pulling bullets in M2 .30 cal

[Ltdave]

how hard is it to do?

im going to get a Forster bullet puller to do this on my 550b...

ive got lots of rounds i want to use the primed cases for some other loads (better bullet)...

[Parashooter]

It's pretty tough because of the hardened asphalt sealant applied to the bullets during seating. It's usually easier if you can break the seal first by seating them about .010" deeper before trying to pull them down. Still, no picnic.

[psteinmayer]

Get a RCBS Inertia (hammer style) Bullet Puller. Inexpensive, and a few good hard whacks on a solid surface (work bench, floor, etc.) should do it. I've pulled several HXB M2, and a few US M2 Ball bullets with it... no problems.

[Hefights]

I have used both a Hornady or Forster collet type puller and an RCBS inertial puller. The latter might work, but I've never done a bunch of them, I can recall needing to use the collet puller and you may have to follow Parashooters prescription for the long haul.

[Ltdave]

ive got the inertia puller. it can be a real pain to do even .223 with no crimp or sealant...

ill have to give it a try. i hope i can find my .30 cal collar...

[PhillipM]

I'd use parashooter's method, but just to add that with the inertia puller I hit a 40 lb. dumbbell. I'd use an anvil if I had one close to my loading bench.

[joem]

I use the Hornady Cam-Loc bullet puller. I've pulled several thousands bullets and don't use the hammer type inertia puller any more. It isn't worth the effort. I'll wager I can pull three to five bullets while your knocking out just one. For the ammo sealed with pitch, just set the seater die down a bit to break the seal and on to the Cam -Loc puller.

[Maury Krupp]

I realize we're living in an unusual time when it comes to ammo and components, but the easiest and probably most productive in terms of improving your shooting, would be to shoot them out practicing Standing.

Between the crimp, the sealant, and 40 years of storage those bullets are likely going to be a cast-iron b!tch to pull. Then when you're all done you'll have a pile of bullets (maybe now with pull marks) that weren't much good for anything but Standing practice in the first place.

Mexican matching makes sense if you're shooting issue M72 or M118 and want to replace that mediocre USGI 173gr FMJ with a 168gr Sierra MatchKing. Otherwise not so much, at least not to me :icon_scratch:

Maury

[psteinmayer]

I usually hit my inertia puller on the concrete floor in my basement... and I agree that the military rounds DO take a few more whacks than others. I'm just not familiar with other types of pullers, and I never pull that many bullets anyway. I'd trust Parashooter's advice... I've always found him to be a pretty straight shooter (pun intended).

[Parashooter]

I like Maury's advice best.

[joem]

I have to disagree Maury. If used correctly there are no pull marks on the bullets using the collet type puller. The ones with pitch, after pulling, I soak outside in a bucket of gas then tumble. Very old bullets ( looking corroded) are soaked in viniger and salt soultion then run through the timbler. They come out like new and shoot as good as they did when made.

[Maury Krupp]

Well, I did say "...maybe with pull marks..." but my real point was more about the "...shoot as good as they did when made..." angle.

Those M2 Ball bullets will never be good for anything better than what they are now as loaded ammo. So what's the point in pulling them?

They aren't and were never intended to be more than 2-4MOA bullets to begin with. They're not really worth reloading for anything but can blasting or Standing practice. They can be used for that right now.

If better ammo is needed, instead of Mexican matching where you're left with a pile of semi-useless bullets, shoot 'em up then reload better ammo with the once-fired brass.

Maury

[Jim in Salt Lake]

You can shoot them quicker than pulling the bullets. You're probably not going to reuse the powder either. So you shoot them for the cost of new primers, get the offhand practice everybody needs, and reload the brass with better quality bullets and powder. I used up all my CMP Lake City and HXP shooting Springfield and Garand matches with help from the juniors. I'm prepping all that brass now and the thought of pulling all those bullets makes me glad we shot it all up. The Greek HXP was actually more accurate than the Lake City.

[Chris W.]

I vote for shooting them as well. You did say M2 ball ?? ( that is a 152gr. boolit, not the M1 ball 172 ) Second option would be the RCBS collet puller on a press. ( not your 550 ) You are never going to get much better than 2 MOA out of the 152 gr. why not just shoot them, get the trigger time. If you end up pulling them down you will also notice they weren't that fussy about the powder charge either. That M2 is old powder, old primer, old bullet in a great case. Easier to just fire and start fresh and get some great practice doing so.
Chris

[Ltdave]

didnt plan on reusing the powder without at least re-throwing for consistency...

large rifle primers, processing brass and dealing with the crimp is more than i wanted to play around with for Garand matches...

any reason not to use the bullet puller on my 550?

i dont have time to shoot my garand for trigger time because my trigger time (non-competition shooting) is devoted to my AR...

[Hefights]

He's intending to use the primed cases to put a better bullet in. I guess if the cases are in reasonable shape and not warped by pulling, you could make more accurate loads with better quality bullets and maybe more accurate and/or different powder charge.

But looking at OP I have another question. Given the challenges discussed, would you use a Dillon 550 to pull the bullets? I woudn't use mine for that.

[Parashooter]

I hope you realize that plenty of Garand matches have been won with GI M2 ball ammunition. With a good M1 rifle, a competent shooter can usually keep 'em in the 3.5 MOA 10-ring of the SR target used in such matches conducted under CMP rules. Even at the nationals, these events are often won on points, not X's.

[Johnny in Texas]

I agree that shooting them out is best and most fun way to remove them unless you need the powder and primers.
I shoot a lot of M2 ball and accuracy at least 2.5 MOA or better is common with USGI LC 54, SL 56 LC 66 LC 67 LC72
I use a Winchester Model 70 bedded in a in a marksman stock with a 16X Unertl to accuracy test my M2 Ball.
The LC54 and SL56 will shoot under 1.5 MOA

[Chris W.]

I wouldn't use the 550 with a collet puller because of the top insert block being made from Alum and having to apply the load pulling opposite of the design of the press. The shell holder wasn't designed to work in that direction. Finger access is harder than a single stage. Pulling on a 550 could, and most likely would, screw it up. A cheap yard sale single stage press would work much better, a 550 is anything but cheap. A call to Dillon is free, give them a call and ask, bet I know the answer.
Chris

[joem]

I have a Lee C frame press which is just about the lightest press and is set up as my bullet puller. It has pulled many many thousands of bullets in at least a dozen calibers both pistol and rifle with no damage. Most times I save the powder and bullets to reload. Why poo poo a idea if you haven't tried it?

[Litt'le Lee]

the RCBS collet is the best of all of them-I've pulled several hundred 06 down from the CMP-LC and Greek--sold the brass-sold the Garand clips--loaded the bullets and powder
in 308--final cost-11 cents a round

[Chris W.]

My point is the shell holder in the 550B isn't the same as the normal shell holder, and most likely with that type of reverse stress pulling could cause a problem with the 550B set up. Sure a RCBS puller in any single stage would work fine.
Chris

[Parashooter]

https://shop.rcbs.com/WebConnect/images/rcbs/item/FullA/09440.jpg http://www.forsterproducts.com/client_images/catalog19938/pages/images/collpull.gif

I wonder how many here agree that the RCBS puller (left) seems mechanically kind of backwards. The Forster (right) is arranged so tension on the collet makes it grip tighter, collet pulling down into the cone, while the RCBS gets looser, with the collet pulling away from the die's cone.

On the other hand, the Forster sometimes doesn't release a pulled bullet without some encouragement while the RCBS looks like a little tap on the top might be all that's needed.

I've used a Herter's puller (a Forster knock-off) for some 40 years but never tried the RCBS unit. What's your experience?

[joem]

The Forester type puller looks to operate much like to Hornady and should work just as well. Soft cast lead bullets don't pull very well in anything but a hammer type knock out puller.

[Ltdave]

I hope you realize that plenty of Garand matches have been won with GI M2 ball ammunition. With a good M1 rifle, a competent shooter can usually keep 'em in the 3.5 MOA 10-ring of the SR target used in such matches conducted under CMP rules. Even at the nationals, these events are often won on points, not X's.

i do realize that lots have been won with M2 but mostly what i shoot is delinked MG ammo which in the many many rounds ive fired off a bench and bags at 100yds, the best of my rifles with a very good condition barrel barely will hold the 9 ring...

changing out a better bullet and reweighing or recharging the powder cant hurt even if its just to make a better round...

[Ltdave]

i bought the .308 Forster puller collet but it doesnt fit inside the die portion of the puller...

were there two different sized dies?

[Hip's Ax]

I have a few cans of RR lot number clipped M2 in cardboards I bought from the CMP about 1999 or so. It is literally 9 MOA ammo. It is obvious it is delinked and clipped MG ammo from the marks on the brass. I was curious so I pulled 50 rounds with an RCBS collet puller and weighed the charges, it varied by plus or minus 1 grain. These rounds are only about half full of ball powder. Anyway, I cleaned the necks of asphaltum (done dry so as not to harm the primer) with a 30 cal bore brush in a dremel, collet neck sized the brass with a Lee die with the decapping pin cut off, reweighed the powder and seated a 150 gr Sierra MK and now it is 2 MOA ammo. I have not gotten back to do more but its nice to know if I need it I can take ammo that really is not worth shooting at a target and make it into ammo that is worth shooting.

[Ltdave]

I have a few cans of RR lot number clipped M2 in cardboards I bought from the CMP about 1999 or so. It is literally 9 MOA ammo. ... and now it is 2 MOA ammo...

this is exactly what my goal is...

ive got some good .30 cal match bullets (various weights)...

is the die portion of the Forster puller different for different collets?

like i mentioned above, my new .308 wont fit the die i have...

[Parashooter]

. . .is the die portion of the Forster puller different for different collets?


No. It's the same. Are you inserting the wrong end first? (Tapered end goes down to mate with cone at bottom of die.)

Standard Bullet Puller for standard 7/8"-14 presses.
http://www.forsterproducts.com/client_images/catalog19938/pages/images/collpull.gif
The Forster Collet Style Bullet Puller fits any 7/8" X 14 thread reloading press and bullets from .17 caliber to .458 caliber. Must be used with Forster Bullet Puller Collets.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=f98-ab9DDr8

[BudT]

Hip's Ax,
Did you re-use the same powder?

[Ltdave]

No. It's the same. Are you inserting the wrong end first? (Tapered end goes down to mate with cone at bottom of die.)

Standard Bullet Puller for standard 7/8"-14 presses.
http://www.forsterproducts.com/client_images/catalog19938/pages/images/collpull.gif
The Forster Collet Style Bullet Puller fits any 7/8" X 14 thread reloading press and bullets from .17 caliber to .458 caliber. Must be used with Forster Bullet Puller Collets.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=f98-ab9DDr8

yep. it seems to be maybe a little bit flared on the "bullet-in-end" and theres definitely at raised lip on the other end. ill post a picture shortly...

[Ltdave]

i squeezed the collet closed a little bit in my vice and then it fit fairly easily...

after i got the thing adjusted it was a piece of cake...

i had some VERY wide spreads on powder charges. i pulled some clips apart and out of 20 rounds i had charges running as high as 52.3g and as low as 43.8g on the first 10 i weighed and then i only had 8 with the same type powder (a short JET BLACK extruded stick ) with 2 rounds that had a very fine black ball powder in the 57g range...

i pulled down 2 boxes of the brown box ammo and it was the same extruded stick and while closer in weights still a 0.7g spread...

this was all LC 68 i had gotten from CMP...