating them just a little bit deeper with your press to loosen the grip that the crimp puts on the boolit. This will enable you to pull the boolits with little to no effort at all.

I've used that technique to pull military FMJ's on .30-06 as well as pistol boolits. When all else fails use the kinetic bullet puller. A bigger hammer never fails. And do it like posted above. Don't pound on concrete or you will lessen the life of the kinetic boolit puller. Use something like a 4x4 stood on end to pound on. BC

[Gliden07]

Are you using the Collet or a shell holder in the Kenetic puller? The Shell Holder method works much better than using the Collets and is a lot quicker! Still if you have that many bullets to pull its gonna take some time anyway!

If your not using the shell holder heres a link that explains it http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=168327

[rbuck351]

I beat to death three of the aluminum collets in my knitec puller before I went to shell holders. I beat it on a piece of RR track or the concrete floor. How many more years can I expect before it gives up. It's been going for 15 or 20 years now.

[ronbo40s&w]

I use a cabelas kinetic puller and i hit it against the head of a 3 pound sledge lying on the carpet of my room. Works great.

God bless!

Ron

[Shiloh]

Got 'er done!!

465 pieces of .40 S&W with a Midway inertia bullet puller.
300 pcs. of Hornady XTP and 165 if some Truncated cone FMJ. Under 4 hours spread out over 3 days.
This is new primed Win brass and over half pond of powder salvaged.
Boy am I glad thats done!!

Shiloh

[Mike W1]

If you can't raise the ram past the top of the press like mentioned above, use a 1/2" drive socket laid over the ram in the bottom of the press, and raise the bullet through the drive hole.

Or use a plastic pipe coupling in place of the socket and you can trim that easily to just the correct height.