Advise on 45/70 tools

[Traffer]

Recently purchased a 47/70 Handi Rifle. It came with two boxes of ammo. These were leading the barrel badly (too narrow).
I do not have any dies for the 45/70. I do have a Lee Classic Cast press.
The plan is to pull the bullets, clean them in alcohol, powder coat them, size them (can make a push through sizer) to .460" and reload them with new powder to shoot somewhere around sonic. They have very nice 405 grain slugs that measure .4575"
My question is:
I do not plan on doing extensive reloading for 45/70. Just want to get these reloaded and maybe a little more.
What is the minimum of tools necessary to do this adequately?
Expand case mouth...can I do this and crimp is about all I think I need to do here. But I am a noob at reloading center fire. Have read a lot but no experience.
Any advise would help.

[EDG]

Loading a .45-70 is pretty much the same as loading a large straight case pistol round.
I would recommend that you not bother with just 2 boxes of unknown reloads. You have no experience and no plans to learn more it appears.
Reading is a good way to learn but you have to commit to learning by doing too. That means spending money on equipment. All of this is easy to learn since it is all visible to your eye balls.

Sell the 2 boxes of ammo for components and use the cash to buy factory rifle ammo.

Part of your research before buying your 45-70 should have been the cost and availability of ammunition. I have been shooting the 45-70 since 1972 and have owned more than a few. Factory ammo was expensive even in 1972. It has never been cheap. Out of thousands of rounds of 45-70 fired I have never bought or fired a single factory round.

I think if you read some of the black powder shooters accounts you will find some shooters reload the 45-70 without resizing the case. The bullets are seated by finger pressure only. Such ammo requires careful handling and loading. With a single shot it is possible to load a lightly seated bullet at the range. This technique is not recommended for hunting since the ammo has to be carried.

[454PB]

Unless you're just looking for a project, I have to agree with EDG. Pulling and then reseating after powder coating may turn into a mess. You're going to have to bell the case mouth, seat, and crimp. Lacking dies, that can be difficult.

[Traffer]

I was hoping to be able to buy only the dies necessary to reload these. I have a press, scale etc., I have been powder coating boolits. And I have made dies for reloading and swaging 22lr and swaging 25 ACP. But I have never actually reloaded anything other than the 22lr.
Would a cheap Lee 3 piece die set have what I need? Or could I get something even less than that for dies?

[JimB..]

You plan to size them up from .4575 to .460? Doesn’t seem like a push-thru is gonna help you with that.

With everything else you’re describing all I’ll say is that I’m really jealous of people with unlimited free time.

In terms of the dies, just post a wtb for a set, use it, and then sell it to get your money back.

Good luck

[Traffer]

I figure with two coats of Smoke's clear I can get them up to .460"

[454PB]

Yes, the powder coat will increase the diameter, and Lee dies should work fine.

[JimB..]

I figure with two coats of Smoke's clear I can get them up to .460"

Honestly I hadn’t considered that. So the coating will obturate just like the lead will, interesting.

I still suggest that you buy a set of dies, load a lifetime supply, and then sell them.

[Traffer]

Honestly I hadn’t considered that. So the coating will obturate just like the lead will, interesting.

I still suggest that you buy a set of dies, load a lifetime supply, and then sell them.

That is what I have in mind now. Thanks for the advise.
As far as unlimited time... Well I have a lot of time to sit and work on sit down jobs. Unfortunately I don't have the health to do the more demanding things anymore.
That's why I am not planning on using this gun a lot. Just going to the range is quite an ambitious undertaking for me now.
A couple of years ago I was all gung ho about getting a longer barreled 45/70 and learning paper patching. But health has been steadily declining. But who knows, maybe my health will miraculously get better. Sorry for the whining.

[JimB..]

That is what I have in mind now. Thanks for the advise.
As far as unlimited time... Well I have a lot of time to sit and work on sit down jobs. Unfortunately I don't have the health to do the more demanding things anymore.
That's why I am not planning on using this gun a lot. Just going to the range is quite an ambitious undertaking for me now.
A couple of years ago I was all gung ho about getting a longer barreled 45/70 and learning paper patching. But health has been steadily declining. But who knows, maybe my health will miraculously get better. Sorry for the whining.

Messed up my back almost 40 years ago, also makes it hard to get out from time to time, and I also whine about it from time to time! Hope that you have some good days soon.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Honestly I hadn’t considered that. So the coating will obturate just like the lead will, interesting.

The PC doesn't obturate, it simply adds thickness, like wrapping a strip of plastic around the boolit.

The coating will add from .002-.004 to the diameter of the boolit, depending on how thick you lay it on.

Then you shove it thru a sizing die to get it to the desired size.

Works great!

Randy