Pulling Bullets or Set Too Deep

Grizhicks · September 15, 2011, 06:33:50 AM

Morning to All -- Still new to the BP game and was loading my 2nd batch of cartridges last night and got several (5 or 6) bullets too deep in the shell. Was going to use the 'hammer style' bullet puller, but it said not to use with blackpowder. They are from 1/16" to 3/16", and am worried they may mess up feeding (in '66 Winchester). Is there another way to pull them? or can I load them first (shoot last), so I don't have to wory about the length?

Thanks, in advance, for your help.... Grizhicks

PS: the loads are: 35 grs FFFg (2.2 cc) and 250 gr RNFP bullets

john boy · September 15, 2011, 09:51:37 AM

Put them in your revolver if they are the same caliber. Otherwise, use a kinetic puller to move the bullet out of the case further. The hammer style puller is going to bugger up the bullet and may not be able to be remove

Driftwood Johnson · September 15, 2011, 12:37:25 PM

Howdy

Maybe a dumb question. What is the difference between a kinetic bullet puller and a 'hammer style' bullet puller.

My RCBS bullet puller sure looks like a hammer. I have used it for years pulling out bullets from Black Powder loads when they somehow got through the loading process without a primer. Yeah, I know, I should check for primers, but loading on my progressive press sometimes a primer fails to feed and I don't catch it until I'm ready to pack up my loads. Rather than try to prime a cartridge already loaded with powder and bullet, I remove the bullet with the RCBS puller. The powder all dumps out at the same time. I prime the case, then recharge it with powder, then seat and crimp my bullet after first wiping off any powder that got into the lube groove.

Been doing it for quite a number of years now, was not aware if I was not supposed to.

Cookie · September 15, 2011, 01:17:10 PM

Quote from: Driftwood Johnson on September 15, 2011, 12:37:25 PM
Howdy

Maybe a dumb question. What is the difference between a kinetic bullet puller and a 'hammer style' bullet puller.

I guess I'm dumb too because I have the exact same question...

Also I've never heard you're not supposed to use a bullet puller with BP loads. That's new to me. $:-\$

And personally I'm not too concerned about the puller messing up the bullet. If that happens they just go back into the lead pot.

rickk · September 15, 2011, 02:02:28 PM

Grizhicks,

To answer your question, there is a collet style puller (RCBS) that fits in a press, grabs the bullet, and then you lower the ram it pulls the case out from the bullet.

I have one, I have used it, and it does work. It is great on jacketed bullets. On lead bullets it tends to mar the bullets a bit.

It trades hands for about $15 bucks... not sure if it would justify the $$ getting one for 5-6 bullets.

Why not just single load them and shoot them off?

Rick

Grizhicks · September 15, 2011, 05:11:03 PM

Okay, I went ahead and used the 'hammer style/kinetic' puller, without any problems..... But, now the powder is compacted in the shells (yes, were deep). Do I try and dig it out? or just shoot them like blanks. Has to be the rifle, pistols are C&B. -- Grizhicks

Four Eyes Henry · September 15, 2011, 05:41:36 PM

Why not just single load them and shoot them off?

That's what I do......

wildman1 · September 15, 2011, 07:58:02 PM

Ya can use a toothpick and loosen the powder or just add a little more powder then seat the bullet. WM

Pettifogger · September 15, 2011, 09:01:16 PM

If its only four or five cases and its causing so much pain and strain just throw them out. If you were using real BP and not a sub, I would have just shot them out. Even with the bullet pulled you can still just put them in a gun and shoot them.

Springfield Slim · September 15, 2011, 09:17:18 PM

Just dig out the powder. If it is REAL hard then you have to much in there anyway.

w44wcf · September 16, 2011, 08:01:20 AM

If you put them back in your puller several more sharp raps and the powder should come out.
That has worked for me.

w44wcf

rickk · September 16, 2011, 10:22:54 AM

Rest the upside down case against the stud that holds the cover onto a vibratory case cleaner and it will come out.

Mako · September 16, 2011, 01:17:43 PM

Quote from: w44wcf on September 16, 2011, 08:01:20 AM
If you put them back in your puller several more sharp raps and the powder should come out.
That has worked for me.

w44wcf

+1
I'm glad I read to the bottom of the page, because that's what I was going to suggest.

Quote from: Springfield Slim on September 15, 2011, 09:17:18 PM
... If it is REAL hard then you have to much in there anyway.

Slim,
With my .44 Russian and .38 spl. loads I cram as much in as I can to get a seal and a decent boom. I agree with you on the other calibers, I just fill the case with some compression.

I have had to disassemble a few .38 spl. rounds where the primers actually were inserted inverted. On those rounds the powder was packed hard at the top and with a couple of raps in a kinetic puller the hard packed "wad" at the top of the column broke loose and it all spilled out.

The interesting thing is that the powder seems to be compressed more at the top where it meets the bullet base than at the base of the shell. I described it as a hard plug and that's my experience though it is limited to probably less than 10 rounds overall.

Regards,
Mako

wildman1 · September 16, 2011, 07:46:15 PM

If ya vibrate or tap the cases BEFORE ya seat the bullet Mako ya will also have compacted powder at the base of the case. WM

Driftwood Johnson · September 17, 2011, 01:47:25 AM

QuoteI have had to disassemble a few .38 spl. rounds where the primers actually were inserted inverted. On those rounds the powder was packed hard at the top and with a couple of raps in a kinetic puller the hard packed "wad" at the top of the column broke loose and it all spilled out.

The interesting thing is that the powder seems to be compressed more at the top where it meets the bullet base than at the base of the shell. I described it as a hard plug and that's my experience though it is limited to probably less than 10 rounds overall.

Howdy Again

I have experienced the same thing when picking apart loads that had a lot of compression in them. After poking out the top 1/8" or so of powder that was caked in place, the rest poured right out. Don't remember specifically now, probably 44-40 or 45 Colt. It seems natural to me that the powder would pack this way. Friction would compress the load from the top down. Once the space between grains had been lessened by mashing the top grains together, all the compression had been used up and the rest of the powder was basically uncompressed.

Steel Horse Bailey · September 21, 2011, 10:42:37 AM

Swamp Mouse's suggestion about using a cotton ball in the "container" section of the hammer (or properly called, kinetic puller) has merit. I have been using a 3/4" or so bit of closed-cell (very dense) foam to cushion the nose after impact of lead bullets and other soft pointed bullet types.

Closed cell foam can be found many places these days. I got mine from a friend in the HVAC (Heating & Air Conditioning) business, where it is used as insulation on copper tubing and other things. It's been working for me for several decades. But the bullet nose STILL gets buggered up sometimes.

Undoubtedly, the company lawyers made the manufacturer put in the bit about not using it with BP. They tend to take a tiny bit of truth from an extremely rare occurrence and then blow it waaaaaaaaay out of proportion. It keeps the lawsuits at bay.

But I'm not a barrister.