I'm gearing up to load 45-70.

I'll be using smokeless powder, and (mainly) 405gr. bullets.

Any advice on specific dies, etc?

Thanks,

flaco

Many powders will work well with 45/70.
Re7 and IMR4198 are in the center of the group.

I have been shooting 30 to 48 gr IMR4895 with 405 gr bullets.

The trajectory of 30 gr is like a rainbow, and the recoil at 48 gr is like a mule.

quote:

Originally posted by flaco:
I'm gearing up to load 45-70.

I'll be using smokeless powder, and (mainly) 405gr. bullets.

Any advice on specific dies, etc?

Thanks,

flaco

What rifle or handgun? It does make a difference with the 45-70.

Larry Gibson

tnekkcc-

Like your description of the "rainbow" trajectory. Expect most of my loads will look like that.

Larry Gibson-

My Lyman handbook has three different levels of load information for the 45-70.

As it turns out, I'll be loading for the gamut, from US Springfield 1873 to a Siamese Mauser. Most of my loads, though, will be pretty mild I expect.

Perhaps I wasn't specific enough in my question.

What I'm most interested in is seater issues--is it true that some seaters do fine with round nose bullets, but not flat nose?--and whether neck sizing is effective with 45-70.

Thanks again,

flaco

Sometimes I put seater stems in the lathe and make them match the bullet better and take off some burrs.

Flaco,

I use Redding dies and have had no seating issues with either roundnose soft points or flatnose hard casts. Have had good luck with IMR3031, RL-7, IMR4064, and H322 (with hardcast bullets). I load for a Marlin 1895 Guide Gun. If your loading for everything from a Trapdoor to a Siamese Mauser and decide to go over BP pressure for the bolt gun be sure to find a way to segregate loads so a Mauser load never finds its way into the Trapdoor. I had to do that with 45 Colt loads loading for a Blackhawk and a Colt SAA and it made me so paranoid that I ended up selling the Colt rather than take the chance.

Andy