We've tried various bullet pullers over the years. The best one we've found is the Hornady LNL hammer puller. But they still break after little use. I was going to order in this Frankford Arsenal PILE DRIVER puller. Has anyone played with one?

FA Pile Driver

Looks pretty good, I try not to have to pull many and just use a grip-n-pull.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyxuxAgIRnY&ab_channel=gavintoobe

Way too complicated to use and I'd rather not drill into my wall just to pull bullets.

I’m still, after 40 or more years, using the green hammer. It works but I’ve never tried a heavy crimp.

I don’t do it often but I use a Grip N Pull when I do. I actually pulled some the other day with it. First time in a couple years.

Collet puller, 100% better than banging anything on the floor…….

Hornady hammer here. Pulled over 500 bullets with it without breakage. Use concrete floor not a work bench. One smack and it's out. I use a shell holder instead of the three piece and rubber o-ring thing.

It works fine on heavy crimps. I’ve used it on the very heavy crimps I use for H110. The secret at stated above is concrete. Being self taught and a slow learner I put many dents in my wood table top when my equipment was in a carpeted room. Carried it to the porch one day and it was a miracle. If you don’t have concrete handy you can get a marble block like you would use for leather work. Cotton balls in the end save the bullet tip.

Gavin does a great job and for some reason I don’t find him annoying to listen to. He showed me that tool is a giant PIA to run.

I’ve got the Hornady cam lock collet puller…it’s alright, a lot like the rcbs but I control the tension with the lever versus how hard you tighten it. The pliers is probably the fastest most efficient ways. Good luck Chad, the easiest way to pull bullets is not make any mistakes

I use an RCBS collet type puller. It’s fast, easy, and doesn’t mark up the bullets much. And I have an inertia type puller, which is slow, laborious, but doesn’t mark up the bullets at all.

One bullet to pull, use the inertia type. 50 to pull, use the collet.

We've loaded some ammo that was a little too warm in some tight chambered rifles and need to pull a few. The hammer pullers work well, but they do not last long at all. Sometimes they require sizing the brass after pulling. If you don't hammer straight down, it can pull the necks slightly to one side causing run out. It's faster to pull this way, but requires more work after. I have a shop vice mounted to the main bench with a large striking plate that we use for pulling. It works great. You absolutely need a solid place to hit the hammer on.

The collet pullers work, but put more visual damage on the bullet. And they are slower to use. I have the RCBS collet puller system, and it works good, just slow.

This new Frankford puller keeps the cartridge perfectly up and down, which would help with keeping the necks straight. I can mount it on a 4"x4" leg of one of my reloading benches, so it won't go on the wall. I've already ordered it, so I'll see how it does.

That’s interesting that case necks could be moved out of desired alignment by the inertia bullet puller. I never have considered that possibility, but will remember it. And yes, every bullet I ever pulled with the collet puller was marked to some degree. You can minimize the marking, but not eliminate it. I haven’t seen any definite signs that the pulled bullet, when reloaded, had any decrease in accuracy due to a marked exterior, but it’s just me using them. A serious shooter might find deteriorated accuracy, and the marks wouldn’t be good for marketable ammo.

I can’t imagine how any pulled brass will not need neck sizing after pulling the bullet. Seating the bullet itself is what stretches the neck.

This^^^^^^^^^^

Agreed.

As mentioned my hammer is ten years old and has pulled over 500 bullets without breakage. Not sure how it's considered fragile.

I also went the collet puller route if that is a consideration for you.

Pulled a couple hundred of my early-reloading-career bullets and after research went with the Hornady collet puller on my Lee press.
*Have to get caliber-specific parts.
*Marks the bullet
Easy set-up. Once it's adjusted, it is as fast as you can get cartridges in the holder on your press, raise the ram, pull the top lever, lower the ram, dump the powder, collect the bullet, and get the next cartridge in the holder.
Partly I was just leery of having "hammers" and "primers" in the same procedure, but I like how it works.

In my opinion the RCBS collet puller is the way to go. I hate the mess and bullet tip damage of the inertia pullers and they break after a while. My RCBS inertia puller lasted longer than my Frankfort Arsenal. I stuffed a paper towel into the inertia pullers to help with tip damage. I have pulled a bunch of bullets with both and my collet puller doesn't damage bullets other than scratches from the case neck. Have shot collet pulled bullets into the same group as non-pulled bullets with same accuracy. Of course I have no where near the volume experience you do Chad.