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Pulling bullets

Clndesl

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2011
Messages
127
Hello all, if I pulled the bullets from some loaded rounds do you think I have to run the brass through the resizing die again. The reason I'm asking is because my sizing die is at Reading right now and I need to get some more rounds for a hunting trip next week. I have some rounds that are loaded up from load development and I was wounded ing if I just used the hammer puller and pulled the bullet, loaded them back up with my load and re seated a bullet. I hope this will work because I really wanna shoot my 338 edge on this elk hunt. If it won't work I guess I'll have to shoot my 6.5x284. Please help me out here.
 
With the hammer pull, doesn't all your powder come out, too? If so, you might as well run them back through the sizing die just to be positive you are getting concentric neck-tension.

At the very minimum neck-size them.

Also, you should look into a collet puller that mounts into your press. They work alot better than the hammer pullers.
 
Yeah the powder will all come out. I'm not worried about that because I have plenty of powder. I would run them through the die but I don't have it. I got a stuck case in my sizing die and had to send it back to redding. I know it isn't the ideal way to do things but I just want to know if it will work so I can load a couple rounds, confirm my dope and take it on an elk hunt.
 
I guess. The neck-tension most likely won't be concentric, but it would work, I suppose. I wouldn't see why not. You might lose some velocity with the looser necks, so I could check your sight-in first.
 
Measure the loaded neck diameter. Pull the bullet. Measure the neck at opposing locations (90 deg). If you have 0.003" or more difference than the loaded dimension, you'll probably have enough tension.

At this point you could seat a bullet back in, part way, without powder, put the bullet against workbench and push some, to check if there's enough tension. If you can't move it easily, you're probably okay.

Don't forget the case is empty. Pull the bullet.
 
You should not need to neck size your brass after pulling bullets if you use a camlock bullet puller such as the Hornady one instead of using a kinetic puller, and then use the Lee Factory Crimp Die after seating the next bullet. You can totally control the amount of crimp with the Lee FCD. Also, the camlock pullers used in your press saves all your powder with no spillage and it's much faster than kinetic pullers.

I just salvaged 73 rounds of Norma brass loaded with Nosler Partition bullets this morning and by using the Hornady camlock puller it was all over in no time with zero spilled powder. I'll save the Partitions for later, but seated Sierra 140 Gamekings in order to use up the charges of W760 powder. I'll use them at a prairie dog town in order to break-in my new 7x57mm Mauser a bit more. W760 is too temp sensitive for Montana, where temps can go from near summer to near zero in the fall hunting season. Will reload with H4350.

As long as you feel definite tension when loading the next bullet, you are good to go after using the Lee FCD. The whole idea of the Lee FCD is to stabilize your bullet against unwanted movement in handling and impart a consistent backpressure for uniform powder ignition. If you have a long throated rifle like a classic 7x57 Mauser or 6.5x55 Swede and use light bullets but want to be within reasonable distance of the lands, you will have little case neck purchase on your bullet. Using the Lee FCD gets you a decent grip on the bullet that eliminates bullet shift during handling.
 
Well I'm going to need to figure something else out. I just went out to pull the bullets but I quickly figured out my kinetic bullet puller does not fit the large 338 case. Does anyone have any suggestions that will get me going by the end of the week. Thanks for all your help guys.
 
if all else fails and you have plenty of bullets you could use vise grips. take the die out run the round up thru the press. grip the bullet with the vise grips and pull the case back down...going to ruin the bullets tho
 
I was just thinking that same thing with the vise grips. I'm going to try it. I have plenty of bullets.
 
time for a press mounted puller. The hammer types are great for pistol but, for rifle you cant beat a press mounted one. Many brands out there, hornady, rcbs, forster, ect. I use forster . All work extremely well and if used right are mess free.
 
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