[RetiredFreedomfighter]

So what is 40 rounds of 45-70 worth these days? Loaded 20 with 350 grain round nose and 20 with 405 grain flat nose. Used 48 grains of IMR 3031. These are new Starline nickel cases. Bought 100 rounds of them just for the looks in the leather belt. Gives that Quigley Down Under look. I have used more powder in the past but really have no need for it so dropped it down a little. They both will have about 2,500 foot pounds at the muzzle and 1,700 at 150 yards about as far as I would want to shoot it. Love the 45-70.

'

 

[quavodus]

Wow, sledgehammer ammo.

 

[RetiredFreedomfighter]

Wow, sledgehammer ammo.

Yep. I was using 53.5 grains instead of 48. Kicks a lot in the little Guide Gun. So, I loaded them down a little to see if that makes them more fun. Pending upper back surgery and having the wrist fused in a few months so trying to keep a full load but tone down the recoil. Off the shelf 45-70 is supposed to have 26 pounds of felt recoil. The factory Hornady has 32 foot pounds in my gun and my normal load has 31. These loads should only be about 26. A 30-06 scoped is about 15-20 foot pounds. Would like to get down around 25 foot pounds but still have enough for those smaller white rhino. That 48 grain load lets me get 15 more rounds, 146 vs 131 from a pound of powder and no noticeable change in the load. There is nothing easier to load than 45-70, the cases are not like 380 that are so small they slip out of your hands.

I also have a 340 grain cast that with 14.9 grains of Unique only goes 1,069 and only has about 9 pounds of recoil. It has about 750 foot pounds at 100 yards, more than a 10mm at the muzzle and shoots flat to 100 yards (-4). I plan to increase that load t 1,200 fps which will then give it close to 900 foot pounds at 100 yards. So, then I would have hot loads for big rhino and light loads for the smaller ones.

Anyone that does not own a 45-70 should sell one of their kids and get one.

 

[runfiverun]

no idea what they cost.
i generally run a 435gr. cast bullet at about 1600 fps. using 2400.
anything from 20-24grs. of 2400 will get the job done though and it ranges the recoil from meh,, to whoa.

 

[RetiredFreedomfighter]

no idea what they cost.
i generally run a 435gr. cast bullet at about 1600 fps. using 2400.
anything from 20-24grs. of 2400 will get the job done though and it ranges the recoil from meh,, to whoa.

I just checked ammoseek. The only 45-70 they show are federal 300 grain for $74.99 a box. That is 3.75 each plus shipping. So, I guess the 40 I loaded are worth about $150. My cast loads are a bullet from lead that was acquired decades ago and powder and primers are about 15 cents each. The jacketed I just loaded from bullets I had for years add about 28 cents so my cost is cheap, but replacement cost will not be OK during my lifetime.

My plan is to go to powder coating my cast and bumping those 340 grain bullets up to two loads, one at 1,200 and one at 1,500 fps and call it good. That would make them 4 inches low at 150 yards and still have over 1,000 foot pounds. Good for any deer I might shoot. And recoil should be mild. We shall see. No reason to buy a jacketed bullet in 45-70 ever again.

 

[Jim Bridger]

I have collected guns for decades. I had never owned a Glock until recently. I bought a new Glock 34 Gen 4 Long Slide 9MM. Put a few hundred rounds through the Glock. The Glock is less expensive when compared to SIG or Colt etc. It does preform well and very accurate at the 25 yard line. The Glock will fire over 1,000 rounds when winter yields to Spring.

 

[Uberti-45]

Anyone that does not own a 45-70 should sell one of their kids and get one.

I probably should sell both my kids, so one does not get jealous......... Then I can buy the ammo too

 

[Jim Bridger]

I just checked ammoseek. The only 45-70 they show are federal 300 grain for $74.99 a box. That is 3.75 each plus shipping. So, I guess the 40 I loaded are worth about $150. My cast loads are a bullet from lead that was acquired decades ago and powder and primers are about 15 cents each. The jacketed I just loaded from bullets I had for years add about 28 cents so my cost is cheap, but replacement cost will not be OK during my lifetime.

My plan is to go to powder coating my cast and bumping those 340 grain bullets up to two loads, one at 1,200 and one at 1,500 fps and call it good. That would make them 4 inches low at 150 yards and still have over 1,000 foot pounds. Good for any deer I might shoot. And recoil should be mild. We shall see. No reason to buy a jacketed bullet in 45-70 ever again.

I have a first year of production Browning 1886 Saddle Ring Carbine .45/70. Browning made 2,500 carbines very close to the orginaly Winchester 1886. Browning's HQ is near my place. I bought the Browning in 1986. I also shoot a Sharps rifle caliber .45-110-530. The Sharps will also fire the .45-70, ,45-75, .45-90, ..45-65 etc. The .45-70 is an effective round.

 

[aht_six]

Sorting some .270 brass that’s been left at my local range by the head-stamps. It seems as though the locals really prefer the home town brand. There’s more Federal cases than all the other brands combined. Remington was the next most popular, then Winchester and Hornady. Found 1 Frontier case.

 

[aht_six]

Bought some shot and wads today. They didn’t have any primers or powder, but I still have some. Now I should have enough components to carry me though for this years trap and skeet leagues.

 

[runfiverun]

must be shotgun day.
i found a sleeve of Rio 209 primers for 200 bucks.
got to do the old white guy can't shuffle dance for a minute.
now i gotta decide whether to burn up all the promo and shot i got loading those Rio hulls out in the shed, or to meter things out between the guns and their loads a little more.
guess i should count the shot bags first.

 

[ninwnc]

Received a box of 500 bullets for my .380 a day or so ago. Loaded a couple hundred rounds of .380 ACP over the last few days. Got a couple hundred to go.

 

[bobvonb]

my reloading bench is in an outdoor shed that I use for my workshop. The problem is here in the desert it's often too hot or too cold to get me out there when I want to. So I have been surfing YouTube for portable and/or small reloading benches or tables. There are a couple apartment dwellers out there that use a grinder stand from Harbor Freight and 2' by 2' project panels from Home Depot. I like the concept and think I'll build one that I can keep in my temperature controlled house. I only use a single Lee press and do a very limited amount of reloading so I think this will work for me. I'll post in-process pics as I get all the pieces assembled. Of course I think I'll customize it a bit relative to the YouTube examples by putting edges on the sides and back and probably a shelf or two on the back. Otherwise I'm sure I'd be knocking things off the sides.

 

[Moroco Mole]

I have a Harbor Freight portable work stand. Took the original top off and replaced it with 3/4 plywood backed with a steel plate. I can pick it up easy with the 2 presses on it, and put it where ever I want.
Don't have to be pretty, or costly.
Long as it makes you happy and is solid, and level.
Solid and level are the two main issues.

 

[blaster]

de-primed & re sized 123 pieces of .44 mag. brass.
my last old Lee Hand Primer finally took a dump! 😢 it won't push up enough to seat a primer. I tried swapping parts from another broken one I have but I guess its just too worn out. I did find a replacement part that I think is the problem on Midway's site. I ordered it but just incase it won't fi it, I bought a Lyman hand primer too.

 

[BJung]

PC'd and weight separated a few hundred 9-122gr TC bullets by 1gr. These bullets were cast from equal quantities from different ingots to better standardize the hardness. Oddly, the bullets weighed from 124gr - 131gr.

 

[Moroco Mole]

Wife got me a stapled shut bag of cassettes, from goodwill. For 2$.
Now I have some music to listen too on my vintage Walkman while Casting, and loading.
Got some good vintage stuff, from my stomping days, Once I sorted out the none working tapes.
Got...
Dead Milk Men, Bob Dillon, Foreigner, Eagles, Vandels, Duran Duran, Pigs, and ZZ Top.
So what do you guys listen to on the loading bench?

 

[blaster]

clunk clunk ding. clunk clunk ding, clunk clunk ding. over & over until I'm done.

 

[ninwnc]

Went shootin' with my sons Sunday and generated a bunch of 20, 16, & 12 gauge hulls. Also generated a bunch of .380 brass. Been workin' on reloadin'em.

 

[blaster]

wow this thread has been quiet for a while.
I've been working on .44 magnum loads in prep for my Alaska trip. I'd planned on using some Hornandy 165 gr. jacketed flat point bullets I have left from before my Ruger Carbine exploded. normally I load 240 gr. cast lswc bullets in the .44. I couldn't keep the jacketed bullets crimped hard enough to keep the bullets from moving forward during recoil and jamming the revolver. (REVOLVERS ARE NOT JAM PROOF!!) plus I could only get around 1173 fps & 809 ft lbs. out of them. so I went back to my 240 gr. cast bullets. that load (25 gr. of H-110 & a magnum primer) goes around 1400 fps with 1000 ft. lbs. of energy. its accurate, controllable during rapid double action shooting and the bullets stay crimped where I put them. I would still like a heavier bullet incase I actually have to shoot a grizzly in S.D. but since components are so hard to come by, I'll have to make do with what I have. any way, they are 40 grs. heavier and 200 fps. faster than the 200 gr. 10mm load that was going to be my main carry. (until I remembered how big those bears get up there.) I will still bring one of my 10mm pistols to carry as back up or alone when I feel the "threat level" is lower but I think my trusty ole S&W 629 will be my primary weapon.