Why Do I Need a Bullet Puller?

[Phil3]

I am getting my last reloading tools, but am wondering whether I need a bullet puller or not. When would I ever need one? I won't be disassembling factory ammo. What other situation might arise which would necessitate the need of a bullet puller?

- Phil

[CSDGuy]

Yep. If you think you loaded a round wrong... you can either use a puller or you can hope your "oops" round doesn't blow up your gun (or worse) if you accidentally load it into your gun.

In other words, get the puller.

[CSACANNONEER]

Get a puller! You will use it. OR, don't get one and when you need it, you'll have to wait a week for one to arrive. It's your call.

[rattletrap1970]

I never saw a use for one till I was loading .223 and failed to notice my powder hopper went dry. Loaded something like 30 rounds with nothing more than a primer. The collet puller I got was very handy. Also used it to pull the heads off of .30 carbine rounds I loaded about 20 years ago to use the brass for an experimental caliber I'm working on based on the .30 carbine brass.

[BigBronco]

You may not need one right now. I would bet that you will need one some day if not sooner.

In the course of reloading thousands of rounds you will most likely have a goof or two, I have. Possibly a few or more. It will happen when you get in the groove and the primer tube runs dry after you set 3 with no powder. Then there is the time when you will ask yourself. "Did I forget to put powder in that one, did I double charge that one." Distractions happen! When I am unsure of the safety of a round I toss it in a box and eventually pull them apart. Not so much for the recovery of the components but I will not throw live rounds in the trash. Keep in mind Safety first. In tens of thousands of rounds I have loaded and fired two squibs, though I have unloaded hundreds of cartridges in over 30 years Thank God no one was hurt.

Mistakes happen. Once a while back when I went to visit a bud who reloads he was sitting in a low chair in the garage with his bullet puller unloading 100 cartridges. it seems he learned after the fact that reloading and Alcohol do not mix. He loaded up 100 plus squibs.

I just bought another puller after wearing out the last one I had. It broke. I have done many stupid things in my life, I know this because I am married and my wife reminds me daily. But I will not chamber a round I am not confident in. I and my children still have all their body parts and I like it that way.

[Mac Attack]

If you can afford one now you should buy one. You will end up needing one some time or another. I recommend the inertia hammer style over the die style bullet puller.

[desmark6]

You will use it, every now and again something goes a little haywire with a reload and it is nice to be able to recover the bullet and powder!!

[Fishslayer]

What other situation might arise which would necessitate the need of a bullet puller?

- Phil

D'OH! Wrong data/powder/OAL/bullet... Nobody's perfect.

When .357 was scarce as hen's teeth I bought 300 rds of "handloads of dubious origin." A few hours of work & I had 300 pieces of brass, 300 boolits and a bag of mixed powder for other fun stuff....

Those are what I use mine for mostly. It's the inertial (hammer type) and only cost around $20.

[sargenv]

There was that time I loaded 14 gr of what I thought was H110 that turned out to be H335 in my 357 magnum... first round went "poof!", stuck bullet.. thought maybe it was a bad primer... fired second round, it too went poof! stuck another bullet.... led me to pull the remaining 48 rounds and taught me a valuable lesson about only having 1 can of powder on the bench and labeling the powder in the measure... d'oh!

[Nessal]

You will need one. Trust me. Like everyone said above, just get one. The impact ones are like 12 bucks or something.

[CSACANNONEER]

BTW, I recommend getting a Frankford Arsonal kinetic puller first. It will do most calibers and, it's cheap. If you need to pull 50BMG, .416 Barrett, .510DTC, .50 Spotter, etc, you will need to invest in something like a CH4D collet puller or, make your own.

[fullspeed1]

Because you will f@#k up, Guaranteed!!

[Gio]

Part of loading for me is to make rounds w/o powder or primers to make sure my rounds will chamber or not. I do not like playing with live rounds if I do not have to That is where a bullet puller comes in handy, also if and when you get a sideways primer or one that went in upside down. Also you might find a case with a crack or neck that is messed up or a bullet that went in crooked.

I personally have 2 bullet pullers in case one breaks

[Carsgunsandchics]

I have one

I have one and I don't even reload yet. I over the years have acquired many unknown rounds of odds and ends etc.. and come across funky rounds, and I prefer to make them safe versus letting the unknown happen. Especially with having kids in the house and us all going to the range together, coming home with unknown stuff.

[Low-Pressure]

As a new reloader, you will for sure need one. There will be times you will be second guessing yourself, and it's better than sorry. My bullet pullers been very usefull and I can't imagine not having one.