I like to keep a box or two of properly headstamped ammo around, even in calibers where I make the brass from a parent case (like .358 Winchester and .35 Whelen) just in case I need to travel out of the country for a hunt.

However, I've about decided that the only way I am going to get any .358 Winchester brass these days is to buy a box or two of factory ammo (Hornady 200-grain loads are cheapest), pull the bullets and reload them using my own recipe.

My question is, when you pull bullets with the intent of reloading the case, do you resize the case and insert your own primer?

In the past, I've simply pulled the bullets, emptied the powder, and put my own powder and bullet back in the case without sizing on top of the factory primer. I usually find the neck to be tighter than my "from scratch" loads, but othwise, I can't tell the difference at the range.

The way I see it, that's 20 primers I can save to use on something else.

quote:

My question is, when you pull bullets with the intent of reloading the case, do you resize the case and insert your own primer?

The few times I've done it I simply removed the pin and size the neck simply to just run the brass in far enough to size the majority of the neck. Simply to insure I have enough neck tension.

Only done it with steel cases so far, but I've had no problems skipping the sizing.

Interestingly enough, I just pulled down a few boxes myself earlier today, so I am also interested in the answers people give. If sizing is necessary, what is the best way to do it with Lee dies?

IMHO full length sizing of steel cases is a good way to ruin your steel sizing die. Not sure I would attempt same even with a carbide rifle die (which are expensive, by the way).

Don't resize. Another poster worked out that there's only a couple thou difference -- not enough to detect. ramrod is spot on either way. Why not just fire form the new brass as is?

quote:

Originally posted by BNagel:
Why not just fire form the new brass as is?

What? And carbon-stain my nice, shiny, pretty, new brass?

Seriously, the reason I don't is I'm of the school that says never shoot anything out of your rifle that is not a "for real" load. That's why, when developing loads, I don't fire all the load work-up rounds at the range. I'd rather bring them back to the bench, pull the bullets and harvest the components -- not only to save the components, but to save the finite life of my barrel.

I personnaly resize the brass if I pull a bullet, I use ramrods method of removing the decapping pin so it doesn't punch out the primer.
I resize so that the neck tension is identical on all my loads, just something I do i don't know if it's right or wrong.

Well, a REAL hand loader shoots to have empty brass to reload. LOL! Actually, I do not remove the old primer, just PFL resize so's not to get the primer punched out -- half a neck to grab the bullet is good enough for my purposes. Cheers!

Factory ammo is crimped. When you pull the bullets the crimp is not completely erased.

You need to size at least the top half to top .100 neck length to get rid of all the factory crimp so the brass does not snag on the bullet base. You might get past this step if you use the boat tailed Sierra bullet.

quote:

Originally posted by SR4759:
Factory ammo is crimped. When you pull the bullets the crimp is not completely erased.

Seems to me you would only need to run it over the expander ball, which with my Lee dies is easier than removing the decapping pin.

Taking the original question a bit further. Could you, or rather, would it be really unwise, to pull the bullet out of a Hornaday .450/400 NE 3 inch DGS and by hand or rubber mallet tap in a differnt of type bullet (a CEB) with the original primer and powder?

Yea, this may sound a bit ghetto.

I do not yet have my reloading equipment but only have a bullet puller and a caliper (to check the overall length).

The reason that I am curious about this, but am very apprehensive, is that I have a new double rifle and want to take it pig hunting. I live in California where we can only use lead free hollow point ammo. It is very unlikely that I would shoot the ammo. I just want to have a day or two in the woods with my rifle.

You need some equipment to avoid making a mess of your ammo.
You can pull the bullets and substitute others.
It is normally done by reducing the load a little if the new bullet is a similar weight.
I would not try it if you are so green that you have never loaded anything before.
The inexpensive dies, press and a few other do dads would cost less than a couple of boxes of ammo.
What you are suggesting is what I like to compare to buying a swanky wallet with your last $50. The cost of the reloading tools needs to be factored into the cost of the double rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by Fo Fiddy NE:
Taking the original question a bit further. Could you, or rather, would it be really unwise, to pull the bullet out of a Hornaday .450/400 NE 3 inch DGS and by hand or rubber mallet tap in a differnt of type bullet (a CEB) with the original primer and powder?

Yea, this may sound a bit ghetto.

I do not yet have my reloading equipment but only have a bullet puller and a caliper (to check the overall length).

The reason that I am curious about this, but am very apprehensive, is that I have a new double rifle and want to take it pig hunting. I live in California where we can only use lead free hollow point ammo. It is very unlikely that I would shoot the ammo. I just want to have a day or two in the woods with my rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by Fo Fiddy NE:
Taking the original question a bit further. Could you, or rather, would it be really unwise, to pull the bullet out of a Hornaday .450/400 NE 3 inch DGS and by hand or rubber mallet tap in a differnt of type bullet (a CEB) with the original primer and powder?

Yea, this may sound a bit ghetto.

I do not yet have my reloading equipment but only have a bullet puller and a caliper (to check the overall length).

The reason that I am curious about this, but am very apprehensive, is that I have a new double rifle and want to take it pig hunting. I live in California where we can only use lead free hollow point ammo. It is very unlikely that I would shoot the ammo. I just want to have a day or two in the woods with my rifle.

I don't know about really unwise, but I'd say it wouldn't be too wise.