Fellas i have some .303 Savage rounds i would like to pull the bullets from. I want the brass for my own handloads. Anyway to pull bullets without a bullet puller and without damaging the bullets??

I've never been able to remove a bullet without a puller that didn't damage it.

I bought an inertia puller for like $10. If you only have a few to pull than that would be the way to go. In the end you may damage a few tips. I'll be honest, it's not a fun job. I scrapped mine after about 5 rounds.

I replaced it with the Hornady Cam-lock puller and appropriate cams. I've pulled heavy crimped bullets with no damage to the bullets or the brass.

I use pulled bullets or plinking if I bother to use them at all. I'll remove the die from the press and run the cartridge up until the bullet is above the top of the press. Grab the bullet with a pair of diagonal cutters and lower the ram until the cutter rest on top of the press and pulls the bullet out.

If you use an inertial puller, put a foam earplug in the bottom of it and it will protect the bullet tip.

I use a "Blasters Tool"
The fuze cutter will hold the bullet extended above the top of the press and gentle pull will leave the bullet undamaged (most of the time).

Inertia pullers work too. Just have to smack something SOLID, but soft.

How many do you want to do? I have drilled a quarter-inch hole in a 2x4 and inserted the tips of 223Rrem rounds into the hole, then pushed the case to the side just enough to distort the mouth of the case such that the bullet became loose enough to pinch it out with my fingers. So the mouth gets buggered-up a bit. So what? You take the decapping pin out of your RCBS dies and resize as per usual. For a .30-caliber bullet you'd use a 5/16 hole. Simply bend the case to the side just enough to distend the mouth and out drops the bullet...

Dykes, or wire cutters if you will, with the press is a simple easy way, you usually mar the bullets a little bit though....The Hornady cam lock puller is sweet if you can go the 20 or so bucks all in....

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I bought an inertia puller for like $10

I have about 3 of these and disassemble a lot of ammo with them....

usually disassemble ammo after say hunting season..

where I have 14 rounds of this left, 12 of those etc... so I disassemble them, put the components back into stock.. instead of having all this loose ammo around in odd numbers..

as far as it not deforming the bullet tips ( such as lead tips on SP's), I just put a wad of steel wool down in the tube, so the bullet will strike something soft...works just great...

all the other methods damage bullets.. so why bother is my attitude..

for friends who want to use premium bullets and not pay big bucks for them, I have disassembled factory ammo they bought... and replace the Rem Corelokts with say Ballistic Tips or Partitions or Barnes X bullets...

cheapest way to do it if you don't really want to handload all the time...

handloading is as much if not more of a hobby for me than shooting it..

I use two methods similar to the others above.

I use a pair of wire cutters. I open the jaws up as far as possible and lay them across the top of the press opening (which of course, does not have a Die in it). Then run the ram up until the bullet/neck junction are at the height of the cutter. Close the wire cutters (lightly) but with firm pressure and ensure the tips of the wire cuttter jaws are then across the top of the press so there is equal pressure on BOTH sides and lower the ram. Once you've mastered the amount of pressure and depending on how much neck pressure there is on the bullet you can normally get them out with little/some/not too much damage to the bullet. Normally it's simply a slight indetation on each side of the bullet which according to the bullets I've pulled in my life time don't affect accuracy too much (if at all).

The bullet tips and sides (if not too marred or fiddled with) do not affect accuracy anywhere near the degree as the BASES (bottoms) of the bullets.

I've used the two suggestions below plus a wad of cotton in an inertia bullet puller (which is actually for the price; is a pretty useful tool to have). The foam plug works best becasue with the cotton & steel wool you have to sort the powder & bullet outa it.

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If you use an inertial puller, put a foam earplug in the bottom of it and it will protect the bullet tip.

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as far as it not deforming the bullet tips ( such as lead tips on SP's), I just put a wad of steel wool down in the tube

Good Luck.

I use end cutters; they hold the bullet more uniformly than the side cutters. Pad the jaws with leather or something similar. Little or no bullet damage if done carefully. I got mine at Harbor Freight for $5.

If you are patient you can expand the neck by tapping it lightly with a small hammer.
Place the neck on a smoth anvil and turn the case as you tap. The neck will expand and release the bullet. This will work if you are resizing.
Good luck!

I know you don't want to buy a bullet puller but I got a hornady cam lock and love it. With expensive premium bullets it doesn't take too long to pay for itself and no damage to bullets.

I have had good results using a drill chuck to hold the bullet instead of a wirecutter.

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becasue with the cotton & steel wool you have to sort the powder & bullet outa it.

not in my experience with the steele wool..
desne enough that the powder doesn't get mixed up in it..

homebrewer X2 except I used a piece of hardwood works pretty well to .

Buy a bullet puller...............DJ

I'm with dj, they are not that expensive and will save you lots of aggravation.

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Originally posted by djpaintles:
Buy a bullet puller...............DJ

For $15, buy the right tool. The aggrevation alone is worth that.

Shoot them. And then reload the brass.

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Shoot them. And then reload the brass.

That would damage the bullets (and consume the primers).

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I want the brass for my own handloads.

Would these be loaded with lead bullets or jacketed?

Might I ask why you would want to dismantle some loaded cartridges and how many?

Bullet puller - RCBS - but use standrad shell holder instead of those aluminum rings. Works much better.

Czech Made + 1 !!

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Originally posted by Czech_Made:
Bullet puller - RCBS - but use standrad shell holder instead of those aluminum rings. Works much better.

i sure am glad i found this i was fixing to order the hornady camlock puller because last night while pulling some bullets the little aluminum collet sheared off i never would have thought about just using the shell holder in the inertia puller.

Intertia pullets are inexpensive, safe and easy to use. They will pull handgun bullets and collet pullers rarely work on them.

Seat jacketed bullets a tad deeper, just a few thou, to break any adhesion that may have occured and pulling will be easier.

As Fjold said, just put a cheap sponge ear plug or bit of other sponge in the bottom of the puller cavity to protect bullets.

Use the press without a die. Push the bullet up through the opening where the die would normally be, grasp the bullet with some type of pliers and pull the bullet back down with the press and let the pliers rest on the top of the press and bull the bullet out of the brass.

I have used several types of pliers with varying success. Various types of crimping pliers have circular openings that grip bullets well and often you can pull the bullet without damaging it. You can sometimes find cheap pliers at a bulk used tool bin at a pawn shop.

Someone told me you can also make something like that with a drill bit and wire cutters. Find the size bit that is slightly smaller than the bullets you wish to pull, while the drill bit is turning, slowly grasp it with the wire cutters and hold steady pressure with the wire cutters and the bit will gradually cut a hole that size in the wire cutters.

may give that a try also with some wire crimping pliers i have but at the least now i know i can still use my inertia puller just use the shell holders instead of the aluminum collet.