Bullet Puller Recommendation?
- Thread starter kingdarb
- Start date
I started with kinetic but for the surplus i pull it wasnt quick enough, i am now using rcbs collet puller, you will need sep collect for each caliber but its worth every penny.
i have to agree with f55.
if your doing small amounts then a kinetic is good, i bought a frankford arsenal and it works great for handloads or factory, but not so much with surplus. though i only tried to pull 5 give or take.
i recently had to pull 200 rounds of 9mm and it took a good 1.5 hours.
if your doing small amounts then a kinetic is good, i bought a frankford arsenal and it works great for handloads or factory, but not so much with surplus. though i only tried to pull 5 give or take.
i recently had to pull 200 rounds of 9mm and it took a good 1.5 hours.
Hotwheels81
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- South of GP
used both a frankford and RCBS kinetic, both decent products but given the nature of there purpose i would say pick one with a good return policy... pulling crimped pistol rounds is NOT fun.
I have a RCBS collet puller as others have mentioned, worth every red cent if you ever pull down such things as 7.62x39 or heavily crimped bullets... not so great pulling lead or plated bullets tho and leaves marks even on FMJ's.
The kinetic types are essentially all the same, and good to have around for bullets that can't be grabbed by collets (wadcutters, for example).
re: collet pullers, RCBS is not ideal because of how the collet grabs the bullet.
Here is a writeup for you.
blacksmithden
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I have both. The collet pulled doesn't work on cast bullets. It just strips off a bit of the outside of the bullet. I have and RCBS inertia (hammer type) puller and a Frankfort Arsenal. The RCBS one snapped off just below where the screw on cap goes. The Frankfort Arsenal one is still going strong. In defense of the RCBS, it's seen a lot more action than the Frankfort Arsenal.
Yup, sometimes you need both to pull the bullets.
Some types of milsurp ammo have only the contoured forward section of the bullet to try to grab onto.
Often, this just doesn't work.
I've been in situations where I have to use a kinetic puller to "start" the bullets, then finish the job with the crimp type Forester or RCBS pullers.
Whichever method you use, it's a PITB.
The only bullets I will even cosider pulling now are my own or other people's handloads that I don't trust.
Everything else that is shootable, will be shot out of whichever firearm it fits.
Considering how long it takes to pull bullets and maybe even damaging them in the process, it just isn't usually worth the effort.
I even rechambered an old bubba'd long action K98 to 8x63Swede so that I could shoot the cheap surplus ammo I have. I believe, in the end I actually saved money.
The barrel was $10, the reamer was $80 and the action/trigger was free. The stock, is just a cut down milsurp stock and I already had the scope, mounts and rings.
This rifle loves that old milsurp stuff.
I bought several thousand rounds of it to pull the 196 grain boat tail bullets and maybe salvage the powder. The cost on this stuff, from Ontario to BC was about the same as if I had just bought a bunch of fmj bulk bullets. I didn't think I could loose.
I was wrong, those bullets were buried very deep in the necks so that the only part of the bullet showing was the curved ogive. They are also sealed into the cases with some type of black tar like sealant.
There was a thread here a long time ago about making up a special plate with a hole, slightly larger than the bullet. The idea was to push the bullet into the plate and wiggle it back and forth to break the seal for easy pulling.
Once the rifle was put together though all of that changed. It was surprisingly accurate ammunition, considering it was built for Swedish machine guns and the few thousand K98s they had converted to shoot it as well.
My first idea was to build up a clone of the rare Swede rebuilds. They sold most of them to Israel. The big problem I had was finding a milsurp stock to fit the action and making up a suitable muzzle brake as found on the originals. I didn't have a lathe at the time and the action I had was already D+T'ed etc. So it makes a very nice and very powerful sporter.
Right on par with the 35 Whelan and 338-06.
I have the RCBS hammer for pulling down mistakes, and I had an RCBS collet but sold it. I'm looking forward to the new Lee puller die, but it did not make the 2012 catalog. If I was pulling dozens or hundreds of rounds down I'd want something else right away.
I have a hornady collet and broke the handle pulling surplus but hornady did send me a new handle.
Greenfields
CGN Regular
- Location
- Lower mainland BC
I use the hornady, and it is going strong. Mind you I wasn't taking surplus apart.
Totally agree, I have taken apart hundreds of bullets with the rcbs one I have.
You can damage the projectiles with the collet pullers if you apply to much pressure but i have pulled 9mm,45acp,30-30,7.62x39 and 308 jacketed projectiles with the rcbs, just have to take it easy.
This may be a stupid question so go easy on me, why would you be pulling so much surplus ammo apart? I have a kenetic puller to deal with the odd mistake, but why would you need something for volume? What am I missing? Keep in mind I am relatively new to reloading and I am not pushing out a 1000rounds a sitting on my single stage press, just what I need day to day. You just got me curious...??
Some people reuse components from surplus ammo for other projects or reload it without shooting original components. Also sometimes there is stuff out there known to not be safe say due to powder or old brass.
Pull bullets and reload surplus round with hunting bullet.
Pop out corrosive primer and reprime with standard.
Dump powder and recharge with new stuff and right amount.
Use bullets in totally different round, toss the rest etc.
Pull bullets and reload surplus round with hunting bullet.
Pop out corrosive primer and reprime with standard.
Dump powder and recharge with new stuff and right amount.
Use bullets in totally different round, toss the rest etc.
I cant shoot surplus ammo at my indoor range, they charge almost $23 with tax for a box of 20. I buy surplus at $4 box, pull the bullets and replace with 7.62x39 lead, costs me around $7 box of 20. I can get mfs ammo for $9 but it contains steel and the club has banned it.
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