Thread: Replacing projectiles in factory ammo

Is it possible to pull the bullets out of factory rounds, resize the neck, pour the powder back in and replace the projectile with something of the same weight?

Yip - but you're basically reloading, and reloading will be a HEAP cheaper than factory ammo.

Chicken or Egg 1st?

Originally Posted by scoped

Is it possible to pull the bullets out of factory rounds, resize the neck, pour the powder back in and replace the projectile with something of the same weight?

Re spannas post its like buying a chicken for eggs then buying a dozen eggs from the supy lol

I think theres more to the story than hes letting on...
Maybe the eggs that the chicken lays aren't as good as the eggs he wants to put in the chicken?

I may have a few boxes of spare ammo after running in a new rifle. Just wanting to change from soft point hornady to barnes ttsx

Easily done, but the problem you may have is that the powder charge you have put back in may not be compatible with your new bullet.
can only try a few and see what your accuracy is like.
I certainly wouldn't do them all at once if you have a few boxes .

Was thinking of doing something similar. I have about 200 rounds of Winchester 223 FMJ, got them on sale with a discount on top so the same price as the Hornady training ammo. Looking at pulling the projectiles in one press with the Forster collet puller and just popping soft points back in on the other press. Would I need to resize in between, or just jamb them back in? Will end up the same as the factory Winchester 223 SP ammo.

Originally Posted by gadgetman

Would I need to resize in between, or just jamb them back in?

I would think the case would need to be prepped the same as a fired round... aside from the primer...
Just neck sizing should do...

Originally Posted by gadgetman

Would I need to resize in between, or just jamb them back in? Will end up the same as the factory Winchester 223 SP ammo.

Iv done that when i had a heep loaded up and needed to change seating depth(to extract live round from chamber without issues)
No prob

Thanks guys. I figure being factory stuff it's likely to be fairly conservatively loaded and replacing the projectile without reworking the brass would more likely lower neck tension. Would this lower neck tension tend to lower any pressure spike?

That FMG ammo has a crimp around the top of the case so you might need to give it a chamfer before reseating them, try a few & let us know how they go?

Easy as. Did file down one neck and chamfer it, the rest were sweet as. An hour and a bit to refill 183 rounds, 100 with Speer Varmint and 83 with Hornady. The stuff was $10 cheaper per 100 than empty brass and effectively came complete with powder and primer. Would have been a fraction quicker if I'd had two case holders but batched each pack of 20 rounds and moved the holder to the other press to seat the new projectile. Also de-primed another couple of hundred cases ready for the ultrasonic cleaner.

Also have 200 new primed cases to load but will need some more projectiles. Probably work up a load with them, something else on the to do list.

Did you use the same seating depth as the FMJ's you pulled out?

Yes! Took the quick and easy route as these will just be plinking/short range hunting for their first round.

GM, sweet can you go shoot a group of each & let us know how they go please, I've got a 100 sitting here I might give the same treatment.