I've been using the same cheap inertia ( hammer type) bullet puller for years to pull loads that I was no longer happy with or that were found undesireable during load tests. Over the years the 3 collets held together by a rubber band have shown some use and have let a few cases slip especially .284 Win's with the rebated rim and some belted Magnums.
I thought about buying a new "puller" and also thought about buying replacement collets but in my infinite quest to "make do" and not throw more money down the hole in the purchse of a new plastic bullet puller I just took my #3 RCBS shell holder out of the press ram ( use whatever size is applicable), slid it over the rim of a cartridge and dropped the thing in the puller body and threaded the cap on it, perfect fit and works better and faster than the old 3 piece "collet" held together with a rubber band thingy.
So far it works perfect every time and I see no potential for failure with this method.
Just thought I'd pass this along even though I know some of you out there have probably done this already I was quite proud of getting myself up and running again.

Hornady at least, probably others, used to sell bullet pullers that had simple C-clips to fit the rims of the cases of various sizes. Worked on the same principle.

I've been using shell holders in my inertia bullet puller for years and haven't had any problems. It works very well and it beats buying a separate collet for the WSMs.

Thanks for sharing your tip as many people haven't heard of it.

What a great idea! Thanks.
Pete

I have been doing the same thing for years and years with my old RCBS inertia bullet puller, works great!

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
I just took my #3 RCBS shell holder out of the press ram ( use whatever size is applicable), slid it over the rim of a cartridge and dropped the thing in the puller body and threaded the cap on it, perfect fit and works better and faster than the old 3 piece "collet" held together with a rubber band thingy.
So far it works perfect every time and I see no potential for failure with this method.
Just thought I'd pass this along even though I know some of you out there have probably done this already I was quite proud of getting myself up and running again.

Wow, what a great idea... Want to market it?

That is a fantastic idea.

LWD

I have used my shellholders before.

Perhaps it is because I use Lee's 11 count assortment pack that may or may not be exactly sized for each application, but I have damaged the rim using them.

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
I just took my #3 RCBS shell holder out of the press ram ( use whatever size is applicable), slid it over the rim of a cartridge and dropped the thing in the puller body and threaded the cap on it

I was impressed with that idea when I read it on August 31st, 2006,:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=218188

But I am still using the little rubber bands collet.