INTRODUCTION
This article is designed to answer common questions from those brand-new to reloading. It’s not a step-by-step guide (see THIS page), but rather an introduction to the hobby — covering common concerns, what reloading is, why people do it, and what someone should know before getting started. If you’re reading this, odds are you’re interested in learning about what it means to handload your own ammunition.
We’ll cover what reloading is, why people handload, and the basic concepts behind the process. It’s not a how-to guide — just a helpful overview for anyone wondering what the hobby is all about and whether it might be right for them.
Is Reloading Ammo Dangerous?
Safety first! The short answer is that done properly, shooting reloaded ammo is no riskier than shooting factory ammunition. Handloading involves handling energetic components, (primers and powder) care must be taken to follow the right procedure during priming, charging, and testing your handloads. While handloading accidents are rare, they can happen. Always wear safety glasses during reloading and shooting, and be sure to only use trusted, verified reloading data from component manufacturers such as the Hodgdon Reloading Data Center. Reload slowly, without distractions, and double check each component and charge of powder that you are using is correct to your data.
Is Reloading Ammo Hard?
From the outside, reloading looks hard or complicated – lots of processes to learn. Face your fears by diving in…as you learn and practice, reloading becomes simple and you’ll get into a rhythm.
Learning to reload is like picking up any other new hobby or sport…having a knowledge base from reading or watching video tutorials is a great to learn the basics, but the best way is practice. Specifically practice guided by an experienced mentor. If you don’t know who to help you, ask around at your gun club or gun store, you’ll find reloaders enjoy helping newcomers and are happy to help give pointers.
Go slow, learn each step of the process, and you’ll be quickly overcome the complexity.
How to Handload Ammo
The basic process for reloading differs between pistol rounds, rifle rounds, and shotgun shells. The main steps are the same however. You’re taking a fired case or shotgun shell, removing the spent primer, preparing the case/hull, giving it a new charge of powder, and adding a new bullet or shot charge. Each of these steps is done with specific equipment, and for some reloading operations, there are multiple ways and styles of tools to get the task done.
Why Reload Ammunition?
- Cost Savings – For volume shooters wanting to shoot many rounds at the range, or in competition, eventually the cost of factory ammo becomes prohibitive and they begin reloading.
- Precision – Today, factory ammunition is reliable, accurate and built to higher standards than ever. However, factory ammo must work in a wide variety of firearms. For shooters, competitors or hunters seeking the utmost performance out of their gear, they reload to customize their ammo to their specific firearm or needs. For example, a Precision Rifle Series competitor handloads so he can test multiple types of powder and bullets to see which combo is the most accurate at longer ranges, or a hunter may wish to improve the accuracy of her hunting rifle by customizing handloaded ammo that’s more accurate than factory ammo in her specific gun.
- Availability – During COVID, many people could not find the ammunition they wanted on shelf. Handloading is a way to ensure you can always get the ammo you need. Additionally, some firearm collectors or hobbyists want to shoot arcane or hard-to-come-by ammunition for a rifle, pistol or shotgun that they’ve acquired or built. Reloading is a way to keep these niche guns shooting.
- It’s Fun! – Many reloaders get into handloading for the reasons above, but come back to the hobby because it’s relaxing, educating, and exciting to craft your own ammo. It’s a great feeling when your hunt, match, or latest project at the range is successful because you built the ammo that helped you succeed.
What To Know Before Getting Started
There are more resources online than ever to help you get started reloading. RCBS has multiple videos and articles breaking down how to reload in depth, check out our reloading hub, our YouTube page and Hodgdon’s Reloading Data Center. And if you have questions, contact us anytime.
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