After some extensive trial and error, then some dodging and now bankruptcy by an ammunition company, I'm stuck with a sizable amount of ammo that is overpressure.

I'm thinking of breaking the ammo down, dumping the powder, and selling the remaining components.

I do have a relative that is a reloader who may be willing to reload it, if I will buy the dies.

What's the best way/tool?

300 BLK if that matters.

I have used the RCBS brand collet style bullet puller - it clamps around the portion of the bullet's bearing surface that is above the case neck. With a little practice the bullet & case are pulled apart with no damage. I use it with a single stage press and shell holder. Each collet is sized for a specific diameter of bullet.

I've used the Hornady Cam-Lock Bullet Puller for .223 rounds. After a bit of adjusting, the tension is just enough to pull bullets without marring them. Haven't subjected mine to the volume it sounds like you'll be doing, though.

Note that you would need a .30 caliber collett as well.

A bullet puller that works in the press as mentioned above. You don't want to pull those with an impact puller. I have an RCBS, I can probably pull one every 10-15 seconds taking my time. Anything else is just too time consuming.

Two years ago I fired a double load. I pulled some 430 round of 9mm.

I tried three types of bullet pullers, Impact, Grip-N-Pull, and the Hornady Cam-Lock Bullet Puller. Here's how they fared:

Impact: They all look the same to me. A basic hammer shape, one end unscrews, and a holder for the round. Stick the round in, screw it shut and hammer. I have to admit it's a satisfying way to relieve stress. The issues with this are that you end up with the case, bullet and powder all in a pile. Then there's the process. It's just not fast. Need to do a couple? No problem. A couple of hundred? Ouch.

Grip-N-Pull: this reminds me of the electrician's tool that looks like a pair of pliers. In the handle of the pliers are holes to strip various gauges of wire. It works by using a single stage press. You raise the piston holding the round the top of the press, (where you normally have a die) place the tool over the bullet, squeeze, then lower the round. The top of the press gives a strong surface to help pull the bullet. The videos make it look easy. The issues? Quite a few. First, the video I watched shows rifle rounds, not pistol. You can't raise a pistol round to get it past the top of the press. The Grip-N-Pull has a piece of pipe for pistol rounds. You fit the pipe over the round on the press. Then raise the round to the the top of the pipe, then use the tool to pull the bullet. It has about as many steps a the impact hammer. Finally the tool is one piece of metal. Gloves are required as well as a good deal of strength to make this work.

Hornady Cam-Lock Bullet Puller: this took the most time to set up. Hornady never seems to be clear in their manuals. My impression is that the author is very familiar with the product and doesn't take into account klutzes like myself. Here videos are the best help. Even so, again the examples were rifle rounds. While they say "adjust level with the bottom" I ended up pulling the guts and using a flashlight to look into the tool at the round and get the right adjustment. Other than the instruction issue, one thing that threw me off was a review that complained about the handle. The tool works by raising the piston until the round enters the tool. You then lower the lever, lower the piston, and pulling the bullet. Part of the adjustment has you using the handle to tighten onto the bullet. This may be where the complaint comes from. If you go overboard and force things, the handle could break. However Once adjusted, you start with the handle straight up, raise the piston, lower the handle, then lower the piston. There's really not a lot of pressure required. I found this was the best way to pull a large number of rounds. When I warmed up, I found it would take 20 some minutes to pull 100 rounds. That includes sorting the parts and recovering the powder.

I've done several hundred pulls when I screwed up my practice ammo. I used the little R CBS inertia puller. Horrendously slow. Unscrew cartridge holder, insert cartridge, screw back together, smack on hard surface several times, unscrew cartridge holder, empty powder and bullet, insert new cartridge, and repeat. There is no fast way. I am currently sitting on several hundred 44mag. They look good, but I don't know what the load is. I am not going to take any chances shooting it in one of my guns. And he'll no, I'm not going to pull them for components.

My guess is the commercial pullers pay a neighborhood kid by the piece. Like 1 or 2 cents per bullet.

Thanks for the replies.


As I don't have a single stage press, I may try the impact/hammer style...at least for the time being.

I have 600 rounds, about evenly split between SMKs and Hornady SSTs. If it were just plain FMJ, I wouldn't bother with it...but I think there's a little value in components and potentially, enough value to justify reloading with a load developed for these components.

Be advised that the inertia pullers work way better when you have something really hard to strike against, like a big, solid piece of steel (anvil!), or concrete. They will not work at all if you are trying to hit wood or something softer than steel.

I have a Hornady single stage press that has a flat place just behind the die that is a perfect place for whacking an inertia puller.

Hornady here too.

quote:

Not a Reloader

So if you ever become one ~ we have a reloading section here on the SF:

https://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/840601935

quote:

Originally posted by sjames:
Thanks for the replies.


As I don't have a single stage press, I may try the impact/hammer style...at least for the time being.

I have 600 rounds, about evenly split between SMKs and Hornady SSTs. If it were just plain FMJ, I wouldn't bother with it...but I think there's a little value in components and potentially, enough value to justify reloading with a load developed for these components.

that's a lot of rounds to be banging against a concrete floor, you're going to need a new shoulder. sometimes it takes three or 4 wacks to get them apart.

If they're not roll crimped into a cannelure, I think they're probably pull pretty easy. It will still be slow going, tedious work, but if you pick away at it a dozen a night...

Remember, don't use it like a hammer like you're driving a nail in with one swing. You want to make it bounce, two or three whacks per swing. "Whack whack", all in the wrist.


When I worked at the range people gave me "bad ammo" all the time that I'd often break down. IMO, the pulling isn't the hard / PITA part, it's the taking it apart and dumping it, reassembling it once it pulls.

my best results with impact puller, is to recognize the importance of the various size collets IN the puller, and use that one enough to recognize which one works best; also there is an upside down for the collet that affects the effectiveness of holding the CASE; rimless cases are PIA more than rimmed.

Lead seems easier to disassemble to me;

and certainly use such as anvil or short piece of rail road rail for best rebound, as this impact tool works better with steel that sings when struck;

To ease the clump of components you dump out, I've arrived at what works best for *ME*:

assuming Rt hand strike, unscrew with L hand and dump entire contents by rotating forearm to the right, to a round bottomed smallish brass bowl such as a cheap imported brass ashtray;

rotate forearm back to left: (keep Rt elbow supported on bench) and insert the collet most effective side up; add cartridge, rescrew cap and sharply rap impact hammer a few times on steel rail.

After a while it will take only a whack or 2 to judge the amount of force needed.

Keep the adding to the small bowl until you have 10 cartridges with power & boolit in the bowl.

Lay hammer down, pick out the boolits with a comfortable long nose plier, and put them in their own box. Weigh the 10 charges to determine average charge weight and confirm identity of powder IF YOU CAN. Otherwise be satisfied with knowing the charge weight. Compare every now & then to single charges & multiple of 5 or 10 just to gain perspective on the load error characteristics you encounter.

If the boolits are damaged you can have them recast, or save for your scrap metal container.
Jacketed/plated boolits can be damaged/unusable. Often cast lead can be reused for practice rounds. The powder can be spread in the driveway or lawn about you place somewhere, or put in can & given to fire department for disposal.

Hope this helps. How did I get this method so well developed? Oh....a 'friend'.....*kaff*kaff* used to make some stooopid mistakes....*kaff*.....

good luck
600 rounds? yer gonna be sick of tearing 'em down but at 100/session it goes pretty quickly.