I have all the equipment and tons of components and powder to load numerous other calibers. But never had the time to really get down to it and start reloading. Though after the last drought when stuff became available again I started buying tons of whatever was in stock. So I likely have some powders that I’ll be able to use.
Well, the .45-70 should kick my butt into reloading gear as 1 you just can’t find ammo. I got 80 rounds with the gun.
I need to pick up some dies.
What brand should I pick up? Lee, Hornady, RCBS? I have a Lee Classic Reloading Kit. Most of my other Dies are RCBS as that is generally what was the easiest to find locally.
Now you just never know what will be in stock. Though I have a Cabelas GC so looks like all the brands are available to ship.
I have a Marlin 1895GBL 18” barrel. Looking for a moderate load for the range and fun. The 80 rounds I have are the HSM 430gr +P Bear Load

What do you all like to load for your .45-70?

*edited after checking written data from the past*

I suppose times have changed, but back when I loaded for that caliber RL-7 was the go to powder. That worked very well for anything from 300-460 gr. bullets, which is pretty much everything within reason.

My general purpose load was a 405gr. Remington flat point (edit starts here) or Buffalo Bore WFNGC of the same weight over 40 something grains of RL-7. (end of edit) For God's sake check the manuals first though I chrono'd the top end loads at around 1775fps from my ported guide gun.

RCBS dies are the only ones I have for rifle calibers, and so I can't recommend anything else from personal experience.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: apprentice,

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
The 80 rounds I have are the HSM 430gr +P Bear Load

Heh, I bet those are stompers, don't think I'd want to shoot one. The 405gr standard load was plenty for me. But then I'm not a hunter, just a shooter.

I don't really have anything to contribute as I'm new to .45-70 myself, having just picked up a Winchester/Miroku 1886 a few months ago, but I'll be watching this thread. I'm looking for a more moderate load too, something in the 300-400gr range. I did do some searching online for "moderate" load data and the three powders that I kept seeing recommended the most were AA 5744, Trail Boss and Unique. For dies I've generally always used RCBS and never had any problems with them. I was looking all over for 9mm dies last year and finally found a couple of Lee sets, and didn't like either one. They worked all right, but were a PITA to get adjusted. I finally found a set of Redding carbide dies and I like them a lot better than the Lees. If anybody makes a carbide die set for .45-70, I haven't seen it. I picked up a set of RCBS .45-70 dies and I'm sure they'll work fine when I get around to playing with it, hopefully soon (took a LONG time to find any 5744 but I finally found 4lb of it just recently).

Ohh yes checking manuals is an absolute must. I have a Speed and Lyman though the Lyman has no .45-70 data I can find other than shell holder number.

Just looking for real world cross reference options to see what seems to be working well for folks.
Varget powder is in each configuration and I have a bunch of that.
Need to sign up for a class at the local reloading shop is what I really need to do.

45-70 is a breeze to reload for. It's basically a big handgun cartridge and just as easy to reload as 357's or 44's, etc. When I was hunting I ran 300g Sierra JHP's over 52g of Reloader 7. Literal bang-flop on white tails. Nowadays it's 405g cast flat points over light loads of H4198. I load these down so I can also shoot them in my Contender pistol. That's one of the nice things about the 45-70, you can load it mild to wild.
I use a Hornady three die set, plus a Lee factory crimp die. Can't recommend the Lee die enough, it does a great job.

The OP has young sons. He needs to be aware of recoil. When my dad gave me the family Springfield, the 45-70 was a thumper for a young guy. If his plans include the young guys are gong to shoot it, he needs to consider that. But back then we didn't have dies (things were hard). So we went to the gun store and got the owner t0 load u a box. They were light, but not too light to be dangerous.

We soon got a die set and we started loading for it. I've still got maybe of the original loads. I have no clue what they were, but I guess I could pull them down and see. I don't like others loads for any number of reasons. I trusted the gunshop owner back then, and I could always drop back to .410s if need be. The OP here should keep that in mind, including slug loads. I'd guess his gun has the recoil absorbing steel butt plate...

He also can get a Lyman manual that is past mild. Using their starting load, it'll be mild enough for the young 'uns. And use the 300gr, not the 405s or the 405s. For the OP himself, The gun isn't really a thumper, but the manufacturer wanted to be true to the brand and inletted the stock like the orginal to make soft rubber pads not work. Mirako needs to be taken out behind the barn and shot.

In short, any powder that is recommended in the manuals will work just fine.

With 400s or 405s I load them with 32gr of 4198.

500s I use 29gr of same.

Both loads give me right around 1400ft/sec, enough energy to stop a truck, and pleasant enough to shoot all day.

The kiddos won’t be shooting this anytime soon.
Hope to get the oldest on the air guns this year.

Anyone used Xtremes 300grain bullets?
The reviews are all over the board on their website.

I've been loading for it for a few years. I like Lee dies, and they've always worked just fine for me. I have a buddy who bleeds green and likes to pooh pooh my Lee stuff, but my ammo shoots just as good as his, and IMO they're easier to adjust.

I REALLY like the factory crimp die, especially for lever-actions, as it's easy to set a solid crimp to make sure you don't get bullet setback from the bullets being stacked on top of one another in the mag tube, then subjected to the substantial recoil of the .45-70.

My favorite load for range plinking uses Trailboss under a 405gr LRNFP. It's light shooting (for .45-70), but still delivers a nice thump to steel, and is right around the top of the "trapdoor" range in the book. I've also tried a similar load using unique, but trailboss fills the case better, burns cleaner, and is more consistent.

For heavier-hitting stuff, I believe I'm using 4198 (but I'm away from my book right now, so don't quote me on that). I load those to about mid-range in the lever-action section of the book, and that's plenty. I don't have a Ruger #1 or the like, so I've never ventured into the "Modern Rifles" load tables...from my experience shooting the "lighter" stuff, the idea scares me.

One thing I will say about the .45-70...it's trajectory is extreme, and is drastically affected by load and bullet weight, more than any other cartridge I've ever loaded for. At one point I had some 350gr sierra bullets that I loaded pretty hot. The rifle was zeroed for a nice, slow 405gr load, and those 350s were off paper at 50 yards. I also had some factory 325gr Hornady Leverevolution, and their POI was very different as well (not to mention, they kicked like a pissed off donkey!). Just something to be aware of.

Speaking of Leverevolution....one more thing. Those bastards at Hornady used shorter than spec brass to load that stuff. Something about the ogive of the bullet needed a shorter case to accommodate it. But I was really pissed off when I bought a box with my new rifle planning to reload the brass when I was done with it, and then discovered that it's trimmed back significantly shorter than saami brass. As such, it's really only suitable for loading those goofy flex-tip Hornady bullets in, and you have to re-adjust your crimp die every time you run them if you're going to do that. I ended up sticking them in a bag somewhere for a rainy day and haven't touched them since.

When I was shooting 45-70 I stuck with Sierra 300 gr. bullets. I found that loads for them were ballistically more efficient and thumped me less, even loaded warm. I used RCBS equipment to reload for it. I cant recall what powder I used.

When I owned a Marlin .45-70 I used 300 or 350 gr., which ever was available. This was to be used on mule deer. Do not remember what powder. Traded if off before I had time to work out various loads.

PC

IMR-4198 is a common powder with the 45-70, as others near that burn range. Of course, availability can be the biggie if you don’t have it already.

Midway has a few die choices in stock. I’m just starting a new cartridge, the 22 Hornet. No I didn’t need it, but bought an old Model 70 chambered in such. So far I ordered a Redding sizing die from eBay, then have a Lee seating die inbound from Midway. I don’t mind mixing & matching.

I’ve loaded some light loads for the 45-70 with IMR-4227, have a lot of old powder. I usually use the lighter bullets, 300-350 grain, casual shooting. There are 3 basic load levels with the 45-70, lite Trapdoor, mid modern lever-gun, then up towards Ruger #1 loads. Of course there is a range within those general levels.

The one writer stated, the Ruger #1 loads can become ‘unshootable’ for many, relatively light gun too. Many of the commercial loads are rather light, unless stated otherwise.

Looking over several manuals, data for the 45-70 varies a good bit more than usual. I’d look over a handful as you proceed.

I used 53 grains of 3031 under a 400 grain bullet when I carried it in the woods in Alaska.

H4198 and 350 grainers for plinking.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:

Speaking of Leverevolution....one more thing. Those bastards at Hornady used shorter than spec brass to load that stuff. Something about the ogive of the bullet needed a shorter case to accommodate it. But I was really pissed off when I bought a box with my new rifle planning to reload the brass when I was done with it, and then discovered that it's trimmed back significantly shorter than saami brass. As such, it's really only suitable for loading those goofy flex-tip Hornady bullets in, and you have to re-adjust your crimp die every time you run them if you're going to do that. I ended up sticking them in a bag somewhere for a rainy day and haven't touched them since.

Thanks for the info as I have 2 boxes of Leverevolution.
Guess I’ll get a box of those goofy bullets.

Do you know if this is the same for the .30-30 as I have a number of boxes in that caliber too.

Dumb question.
.45-70 use the same bullets as .458 Socom?

Bump to point out edit of my original post in this thread.
Sorry for the inconvenience, but safety first.

I have to laugh at myself a bit here. I went and checked my primer stash from when things were prevalent and cheap.
It would seem I neglected the Large Rifle Primers a bit. I have 10s of 1000s of small pistol, large pistol, and small rifle primers.
I have 300 yup 300 Large Rifle Primers.

I have a set of new RCBS dies, shell holder, and 100 unfired cases enroute thanks to a good deal from a forum member.

Hopefully Will grab a Lee Crimping die as suggested by this thread. A bunch of bullets and powder from the reloading shop.

quote:

Do you know if this is the same for the .30-30 as I have a number of boxes in that caliber too.

Not sure, as after my first Leverevolution experience, I never bought any more, but I'd definitely measure them and check before you get too carried away trying to load them. They'll work...you just have to use FTX bullets, and adjust your crimp dies accordingly.

.45-70 does use a .458 bullet...I'm not sure about the common weights or profiles of the .458 SOCOM, as I don't load that one, but the diameter is the same. .45 ACP and .45 Colt are typically .452, so those won't work in your .45-70.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:

quote:

Do you know if this is the same for the .30-30 as I have a number of boxes in that caliber too.

Not sure, as after my first Leverevolution experience, I never bought any more, but I'd definitely measure them and check before you get too carried away trying to load them. They'll work...you just have to use FTX bullets, and adjust your crimp dies accordingly.

Found a box of 50 today locally. Those SOBs expensive but grabbed them anyway since I have a couple boxes of loaded ammo and will want to reload that brass eventually.