[[{“value”:”September 26th, 2025
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Seven Key Safety Tips for Reloading — Be Careful, Stay Safe
You can never be too safe when hand-loading your own ammunition. This article outlines the Seven Fundamental Reloading Safety Tips, as explained by Brownells. This is important information for novice hand-loaders and a good refresher for those with reloading experience! The Ulimate Reloader video below has some specific tips on loading hunting ammo, as we are now in hunting season throughout much of the nation.
Summary of the Seven Safety Tips:
1. Do NOT mix powders. Keep your powders clearly marked and dated. You can use masking tape to write the date on the container.
2. Check cases frequently. Look for split necks, case head separation or other signs of fatigue and excessive pressure.
3. Store your reloading supplies in a safe and dry location, away from children and away from any possible source of ignition. It is also smart to keep your powder and primers separate.
2. Get and use respected reloading manuals, especially for new cartridges. Start low and work up slowly while watching for warning signs of pressure and/or case fatigue.
5. Make sure you cannot be distracted when reloading. Turn off your phone. If you get interrupted, stop. (Distractions will eventually lead to mistakes.)
6. Make sure your ammo headspaces properly in each gun if you load the same cartridge type for different firearms. Even with the same cartridge, different guns may require different loads.
7. If reloading military brass, be aware that case capacity is usually reduced, and initial loads should be at least 10-15% lower than published data.
Here are some other tips that will help your avoid making costly mistakes (such as using the wrong powder, or undercharging a case):
- Powder Type — Always double-check the label on your powder containers. After placing powder in the powder measure, put a piece of tape on the measure with the powder type written on it. Some guys write the powder type on a card and place that right in the hopper.
- Scale Drift — Electronic balances can drift. If you are using a digital powder scale, calibrate the scale with a test weight every 50 rounds or so.
- Case Fill — If you throw more than one charge at a time, look INSIDE every case before seating a bullet. Squib charges can be dangerous if you don’t notice them before firing the next round.
- Progressive Presses — When using a progressive press, consider using an RCBS Lock-Out Die. This will detect a low charge and stop the machine. These dies will work with RCBS, Hornady, and Dillon progressives.
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Tags: Brownells, Hand-loading, Progressive Press, Reloading, safety
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