Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 45-70 Loading Tips

My son just picked up a Henry in 45-70 and has shot several boxes of factory ammo from it and even downed a small buck this year. I plan to start loading for it. He gave me all his WW, Hornady and Starline brass. I plan to use Hornady 300gr JHP and 325 FTX (if I can find these). I have never loaded a straight wall cartridge before. I bought an RCBS 3 die set. I have IMR4895 and H322 to use. All my other powders are too slow.

I have never used a separate expander die before. Any tips on setting it up and using it? When do I check for case length... just after sizing or just after expanding? Lastly, I normally do not crimp. The RCBS dies have a roll crimp. I bought a Lee factory crimp die in case it is a better way to go. Any crimping tips?

Full length resize all brass cases.

Hornady and Starline brass will have less case capacity than WW cases, adjust powder in them using a chronograph to get like velocities.

Check length on Hornady brass, it may be shorter, if you want to use all three brands trim all to same length after full length resize.

Hit full length resized cases with VLD tool to chamfer inside case neck, slowly seat bullets, expander not necessary.

Give all a good pinching with Lee FCD in their cannelures.

58 grains of H-322 with both bullets will put you in a good place.

The FTX brass is shorter to make a workable OAL with the pointed bullets. Your die set probably will not crimp this shorter brass unless RCBS has charged their dies in the last couple years.

Personally I’d forget the FTX and use other bullets so you don’t have to fiddle with the different length brass. Any of the various 300gr HPs from Sierra, Hornady, Speer, Remington, Winchester Etc are great deer bullets.

If you’re loading to higher pressure than trapdoor loads try to use a bulky powder that will be slightly compressed. This keeps bullets from setting back in the case as the surge and slam together in the magazine tube under recoil.

Have fun and realize that you don’t have to load it to the gills where it’ll loosen your fillings to be effective.

AlI I can say is, 300gn Speer Jacketed HP's and H4198 is where you need to be.

I have a Marlin 1895SS and I use IMR 4198, H322 and RL 7 for all weights of .458 bullets. I happen to like the Lee factory crimp die. Trim all cases to the same length.

My preference was always 3031, but the 322, I think would be the better choice than 4895

Don't be concerned with "case capacity" unless you're using Hornady cases...they're shorter than standard.

Expand only enough to start the bullet in the case. No need to over do it.

Recommend cast bullets over jacketed, etc. .459 will reduce most lead fouling for cast bullets. Slug your barrel if hesitant.

Substantial crimp is best.

No need to have extreme FPS. You'll get best results with moderate loads.

Get a good shoulder fit and strong support hand. Lighter trigger hand.

I use h4198 with Speer 400gr and Remington 405gr. out of my Henry. Use to do the max or near max thing but have since downloaded it. My shoulder thanked me.

What everyone else has already stated about case length when using the 300 and 325 FTXs ... do that. Watch for that. Personally, I only use new Hornady brass or once fired Hornady brass when reloading their FTX fare for my 45-70.

Powder choices listed above ... golden advice. 4198, 3031, 322, RL7. There are three more really good ones, one or two more modern, but those four are a good start.

Okay, so about this resizing, trimming, expanding thingy ... as already stated, full length resize and then be a minimalist when it comes to expanding your case mouths, the less the better. (You can get a lot of use out of 45-70 brass if you treat it right and baby-it just a bit). Minimum belling .... at the same time you don't want any shaving, copper, brass, coating, lead or otherwise. I use a Lee Universal expanding die and dial it in perfectly depending upon the situation. The reason is most 45 expansion dies are spun for 45 ACP amd 45 Colt. 45-70 needs a weeee little bit more.

Then comes seating and crimping. Seating depends all upon the pill of course but crimping the 45-70 (I actually learned this from years of rolling 44 Mag for my 1894P) ... get yourself a Profile Crimp from Redding and never look back. It's a fairly new thing .... I first starting using them on 44 Mag then, one day it hit me, I figured surely they must make one for 45-70 and, sure enough, they do. It's an awesome thing and it doesn't care if your brass is Hornady-short or if it's your normal red-blooded American full length Starline brass ... it works equally well on both and it tightened up my 1895's groups by half. Feeds better too for some reason.

Have fun reloading for your Son's 45-70. It's God's cartridge. You're doing The Lord's work.

Unique - you can get 500 (or more) cartridges out of a single pound canister.

Not position sensitive, but out of habit, I still raise the barrel to get the powder near the primer.