Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Bullets pulled with a pliers

I recently passed on buying some .308" 168 matchkings because they were obviously pulled with a pliers. The guy didn't want much for them but I figured
A- they wouldn't be accurate
B- they may harm my barrel.
Was I right in my assumptions?

Ha ha.... I wouldn't trust them..... Probably pulled something like this? :

Most likely.

Don't think it would harm the barrel,could just use the bullets for plinking.

Don't waste your time as inexpensive as some bullets are in bulk...

free may be ok, otherwise a waste of powder. been there done that.

Some guys have a hard enough time shooting perfect bullets, let alone fu cked up ones from the start...

I remember an article a while back by a gun writer (Wayne van Zwoll?) in which he deliberately disfigured bullets. Cutting off the tips with wire cutters. From the pictures some of the tips were uneven some oval in cross section. They shot surprisingly well, about 1.25-1.5" IIRC.

If the bullet below the caliber ogive is not damaged they should shoot OK, not match grade, but good enough for hunting.

That's WVZ though. He can do anything. Along with being a prolific writer, he's also a damn good hunter and marksman...

Can't imagine what can be wrong with cheap SMKs; if the bearing surface isn't jacked nothing detectable will be at issue inside a couple hundred (probably several hundred) yards.

In the past I've picked up these deals, pair em with hard used brass & propellant I've decided never to buy again and hitting an area hayfield where I can get 400 yds and smack steel and (oh boy I hope Alamosa doesn't see this!!) water-filled recyclables.

Any reason to pop a cap is a good one I just don't get people but I'd love to know who has em as I'll happily buy em!

True,however,it just might be the opposite.

Bullets I've pulled with pliers ended up pretty mangled. The pliers were hard to get a grip on them with and had to put in a hefty dent and I couldn't see wasting my time.

Bullets I've pulled with a RCBS collet puller were slightly marked up but shot just as well.

I have pulled a bunch and could not tell they had a problem on target.

I use a special pair of wire cutter cutters and my rockchucker press.
Even some for a 22 hornet and they still shoot one hole groups.

Them thar's my cinnaments, zactly.

Jerry

I would disagree, cheap bullets are great for plinking (who cares if you miss a tin can or clay pigeon), fire forming, breaking in a barrel, fire lapping, playing around with reduced loads or even hunting varmints. I think that any trigger time is a good time so never a waste of powder.

You mean that's not how you're supposed to do it?

Shoot them of you want. Mild loads with them will give fair accuracy and won't hurt a thing. In my miss spent youth, I often salvaged bullets by pulling them in my press with side cutter pliers. Lots of bullets had cannulures you could grab with the side cutters with no apparent damage.

I personally won't use seconds, sure as hell wouldn't use bullets pulled with plier

Nosler seconds are the cat's meow.

Pulled lots of bullets over the years, using a hammer puller, broken several them too. Always got some deformed tips that I trimmed them up with a filet knife or side cutter and kept for Zeroing a rifle with at 25 or 50 yards. Later used them on hogs under a feeder or for shots under 100-150 yards on game, and never had a problem with penetration, accuracy or with jacket seperation in a Cup & Core bullet.

Bought my 1st Nosler Blems in 180 gr 30 cal 1st Gen BTips in a cellophane bag with a colored folded paper label stapled over the end of the bag that had been hand stamped or xeroxed with the info, for ummm $6 a bag + a little freight or even free freight one time for a bigger buy .... ran those 1st 180's in a 300WMg and never have thought they were the problem with my shooting skills on paper....and none of the critters ever said a word one way or another about them.
Ron