pulling .44 mag. hard cast

[redneck44]

Anyone else have trouble pulling hard cast bullets with collet puller? Have RCBS puller and works fine on everything except lead bullets. Thx

[Bazoo]

I pulled over 200 44 mags when I switched from a sbh to a BH in 44 special. They were not hard cast, just WW alloy. I used pliers and stuck the bullet through my press hole. It worked but sucked as it’s hard on the hands because you have to use a death grip.

[nicholst55]

I typically use an inertia type bullet puller (hammer type) on handgun cartridges. It is tedious, but it works.

[mdi]

Quite often collet type bullet pulling tools won't work on cast bullets, especially crimped. To get the collet tight enough the bullets are squeezed and the colles just slips off. I have used the side cutter, pliers method often but usually just get out my inertia puller (hammer type). I use a shell holder rather than the aluminum collet and hammer on a lead ingot. The ingot/puck softens the blow a bit, but not enough to make pulling more difficult. A lead anvil quietens the vibration/jar to the hands and is much quieter.

My puller rarely gets used 'cause I don't make mistakes :kidding:

[super6]

I cant remember who came up with the shell holder Ideal, Who ever it was THANK YOU! I hated thous aluminum collets.

[wmitty]

I use the shell holder method in the inertia puller too; but I did manage to break one in half doing this. It was an rcbs, but I felt I had abused it and didn’t ask for a replacement. I’m pretty sure it was a rifle cartridge and the mass of cartridge and shell holder took it apart. Guessing that is why rcbs went with aluminum collets.

[Wheelguns 1961]

I do the same thing as Bazoo except I use a pair of vice grips. Once you get them set properly, it works a charm. The bullets are not usable, but they remelt just fine.

[Rapier]

Inertia puller on a steel anvil with a section of rubber fuel line in the bottom to catch the bullet. Hit it flat, square and hard the first shot. Two have shattered, I have a bent shank on my favorite, so whack em good or you will be all day pulling heavy crimped 44s. I use a profile crimp.

[44MAG#1]

What is wrong with the collet that come with the inertia type pullers? Ive used mine at times. Used a shell holder too. But not as much as the collet that comes with it.

[littlejack]

Pulled a few bullets in my 57 years of reloading. Firstly, I tried the inertia puller for the first few years. That's not to say I pulled hundreds of bullets, just occasionally when needed. I didn't like the inertia system or procedure. Next was the "grab the bullet with pliers and pull on the press handle" system. This worked, but if you have to put the nose of the pliers down into the threaded section of the press and pull the handle up, the pliers will booger up the threads. Finally settled on using a shell holder extention to push the cartridge through and up above the top of the press. This way, you can use a set of side cutters to grip the boolit and pull the handle down. A few years ago, I found a "miniature" set of nippers. The ones farriers use to trim horses hooves, only half the size. These work real good, and are best for clinching onto a cast bullet. Enjoy your boolit pulling endevor.

[littlejack]

P.S.
Depending on the type of bullet you are trying to pull, you may not need the shell holder extention for your 44 cartridges.

[MT Gianni]

What is wrong with the collet that come with the inertia type pullers? Ive used mine at times. Used a shell holder too. But not as much as the collet that comes with it.

It can be too short for pistol bullets. Best thing to pull cast with is a dog nail trimmer. Oldfeller came up with it. Run the cartridge up in the press with no die. Grab the bullet and lower the ram.

[BABore]

Pull the decapping pin out of your sizing die and resize a few to try it out. Makes pulling easier.

[44MAG#1]

It can be too short for pistol bullets. Best thing to pull cast with is a dog nail trimmer. Oldfeller came up with it. Run the cartridge up in the press with no die. Grab the bullet and lower the ram.

How can the shell holder be too short? Put the cartridge in the shell holder, drop it in the inertia puller, screw the cap down and whack the devil out of it.

[BK7saum]

How can the shell holder be too short? Put the cartridge in the shell holder, drop it in the inertia puller, screw the cap down and whack the devil out of it.

He is referring to the pliers method on the reloading press. The bullet might not extend far enough up to grip the bullet with pliers.

He is NOT referring to the inertia puller.

[44MAG#1]

He is referring to the pliers method on the reloading press. The bullet might not extend far enough up to grip the bullet with pliers.

He is NOT referring to the inertia puller.

He quoted me in his reply.

[smoked turkey]

I use the RCBS collet die for pulling jacketed, and sometimes it will also work with lead boolits too, even though it's not supposed to. But usually I just use the press and vice grips on the lead ones. I came across a tip to use the cutoff plastic case of a 12 gauge with three or four slits to make petals slipped over the cartridge to protect the press die threads from the vice grips.

[454PB]

300742300743

Here's my home made bullet puller, a pair of old lineman pliers that I ground to form a semi-circle that grabs the boolit. Next to it is a PVC spacer I cut so that short cartridges can be pulled.

[Bmi48219]

The inertia puller with a foam ear plug in the bottom to cushion the bullet allows me to reuse the bullets. I’ve also found if the projectile’s been tightly crimped, I can lose it by tapping it back into the case a mil or two with a rubber or leather mallet.
Wad cutters are a different story.

[David2011]

Might as well grab the inertia puller and get after it. I once had a friend load 400 rounds of .40 S&W for me when I couldn’t for myself. Had a squib. Didn’t trust the rest and had to pull over 300 with an inertia puller. BTW, I found one more round without powder.

[littlejack]

454PB
That's a great idea. Nessesity is the mother of invention.

[muskeg13]

When trying to use the RCBS collet puller, sometimes wrapping a strip of medium coarse sandpaper around the exposed lead gives enough friction for it to work. Make sure you degrease before trying.

[redneck44]

Wow! Thx for all the replys. To be honest with you all, the inertia puller scares the crap out of me, why I never bought one. I thought about using vice grips in the past, but never tried them. Ive never had to pull any real amount, just one here and there I questioned about the oal, so I tossed the shell, when I coudn't pull them as much as I hated to do so.
The idea of whacking a loaded shell onto a hard surface always seemed like a bad idea to me, although I know its been around for years. Thanks again for all the great advice, maybe Ill try the pliers idea again. Happy Memorial day, and safe shooting.

[sharps4590]

How successful the collet type bullet pullers are depends greatly on the shape of the nose of the cast, handgun bullet. I have pulled hundreds, if not thousands, of Keith type SWC's with my RCBS collet puller and, just finished up pulling a couple hundred Lee, 200 gr. bullets for the 44-40 with it.

SOMETIMES you can use a smaller caliber collet to better fit the nose profile and pull them successfully.

I've also had to run the cartridge up through the hole in the press and grab them with a pair of d y k e s.

[15meter]

I use linesman's pliers as is, longer handles then side cutters for better leverage.

They bridge across the hole and sit flatter on top of the hole.

I use either a Klien or a vintage Craftsman( I suspect is a Klien), good and sharp, doesn't take much effort to get a good bite on the boolit.

[Oldfeller]

https://www.amazon.com/Epica-Best-Professional-Clipper-Large/dp/B00FU6PDLU/ref=asc_df_B00FU6PDLU/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167151987585&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12481696210937331072&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9010010&hvtargid=pla-307301613580&th=1

This $9.99 tool from Amazon will easily and quickly pull jacketed and it will pull lead boolits as well. If used lightly it leaves a very faint mark that is so slight the bullets can be reloaded and fired "as is". Lightly is the key term here, too much grip cuts into the bullet too much. These can be recovered with a fine needle file, but this effort is a failure cost of gripping too hard.

This big dog toenail clipper trick has been used for hundreds and hundreds of rounds now (both jacketed and cast) unless I get sloppy with the grip the bullets and the cases are both 100% reusable.

Remember to get the biggest set of large dog nail clippers, they come in different sizes.

[MT Gianni]

He quoted me in his reply.

Sorry I saw Collet and was thinking of a pressed based puller. They are often too short to grip swc pistol bullets.

[WRideout]

I recently had to pull some 38 lead WCs that had a firm crimp applied. When they couldn't be budged by the inertia puller, I took them one at a time, and tapped lightly around the mouth with a small hammer. The top of the RCBS press served as the anvil. After that minor adjustment, they came right out.

Wayne

[lightman]

My RCBS Collet puller doesn't work well with most lead bullets. And I find the hammer type to be too slow for me. I use Lineman's pliers flat across the top of the press. If the bullet is too short I use a 1-1/4" PVC coupling placed over the press ram as someone pictures in another post. I remelt the bullets.

[wilecoyote]

I reload mainly .44mag. .
RCBS inertia puller on a block of hard wood_ even better a cube of hard wood that you can hold in your hand, hammering on it with the other hand.
hammering on steel or concrete you can wreck something.

[gwpercle]

To save the boolits for re-use :
1.) Use an inertia bullet puller (hammer type)
2.) Break the crimp the case has on the boolit by seating it a tiny bit deeper in your seating die.
3.) Once the crimp has been broken the inertia puller works much easier ...use moderate foce blows and watch the bullet as it begins to creep out ... the last blow should be gentle so powder doesn't go flying every where .
Now you can re-use the boolits , powder , cases and the primers ... No Small Thing is this day of component shortages . Waste Not Want Not !
Gary