Getting a hornady cam lock bullet puller, do they have an assortment of collets you can buy as a package or just one at a time? I can’t seem to find an assortment.

Thanks

Yeah you would think they would have a variety pack that would get you from .17 all the way to 20mm.
BUUUtttt NOooooo they make it a game of where's Waldo Coletta.
Bunch of commies if you ask me !!

Thanks I was thinking it google didn’t find it then it probably didn’t exist.

I've had my Hornady collet puller long enough to have forgotten how I got the collets. I will say that using the thing is an art...I don't think I've set it up exactly the same way twice, but once you get the feel of it things go quickly and smoothly. If I find myself having to pull 40 or 50 rounds that's the tool I go to, but for 10 or less I just use the inertial puller.

I can't decide which I detest more: trimming cases or pulling bullets.

It works OK, a little tricky but normally doesn't tear up jacked rifle bullets much. I've reloaded/shot pulled bullets, can't tell a difference in accuracy. Won't hold onto the ogive of a bullet so you have to get the straight part or crimp groove. Don't use it for cast or pistol bullets, nothing to get a hold of.

So far planning on pulling down some old 270 factory ammo that has proved to not function and some old 300 wby loads with 220 hornady round nose that I do not intend to use going to see what they do in the blackout.

If you're gonna do that with old factory ammo, do us a favor and pay close attention to see if you can detect cold weld, then let us know what you observe. If I had any factory ammo I might just check that out myself...it's one of those questions that has gone unanswered for a long, long time (at least for me). I asked one of the factories (Federal, I think) what they do to prevent it and they acted like they'd never heard of it. Might be top secret stuff.

I’ve proven it to myself…I don’t know if it’s cold weld but something goes on.

Take a case and seat one today but seat it long, come back in a month or two and finish up the seating. I think you’ll prove something is going on to yourself too.

Hand loaded .260 Rem in 2012, and it sat still for 9 years. This was reloaded brass, that did have carbon in the necks.

I decided to seat it a bit deeper, after having loaded it 9 years prior. A very, very loud "POP" came off the brass for every case.

Cold metal welding is real as far as I am concerned.

Agree with Riverrider, Judd and JG on the cold welding, or what ever it actually is.

I have a master's in mechanical engineering and a batchelor's in materials science and I can tell you with an absolute certainty that cold welding is real because it is something I studied in depth.

Would like to pick your brain some on this issue. I too am convinced that something goes on when loaded ammo sits for long periods of time under some circumstances, but this does not seem to happen every time, or at least is not consistent. Based on your knowledge, is this really cold welding that is happening with brass cases and copper jackets or something else? Also, can this be prevented, and if so how?

When you have metals of similar composition touching one another under pressure they don't know that they are two separate pieces of metal and at an individual level the atoms start to form connections. Copper and any alloy of copper is extremely susceptible to cold welding. It is also extremely more complex than what I just described and a lot of what you're feeling isn't necessarily cold welding. If you're really worried about it get some Renaissance wax and put it on the bullet prior to seating. A Molly coated bullet might also limit the effects.

I figure it is a lot like what you get with thermocouples but I have not really though of those since the late 80s when I did some work with them for Rockwell International.

I decided to shoot up some old loaded ammo I had put together years ago for my 243. All the loads were written on the boxes flap. All were less than max. I got very flattened primers , foolishly waiting until the fourth shot to look. I decided instead of burning the powder, and popping the primers to pull the bullets with a side cutter on a pair of large linemans pliers. Wow some of them took some real leverage on the press handle. Some of the bullets were fine but I loaded up some IMR4064 under Sierra 85 gr. BTSP's with the empty primed brass and they easily shot under MOA. I have been not loading every piece of brass generally waiting until I am ready to shoot a particular load and putting together a reasonable number.

As good of an explanation as I have ever read.

I agree, thanks blkt2! So sounds like some sort of barrier is needed between bullet and brass. Have heard that fired brass that is not tumbled or over-tumbled is a good barrier due to the residual carbon layer. Can anyone verify this? What about running a nylon brush through the neck with graphite or dry carbon powder?

I found a suggestion for using this stuff to prevent cold weld (or whatever the heck actually goes on) elsewhere:

NeoLube #2

I've ordered some and will give it a try.

My intent is to lightly coat the inside of case necks after prep and allowing it to dry before proceeding.

And NO, I do not think you'll find it cheaper elsewhere. I looked.

One shot may be a good option I don’t really know.

Assuming this is t an issue in fired cases that have some carbon in them.

This is more complex then I first mentioned. Gliding metal has zinc in it and zinc is a sacrificial anode and there may be a galvanic action between the case and the bullets jacket. The case is 30 percent zinc and the bullets jacket is 5 percent. Have you ever seen the silver jackets on some European military ammo? That is a special alloy designed for long term storage and the metal the bullets jacket is made of is completely neutral to the alloy the case is made of. Most often it is Monel or Cupro depending on the size of the projectile. There is also a very small issue of corrosion from the acids on your fingers when you touch the bullet. There is also the possibility of some galling between the neck and the bullet as it is being seated and the case neck can possibly work harden over time and get tighter from the stress of seating the bullet and from being resized. There is also something known as stiction that is the differences between the static coefficient of friction and the sliding coefficient of friction and it is just the extra force it takes to get something moving. No matter the cause the effect is readily observable and it will just take a bit of experimenting to eliminate a good portion of it. I am pretty certain that what is being observed is a combination of lots of little things.

I own and like the Hornady cam lock puller. I purchased the caliber specific collets as needed individually. It is a good puller for jacketed rifle bullets. Ive been able to pull Bullets with minimal marking. Have not noted any degradation of accuracy loading the bullets I pulled. For pistol Bullets and cast I still use an inertia puller to beat them out.

Me too. I once tore down nearly 500 .38 Specials with an inertia puller. Not recommended. Had to use a batting glove to prevent blisters.

Don't try to seat the bullet deeper to break the bond. 308 cases collapsed trying that. For cast you can try running in sizing die (minus the spindle) to 'shrink' the lead. I just use wire cutters/press and recycle the lead.

Skip the Hornady puller, i got a rcbs puller outfit, seems to wrk ok for me, only downside is to get different collets
for the calibers you use. Pulled 100 or so of 45, no problem. Once set it works fast and doesnt mar up bullets
when clamped on.




just my thoughts....

happy loading....

When I have some older rifle ammo that I want to shoot, I set my seating die to the loaded rounds & then use my inertial puller to just bounce the bullets forward slightly & then re-seat. Measuring OAL you can tell if you're breaking the bullet loose & how heavy a blow is needed.