Key Points
- You can add ammo to your radial wheel and select it from the wheel to reload guns quickly.
- If a gun jams, open the radial wheel again and unload one or more ammo rounds.
- The same rules apply for weapons that have magazines, and they can get jammed as well.
You can switch out your melee weapons for some hardcore ranged weapons in Project Zomboid. That way, you can protect yourself from the oncoming zombie hoard from afar. But, just like real life, the guns in the game also come with some faults. Plus, you need to learn how to quickly reload them before you get overtaken and get bitten.
Read More: How To Switch Car Batteries in Project Zomboid
Project Zomboid – Reloading Overview
| How to do | Obtain ammo and use it from the radial wheel |
| Keybind | R key |
| Available for all guns | Yes |
How to Reload Guns Quickly

You don’t need to go into your inventory all the time to reload guns, as you can press the R key to bring up the radial wheel and reload guns this way. First, you are going to need some ammo, which you can get from scavenging different homes and checking out shelves and cabinets. If you encounter a gun store, then you can collect guns and ammo from here too. You can also find guns and ammo on fallen corpses, provided they didn’t turn yet.
Now that you have your gun and ammo, equip your gun first and make sure the ammo is in your inventory. Press the R key to find a reload option on top once the radial wheel pops up. Select it to add bullets to your gun. It will take some time to reload weapons, especially if they have larger ammo slots, so keep that in mind if you are out exploring with an unloaded gun.
In case your weapon jams up, then you need to unload the bullets off your weapon and reload again. This option is also available in the radial wheel, so press R again to find two different options at the bottom of the wheel. You can either choose to unload just one bullet, as indicated by a singular bullet icon, or unload all bullets, as indicated by the icon with two or more bullets.
How to Reload Magazines
Reloading gun magazines work the same way. You first need to add the magazine to your chosen gun, collect the required ammo for it, then hit the radial wheel key to reload. You could also manually reload from your inventory by selecting the gun with the magazine attachment and loading all the bullets into it. Doing it manually works if you are in a safe place and you know you won’t be disturbed, since reloading magazines will take a lot more time than reloading weapons directly.
FAQs
Can I reload while on the move?
Reloading while moving might cancel out the action, so it’s best to stay in one place and reload.
Can I reload during combat?
Yes, you can quickly bring up the radial wheel and reload even while you are in combat.
How do I reload magazines from the backpack?
You need to press the R key twice to reload magazines from your backpack by ejecting it first and then reloading it before inserting it into the gun.

