Pulled .224 bullets

mjes92 · May 31, 2013, 09:35 AM

I dismantled a few hundred .223 bad reloads a friend bought off of craigs list. (Idiot)

Case necks cracked when chambering a round. You could physically grab the bullet with thumb and finger and crack the case neck and remove the bullet on about half of them. The ones that didn't crack were dismantled with a RCBS collet puller. One in ten bullets show slight lines from the collet.

The question is "Would you reuse the bullets?"

Jimro · May 31, 2013, 09:46 AM

If they all weighed roughly the same? Yes.

Jimro

TheBear · May 31, 2013, 03:40 PM

If they look ok and there are no marks on them from pulling, reuse them, maybe not for competition or hunting but for plinking or training.

farnorthdan · May 31, 2013, 07:42 PM

Absolutely

arizona98tj · May 31, 2013, 07:50 PM

Sounds like good practice/training/plinking bullets to me.

NWPilgrim · May 31, 2013, 08:07 PM

Yes, they are fine for plinking and not that bad especially under 200 yds. I've shot some mangled commercial demil 62 Ss109 bullets that gave 2 mOA for loads that are 1 MOA with new bullets. Bullets I collet pull are only a little less accurate than new because some get a little dented although most come out hardly scratched.

mjes92 · June 4, 2013, 10:12 AM

Thanks guys.

No one sems to have any concerns about barrel damage. I plan to only use them in my fun gun any way.

Apiarian · June 4, 2013, 02:58 PM

I don't see why they would cause barrel damage. If they are the right size and of accepted materials they shouldn't damage the barrel.

schmellba99 · June 4, 2013, 03:46 PM

Unless you royally screwed up pulling them with the collet puller, shoot away and don't think twice.

You really have to work hard to screw up a projectile to the point shooting it is not advisable. Even a few marks from a collet puller aren't that big of a deal - especially since the marks are cosmetic the vast majority of the time and don't even happen on a portion of the pill that comes into contact with the lands.

If you really crank down on the collet, you may distort the front end of the bullet slightly and lose some degree of accuracy, but you'd have to work very hard to do that.

May 31, 2013, 09:35 AM	#1
mjes92 Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2013 Location: Land of 10,000 taxes Posts: 211	Pulled .224 bullets I dismantled a few hundred .223 bad reloads a friend bought off of craigs list. (Idiot) Case necks cracked when chambering a round. You could physically grab the bullet with thumb and finger and crack the case neck and remove the bullet on about half of them. The ones that didn't crack were dismantled with a RCBS collet puller. One in ten bullets show slight lines from the collet. The question is "Would you reuse the bullets?" __________________ Dad !!! "It's only going to be perfect if you do it yourself." - my teenage daughter Dad !!! "I'm not scared" My Cancer fighting daughter." Cancer Sucks NRA - Life Member

May 31, 2013, 09:46 AM	#2
Jimro Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2006 Posts: 7,097	If they all weighed roughly the same? Yes. Jimro __________________ Machine guns are awesome until you have to carry one.

May 31, 2013, 07:42 PM	#4
farnorthdan Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2007 Posts: 371	Absolutely __________________ Believe NONE of what you hear; HALF of what you see and ALL you believe Accuracy is king,penatration is queen but why not jack'em in the process if you can.

May 31, 2013, 07:50 PM	#5
arizona98tj Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 980	Sounds like good practice/training/plinking bullets to me. __________________ stu-offroad.com Largest Jeep TJ project site on the web! (now with guns)

May 31, 2013, 08:07 PM	#6
NWPilgrim Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,346	Pulled .224 bullets Yes, they are fine for plinking and not that bad especially under 200 yds. I've shot some mangled commercial demil 62 Ss109 bullets that gave 2 mOA for loads that are 1 MOA with new bullets. Bullets I collet pull are only a little less accurate than new because some get a little dented although most come out hardly scratched.

May 31, 2013, 03:40 PM	#3
TheBear Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2011 Posts: 303	If they look ok and there are no marks on them from pulling, reuse them, maybe not for competition or hunting but for plinking or training.

June 4, 2013, 10:12 AM	#7
mjes92 Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2013 Location: Land of 10,000 taxes Posts: 211	Thanks guys. No one sems to have any concerns about barrel damage. I plan to only use them in my fun gun any way. __________________ Dad !!! "It's only going to be perfect if you do it yourself." - my teenage daughter Dad !!! "I'm not scared" My Cancer fighting daughter." Cancer Sucks NRA - Life Member

June 4, 2013, 02:58 PM	#8
Apiarian Junior Member Join Date: June 3, 2013 Location: Terre Haute, Indiana Posts: 5	Pulled .224 bullets I don't see why they would cause barrel damage. If they are the right size and of accepted materials they shouldn't damage the barrel.

June 4, 2013, 03:46 PM	#9
schmellba99 Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2008 Posts: 803	Unless you royally screwed up pulling them with the collet puller, shoot away and don't think twice. You really have to work hard to screw up a projectile to the point shooting it is not advisable. Even a few marks from a collet puller aren't that big of a deal - especially since the marks are cosmetic the vast majority of the time and don't even happen on a portion of the pill that comes into contact with the lands. If you really crank down on the collet, you may distort the front end of the bullet slightly and lose some degree of accuracy, but you'd have to work very hard to do that.