replacing bullets?

[eltorro]

Somebody mentioned the possibility of replacing bullets only on a milsurp batch...
Like getting a battle pack of Portugese ammo and replacing only the FMJ with another (premium) bullet in the same weight range.
Does this pose any danger?
Is it worth it?

The sollution was given to a beginner - a guy who didn't have much equipment and knowledge.... as a poor man's way of getting a semi- premium load with not much work, little investment and not a truckload of testing/tryouts.

Is this making any sense?

 

[guntech]

It can be done... Forester (Bonanza) offer the best bullet puller for this job....

just make sure you replace with a bullet NO heavier...

You will not be getting a semi premium load.......you will simply have ammo you can legally hunt with...

 

[eltorro]

The reason I asked this is because I intend to use an M14 and I know the cases are pretty banged up most times... so not a really good start for reloading.
So here comes the buddy with the advice.... No case problem.... discard after use.....

Thanks, Guntech

 

[maynard]

eltorro,
This is called Mexican Match. Pull the bullet, re-throw the powder about 1 grain less and seat a match bullet. We used to pull 147 gr IVI and seat 155 gr bullets, hence the 1 grain less powder.
Most Milsurp ammo uses a sealent (like tar) on the bullet. You will break a kinetic bullet puller if you plan to do alot. I found that if you put the round in your press and crack the sealent by seating the bullet a little deeper, it will make your kinetic puller last longer.

 

[Suputin]

Why is an M14 not good for reloading? I reloaded match brass for my M14 for years. Works just fine. Any dents or dings in the brass are either straightened out by the sizing die or they smooth out during the firing process. A small dent in the case body is nothing to worry about.

The only important thing is that the round safely feeds through the action.

 

[tiriaq]

This has been a common practice for years. I have done it, and so have a lot of other shooters. Quite a while ago, the US NRA took some M2 (150gr) ball .30-06, and rebulleted with every 150gr commercial bullet they could find. They did not change the powder charge. In EVERY case, there was a pressure increase. The increases ranged from slight to substantial. Maynard's suggestion to drop the charge a grain isn't a bad one.

 

[sunray]

"...Is it worth it?..." Nope. You have no idea what powder is in the Portugese ammo so like Guntech says, all you'd have is ammo for hunting. It's not unsafe though. Just a lot of work for mediocre ammo.

 

[Boomer]

I've been making Mexican Match for years with no safety issues. I found that the commercial bullet pullers often slipped off the heavily crimped military bullets. What I use instead is a good quality (Mac) pliers style wire stripper. These strippers lay flat on top of the press, and the serrated portion between the handles, which are designed to strip specific wire sizes, grip the bullets aggressively enough to overcome the heavy crimp.

You may want to trim the case neck below the crimp, and if the neck is treated with goo for water proofing, it can be removed with extra-fine steel wool wrapped on a bore brush. I have been hesitant to use solvents to remove this material in case it renders the primer inert.

If you weigh the powder from the military cartridge, and weigh the bullet, you can go to a loading manual and get a good idea of the burning rate of the powder they used, and work up your load from there. I commonly load 168 gr and 200 gr bullets in Mexican Match by this method.