Just Trimmed my first 45-70 Case

Started by Dakota Dan from OZ, April 30, 2008, 01:15:48 AM

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Dakota Dan from OZ



Just trimmed the first 12, 45-70 case down to 1.89" ,they are a mixed mob WW,FC, RP. Loaded a dummy round using a RP case and a 300 grn RNFP projectile to try and worked great, loaded and ejected good :D, so now have to work on a setting die for them and I will be ready to take it down to the range shoot it.

Dakota  8)

   
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Quote from: Dakota Dan from OZ on April 30, 2008, 01:15:48 AM


Just trimmed the first 12, 45-70 case down to 1.89" ,they are a mixed mob WW,FC, RP. Loaded a dummy round using a RP case and a 300 grn RNFP projectile to try and worked great, loaded and ejected good :D, so now have to work on a setting die for them and I will be ready to take it down to the range shoot it.

Dakota  8)

   


We are looking forward to your range report, Dan. :)
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Dakota Dan from OZ



Got my 45-60 dies in from Buffalo Arms and 100x 45-60 new cases in from Bertram's in Victoria,so now I will be up in the shed working on a load, Got  300grn bullets,black powder and smokeless powders, leaning towards a mild smokeless load to start with something around 1100 to 1200 fps.

Dakota  8)

 
My Pa once said "Son never take a knife to Gun Fight"  He told the truth.
SASS# 28875
SASS State Governor
SASA  Aust #2715
SASA State Discipline Chairman
RATS 239
PWDFR 146
GSC 001

Grapeshot

Quote from: Dakota Dan from OZ on April 30, 2008, 01:15:48 AM


Just trimmed the first 12, 45-70 case down to 1.89" ,they are a mixed mob WW,FC, RP. Loaded a dummy round using a RP case and a 300 grn RNFP projectile to try and worked great, loaded and ejected good :D, so now have to work on a setting die for them and I will be ready to take it down to the range shoot it.

Dakota  8)

   


First, if you are modifying .45/70 cases, you have to shorten your .45-70 cases from 2.10 inches to 1.88 inches.  I used a Lyman case trimmer with a .45 Caliber pilot and a dial caliper to shorten one case to 1.88 inch.

I had a .45 Colt case trimming die that is used by using an RCBS press, a hacksaw and fine cut file.  Lubricating the shortened .45-70 case, I ran it into this trim die until it was flush with the top.  I then gave it a couple of passes with the file to true up the mouth.

Once that was done, I made sure that the die's locking nut was tightened down so it would not move.

The rest of the 89 cases I lubed and ran into the trim die until they protruded through the top of the die.  I then used the hacksaw to cut off the excess and the file to true up the mouth.

After I had all the cases I wanted, I champhered the case mouths.

At this point in time, the cases are a bit bottlenecked in shape.  I then ran them up through a .45/70 Sizing Die.  Then through a .45/70 case mouth belling die to set them up for a .458 bullet.

After seating Remington Large Rifle Magnum Primers, I loaded the cases with a variety of .458 bullets and a 50-grain by volume Hogdon 777.  An NEI 390 grain Gas Checked Model, a Rapine 405 grain Hollow Based bullet and a Lee 405 grain RNFP were used to fire form the cases.  To crimp them I first ran them SLOWLY up a .45 Colt Taper Crimp die until I had the case crimped as far as I wanted it.

Knowing that I was going to have to have a real crimping die and a sizing die for the .45/60 I CALLED Lee Precision using their contact number from their web site.  They had the dies on hand and I ordered a sizing die and a seating/crimping die.

This did not prove to be a practical solution, as the crimp die would not crimp.  I may have trimmed the cases to short, or their die was not as precise as they claim.  Anyway, I had a Lee .45-70 factory crimp die that I was not using, so I filed the sliding collet shorter, trying to crimp every few strokes until it would crimp the cases as slick as a whistle.

After firing the rifle with my modified cases, I reloaded with the same style bullets and new magnum rifle primers, but reduced the powder charge to 40 grains, by volume, of 777, and used the new sizing die and seating die and the modified FCD.  I took it to the range again and had a blast as I made an old frying pan dance at 100 yards with those heavy bullets.

I've reloaded a batch using some smokeless loads and some Hornady 350 grain JSP's and some Montana Swaged 300 grain RNFP's in .458 diameter.  I hope to check them out by the end of next month, if the weather cooperates around the Midatlantic eastern states.

I checked the rifling and it is faster than the originals.  It came out to 1:22 inches.

Have fun with your 1876 and let us know how it shoots.
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Grizzly Adams

Quote from: Dakota Dan from OZ on April 30, 2008, 01:15:48 AM


Just trimmed the first 12, 45-70 case down to 1.89" ,they are a mixed mob WW,FC, RP. Loaded a dummy round using a RP case and a 300 grn RNFP projectile to try and worked great, loaded and ejected good :D, so now have to work on a setting die for them and I will be ready to take it down to the range shoot it.

Dakota  8)

   


I have found that shortened 45-70 cases will "shrink" up a bit when fire formed.  I usually start with cases no shorter than 1.89 - 1.90 for the first firing.  Once fired, they come in at real close to 1.88.  That's the way it has worked out for me. ;)

BTW, This holds double true for the 45-75 using 348 brass!
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larryo_1

Griz:
Just a note, in passing about trimming these cases.  I had done some looking in my notes and had found, from Hobie, that with the 45-75 to cut the case off about 0.250" before forming.  This I did and then after I fire-formed the cases, I ran them through my RCBS Trim die and did the rest.  Have had no problems at all.  That Trim die was made for me when I sent them two of my fire-formed cases so the die is made for my rifle's chamber.  It does not trim to original specs but to MY rifles chamber.  If anyone wants to do this, this is what they should do.  I know it is spendy but it does what I want.   ;)
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mrbig6045

i started with starline cases.used a dremmel and then trimmed to lengh in my rcbs case trimmer.they came out really nice,no problems shooting in my 76 uberti

Sir Charles deMouton-Black

One fact I haven't seen in this thread.  The three types of .45-70 cases have different weights, therefore different internal capacities. 

FCs are the heaviest, and the least capacity.
WW are the lightest, with the greatest capacity.
RPs are between.

I don't know where Starlines fit.

the rule of thumb is that 8 grains of brass has the same volume as 1 grain of smokeless powder. BP would be somewhat similar

I suggest sorting the brass into lots by headstamp, and work up a load separately for each lot. Myself, I use one headstamp for each rifle I have in this calibre.
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