Newbie question for .45-70 lever gun reloading

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Jbird45

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So yesterday I purchased my first lever gun, a .45-70 Gov't Marlin 1895SBL. I would like to reload for it. Do I need a full length sizing for for the gun to function properly or can you neck size? Also, the loading gate is very stiff and I noticed some scratches on the brass from this. Should those be polished out before sizing? I don't want to scratch up the dies.

I am considering starting with the Lee whack a round in .45-70 like I did with my .45 Colt. I like being able to throw the little kit and some components in an ammo can when I go to the cabin and don't have to worry about benches and presses. I am pretty sure this kit neck sizes only. Just want to make sure a neck sized round will cycle.

Thanks for everyone's help!
 
Lever guns like simi-autos require full length sizing in order to get proper feeding. Since it's a tubular magazine you will need to crimp. And make sure you use the proper bullets.
 
Yes, in a tubular magazine a bullet that doesn't touch the primer of the cartridge in front of it is essential for safety. Proper bullet can also mean correct diameter. You probably already know this, but in case there is someone out there who doesn't 45 Colt diameters run smaller than the usual .457-.458 of the 45-70. Some of the older 45-70's can run larger than .458.

45-70 is one of our oldest cartridges and reloading data for it is voluminous. Don't assume that a particular load listed will necessarily be accurate in your rifle. If you find one that isn't don't necessarily assume that your rifle won't prove accurate with a bit of experimenting.

This is the ideal rifle for cast bullets. They're cheap. Variation in available bullet types is huge, and if you can't kill something at close range with a .458 diameter bullet put in the right place, you probably can't kill it with anything. You can load anything from light practice loads that you can shoot all day to heavies that will knock you silly.

If you're really hurting for money, you can wait until the deer line up, and kill two with one shot. I've managed to take down two with one shot even with the light RCBS 325 grain cast. I didn't recover the bullet from the second deer. What you will hardly ever do is recover the bullet. Resolve yourself to the expense: when you drop the hammer on a game animal with the 45-70, you're hardly ever going to get your bullet back for re-use.
 
considering starting with the Lee whack a round in .45-70
45-70 is a whole different loading animal than 45 colt.
Throw a used/second-hand press & dies, some RCBS Case Lube, and a coupla C-clamps into your car trunk.
(PS: and a reloading scale -- even if you already have a set of Lee dippers [and if not, get a set])
 
I have a press but I was just thinking that I am not going to be high volume shooting so a portable kit would be nice to take up north. I will get a set of dies and just load extra rounds before I head out. No big deal
 
Yes, in a tubular magazine a bullet that doesn't touch the primer of the cartridge in front of it is essential for safety. Proper bullet can also mean correct diameter. You probably already know this, but in case there is someone out there who doesn't 45 Colt diameters run smaller than the usual .457-.458 of the 45-70. Some of the older 45-70's can run larger than .458.

45-70 is one of our oldest cartridges and reloading data for it is voluminous. Don't assume that a particular load listed will necessarily be accurate in your rifle. If you find one that isn't don't necessarily assume that your rifle won't prove accurate with a bit of experimenting.

This is the ideal rifle for cast bullets. They're cheap. Variation in available bullet types is huge, and if you can't kill something at close range with a .458 diameter bullet put in the right place, you probably can't kill it with anything. You can load anything from light practice loads that you can shoot all day to heavies that will knock you silly.

If you're really hurting for money, you can wait until the deer line up, and kill two with one shot. I've managed to take down two with one shot even with the light RCBS 325 grain cast. I didn't recover the bullet from the second deer. What you will hardly ever do is recover the bullet. Resolve yourself to the expense: when you drop the hammer on a game animal with the 45-70, you're hardly ever going to get your bullet back for re-use.

Yes, I will be picking up some .457 cast bullets. I like the RNFP.

I particularly picked out this caliber because I hunt in a lot of brush around here, and I watched a particular video of someone shooting one though some brush and the bullet really didn't care. Plus I have ambitions to hunt some larger critters one day and it will be a good round for the job
 
post postscript: Welcome to the 45-70 club
The only thing you need now is another one.

Good thing they come in assorted shapes & sizes
`95 Marlins
`85 Winchesters
`86 Winchesters
`#1-3 Rugers
`74 Sharps
`Rem Rolling Blocks ....
:thumbup:
 
Do NOT get .457” bullets for the Marlin.
I use a .460” sizer for mine. The Marlins, especially the older MicroGroove barrels tend to run large.

This is why you don’t want an undersized bullet.

4C18F656-E58D-4A23-AF08-4585159B2FCF.jpeg

3rds at 50yds. 2016 mfg’d REMLIN M1895. 400gr Lee .458”-400gr RFN. 20.0gr #2400, sized .460” and lubed with SPG. WW+2% Leadfree solder (95/5 tin-antimony).
 
Yes, I will be picking up some .457 cast bullets. I like the RNFP.

I particularly picked out this caliber because I hunt in a lot of brush around here, and I watched a particular video of someone shooting one though some brush and the bullet really didn't care. Plus I have ambitions to hunt some larger critters one day and it will be a good round for the job

There's a lot of debate about how much brush the 45-70 or anything else for that matter will shoot through. If you ever run across it, you should read Snooky Williamson's The Winchester Lever Legacy for the pro side of the argument. I love that book. He owned a lot of Winchesters and he shoot the hell out of them and anything he could find to hunt. We're not apt to see his like again.
 
There's a lot of debate about how much brush the 45-70 or anything else for that matter will shoot through. If you ever run across it, you should read Snooky Williamson's The Winchester Lever Legacy for the pro side of the argument. I love that book. He owned a lot of Winchesters and he shoot the hell out of them and anything he could find to hunt. We're not apt to see his like again.

I was hoping it would at least punch through some light stuff. There a lots of grasses and thickets on my hunting grounds, but nothing extreme.
 
I was hoping it would at least punch through some light stuff. There a lots of grasses and thickets on my hunting grounds, but nothing extreme.

This is my feeling for what it's worth on brush busting. Light grass, twigs, that you don't see six inches in front of the chest cavity you'll still get the deer. If the bullet touches the tiniest unseen blade of grass or twig halfway there, the bullet will lose its spin and go off course wildly.

I've done a lot of shooting in the thick stuff. I look for holes and never try to plow the bullet on through. Having experience is one thing, making good sense out of what you've seen is something else. A person could be standing beside me, see exactly the same thing, and completely disagree with my conclusion. In other words my conclusions about how a bullet acts when it touches brush aren't the only ones out there, and I can't objectively prove my opinions.

One of the beauties of the 45-70 and similar heavy, slow cartridges is that in close you may have a bad angle on the shot and still be able to make it. You imagine where the chest cavity is, and the bullet will reach it, and do the job without damaging too much meat, provided you're using a bullet that doesn't expand too easily.

Whether a .270, the ought-six, or a similar acting rifle will penetrate deeply enough at close range to kill the deer is almost a moot point. Try a bad angled shot, and you'll lose so much meat that you'll be ashamed that you pulled the trigger.

There's nothing wrong with collecting a nice set of antlers, as a side thing, but the primary purpose of killing the animal is to eat it.
 
Are there any tips or tricks to loading a .45-70 or is it pretty easy?

Also, I can't seem to find any carbide dies. Does anyone know of a manufacturer that has them?
 
Are there any tips or tricks to loading a .45-70 or is it pretty easy?

Also, I can't seem to find any carbide dies. Does anyone know of a manufacturer that has them?

My understanding is that as the .45-70 is not truly a straight wall cartridge, but a tapered cartridge, carbide dies are unavailable.

So you'll need to lube the cases before resizing. If you haven't done that before, it's really not a big deal.
 
45-70 is a favorite of mine. The taper of the case requires lubing the cases so no carbide dies.

It's just a long pistol cartridge in my eyes. Size it, flare it, charge it, seat/crimp a bullet.
Piece of cake.

You'll want loading blocks that accomodate the large rim of the case. The universal blocks made by various companies don't have large enough holes for this old timer.
 
Yes, I will be picking up some .457 cast bullets. I like the RNFP.

I particularly picked out this caliber because I hunt in a lot of brush around here, and I watched a particular video of someone shooting one though some brush and the bullet really didn't care. Plus I have ambitions to hunt some larger critters one day and it will be a good round for the job
Don't believe the shoot through the brush b.s. If you plan on being an ethical hunter, you take clean shots.
 
Don't believe the shoot through the brush b.s. If you plan on being an ethical hunter, you take clean shots.

I try to be as ethical a hunter as I can, but I also don't have the luxury of climbing up in a heated shack on the edge of a corn field and taking my pick of deer.

I hunt in heavy timber, underbrush, and grass where shots are normally under 30 yards. I try to hunt in patches with clear views but if I for some reason would have a bad hit and have to shoot through a thicket for a second shot I would rather not have something like a .243.

I'm not trying to sound like a wise rear end, but everyone's situation is different. I take clean shots when I can, but if I need a follow up shot through brush the extra bullet weight can't hurt
 
Yes, I will be picking up some .457 cast bullets. I like the RNFP.

Something like .459" cast bullets would be more appropriate, and are, generically speaking, what you will find on the shelf.

Just FYI, and to make life a little easier, take a look at the Lyman M-die... it is intended for loading cast bullets without flaring the crap out of them or shaving lead. Yes, it adds another step, but is well worth the time and effort.
 
I use the Lee Universal flare die to flare my 45/70 cases. I've seen a few companies advertising they sell a flare insert for the Lee but don't buy it. The Lee Universal already has a big enough flare insert for the 45/70.
 
Whether or not neck sizing will work might be dependent on your specific load, brass, bullet, rifle and number of reloadings. The only way to know is to try. You may get away with neck sizing after using a moderate load in smooth chamber. You may increase the amount of difficulty if the load is toward maximum. If using regular press, it also depends on what specific die you are using. Have found some dies in lever calibers resize MUCH tighter than others, and switched to lee sizing dies for my levers.
 
Are there any tips or tricks to loading a .45-70 or is it pretty easy?

If you need advice on 45/70 you will have to wait longer on me, I have the 1895 Marlin & an Encore bought both last year & haven't
got off the ground with the right bullet & load yet & I have asked advice here with good advice yet to no good end.
Going to try cast bullets next.
For myself - just my opinion now- I wouldn't go with a MOBILE reload kit until I learned how to do it from the bench with
all the area, absolute, + access to anything I would need should a difference arise. I went that way when I started back in
1976 & it went- let us say BAD a couple of times.
Right now Hornady 325 FTX beat any of my tests, but I am sure I can beat it, just try different bullets.
 
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