Best/Good Enough Puller?

Had a basement flood and 400+ reloads got submerged. I bought a Hornady Cam Lock Bullet Puller and after a set up time of two or so minutes I easily recovered all the bullets and brass. You very quickly get a feel for the correct tension through the handle gripping the bullet for pulling. Fast easy with barely any marks on the bullet. Since that time I have pulled lots of bullets and recovered components during load developement, don't know how I manged before I started pulling bullets. Never tried any other type of puller so I can't say, the RCBS puller sounds good from what I read. The kinetic hammer puller would have made recovering those 400+ rounds a very big chore, no thanks
Hornady Bullet Puller http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0SdqwbXUjI
 
Bowyer said:
I've searched the forum a couple of times and am still not sure what to get.

I see the RCBS kinetic pullers everywhere and they're not really that expensive. I'm just wanting to pull bullets from surplus and maybe change the powder, but definitley switch out the bullets using a Lee Classic Loader...
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FWIW, Lee was supposed to be coming out with a press-mounted collet puller last year but they were apparently swamped with the new products they did introduce. It's supposedly coming this year but nothing on their website so far.

:) Stuart
 
Another vote for the hornady cam lock, or any press mounted collet puller. If you have more than 1 bullet to pull it's then way to go, and is not much more expensive than the kinetic. I got mine from gobles in London with .40 and 9mm coolers for about 40 bucks.
 
If you do a lot of reloading it is a real good idea to have both kinds. The press mounted type is in most cases is easier to use but if you ever have to a bunch of cast bullets in pistol bullets you will see very quickly why you need the other style.

Graydog
 
Ganderite said:
I had a kinetic and hated it.
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Me too. Mine broke.

looch said:
I have a Hornady Cam-Lock, which I think is great for production-type work. It's a little fiddly to get the collet dialed in, but once it's there you can blast through a pile of ammo. You do have to buy collets for every caliber, though.
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X2! .... After the kinetic broke, I borrowed a RCBS collet puller from a friend and used it for a bit. It worked well, but I read some reviews and ended up buying the Hornady Cam-Lock and it was head and shoulder over the RCBS. Bullets come out easy and unmarred. Best pc of loading kit I own.
 
SuperCub said:
Me too. Mine broke.


X2! .... After the kinetic broke, I borrowed a RCBS collet puller from a friend and used it for a bit. It worked well, but I read some reviews and ended up buying the Hornady Cam-Lock and it was head and shoulder over the RCBS. Bullets come out easy and unmarred. Best pc of loading kit I own.
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X-3 Have found the Hornady the best gave up on the kinetic .
 
I use a berrys kinetic puller does the job but ive only had to pull maybe 5 reloads apart since i started reloading may 2 years now?

Only used it in the first week i started too. haha
 
It depends what you want to do with it. A kinetic puller is probably the best option for pulling cast pistol bullets or short nosed cast .45/70 bullets. If you have say a thousand military loads you wish to harvest for Mexican Match, particularly if the bullets are treated with a sticky water proofing compound, I like using the pliers style wire cutters/crimpers, the serrated wire strippers between the handles grab hold of bullet jackets, even hard ones, and their flat handles lie flat on top of the press, pulling the bullet straight out, without deforming the brass. Collet style pullets require the bullet you're pulling not to be crimped, and it must be seated long enough that the collet can grab the parallel sides of the shank, it doesn't do well on a tapered bullet nose or a cast bullet. For pulling run of the mill handloads, the kinetic pullers work well enough, won't usually damage the bullet tip, and when the shell holder's "O" ring breaks, a standard shell holder works as well.
 
If I have to pull hundreds or thousands of bullets, I like this tool. It pulls on the down stroke and the next upstroke with a new rounds pops out the last bullet. It leaves a tiny bite mark on the bullet.

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FORSTERBULLETPULLER.jpg
 
I have the kinetic puller as well as an RCBS collet type.The RCBS I had a friend make me some collets on the lathe,as he was needing some projects to learn on,and they work really well.As for the kinetic one I have always used a block of wood,a 4x4 about 18. Inches long,and it has never failed me in the 20 or more yrs I have used it,and I have hit it with everything I can muster to get a few bullets loose.
 
Just like most mentioned, a kinetic puller works for an occasional job but for anything more, a puller using the collet is worth its weight in gold. Its not a matter of if but when you will need it. I had a RCBS kinetic puller but had to pull a bunch of factory rounds. It didn't last very long until I got a RCBS puller with the collet. I should have just bought it in the first place.
 
Ganderite, I used to have a .30 caliber puller very similar to yours, but IIRC, it didn't screw into the press, just rested on top. I don't recall who the manufacturer was, perhaps Herters. I found it got to be a pain pushing the pulled bullets out of the puller, especially when there were lots to pull, and found it badly scratched the bullet shanks; it was too aggressive for cast bullets. But it didn't slip, I'll give you that.
 
EC said:
Just like most mentioned, a kinetic puller works for an occasional job but for anything more, a puller using the collet is worth its weight in gold. Its not a matter of if but when you will need it. I had a RCBS kinetic puller but had to pull a bunch of factory rounds. It didn't last very long until I got a RCBS puller with the collet. I should have just bought it in the first place.
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If you ever try to pull bullets that are crimped into a groove style cannelure, or surplus military rounds that are treated with a sealant, you'll be looking for other options than the collet.
 
Boomer said:
Ganderite, I used to have a .30 caliber puller very similar to yours, but IIRC, it didn't screw into the press, just rested on top. I don't recall who the manufacturer was, perhaps Herters. I found it got to be a pain pushing the pulled bullets out of the puller, especially when there were lots to pull, and found it badly scratched the bullet shanks; it was too aggressive for cast bullets. But it didn't slip, I'll give you that.
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Since it is screwed into the press, pushing the last bullet out is simple. It leaves very small bite marks. hardly noticeable.

We used some of these to pull 40,000 milsurp 7.62x51 that was to be scrapped. The bullets were easy to sell.
 
I have a kinetic puller and it works fine on non-crimped reloads but anything with a cannelure and crimp is too much to ask. It is great for one offs and spur of the moment stuff. I don't regret owning it, it will pay for itself.

I do however have a collet based puller for my press and it does multiples and factory ammo far better. I don't mind owning both as each has it's place. I've used side cutters and a vise as well...
 
Boomer said:
If you ever try to pull bullets that are crimped into a groove style cannelure, or surplus military rounds that are treated with a sealant, you'll be looking for other options than the collet.
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Are you saying a collett puller can't do this? I don't shoot crimped loads or military surplus rds anyway so the collet puller works fine, much better than the kinetic which I find a pita, especially if you are reusing the powder from the case. YMMV of crse.
 
EC said:
Are you saying a collett puller can't do this? I don't shoot crimped loads or military surplus rds anyway so the collet puller works fine, much better than the kinetic which I find a pita, especially if you are reusing the powder from the case. YMMV of crse.
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That's what I'm saying alright, I gave up on mine. But when the pulling gets tough, pliers style wire strippers are a good choice. You might also find that the collet style pullers don't work so well with cast bullets, or jacketed bullets with short nose sections like those for the .444 Marlin, and the .45-70, or various handgun cartridges.
 
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