First, do I need one? I tend to think I do.

Second, should I get a kinetic hammer type, or the kind that screws into the press, like the RCBS model?

The Hornady that screw into your press. There is a lever on top that squeezes the collet onto the bullet. It is very fast, and you can reuse the bullet, no sweat.
JCN
You only need one if you reload.

CrazyQuick
I use a kinetic type and am completely satisfied.
Mine is a Frankford Arsenal and has held up well.
It's lighter and cheezier than the RCBS but also cheaper.
The largest caliber I reload is 30-06, so I don't have any experience with it's effectiveness on larger cartridges.
Of course being a Master Reloader , I don't use it much.
Seriously, I've probably put 300 or so rounds thru it and it still in excellent shape.
JMO, I'm sure there are some collet fans out there.

Covey16

When that little spring loaded collet head holder in the kinetic puller craps out you can use a case holder from your press. Works slicker than greased cat snot.
JCN

The FA puller uses O rings. Never had one fail,if it ever does ,they're cheap.
Pulled quite a bit of crimped 5.56 ,worked great for me.
Had a collet type many years ago,marred bullets too much for me, so i got the kinetic .
The collet is much faster.

Covey16

JCN
Forgot to thank you for the tip on the case holder.
I'll see if it works in the FA puller.
Should be faster than the original setup.

thanks
Covey16

My pleasure,
I read about that technique in one of the "Road Hunter & Gutshooter" glossy mags, and could only say, "Duh, why didn't I think of that ten years ago?"
JCN
PS The new Rifle Shooter magazine ain't too bad. I really like Wayne Van Zoll. Pretty thoughtful guy.

I don't think there is much to choose between the kinetic pullers. I have several and all work about the same. I generally use a press shellholder as above.
If the bullet has an ogive that begins at the case mouth, or a flush seated wadcutter, the kinetics are the only way to go. Very light bullets are usually easier with a collet type if you can get a grip on the bullet.
Eventually you will have both, but the kinetic is more versatile until you come to large bodied cartridges.
Cheers from Darkest California,
Ross

I have three bullet pullers. The first one is the kinetic type. It is great when you are pulling 1 to 5 bullets or so. When you need to pull most of a box or two, go the press mounted kind, such as the RCBS one or the Hornady one.

Of the two, the Hornady one is by far the better. They even make a cam lock adapter for the RCBS unit. I got the RCBS unit first, pulled bullets from nearly 700 factory rounds with corrosive primers and it worked just fine, but it isn't as fast as the Hornady one. So, I sold it and bought the Hornady unit.

If you haven't had a need for it, don't buy one just to be buying one, unless it is on a smoking good sale. When I first needed one, Dad and I cut a small hex nut in half and used that for 3 bullets. Worked real slick!

RobertD

The quickest one on the market is the Forester Bonanza "Super-Fast" Bullet Puller.
It works just by operating the handle on your press, case goes up and bullets is pulled out.
The downside is that it will leave marks in your bullets.
Other than that, most press mounted pullers are about the same.

-Spencer

Hornady's Cam-Lock bullet puller is installed on the press like I die. You use the press to bring the bullet into the Cam-Lock puller, then you use the lever on the puller to pull the bullet out. The powder stays in the case. Cabela's and others sell the Cam-Lock, but you will have to order the right collet for the bullet caliber you plan to pull.

Another vote for the Hornady Puller. You can buy inserts to whatever you're loading. But the best part is that you can easily adjust how much squeeze you put on the bullet by how far your turn the red handle, which I've found makes it much easier to pull without marking the bullet. (maybe other press-mounted do that too, but I have not used those).

It's a good investment. I've pulled a few where I couldn't be sure I had paid enough attention while loading to check on myself. Sure enough, I'd F'd up, but all I had to was re-pour the powder and stick the bullet back in.

My bullet puller is a horshoe nail clipper. I just use a press with no die, raise the ram and grab the bullet with it. Ive never needed one enough to justify anything more. It naturally marks the bullets too, but I just use them for fun shootin or toss um in the can if they look too bad.

i use a midway kinetic type bullet puller....... if a guy puts some cloth in the end that catches the bullet you get an almost perfect bullet to reuse..............

Tasco74: A 'slip on' type pencil eraser (the kind you use when the original pencil eraser is used up) fits in the bottom of my kinetic bullet puller and works great.

I have midways bullet hammer,just smack it on the basement floor and the bullet comes apart.

THANKS FOR THE TIP SHOOTSHELL!! AND THATS THE SAME WAY I USE MY BULLET PULLER (JUST SMACK IT ON THE BASEMENT FLOOR)......

My three German Shorthair Pointers keep me supplied with the ungreased cat snot. They stay in trim between bird hunting seasons by hunting cats (God bless them for that). They usually grab the cat across the middle of its back and whip the poor little feline back and forth with great vigor. About the time that the spine becomes disarticulated all snot exits the nose at high velocity. I collect it off of the side of the house.
It turns out that one end of the snot molecule is lipophilic, so I just dump it in a pail of lithium grease that I keep for this purpose. I stir the snot around for a few seconds until all the available binding sights are occupied by the grease molecules. I take the snot/grease amalgam out and rub it into some Sinclair brand cleaning patches. The resultant product is quite amazing. It cleans and protects bores, shines gunstocks, and when applied to a box of GS bullets eases their movement through the world's postal systems.

I too use the Midway puller but I use a shell holder in place of the collet. It works slicker than boiled okra on a toilet seat

I use an RCBS collet puller. There have been instances where the impact of a collet puller causes the primer to ignite no thanks.

Most times no marks are left on the bullets, but if they are really well seated, you'll have to crank the collet down to the point that it marks the bullets.

If you don't care about saving the bullets, a pair of visegrips on top of the press works well. Perfect for cast bullets, pull em then throw em in the pot to melt down. If a few specs of powder get stuck on the bullet, you'll have have a 4th of July display in the furnace

If you're going to be pulling a lot of bullets, might as well get the best. Here's mine, made by M&M Engineering. It is adjustable to pull bullets from .221 through .50 BMG. 100% satisfaction.



Perfection in utility.

L.W.

Greased Cat Snot (GCS) is great for arthritis, but must be injected directly into the joint.
Stains just slide off toilet bowls and oven wall, but only if you pre-treat with the GCS.
I don't know about the moles. My dogs kill them very quickly already, so I haven't needed to apply GCS to the lawn.
It does increase virility, but only if taken internally. If you apply it externally things get so slick that there is not enough traction to clue your nerve endings into the fact that something good is going on.
My hair is gray, but it is shiny, and I still have most of it thanks to GCS.
No new zits, but it has not filled in the old pits.
We had Marlon Brando signed up to do the infomercial, but he applied too much of the GCS and slid out of this world and into the next.
BTW we approached the Army with a proposal to use GCS as a barrel lubricant for the 120mm main gun on the Abrams tank. Unfortunately it was too slick and the rounds were falling short of target. As with all revolutionary new technologies GCS must be applied judiciously and appropriately.
JCN
PS Our local fire and rescue unit now takes GCS on every call. Last week they had an overweight elderly lady stuck in a bathtub. They greased her hips with GCS and chummed her out with a Hostess Twinkie.

I have the RCBS hammer type. I am always scared I am going to break it whacking it on the cement like that. But is has worked fine for me the few times I have used it. Does mar the end of the bullet. I don't reuse the bullets and use a Sinclair Comparator when I use the bullet in my Stoney Pointe Cartridge Length tool which is why I am usually pulling the bullet in the first place. I like to know how close the commercial bullets that I so rarely shoot are to the rifling. Slim

For pulling more than one or two, I prefer the press type, either the Hornady or RCBS flavors.