What to do with cast loads and no gun in caliber?

[clearwater]

Sold my rifle and have several dozen loaded cartridges with cast bullets left. Some jacketed loads I was able to pull and reuse the projectiles, and sell the brass. The cast loads are crimped so they don't really want to come out of the case using a collet puller and I would probably destroy my plastic impact puller if I did more than a few.

Should I just toss these? It is worth trying something else to salvage components? 30-40 Krag brass that has been fired more than once.

[cwtebay]

I've used an impact puller very successfully on crimped cases (more 30-40 cartridges than I can count!!), But using your press and placing a soft jawed pair of pliers above the die set and using the cam action of the puller is also very simple. Both recover the powder and primer and brass - and it's up to you how many bullets you salvage (and therefore how many go back in the pot for another casting session).

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[mozeppa]

i've done more than 35,000 with a impact hammer.

[Conditor22]

IF it's rifle brass, put the cartridge in the shell holder, raise the ram through the top of the press, grip boolit with side cutters/wire strippers/--- then lower the ram.

watch out for the threads :)

[USSR]

As previously stated, you will not destroy your impact puller.

Don

[kayala]

Your puller will be fine, I’ve disassembled 700gr heavy crimped 500 Mag ! Just use some hard wood to whack against.

[jimb16]

Done many hundreds with an impact puller. Use it. It will be ok.

[charlie b]

I use the pliers on the bullet trick on the reloading press. Only issue is it destroys the bullet. But, being cast you can just toss them back in the pot. I like it much better than the impact hammer.

[richhodg66]

I use the pliers on the bullet trick on the reloading press. Only issue is it destroys the bullet. But, being cast you can just toss them back in the pot. I like it much better than the impact hammer.

This also tends to leave gas checks in the case neck.

[Texas by God]

Save them for your next 30-40!

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[quail4jake]

buy a Krag and shoooot!

[15meter]

This also tends to leave gas checks in the case neck.

But I've had gas checks left in the neck with an impact puller.

To cure that I've got a piece of baling wire bent into a very tight hook that will fit through the mouth of the case.

Push the gas check into it case with a punch, shake out all the powder, then hold the case upside down, reach in with the baling wire and pull it out.

On bottleneck cases the gas check is usually sitting sideways and the wire pushes past it and snags it on the way back out.

I can usually get it on the first or second try.


And another vote for the lineman's pliers, the press and pulling the boolits, then back into the pot.

Way easier on the hand and the ears.

[zarrinvz24]

But I've had gas checks left in the neck with an impact puller.

To cure that I've got a piece of baling wire bent into a very tight hook that will fit through the mouth of the case.

Push the gas check into it case with a punch, shake out all the powder, then hold the case upside down, reach in with the baling wire and pull it out.

On bottleneck cases the gas check is usually sitting sideways and the wire pushes past it and snags it on the way back out.

I can usually get it on the first or second try.


And another vote for the lineman's pliers, the press and pulling the boolits, then back into the pot.

Way easier on the hand and the ears.

I can understand the OP's reluctance to do all that, sounds like a very time taxing job with little reward.

If it were me, I would try and make a trade with someone you trust, or squirrel them away for possible use in the future. If times ever got really tight, then I would go through the effort to pull them down and recycle components.

[richhodg66]

It really isn't that much work and Krag brass is worth saving, hard to find even before the shortage.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I just use a slender needle nose pliers to pull lost gas checks out through neck sideways after dumping/shaking powder out of case. Farrier's nippers or horse shoe pullers work well for pulling bullets, with many bullets still usable after pulling, slight marks but little accuracy change under 100 yards.

[dondiego]

Send them to my address. I'll get rid of them for ya. I'll even pay shipping.

[gwpercle]

I've used an impact puller on a brazillion military armor piercing 30-06 rounds ...WWII surplus ammo from machine gun belts .
Hint : To break the seal / crimp ... seat the bullets a little deeper ... yes deeper! this breaks the crimp and sealant (military ammo) and the inertia pulling is much easier ... Trust Me !
Gary

[Soundguy]

Cast.. Just put case thru press with no die, grab bullet with pliers..lower ram. Re melt bullet.

[cwtebay]

I've used an impact puller on a brazillion military armor piercing 30-06 rounds ...WWII surplus ammo from machine gun belts .
Hint : To break the seal / crimp ... seat the bullets a little deeper ... yes deeper! this breaks the crimp and sealant (military ammo) and the inertia pulling is much easier ... Trust Me !
Gary^^^what he said!!!^^^

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[lightman]

IF it's rifle brass, put the cartridge in the shell holder, raise the ram through the top of the press, grip boolit with side cutters/wire strippers/--- then lower the ram.

watch out for the threads :)

This is what I do. Krag brass is worth saving and the bullets can be remelted. I use Lineman pliers.

[Burnt Fingers]

The impact surface you use when using a kinetic bullet puller makes a BIG difference.

The best thing I've found to use is a dead soft lead block. It will greatly increase the power of the kinetic puller.

[15meter]

I can understand the OP's reluctance to do all that, sounds like a very time taxing job with little reward.

If it were me, I would try and make a trade with someone you trust, or squirrel them away for possible use in the future. If times ever got really tight, then I would go through the effort to pull them down and recycle components.

30-40 brass is worth the effort, I also do this on all the other odd ball expensive brass I load.

Silly to throw away rare/expensive or flat out unobtanium brass.

[richhodg66]

The impact surface you use when using a kinetic bullet puller makes a BIG difference.

The best thing I've found to use is a dead soft lead block. It will greatly increase the power of the kinetic puller.

Thanks for that piece of information, I have only ever used a concrete floor, but I'm gonna try this next time.

[Green Frog]

Sold my rifle and have several dozen loaded cartridges with cast bullets left. Some jacketed loads I was able to pull and reuse the projectiles, and sell the brass. The cast loads are crimped so they don't really want to come out of the case using a collet puller and I would probably destroy my plastic impact puller if I did more than a few.

Should I just toss these? It is worth trying something else to salvage components? 30-40 Krag brass that has been fired more than once.

You’ve gotten all sorts of good advice, and since 30-40 Krag brass and the LR primer in each case have some value, they, along with the powder and lead are worthy of salvage. I would probably set up a single stage press with the proper shell holder and no die. Then put one of the cases in place, raise the ram all the way and grab the lead bullet securely with a pair of diagonal cutters laid flat across the upper flat surface of the press. While holding the bullet securely, lower the ram. Throw bullet in pot to remelt later, dump powder into a marked container to reuse (or use for fertilizer), put primed case aside for later sale, repeat.

If you definitely don’t care about losing most of the powder, the “whack-a-mole” method works fine if you use a hard wood, hard nylon, or steel surface, but it’s noisy and cumbersome and takes longer. Bullets are usually unharmed though, but since you’re going to remelt them anyway… :castmine:

Froggie

[USSR]

If you definitely don’t care about losing most of the powder, the “whack-a-mole” method works fine...

Froggie,

Have no idea how you are losing most of the powder.:shock:

Don

[15meter]

Froggie,

Have no idea how you are losing most of the powder.:shock:

Don

I lose some powder using the whack-a-mole technique, I've had it come out the back of the puller while using it, some gets stuck to the lube on cast boolits.

It's just not as clean as simply pulling the shell out of the shell holder and dumping it into the container.\

YMMV

[USSR]

Big difference between "some" and "most".

Don

[AlHunt]

...

If you definitely don’t care about losing most of the powder, the “whack-a-mole” method works fine if you use a hard wood, hard nylon, or steel surface, but it’s noisy and cumbersome and takes longer. Bullets are usually unharmed though, but since you’re going to remelt them anyway… :castmine:

Froggie

End Grain of a hardwood 4x or 6x or something good sized.

[USSR]

End Grain of a hardwood 4x or 6x or something good sized.

That's what I use, AlHunt.

Don

[44Blam]

With the impact puller, I like to tap it fairly soft but rapidly against concrete. That seems to get even really crimped boolits to fall.

[Retumbo]

Same problem...looks like I'm buying a new gun

[kayala]

Same problem...looks like I'm buying a new gun

That’s the spirit :D

[44Blam]

Same problem...looks like I'm buying a new gun

I think this is the proper course of action.

[tankgunner59]

I have used my impact puller hundreds of times too. As for the wood block, I have gradually torn up a couple blocks of wood. I went to a local sporting goods store and bought a hockey puck for about 3 bucks and that's what I use now. It's hard rubber but it does no damage to the puller.

[clearwater]

Thanks all.

I replied awhile back but my reply isn't showing.

Once I moved my kinetic operation to the carpet covered concrete garage floor, all went well and now I have almost 200 pieces of brass, powder and boolits, not to mention primers.

[gwpercle]

Same problem...looks like I'm buying a new gun

Don't ever let a good excuse to buy another gun slip by you ...
Isn't that a Rule , Commandment or Law ?
Gary

[Hanzy4200]

Just throw them in the "junk" pile. I have a pretty good one building. I'll likely just list it here for one money. Half boxes of odd calibers, single dies, random grips, recoil springs, and magazines for guns I don't own.