Q: How can I save money on hunting cartridges?
You can save money by reloading your own ammunition. Reloaded ammunition is generally cheaper than factory ammunition.
Q: Is reloading my own ammunition difficult?
Take your time and proceed methodically, making sure to fully understand each step without hesitation. Safety must always be a top priority when pursuing this hobby.
Q: Can I control the quality of my cartridges by reloading them myself?
In reloading your own ammunition, you can control the components of each cartridge, allowing you to optimize accuracy and ensure consistent quality.
Q: What equipment do I need to start reloading my own cartridges?
Many reloading kits come with everything on this list except the case trimmer, deburring tool, and brass tumbler.
Also, I recommend a single-stage press for beginners rather than a progressive press. Progressive presses can churn out ammo more quickly, but they’re much more expensive and difficult to use. A single-stage press is more than sufficient to produce a small quantity of high-quality hunting cartridges.
Q: What Are the Steps in the Process?
Safety should be your number-one concern whenever you’re reloading ammunition. Take your time, follow your reloading manual exactly, and double- and triple-check your work.
Last Round
This article only scratches the surface of this topic. Each of the eight steps described could be expanded into an article of its own, but my hope is that this view communicates the relative simplicity of the reloading process. “Easy” isn’t quite the right word, but it’s definitely doable. With a little patience and care, any hunter can reload their own ammunition.
1. Clean your Brass
This is done with a case tumbler. I use a classic vibrating tumbler with corn cob media, but rotary tumblers also work well. The goal is to get the brass shiny and clean so you don’t run into any cycling issues caused by dirty cases.
2. Case Inspection
3. Resize and De-Prime
Once your brass is clean, it’s time to run each case through the resizing and de-priming die. The cases need to be resized because they expanded to fill your rifle’s chamber when they were fired. The resizing die gets them back to their original dimensions and pops out the old primer at the same time.
Follow the instructions that come with your caliber-specific die set, and be sure to hit the cases with a spritz of case lube so they don’t get stuck.
4. Trim the Cases
Resized cases are always a little longer than their original form. If they’re longer than the “max case length” noted in your reloading manual, they’ll need to be trimmed back to the “trim-to length.”
For example, I recently reloaded a set of .308 Win. brass that was all between 2.020” and 2.025” after resizing. Since that’s longer than the max case length of 2.015”, I trimmed them down to the recommended 2.005” trim-to length. Once each case was trimmed, I used my deburring tool to make sure each case mouth was smooth.
There are many kinds of case trimmers, but mine is a hand-crank model I secure with my bench vice. It’s not great for bulk ammunition, but it works just fine for reloading 20 or 40 hunting cartridges.
Many reloading kits come with everything on this list except the case trimmer, deburring tool, and brass tumbler.
Also, I recommend a single-stage press for beginners rather than a progressive press. Progressive presses can churn out ammo more quickly, but they’re much more expensive and difficult to use. A single-stage press is more than sufficient to produce a small quantity of high-quality hunting cartridges.
5. Prime the Cases
Use your hand primer to seat a new primer into the primer pocket of each case. Primers come in a variety of sizes, but “large rifle” primers are used for most big game hunting cartridges. Refer to your reloading manual for the specific kind of primer you should use.
6. Load the Cases with Powder
This is the step that requires the most caution. Under- or over-charging your cases can result in catastrophic failure, which could seriously injure you or anyone standing near you.
Your reloading manual will give you a minimum and maximum charge for each kind of bullet/powder combo. For example, my manual says that if I’m reloading 165-grain soft point bullets in a .308 Win. case, I can use between 42 and 46 grains of Hodgdon Varget powder. (It also lists max and min charges for other kinds of power; Varget is just one example.)
I’ve found that 45 grains of Varget works well in my rifle, so I measure out that amount of powder using my powder scale. Use the scoop that comes in the powder canister to get close to your target weight, then use the powder trickler to get it on the nose. Charge each case using the powder funnel.
7. Seat the Bullets
Once each case is primed and charged with the correct amount of powder, go back to your press to seat the bullets. This is accomplished with the bullet seating die that comes in your die set. To determine how deep the bullets should be seated, refer to your reloading manual. The manual will designate a “cartridge overall length” or “COAL” for various kinds of bullets. Find the bullet you’re using and seat the bullet to the depth that achieves that COAL. (This is where a good set of calipers is necessary.)
8. Optional: Crimp the Bullets
Your die set might also come with a “crimping die.” This die simply squeezes the case into the bullet to ensure the bullet doesn’t come loose. I like to crimp cartridges that will be fired in semi-auto rifles, but I’m skeptical whether it’s necessary for cartridges fired out of bolt-action rifles. I don’t see the cartridges being jostled enough to unseat the bullets, but if it makes you feel more confident in your reloads, go for it.