Bullet pulling problem

[AZAK]

I am relatively new to reloading and am attempting to pull some bullets out of 300 H&H cases. These are completed cartridges/live. They came to me as reloads about 20 years ago, and no knowing how long before that they were loaded. (I personally will never again shoot, and technically have never fired, someone else's reload; with the exception of my father-in-law's who was practically born reloading, has been doing it every week since 1960. I did once attempt to load someone else's reload, closed the bolt, and then went to see a gun smith to get the bolt back open, with the live round stuck in the chamber! So, again technically never fired someone else's reload! And this was a long time ago when I was younger and dumber! But, it only took that one time!!!)

No idea about bullet weight, no idea about powder type or charge, primers look like they were put into pockets with a hand priming tool with the wrong end up (little dome shapes on the actual primers).

My problem is that I tried using a RCBS collet bullet puller, (yes, with the correct collet!) and every time that I attempt to tighten down the collet on only the bullet (as far down to the case as possible) I get to a point that the entire cartridge spins, and this is not tight enough. The entire cartridge stays in the holder, as the bullet slips out of the collet. (It is getting tight enough to make some minor marks on the bullet.)

Any words of wisdom out there? Regardless of the questionable quality of any/all of the materials in these reloads, I do want to be able to pull bullets with my equipment.

Thanks!

[Yoosta B. Blue]

Hey there, Azak!

I must admit to not knowing much about rifle cartridges. But when pulling pistol bullets, I have long since abandoned using those puny collets in lieu of using the shellholder. Can you do that with rifle cartridges?

Yoosta B. Blue

[wncchester]

There is a tendency for bullets to "grab" the neck over time. Try breaking that seal by seating the bullet deeper, 1/64 th inch is plenty.

The collets WILL leave marks on the bullets. I use an inertia puller just for that reason, it won't leave marks AND it will remove pistol bullets while the collet type won't.

[Rangerphil]

If you're not concerned about saving the bullets, here's what I do. Place a cartridge in a single stage press without a reloading die and move the handle to the top of the stroke. The bullet should be sticking out of the top of the press....I then use a pair of vice-grips to latch onto the bullet. Move the ram downward and the bullet will pop out.

[res45]

Try breaking that seal by seating the bullet deeper, 1/64 th inch

+1 on that I go as much as an 8th. on Mil-Surplus stuff,I use a RCBS puller and hardly ever mark bullets with it,just seat the bullet down a close to the neck of the case as you can with the collet before you make the pull.

[dmickey]

By the way, the primers are not upside down. Back before I was reloading (some time between 1965 and 1970) there were both flat and round primers. When I got a used RCBS A-2 press it came with the priming rams for both styles!

[Gbro]

There is a tendency for bullets to "grab" the neck over time. Try breaking that seal by seating the bullet deeper,

Very true statement. Just about everyone that reloads has some old stuff around, and a sampling of an old batch should be checked with the seating die, as if they are stuck/grabbed, whatever the pressures could be greatly increased. You could prevent a Kaboom!

[totalloser]

Collets don't work too well on non jacketed bullets. I know it's not TOO likely that's what you are dealing with, but I thought it might be a possibility. The collet just squishes the lead and never gets tight enough to hold onto it. I use an inertia (hammer type) puller to free up my non jacketed bullets.

[BigJakeJ1s]

I have a hornady cam-lock, collet style bullet puller, and it works great on lead or jacketed, rifle or pistol bullets. Minor cosmetic marks are sometimes left on the bullets. Reseating the bullet a little deeper is helpful with old ammo.

If you don't need the bullets, a pair of linesman's pliers/wire cutters or diagonal wire cuttters, nippers, etc. works really well, used the same way as the vice grip pliers mentioned above.

Andy

[REDTAIL]

buy yourself one of thoes hammer type bullet pullers, great item easy to use and wont destroy any of the bullet heads