Bullet pulling?

[wisconsinteacher]

I have a few bullets to pull and was wondering what I should do with the case that is primed? I only have a hammer style puller. Will the neck tension be weak after pulling the bullet?

 

[Guest]

It will likely be weak. The easy solution is to pull the expander up so that the depriming pin is not making contact with the primer. Or, you can remove the pin altogether if you like (though in some dies that's harder than just adjusting up).

When you have an extra $20 or so, grab a Hornady collet style bullet puller (cam-lock version) and the correct inserts (caliber specific) and you can pull much more cleanly. You'll still need to resize the neck, but it won't be as messy a process overall.

 

[Horsethief]

Ditto to Dubyam's comments.

 

[bullet]

If you don't do what dubyam suggested and you are wondering about the neck tension. Size it again, you will loose your primer but it will not stretch the case much if at all if you lube the inside of the neck before you re-size them.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Or use a carbide ball sizer button as I have done with all calibers that I could buy one for. Brass hoop tension is pretty high in case necks and if the sizer button is the same diameter one which is used to originally size the neck of the case, not much will change actually but cases with bullets removed probably do not need resizing.

Because of elastic, hoop tension molecular memory, when the hoop tension is released by the bullet being extracted, the case neck will actually return very nearly to its original, undersized diameter, as sized by the sizer button. I have fired inertailly extracted cases just by seating new bullets in them and they shot into the same group at 100 yards as other rounds with originally seated bullets. That is as long as there was no electolytic corrosion sticktion present. However I would not use these reseated cases and bullets for a benchrest competition!

 

[Guest]

I've had the opposite experience to yours, Charlie. I've pulled bullets and been able to hand-insert a bullet back into the neck, or spin the bullet in the neck. In one case I am sure it was an annealing issue, but in others I've been using virgin brass and can clearly see the heat marks from annealing. I'd always err to the side of resizing. If you do it carefully, you shouldn't have any issue with the primers (either from the pin if you move or remove it) or from the lube. Resizing is an easy fix. I've done it many times.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

Thanks guys, I had 5 to pull so I did it and resized them. I did pop the primer out and got rid of them. I used a lot of care and protection when doing so.

 

[barthowes]

couldn't you just rolaod it as is a use a Lee factory crimp die to set neck tension. I've done it this way and never (dangerous word to use) had a problem

 

[PJGunner]

I've had to pull a few bullets over the years. I just used my old Lyman 310 tong tool to resize the necks. For cartridges where I don't have 310 dies, I have a neck sizing die and just pull the decapping pin. I do use a universal decapping die when working with brass that has been fired. I decap and throw them into the tumbler. :wink:
Paul B.