45-70 Reloading dies HELP !

[Escopeta Jake]

Summer time is here, so it's time to start working up a load for the Sharps rifle.
I have been looking for  a set of 45-70 reloading dies on the internet and have worn my self out so I thought I would drop in and ask a few questions.

Does anyone make a 45-70 Carbide die?

Are the RCBS Cowboy dies for 45-70 any good?

What dies do you use and why do you like them?

Thanks !
EJ

[yellow bear]

Lee precision makes them - I use them weekly - I'm not positive about them being carbide, but pretty shure.  The only advantage of a carbide die is supposedly the cases don't have to be lubed - I use a spray lube that doesn't have to be removed - just be careful not to get the spray inside the shell or the powder will stick around the top of the shell and I'm not for sure - might interfere with the bullet seating - not that I've had a problem - I've had it happen, seated the bullet anyway and suffered no ill effects - also I kinda spread my reloading out as I resize the neck and prime one night and add the powder and bullet the next night, so the lube has dried by the second night.  I used to do all in one night until I stopped full sizing each shell - if yer interested in further explanation about neck sizing (45-70 don't have a neck per se) then let me know.

[Marshal Deadwood]

I use RCBS cowboy dies for my 45-70 and they are NOT carbide.

MD

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[Blackpowder Burn]

Are you sure resizing is necessary?  I shoot a 40-65 and dont' resize the brass at all.  They drop right in the chamber of my High Wall after reloading them unsized.  In fact, the only thing I do is reprime, drop in powder (black, of course) and wad, compress the powder, insert a bullet by hand, and apply a crimp.  If you're shooting the ammo in the same rifle all the time this might be the easiset way to go. 

I do use RCBS dies and have never had an issue.

[Delmonico]

As far as I know none are carbide (look in the mouth to see if you think yours are)   The 45-70 is not a straight case it is a tapered case.  Carbide dies are fro straight cases and a coule of real short tapered ones, not long tapered ones.

Die brand ain't gonna make a whole lot of differance, bought mine in 1995 when I bought the Sharps, bought Hornaday cause well that's what the local wholesaler had and I didn't want to pay retail. (Worked at a gun shop then PT)  Added a Lyman M die and a Redding taper crimp die to the set.

As for sizing or not sizing, what type of crimp to use or not, well myself like many other things involved in loading a rifle for accuracy, my -self, I let the rifle make the choice as to what works best.   Which for mine means full sizing so I have a lot of bullet pull and increase this with the taper crimp, it shoots better and a heck of a lot cleaner with a hell of a lot of bullet pull, this can not be gotten with a roll crimp.  A tight roll crimp can often decrease bullet pull.

[Marshal Deadwood]

Bill Bagwell, world class shooter for Goex and buffalo gun guru..full length sizes each and every case,,each and every time. His reasoning is that his rounds will all be more replicating the next round, and the next one, and the one after that,,etc,,,,if he full length sizes. Less variance in case dimensions... And, one of ,,if not THE BIG key to tight groups is duplicating each round as closely as God will allow you to all your other rounds. He just trust his dies resizing the brass correctly more than chamber/pressure/heat sizing of his brass.

I know that full length sizing kinda 'bucks the grain' of what even some good shooters do, but if Bill Bagwell says it guys,,,it's damn near gospel.

Now that's NOT saying that shooting the same brass in the same gun without full length sizing wont give you good groups..but not many are as meticulous as Mr Bagwell.

Myself, when I went away from 'roll crimping' my accuracy took a big jump toward improvement. I taper crimp only enough to straighten out the bell left by the expander plug. (that's for a single shot...I Lee factory crimp for my tubular 45-70)

MD

[Delmonico]

As I've said before, the most important part of accuracy in these, esp at long range is that the bullets be as consitant and as perfect as humanly possible, mine that get shot do not vary over 1/4 gr over or under the standard.  This is after they are inspected for flaws.  If you ain't doing this, there are no miracle dies or anything else.  Trim the cases and deburr the flash hole, weigh them and rejejt any that don't meet you standar, 1 gr for me.  After that let the rifle tell you what it wants, not what my rifle or anyone eles;s rifle wants.