Reloading 101 - Part 3, Priming, charging, and bullet seating

Following up from Part 1 here are steps 9-11, 12-13 will come in separate post.

9. Priming

10. Powder drop & charging

11. Bullet seating

12. Crimping

13. Inspection & Quality control

Priming

Always check your load data to ensure you’re using the correct primer for the caliber you’re loading. Don’t make the same rookie mistake I once did by loading large rifle cartridges with large pistol primers—I ended up pulling apart 30 rounds and carefully pressing out each primer to fix that error.

Primers vary widely depending on application: pistol vs. rifle, small vs. large, magnum vs. standard, and even match-grade options. Shotshell primers are an entirely different topic, which I’ll cover in a separate series.

Keep in mind that not all primers look alike. At a glance, they may seem the same, but in reality, they are very different.

For years, I used an RCBS hand primer for all my cartridges. This was partly because the priming system on my Lee Loadmaster was finicky—loading too quickly would often cause primers to misfeed, flip, or even seat upside down. While a de-priming die can usually push out a bad primer, you must be extremely cautious. If you attempt this, remove all powder, primers, and loaded rounds from your bench to eliminate risk.

When priming—whether with a single-stage or progressive press—you should have no issues as long as you’ve properly reamed or swaged the primer pockets. Tools for this include a bench swager (Figure 1) or a reaming bit on a case prep tool (Figure 2).

Figure 1

Figure 2

Correct example: A properly seated primer should be flush with the base of the cartridge, undamaged, and uniform.

Incorrect example: If the primer is crushed, protruding, or visibly deformed, discard the cartridge. At your own risk, you can carefully de-prime and dispose of the bad primer.

While reloading as a whole is often compared to baking, this analogy is most true in the next two steps. Any error in powder charge weight or bullet seating depth can have catastrophic consequences, potentially causing firearm damage, serious injury, or even death.

Powder drop & charging

I’ll cover powder drops and charging tools in greater detail in a future post, but here’s a quick overview.

In my opinion, every reloader should have both a manual and an electronic powder measure. I still use my old dipper cup from time to time, and it works fine adjustments.

For match-grade precision rounds, I strongly recommend a manual powder measure like the RCBS Competition Powder Drop or Lee Precision auto disk or auto drum paired with a trickle or even a dipper cup, to achieve exact charges. For bulk target ammo, any method within your budget will suffice.

Electronic powder dispensers such as the RCBS Chargemaster or Hornady Auto Charge make life much easier, especially for high-volume loading. On progressive presses, you can integrate a manual powder drop with a die adapter for even more efficiency. Don’t forget a set of funnels with cartridge-specific adapters when handloading—they’re inexpensive and make charging cases far simpler.

It is imperative that you follow reloading data exactly, primarily for two reasons—with the first being the most critical:

1. Safety
2. Accuracy

You may see seasoned reloaders experimenting with test loads, but that practice is best left to those with extensive experience. For beginners and even intermediate reloaders, it is strongly recommended to purchase more than one reloading manual. Personally, I keep manuals from Lee, Lyman, and Hornady, and I always cross-reference at least two sources when loading a new caliber for the first time.

Measuring and charging powder on a single-stage press is straightforward. You can choose to charge all your prepped and primed cartridges in one batch or charge them one at a time as you go—it really comes down to your workflow and comfort.

However, when charging cases, you must remain extremely mindful of the possibility of a double charge. With certain calibers, a double charge will overflow and be obvious, but with many larger pistols and most rifle cartridges, the case capacity is large enough to easily conceal one. This is where vigilance is critical.

Safety Tips:

1. I only keep one type of powder on my bench at a time. This eliminates any possibility of confusing powders. I also keep the powder container in front of me at all times, so I know exactly what I’m using.
2. I avoid distractions—no music, TV, or background noise. Even small interruptions can shift your focus and introduce mistakes that could have serious consequences.

Bullet Seating

Many consider bullet seating to be the final major step in the reloading process. Just as with powder charges, it is absolutely critical to follow your reloading data exactly when it comes to seating depth.

If a bullet is seated too deep in the case, chamber pressures can spike well beyond safe limits. This can result in catastrophic failures—damaging your firearm, injuring the shooter, or even causing death. Conversely, failing to seat a bullet to the proper depth can disrupt powder burn rate, cause feeding issues, or even leave you with a jammed round.

COAL / OAL (Cartridge Overall Length / Overall Length):
This refers to the total length of a completed cartridge, measured from the base of the case to the tip of the bullet. Your reloading data will specify the correct COAL, which is achieved by seating the bullet to the proper depth. For beginners, following COAL measurements directly from your manual is the simplest and safest method.

BOL (Base to Ogive Length):
As you gain experience and invest in better measuring tools, you may transition to using Base to Ogive Length (BOL). Instead of measuring to the bullet’s tip, BOL measures from the cartridge base to the bullet’s ogive—the point where the bullet begins to curve into its conical shape. This is often a more precise way of ensuring consistent seating depth, since bullet tips can vary slightly in length.