Pulling Bullets - Damaging?

Bought about 150 .223 reloads a long while back, price was right and I figured I'd be into reloading sooner or later. The casings look good, will pull a few to see how the primers are. The powder will be trash.
Question - using one of those pullers ruin the projectile? They are FMJ and would like to use them again. What are good puller brands? What is the correct method to pull one, work it loose or just yank it straight out.

If its a kinetic maybe on the tip, If its a press mounted puller...not much

I would not shoot em in a match, but or "hosing" 223 ammo you will never know the diff.

pull em...better f/l resize reload em an shoot em

The kinetic pulled I use does not damage the tip. There is a felt pad in there to catch the bullet. Why is the powder trash? If you know what powder it is, use it. If you don't know, then I would trash it. Or you could use it to start a bonfire or something.

old powder = fertilizer for flower bed

I've "destroyed" many a bullet with a bullet puller...depends on how the bullet is made

Those fmj's will scratch up your teeth when you bite down on them.

I've pulled quite a few with my kinetic hammer puller and reloaded them without issue with the exception of a few that had excessive crimp.

Chuck em up in the vise, tap the primer with a hammer, and catch the bullet when it comes out...wear a welding glove.

Oh yea, have somebody hold your beer while doing this.

Paul

During the 1980's, the US Army Marksmanship unit pulled 173 gr Match .30 bullets with a reloading press and a pair of side cutters. This left 2 dents on each side of the bullets. New 168 gr Sierra MK bullets were reloaded into the primed and charged cases. This was called "Mexican Match". Or club was given 60,000 of these pulled bullets. We reloaded them in M1 and M1-A rifles. The accuracy level was equal to new match 173 gr bullets up to 300 yards. At 600 yards it would have taken a Master shooter to tell the difference in the performance of the pulled bullets VS the new bullets.

The bullet puller I use is the RCBS in the press version. If operated properly, it does little damage to the bullet.

By the way, I still have 500 of the new M73 LC .30 Match bullets in my shop.

At that time the DCM gave us 10,000 Lapua .309" D46 step boat tailed match bullets. The US Army bought a large supply of bullets from Lapua because they are FMJ and suitable for Combat. Later, the Hauge Convention decided the Sierra 168 gr MK would not expand and they would allow that bullet for sniper use. Thus we had a large surplus of the Lapua Bullets. They REALLY shoot well in the Moisin Nagant rifles. By the way you pronounce Lapua "La'pwa" not "La'pooa". Lapua used to be called Valtion Patrunna Tehdas or State Cartridge Factory.

Doug

Sidroski,

The press bullet buller I was speaking off is this one..its a collet type...and depending on the degree of crimp it aint too bad.....smk's are ez

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productnumber=680804

If you use this...all bets are off...again depending on the type of bullet....

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=630146

If you have plastic tipped bullets like Nosler Ballistic tips or AMAX's then the tips may break on you...again...they shoot fine for most folks...just depends on how picky you are

Put all the powder in a jar and stick a match in it. Then at 200 yards shoot the match to light it and wait for the flash.

everyone's a comedian all of the sudden....

Thanks for the input and the links ('Neck). Yeah, I'll find some use for the powder since it is unknown. May can fix up some exploding golf balls out of my mortar. Just have to rig up a fuse using one rocket engine ignitor for the black powder and a second running to the golf ball fuse. I like those electric fired engines, can stand aways away when I'm tinkering. The mortar can withstand well over 100k PSI since it was built on a lathe from solid stock. All bets are off when it clears the tube.
Got to grind off some copper, iron, steel and brass for colors. Can't find most of the other stuff.

Joe S. wrote:Put all the powder in a jar and stick a match in it. Then at 200 yards shoot the match to light it and wait for the flash.

Joe, You doing that with your dirty/dirty?

No but I would if I could find a match the size of a basketball. Heh heh