Collet or impact bullet puller

[gunlaw]

I have a quantity of 10mm ammo of unknown origin. I would like to salvage the bullets and brass. Collet or impact puller. It’s about 250 rounds.

 

[Duster340]

I really like a collet puller. Use a RCBS unit for my 40 SW, 44 mag, 303.

 

[FROGO207]

IF the collet will grip the bullet enough to pull it this is my preferred method. The hammer type is used with those I can't grip, like 45 ACP 200 gr SWC. I have never needed to pull a 40 CAL or 10MM bullet yet, have no collet, so I am no help there.

 

[Englishmn]

If enough bullet sticks out collet puller any day.
If bullet too short to grip it's hammer time.
Hope they are long enough.

 

[rg1]

Collet pullers are best IF there is enough of the straight side of the bullet to grip. Best thing is the powder stays in the case for easy dumping. My impact pullers all sprinkle powder out on the floor or bench. The impact puller is fast and does a good job on heavy pistol bullets. Where they don't do so well is with light rifle bullets like in .223 caliber. The higher weight of the bullet makes them come out easier. I think you'd be pleased if you had both a collet puller and an impact puller.

 

[gunlaw]

Thanks for the info. My concern was whether or not the collet wound get a grip. I have mostly seen the collet used with rifle ammo.

 

[Englishmn]

Post a pic of rounds and we can tell you if a collet will work or not.

 

[MikeInOr]

The impact puller is best when there are a quick half dozen rounds you need to dissemble. For 250 rounds the collet puller will be much faster. It takes a few minutes to setup a collet puller and get it dialed in, you can pull a few bullets with an impact puller in the time it takes to setup the collet puller. Once the collet puller is set up and dialed in it is much quicker than an impact puller.

I like the Hornady collet puller. The top handle is quicker than the RCBS screw handle bullet puller. BUT most local sporting goods stores carry the RCBS puller collets for different calibers... and I have never seen the Hornady collets locally.

Like everyone else said above the collet pullers only work if the bullet ins't so deep in the brass that the collet can get a good hold of the bullet.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I have mostly seen the collet used with rifle ammo.

I've only used my collet on pistol ammo ...mostly 9mm and .38Spl

10mm ammo, with it's taper crimp, should be an easy pull for a good collet...I prefer and recommend the Hornady puller. Had a friend pull 300 rounds in about 20 mins one day. I once had to pull 800 rounds and it ran <10secs per bullet; including pouring powder into bottle, dropping the case into bin , releasing bullet from collet, and dropping bullet into another bin; before inserting another cartridge to start over again.

If your bullet is seated too deeply for the collet to grab, you can start the bullet out with the impact puller...to expose more of the shank of the bullet

 

[redbullitt]

Collet puller all the way if possible... your arm will thank you lol.

 

[someguy2800]

I have pullet that qty of bullets with an impact puller. Expect it to take an hour and half or so and a sore arm. Nice thing about impact pullers is they will work on virtually any caliber in the future without having to buy a whole bunch of collets. I use mine all the time.

 

[Toprudder]

The problem with a lot of 40/10mm bullets is the profile - a lot of them are truncated cones with very little exposed bullet for the collet to grab. If they are FMJ or JHP, you might be able to do it with a collet puller, but my experience with plated or cast bullets is that you will have to use a kinetic puller, the collet will likely damage those.

If your bullet is seated too deeply for the collet to grab, you can start the bullet out with the impact puller...to expose more of the shank of the bullet

I've done that as well. Doesn't really save time, but way fewer whacks and an easier time not having to sift the bullets out of the powder. I made a short dowel to put in the kinetic puller to make sure the bullet did not make it all the way out.

 

[rfwobbly]

Or, you could use a kinetic bullet pulling hammer,
but then you'd simply end up looking like this....




.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I made a short dowel to put in the kinetic puller to make sure the bullet did not make it all the way out.

That's pretty clever... and would make it go much smoother when pulling a large quantity of bullets

a lot of them are truncated cones with very little exposed bullet for the collet to grab...

my experience with plated or cast bullets is that you will have to use a kinetic puller, the collet will likely damage those.

The 9mm pulled were 124gr FN loaded to about 1.1", the .38Spl were Xtreme 158gr FN...both truncated cones.

The Hornady pulled both without damage to the bullets

 

[mdi]

I never had any luck with a collet puller (RCBS),. It never worked with cast bullets and often would damage jacketed bullets because it had to be tight enough to grip the bullet, often squeezing/marring the jacket. I have never damaged a bullet when using an inertia puller but it does have it's down sides; it can be messy with loose powder spilling when pouring out the bullet and powder, and yep, it can be tiresome.

Hint; there's only one way to eat an elephant, that's one bite at a time! I have pulled as many as 200, 30-06 rounds and there's no way I would try and do that all at one time, so, "one bite at a time". I would pound out anywhere from 10 to 40-50 rounds depending what I was comfortable doing at the time, over several sessions. No sweating, no tired arms, no ringing ears (I found that if I use a lead ingot as an anvil the puller works just as well and is much quieter)....

 

[9mmepiphany]

I never had any luck with a collet puller (RCBS),. I never worked with cast bullets and often would damage jacketed bullets because it had to be tight enough to grip the bullet, often squeezing/marring the jacket.

One of the oft neglected advantages of the Hornady puller is it's ability to avoid the above situation.

You adjust the jaws of the collet, with the lever up (off), over the bullet by screwing in the die body. You apply additional pressure by lowering the lever. You only need to apply enough pressure to grip the bullet. There is a separate adjustment to lock this point in if you lack the "feel" to stop at the "grip point." When you lift the lever to release the bullet, you don't lose the previously set grip point because you aren't screwing the whole thing out...as you would with a RCBS puller.

The whole process is:
1. insert cartridge
2. raise ram
3. lower lever
4. lower ram
5. remove case, dump powder, drop case
6. raise lever to allow bullet to fall into your other hand

 

[farmerboy78]

grip n pull

 

[Englishmn]

Rcbs works same as hornady once set up only it's a 1/4 turn sideways instead of 1/4 turn vertical.

 

[Nature Boy]

If I have to beat out more than 5 or 6 I risk the wrath of my family..... and if I keep going there's a good chance I'll find my clothes on the front lawn.

 

[gunlaw]

I think I’ll try the grip and pull. I’ll post a review after I use it

 

[farmerboy78]

I think I’ll try the grip and pull. I’ll post a review after I use it

I use it, I did use an impact or inertia puller until I bought the grip n pull... it works well

 

[Iron Sight]

My experience is the collet is best if its compatible with the bullet shape but the inertia style fits
everything.

 

[mdi]

I'm a confirmed tinkerer, and once used padded pliers as a Grip-n-Pull. Worked!

 

[SCC]

The dowel in the kinetic puller trick mentioned earlier is a great idea. Think I'll use that next time I've got something I can't grab with the collet puller.

Here's a couple tricks for the Hornady collet puller:

If you do multiple calibers, you can replace the knurled lock nut with a hex jamb nut and add a set screw to it. The length of the different collets is consistent, so this makes change overs quick and repeatable.

If you have a Dillon 650, you can make a stop that screws into the powder cop hole to limit the upward travel of the shell plate. Make one for each caliber. There are probably ways to do something similar with other presses. Once set up, it makes pulling bullets quick and easy.