Reloading .45-70

[Johnny McCrae]

I don't remember what Lube I started out with but it was worthless. I switched to Hornady's "Unique Case Lube" for my .45-70 cases. It works like a charm and a little bit goes a long way. I reload my .45-70 Cartridges on a Lee Classic Turret Press.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/758495/hornady-unique-case-lube-4-oz-tub

[Otter]

Cookie,

I didn't start reloading until I got my hands on a 45-70 Rolling Block in 1997. Lee D press, Lee 45-70 dies and Winchester brass. I have used nothing but Imperial Sizing Die Wax and have had no difficulties with any caliber (I load for 15 or so calibers, pistol and rifle). With the 45-70s, the brass is dedicated to each specific rifle (I have 3 of them). Make sure you clean the dies prior to using the first time and occassionally over the years. Using to much lube can be as disappointing as not using enough. The Imperial Die Wax comes in a small tin and I am still using from the first tin I bought in '97. Take a cotton swab and lube 1/2" os so inside the case mouth, too. Again, a small amount will go a loooooonnnnnnggggg way.

For my 45-70s the brass has been sized once, barring the event of the "fumble fingers" and have been shot and reloaded probably 15 to 20 times each (only with BP) and are still in good shape with no signs of stretching, splitting or cracking. Starline does say (on their website) that their cases do not "need" to be resized prior to use. You are using dies for 45-70 right? I am assuming you are, but not everybody realizes that not all 45 dies are created equal.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I have 7 sets of Lee dies.  No troubles - EVER - with any of them.

I have 3 sets of RCBS dies.  No troubles - EVER - with any of them.

I have 1 set of Lyman dies.  No troubles - EVER - with it.

I have 6 sets of Dillon dies.  No troubles - EVER - with any of them.


Call me lucky, I guess.

I use Midway's brass spray lube.  Nice alcohol & citrus smell.  Works fine.  Have also used RCBS case lube with a pad.  Worked fine, but ever since I found the Midway spray lube, I haven't looked back.

Never heard anything bad about the Imperial Die wax and it IS made as a heavy-duty lube for case forming and resizing, not just reloading resize.


Cleaning new dies before use is a must.  I also spray a shot of case lube up in the resize/decap die before I begin any loading session and re-spray about every 50-75 rounds during use.  Of course, cleaning ALL your dies periodically is important, plus it lets you see if any rust begins to form on any of the "unseen" parts up in the die body.  In 1974, I started reloading on my Buddy's RCBS Rock Chucker Jr., then bought my Bonanza (now Forster) COAX for myself in 1982 as an Army re-enlistment present to myself.  (To use for reloading rounds for my new Colt Python, which ALSO was a re-enlistment present to myself.  )  About 15-17 yrs. ago, my wife Billie got me an AT500 Dillon Advanced Turret Loader for Christmas, and within 18 months I had converted it to a full RL550B progressive.  I also have a small Lee press I bought to resize BigLube PRS 250 boolits I cast.  All of these presses have worked very well since day one.  ZERO malfunctions, except once when the RL550 was new, and it turned out to be a problem with Operator Headspace & Timing.
 

The advice about using fired brass with only minimum neck sizing if you're loading the same cases in the same rifle is excellent advice and I highly recommend it.

Have fun!!!

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[Johnny McCrae]

I've never shot real Black Powder before so I went to the range yesterday only to try out my Black Powder loads.To my surprise I did some of the best shooting ever with my Sharps. Attached is a picture of my last target. The last two shots were in the X Ring. Never ever shot like this with smokeless! My eyes are not that good consequently I'm not a good shot so I was really happy with yesterday's results.
 
I shot at 100 yards. My rifle is an Armi Sport from Taylors in .45-70 with a 30" barrel and a single trigger. It is fitted with a Marbles Tang sight. I ended up with 60 grains of 1-1/2  F Swiss, a 400 grain Big Lube bullet from Whyte, Winchester Magnum primers and a .060" thick Vegetable wads compressed to around .100". I used a 24" drop tube that I built. The rounds were reloaded in a Lee Classic Turret Press with Lee Dies. The cases were lubed with Hornady's Unique Case Lube. Before this I was using Trail Boss for my smokeless loads.

Many thanks to Dick Dastardly for his great help and advice in getting me started shooting Black Powder in my Sharps Also thanks to Springfield Slim of Whyte Leather Works for those fine Big Lube bullets. I will not put smokeless through my Sharps again!
 

 

[Ranch 13]

Chances are pretty good if you get that powder charge up to 65 grs, even with that bullet you have , the groups will tighten up. With a better bullet in the 480-520 gr range and the same 65 grs of powder groups will likely get tighter yet.

[Johnny McCrae]

Howdy Ranch 13,
Thanks for the input.

By the way, has anyone used Remington .45-70 Brass? It seems like everyone I call is out of Winchester or Starline .45-70 Brass.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy Ranch 13,
Thanks for the input.

By the way, has anyone used Remington .45-70 Brass? It seems like everyone I call is out of Winchester or Starline .45-70 Brass.

Howdy, Johnny M!   Long time- no see! 


I have some N-plated Rem brass I bought when I first got my Taylor's Sharps rifle.  I've only reloaded them twice or thrice.  No problems so far, but as I have since found, I will NEVER buy/use nickled brass any more.  Too much splitting too soon.  I prefer Win brass, but Starline is certainly top quality.  ALL U.S. brass is pretty good when you come right down to it.

When I first decided to step into the wonderful world of BP shooting & reloading, I called several manufacturers and talked to their tech engineers.  They ALL stated that Winchester uses the softest alloy of brass and is also often the thinnest, which contributes to the apparent softness.  (I talked to the techs at Sierra, Hodgdon, Speer, and another I fergit, right now.  Win, I think)

My main Olde West loading experience is with 45 Colt and BP, but I did load and shoot 4-500 45-70 rounds.  I've never used Starline for my 45-70, but am VERY happy with their cases for 45 Colt, 44 Russian, & soon I'll be using their 44 Colt cases.

Later ...

[Ranch 13]

Johnny yes Remington brass is preferred by many, including myself, as it is usually much more uniform than ww or starline, and does not need annealing like scrapline does.
 The Remington Nickle cases are the ones we use for my wife's match loads, and I use the regular rp brass for match paperpatch loads.

[Johnny McCrae]

Thanks for the help Gents.

Ranch, I've found a source for Remington .45-70 brass and will order some.

Steel Horse, I've been using Starline's .44 colt Brass for my RM with good results.

[Marshal Deadwood]

Johnny, I got a wad punch and punch out wax paper 'shields' to put on top of my fiber wad. That'll keep the fiber wad from occasionally sticking to the base of your black powder lubed bullets,,and cut down on fliers.

Deadwood

[Johnny McCrae]

Many thanks for the tip, Deadwood.

By the way, is trimming your case's important for just regular shooting?

[Ranch 13]

You'll have to shoot a godaawful lot of bp rounds before you need to trim a 45-70 case.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

You'll have to shoot a godaawful lot of bp rounds before you need to trim a 45-70 case.

Indeed!

You won't have to resize more than the neck enough to get a nice friction fit for the bullet, either ... if you're shooting them from the same rifle all the time.  Some only resize the neck enough that they can seat the bullets only by thumb pressure.

It's nice ... So I've heard.

[Ranch 13]

Before I started custom fitting the brass in my Taylors I had to resize everytime, but still didn't have to trim any of the brass.
 My Shiloh and my wifes Winchester, both have to flare the case mouth just a teensy to load with out resizing.
It is interesting to note tho that cases fired in the Shiloh won't chamber in the Winchester, the Winchester having the tighter chamber.

[Johnny McCrae]

Interesting stuff, Gents. Many thanks. I'm learning a lot.

[cpt dan blodgett]

John Boy gave a good lesson on seating a bullet in the chamber with the eraser end of a pencil then measuring the depth with your caliper.  You then measure the length of the bullet and have your cartridge OAL when you add the two together.
If you subtract the depth measurement from your case length you have the seating depth

[quigleysharps4570]

I use Remington brass for all my blackpowder loads and Winchester for my smokeless loads...aside from what's already been said...I can tell at a glance what I've grabbed up.