Dumping powder, reloading primed?

[huntinlever]

Dumb question probably but with primers unavailable I hate to shoot a known load with my existing rounds when I'm trying to work up a milder load for my 45-70 GG.

So, 40+ rounds 39.7 gr IMR4198, 425 WFNGC.

I'd like to dump these and reload them on the basis of 0.2 grain increase starting at around 33 grains. Midrange by my archival load data shows 35 grains of the IMR 4198.

This is 5 year old powder, loaded in these rounds. I'd dump this powder and use it in all of these new milder loads. Reseat and re-crimp. Not for final testing, just to get a sense. No longer own a chrono so would be depending on groupings.

Ill-advised? I do have a pound of fresh 4198. Looking at other powders for lighter loads but never investigated the lower end with the IMR 4198 - only went up from 37.5 to my chosen 39.7 grains. Wondering if there might be two "accuracy nodes," a good moderate one as well as my existing one.

I should probably just reacquire a chrono.

[414gates]

Possible. No danger in charging and seating on a primed case on a single stage press. There is nothing under the primer in the shellholder.

Only thing is if there is a crimp - will you not deform the bullets by removing them ?

A cam-lock puller is not ideal for this, and a kinetic hammer may or may not overcome the crimp.

[NSB]

I’ve pulled bullets by the thousand with a hammer/kinetic bullet puller and never found any that wouldn’t come apart. Go ahead and take them apart. The powder will be fine also, it’s not that old.

[Bazoo]

I don’t see any reason that the powder would not as fresh as the day it was loaded. The bullets will probably be ruined. You’ll need to re-flare the case mouth.

[huntinlever]

OK, thanks alot guys. I have a kinetic puller which works great, though given that they are crimped sometimes it takes quite a bit of pounding the hell out of them. I'm guessing after all it might be more trouble than it's worth - I intend on keeping this hotter load anyway, just not my go-to for Northwoods deer hunting any longer. Probably better to just go blasting away and hoping for the best that primers will at some point be available again.

[Winger Ed.]

I never had a problem doing it.
Even punching out live primers. I lay a towel over the press doing it, but never had one go off.

I've found if you whack the puller on a concrete floor, it works better.

[huntinlever]

I never had a problem doing it.
Even punching out live primers. I lay a towel over the press doing it, but never had one go off.

I've found if you whack the puller on a concrete floor, it works better.

Thanks Ed, I used to load in a basement, with a concrete floor, and yep, you remind me, a lot easier than on wood. Will do.

Dumb question - but if you deprime live primers, can you then use them to prime new rounds?

[Winger Ed.]

if you deprime live primers, can you then use them to prime new rounds?

Sure, that's the whole point of 'un-loading' them.

Go easy on pushing them out, and some may go back in another brass a little on the lose side--
like Remington primers are anyway, but it's no big deal.

When a primer detonates, it makes about as much gas a .22LR.
The towel is over the press to catch it if it happens.

[Froogal]

I pull the bullets with a pair of side cutters. Yes it messes them up somewhat. Those get tossed into the scrap lead bucket and eventually are made into new bullets.

[charlie b]

^^I like this way. I use pliers instead of side cutters. The reloading press leverage makes it simple.

[ddeck22]

Sure, that's the whole point of 'un-loading' them.

Go easy on pushing them out, and some may go back in another brass a little on the lose side--
like Remington primers are anyway, but it's no big deal.

When a primer detonates, it makes about as much gas a .22LR.
The towel is over the press to catch it if it happens.

And perhaps some ear protection just in case.

[Fitz]

I found that pulling lead bullet from loaded rounds that large dog toe nail cutters work great with cases long enough to go through the top of press with no die installed grab the bullet with just enough pressure to hold the bullet then lower the ram , the cut marks on side of bullet can then be mostly removed by running through the sizing die,
I use 27 gr. of IMR 4198 under a 480 gr. bullet recoil is mild and still enough punch to shoot through a hog at 60 yds.

[Larry Gibson]

You'll also need to run the cases over an M-die to remove the crimp and flare the case mouths to reseat the bullets.

[huntinlever]

You'll also need to run the cases over an M-die to remove the crimp and flare the case mouths to reseat the bullets.

Thanks Larry. I run them all through the RCBS cowboy set. Just cleaned up a couple hundred cases, and really looking forward to this.

[Froogal]

A few years ago I had some .357 magnum ammo that was just brutal in a snub nose. Semi jacketed soft points. I bought the RCBS collet puller and it did an excellent job of pulling those bullets without damage. I dumped the powder and replaced it with a more user friendly load, and then used those same bullets again. The collet puller worked great on those bullets, but it does not work on cast lead bullets. It simply will not grab onto them.

[barrabruce]

I need to run a q tip in the mouth of the case to wipe off any lube before I dump my powder so I don’t get lubed powder.
I do use a soft lube thou.

[huntinlever]

I need to run a q tip in the mouth of the case to wipe off any lube before I dump my powder so I don’t get lubed powder.
I do use a soft lube thou.

I have the old powder kept separately now. MML is pretty hard, but even so, I just lifted the bullets from the plate I dumped everything onto from the RCBS puller, and I figure any powder with lube on it would stick to the boolit, the rest being dry. Even so, I'm planning to use this older powder for more of a general sense of the new load...want as much as possible for everything to be identical as I ladder the load more finely.

[dtknowles]

I have salvaged all sorts of ammo and reused all the components. Sometime but rarely do I melt the bullets. Sometimes I do discard the powder. I just bought over 600 rounds of someone's .357 mag. reloads. They were sold as components not to be fired. I sorted a box of identical rounds, weighed every one. They were all within a half a grain heaviest to lightest. I pulled the bullets from two rounds and weighed the powder charges. The powder was marked on all the boxes as Unique and it matched Unique in my powder storage. The charge was near but not max for the bullet. I am thinking these are safe to shoot. Certainly, none are double charged or no powder.

Might have been just as easy to pull all the bullets and dump the powder and reload with new powder. I have more than 500 more to consider. The bullets and primers are worth more than I paid but I would not normally shoot that many jacketed bullets in .357.

Tim

[MT Gianni]

I would pull the expander and full length size the outside to ensure they feed in your rifle.

[dtknowles]

I would pull the expander and full length size the outside to ensure they feed in your rifle.

Not bad advice but they plunk fine in one of my Dan Wesson M15's. I prefer to not size ammo with seated bullets as it swages the bullets, but I have done it to avoid breaking down loaded ammo that would not chamber. I have 500 more to deal with one way or another, not is a rush. Seems I have too much ammo and am not shooting enough :)

Tim