Hi guys I'm going to start reloading 45-70 soon.
I'm curious if there are any tips or tricks i should know about loading this cartridge.
Everything will be done on my lee single stage press.
I have 2 boxes of 325gt ftx bullets to play with currently but i see lots of guys reloading hard cast bullets. Any other suggestions? This will be for bears and other big creatures here on Vancouver island etc. Hunting/hiking kinda thing.
How is the starline brass. I get most of my reloading components from Henry @ budget reloading supplies and he has it in stock.
Any recommendations on die sets? Recommended powders?
Thanks in advance
What rifle are you using? If it's a lever like a Marlin 1895 or Henry All Weather(like I have) read on.
The Starline Brass is excellent, I have no complaints with it whatsoever. I use CCI large rifle Primers (No.200)
Since there doesn't seem to much (if anything) out there for carbide dies, I just went for a $45 3 Die LEE set and it's been excellent actually, it just means you have to use case lube. I guess that would be one tip I'd give anyone when re-loading a rifle case in a non-carbide die: Don't use too much lube or the case will buckle and dent and you really don't want that given that these components aren't cheap. Using a lube pad really helps to get a light even coat; just gently roll the casings over the pad right before you put them through the sizing die. An extra step I take is to throw the resized casings back in the tumbler for an hour after resizing to help remove any excess lube. Just paranoid about that I guess.
If you're loading those ftx bullets, the others have told you about casing length. If you end up finding some brass to go with those bullets, the next tip would be that the shorter brass is not going to work with the LEE factory crimp die.
Since no one else has mentioned it, you will need a firm crimp on these rounds if you're using a lever gun where the bullets sit end to end in the magazine. There's quite a bit of recoil to these firearms and bullet setback can be a real issue if cases are not properly crimped in to the bullet.
If you're looking for a good hunting bullet for anything up to and including Black Bear, the Sierra 300gr Jacketed Flat Point is a really nice option at a decent price. Available at Cabellas. If you're getting stuff from Henry, just grab the Speer 400gr jacketed Soft Point Flat Nose and be done with it. They've been accurate for me, and will knock down most anything with a well placed shot or two assuming you're using an appropriate load.
For powders, IMR 3031 is excellent, as is Alliant Reloader 7. I've used IMR 4198 with good success as well. The Hodgdon and Alliant load data tables have good information to get you started.
If you're a pistol loader, you can also try Unique for plinking rounds. I've used 14-15gr of it with my 350gr Speers and it was a really nice range round to help me get accustomed to the rifle when I first got it.
My 45-70 is by far my favorite firearm. Tons of fun to shoot!
