FAQ - General

Q. How safe is hand-loading?

A. 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, hand-loading is by no means a high risk hobby. Always remember to wear safety glasses while shooting and hand-loading.

Q. How good is hand-loading ammo?

A. The truth is, carefully hand-loaded ammunition is usually better than factory loaded, because it can be fine-tuned to fit a specific gun and a certain type of shooting. The result is far greater accuracy.

Q. How complicated is hand-loading?

A. It's simple. There are only four components to a rifle or pistol cartridge: the primer, the powder, the bullet and the brass case. When a cartridge is fired, the primer ignites the powder, the powder then propels the bullet out of the barrel. All that's left is the brass case and the spent primer. And this is where the hand-loading comes in. The brass can be reloaded over and over. All you do is push out the fired primer, resize the brass case, insert a new primer, add the right amount of powder and seat a new bullet on the case. That's hand-loading in very simplified terms. More details are on the following pages.

Q. How much money does hand-loading save?

A. A lot. Take .30-06 factory ammo for instance. At today's prices, they cost about $.90 each. Of that, the primer, powder and bullet account for about $.38. So about $.52 of every factory round is chalked up to the brass case plus the expense of loading it. Since you will be using the case over again, you save nearly 60% over factory ammo or about $10.60 per box of 20! That's why hand-loaders generally make better shooters, because they can afford to practice more.

Q. How much equipment does it take?

A. Surprisingly little. Many non-re-loaders think it takes several hundred dollars to get into hand-loading properly, but the truth is you can get all the equipment you need to start out with for less than $200.00. If you do much shooting at all, this amount can be saved in your first year alone.

Q. Can I order Direct?

A. If you are unable to find a RCBS product at your local dealer, you may order the product direct from the factory. (US and Canadian residents only please.) Call RCBS Customer Service at 1.800.533.5000 or 1.530.533.5191 Monday through Friday 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM PST. We accept MasterCard, Visa, checks and money orders.

Q. How many types of cartridges can be hand-loaded?

A. Most any and all kinds except rimfire type, like .22's. Most brass cases can be reloaded 5 to 20 times, depending upon the caliber and powder charge. Besides the standard calibers, RCBS's Special Order Catalog lists over 1100 dies and die sets.

Q. Where is RCBS?

A. 605 Oro Dam Blvd. Oroville, CA 95965

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