45-70 Single Shot rifle dies

[bpshooter13]

Hello Forum,

I just purchased a model 1885 Winchester falling block manufactured by Browning. My intent is to handload BP cartridges using a 405 gr Lee mold cast solid lead boolit. Since I'll just be shooting these in this one single shot rifle I don't want to use full length resizing or have need of a crimp. I plan on fire forming new Starline 45-70 brass in just this one single shot rifle then reloading the same cases from there. This brings me to the heart of my question regarding die purchase. Rather than getting a standard 3 die set should I instead purchase as individual dies:

1a)Neck sizer die (and use that to decap)

or

1b)Universal Depriming and Decapping Die (leave neck alone)

2)Neck Expander M die (will I need to slightly bell the case mouth to seat boolit without shaving lead)

3) stand alone seating die (to seat without crimp and slightly compress powder)

...or get a standard 3 die set in 45-70 along with one or more of the above?

 

[StrawHat]

I recommend the three die set. Even though you are loading for only one rifle, at some point the casing will become too large to chamber and need to be resized. Also, in order to seat the cast bullet, you will need to flare the case mouth a bit to "funnel" the bullet in to the case. The crimp die is used to remove this flaring.

I load for several single shots and keep the brass segregated. Even so, the three die set is needed to produce the ammunition.

 

[Don McDowell]

The lyman M die set or the RCBS legacy dies are fine, Hornady's dies work well, but you need a separate die for compressing the blackpowder. With the lyman and rcbs dies you can use the "m" die itself to comress the powder.
In the bpcr model Winchester that my wife shoots it is not necessary to resize the cases when using blackpowder, just clean the cases ,reload and go again.
If your chamber is a little large or if your bullet is a little small then resizing becomes necessary.

 

[PapaG]

I shot for about a year in our bpss rifle matches using one case for months. Never sized it. Remington rolling block with Numrich buffalo hunter kit, Lyman receiver and 17a front sight. Lyman 457124 at 380 grains, RWS match primer, 5 gr DuPont bulk shotgun smokeless, 55 grains DuPont ffg, card/grease/card wad and bullet seated into the rifling. Best 200 yard 5shot group....3 15/16". and I took 2nd. 24" of elevation to go from 100 to 200. Decap, prime, charge and shoot. Two wet, two dry, one oiled patch at the end of the day.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

unless you have a reason to crimp, cases fired in a modern single shot, rarely if ever need to be sized. The less the case is resized the better. Years ago, we had one case matches. Each shot to be reloaded at the bench using a single casing to get through 30 shots. Straight wall cases had no problem making it through.

i use old Ideal double adjustable tong tools to reload nearly all my straight wall cases. Stopped using the press for most cases 20 years ago

 

[PapaG]

I believe I have one case that has bee fired several hundred times without sizing or crimping. No cannelure and bot much head stamp left.

 

[rdstrain49]

I have a three die set and a tong tool, I use the tong tool. Just for what it's worth, the 405 likely won't shoot for sour apples beyong a couple hundred yards. If you intend to shoot long range you will probably need to go to a 500 gr or heavier.

 

[Dframe]

I suggest you follow Strawhats advise. No need to be pennywise and pound foolish. You are going to need to be able to bell the case mouth to facilitate the entry of the bullet AND you will want to remove the bell after seatig. The best way to remove that bell is to iron it out with the crimping shoulder in the seating die. Nothing says you have to crimp but the belling should at least be ironed out straight. 3 die set!

 

[Jim Watson]

I resize my .40-65s. Some shooters do well with slip fit bullets but I did not see quite as good accuracy with them.
I do not crimp, I don't even straighten out the flare. The M die mouth expansion chambers and there is one school of thought that it helps center the round in the chamber.

Buffalo Arms is a good source for BPCR gear. They will make an M type expander plug of any combination of diameters you request.

 

[Col4570]

My Pedersoli Sharps Silhouette Rifle in 45-70 has a Chamber that just Fireforms the cases to take a lyman Postel Bullet with a push fit.There is no need to Bell the mouth of the case,I do not crimp the bullet in.With 65 Grains 3f BP I compress the powder and card Wad 1/4" using an own made compression tool in my Lee press.