# reloading, how safe is it?



## ckamanao (Mar 20, 2010)

I've always wanted to start and I've saved up a ton of brass. But, it scares me a bit. I watched a good friend of mine nearly blow his hand off and destroy a $1200 1911. I've also watched a gunsmith pull four lead bullets out of the barrel of a .44 magnum. The first round got lodged and the rest were fired into the first. Ever since then I've had trepidations upon starting to reload for myself.

How safe is it? Has anyone ever had a few close calls?


----------



## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Reloading can be a very safe and rewarding hobby _if _you take the proper precautions and learn the proper techniques of the process. That being said, if you choose not to learn the proper techniques you can put yourself and others at risk.

For someone looking to spend more time behind a firearm, I would say it is very much worth the initial investment as it does allow you to save money. But it can also be very expensive as it encourages you to shoot even more.

My main suggestion for reloading is to first get a mentor that can spend some time with you (a luxury I didnt have), and secondly: eliminate any distractions in your reloading area that could cause you to put double charges of powder in a case or accidentally perform operations that could hurt you if you arent paying close enough attention.

Reloading is much like driving a car, you just need to spend some time behind the wheel learning what to do. But if you get distracted and dont pay attention to what you are doing, it can be very dangerous.

If you are ever in Murray area, I am happy to spend some time with you to show you what I know



RCBS Website said:


> How safe is handloading?
> In a word, very. Because today's smokeless gun powders are a lot different than the old black powders of our ancestors. In fact, modern smokeless powders are classified as propellants, not explosives, meaning when properly used these powders only burn when ignited. So, while common sense and certain precautions should not be ignored, handloading is by no means a high risk hobby. Always remember to wear safety glasses while shooting and handloading.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Reloading is as safe as you make it. If you can follow instructions and pay attention to detail then it is a safe hobby. If you like to strike out on your own into untried loads then you just may loose a hand or worse. 

I have been reloading for over 40 years now and thousands of rounds and have only came up with one problem round and that one for some reason missed me putting powder into the case and the bullet lodged in the barrel. But if something like that happens you will know it just by the way the recoil or lack of recoil feels. 

As for having someone show you how and what you are doing, it would be nice but really isn't necessary. The reloading manuals tell you what you need to do and most of them tell you when you need to do it as far as the steps are concerned. Also as Bax said it gets expensive in that you do shoot a lot more and become a better shot in doing it. That along with taking your first big game animal with a load that you put together is a lot of satisfaction.


----------



## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Man it was horrifying to squeeze the trigger on the first few handloads I ever made! :shock: 

Talk about a rush!!!!


----------



## James (Oct 7, 2007)

I have been reloading since 1957. I was in high school when I started. No problems. I will say you need to carefully read the books and follow instructions plus check and double check. Yes, there is a potential for catastrophe. There are measures to avoid those problems.

Check this out!


----------



## Huntoholic (Sep 17, 2008)

You have been given some good advise in these first comments.

Paying attention to detail and No distractions are big keys. Setting good habits is another good key. If you use a mentor, make sure that mentor has good habits. Do your home work before you meet your mentor.

One thing I do different then in James's write up is I only load powder and seat the bullet in 10 to 15 rounds at a time. One, it lets me focus on a smaller area when I'm checking powder heights in each case (10 to 15 rounds will give a good reference from one case to the other and is easier than looking at 25 to 50 cases). Second, if my hand catches on a case or the block and knocks the powder out of some, I'm not having to re-measure a whole bunch of cases. I don't short cut steps. If I bump a tray and knock even a little bit powder out of one case, I will empty and re-measure every case in the block.

Because I don't have big blocks of continues time, I break my re-loading steps into parts. I'll size, clean and trim in one setting. I'll seat primers in the next, then I'll load powder and seat bullets in the last. Some of my steps actually will get done twice. An example would be I check the case for health during the sizing and trimming step. I also will check the health of the case during the priming step. I don't consider the double check a waste of time.

My paying attention to detail is not just in the loading step. I listen to the rounds as I fire them. I check primers after I fire them. I even check cases I find while out walking. If in doubt I throw it away. No room for doubt and it is not worth it. 

In my 37 years of reloading, I have made only one mistake. I did grab the wrong powder. One shot and I knew I had a problem. The recoil was a little heavier. I checked the primer and it was not the same as the hundreds of rounds that I've fired out of this gun. I had to back track through my records and figure out what and were I went wrong. Because I don't use a ton of different powders and I focus on what works in each of my guns the mistake I made was not a catastrophe. It was also a reminder to pay attention to detail and to have good habits.

It is safe and rewarding.


----------



## magpie (Aug 15, 2011)

When I mention to people that I reload my own ammunition, I’m almost always asked “Isn’t that dangerous?” My response is “No, but it can be hazardous if you don’t pay attention to what you are doing.”

I second most of the advice given in the previous posts. Reloading manuals and other books about reloading (The ABC’s of Reloading) contain sections on safety as well as the proper steps that should be followed when reloading. Pay attention to the safety measures and proper steps. Take into consideration the environment you will be reloading in. If you have a wife and kids talk with them about what you are doing and set some ground rules. 

Everybody learns differently, I spent close to a year reading reloading manuals and doing research online before I even purchased any equipment. I felt and still feel that the research done on my own was more than enough. As mentioned above if you decide to use a mentor be sure and do your homework before hand. The ABCs of Reloading is a good place to start.


----------



## ckamanao (Mar 20, 2010)

Thanks for the information guys. What kind of presses would you recommend? I'm mostly interested in pistol ammo but might get into .556 or .308 later in the future.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

For a beginer I would start out with the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme kit. It has everything that you need to start reloading except for dies, shellholder, powder, primers, bullets, and cases. This is a kit that you will have the rest of your life.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/937051 ... -press-kit


----------



## James (Oct 7, 2007)

I have at times had people ask me to reload some brass for them. My response is: If you want to get some components and bring your brass over, I will look over your shoulder while you reload your own. 

Lots of reloading tools on eBay. If you have the patience to shop there, you might get set up for a fraction of what it will cost to buy new. I recently got a nice RCBS Jr 3 press at a good price . This is a great press for pistol ammo. 

For tools starting out you will need:
Reloading Manual, start here and read the how to and safety parts first.
Press
Shell Holder
balance beam scale
Powder measure ..... is sure nice. I like the Lyman 55
Die set
Hand priming tool
loading board
Powder funnel
Components to include: Bullets, primers, powder


----------



## James (Oct 7, 2007)

If you are inclined to buy new, look at this link. Lyman has some great tools.

Check this out!


----------



## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

Handloading our own ammo has always been a father & son tradition in my family. among the tens of thousands of rounds I've reloaded, I've only ever had a handful of issues, 99.99% of them being a lack of powder (the 4 slugs in the barrel are indicative of this). If you're paying attention, these are easy to recognize as they make a sound similar to a semi-dud firecracker and just go THOOM instead of boom.

Once, I had a head separation in a semi-auto .40 cal due to a double charge. It was my own fault and while the damage to myself and the handgun was minimal, I don't do that style of handgun with reloads anymore. (Glock, Baby Eagle, etc.)

This said, I enjoy the art of handloading. It's a matter of great pride to make my own ammunition and I cannot wait to introduce it to my children.


----------



## Nathanwild (Sep 30, 2012)

I think that it is a good idea to start with Rifle loads. when you do your research you can find powder for rifles that are impossible to double load without over flow.


----------



## Frisco Pete (Sep 22, 2007)

If you read the literature, use common sense, and ask questions reloading is very safe.

While loading for handguns I think revolvers and their rounds are better starters than autopistols. Nevertheless, by reading and following instructions and asking questions from experienced loaders a novice can turn out good autopistol reloads.

Not mentioned here, and maybe not in how-to literature for reloading is the wonderful-ness of having a case gauge for your pistol calibers for a ready check. Drop in the empty case and you can see if you have resized it enough, or if it is too long and needs a trim. Drop in the loaded round and you can check for excessive overall length (OAL). I also use one for autoloader 5.56 reloading.

Too little powder (stuck bullets) or a double charge is the bane of handgun reloaders. I suggest using a rather bulky powder for the load - one that uses more grains of powder. For example, instead of a tiny charge of Bullseye powder in a .45 ACP, use a larger, bulkier charge of Unique which also works in this application that will noticeably overflow the case if double-charged. The reloading manuals will give you a selection to choose from.

The new Speer reloading manual has some of the best articles on handgun loading pitfalls.

I completely disagree with the loading press selections recommended above. While fine presses all, if you really get serious about loading a lot of pistol ammo and 5.56 and don't have all the time in the world, they are a real handicap. You will absolutely soon want a progressive press to lessen case handling and speed things up considerably.

But.. They will stammer - a _progressive_ reloader is much harder and trickier for a novice to learn on and catch mistakes. Yes but there is a good answer that doesn't involve wasting money on something that you will wish was faster and required less effort. YOU CAN HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO if you buy the *Dillon BL 550 Basic Loader*. It is a multi-station press that can be run as a single stage press (_the ones suggested as beginner presses by the others above are single stage presses_) that is a good and reasonably simple learning press but can be converted into a fast progressive RL550b which is the benchmark of progressives.

Actually, because it retains the progressive type multi-die tool head it saves you from having to unscrew each of 4 dies for each loading operation every time you go to the next step. You just advance the case in a progressive manner. Too complicated? Then just screw in 1 die and use it like a regular single stage press. Priming will be separate and there is a funnel die that you can meter your powder charge into by whatever method you choose, just like with a single stage. Or you can charge the cases in blocks like others off-press. But you will soon get very comfortable with using all the stations and using it in a semi-progressive manner - unless you are a complete idiot that is.
I have a neighbor that had only loaded a few rounds years ago on the single stage type who bought a Dillon progressive and by reading and paying attention to detail was turning out great and safe ammo on the progressive immediately.

You can do most any rifle or pistol caliber on it and have the advantage of never having to readjust your dies because they can all stay mounted in the removable tool head when you switch calibers.

If the time comes, as mentioned it will upgrade to a normal progressive. Until then you will be ahead of the curve.

This is what Dillon says:
The BL 550 is essentially an RL550B without the automatic priming and powder systems. Capable of loading more than 160 calibers- just like the RL550B- it uses any manufacturers' standard 7/8"-14 reloading dies. It's priced comparably with other manufacturers' turret presses; yet unlike them, it's fully upgradeable to Dillon's Progressive RL550B loader! 
The interchangeable toolhead makes it quick, easy and inexpensive to change calibers. For example, if you load 30-06 for elk, .243 for deer and .22-250 for coyote, you don't even have to change the shellplate. You simply pull two pins and swap the toolhead with your 30-06 dies to another toolhead with your .22-250 or .243 dies in less than 30 seconds! The additional toolheads are $20.95 each, or $18.95 each if you buy three or more- if you load for several rifles it's a no-brainer! Once you get your dies set you'll never have to re-set them. 
A powder measure adapter is available if you want to use a manual measure that you already own. Or, if you want to weigh every powder charge you load, it's easy- you can use a powder trickler with the powder die/ funnel assembly that comes with the BL550.


----------

