Titan ReloadingReloading EverythingSnyders JerkyWideners
Inline FabricationRepackboxMidSouth Shooters SupplyLoad Data
Lee Precision RotoMetals2
Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: 40-70 Sharps Straight

  1. 01-20-2009, 09:13 PM #1
    6pt-sika
    6pt-sika is offline
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Central Virginia
    Posts
    4,707

    40-70 Sharps Straight

    My shooting buddy got his Remington Hepburn in 40-70 Straight !

    I've already had him order RCBS 40-70 SS Legacy dies along with 100 pieces of Hornady 405 WCF brass to trim down for the 40-70 and of course an appropriate shell holder for the 405 WCF case !


    Now what I need to know is what you guys that use the Hornady 405 WCF brass trim it to and if you are finding you need to ream the insides of the cases because of shell wall thickness !

    Any answers are greatly appreciatted !

    I already have the 405 WCF brass to trim down , so that will be the only brass option in case someone prefers something else .
    Parker's , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  2. 01-20-2009, 10:58 PM #2
    6pt-sika
    6pt-sika is offline
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Central Virginia
    Posts
    4,707
    Okay I just found some info in Venturino's Buffalo Rifle book that tells me to trim to 2.50" !

    Reckon I can figure out after I trim one and seat a bullet whether it will chamber or not !
    Parker's , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  3. 01-21-2009, 12:17 AM #3
    Don McDowell
    Don McDowell is online now
    Boolit Grand Master Don McDowell's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Hell Gap Wy
    Posts
    6,099
    Might not hurt to do a chamber cast before you start grinding and hacking away at $1 each cases.
    Long range rules, the rest drool.
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  4. 01-21-2009, 07:49 AM #4
    NickSS
    NickSS is offline
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Pacific Northwest
    Posts
    2,621
    The 40-70 straight is a great cartridge and I am sure your friend will like it if the barrel is any good.
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  5. 01-21-2009, 11:07 AM #5
    BPCR Bill
    BPCR Bill is offline
    Boolit Buddy
    BPCR Bill's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Battle Ground, Washington
    Posts
    295
    Quote Originally Posted by 6pt-sika View Post
    My shooting buddy got his Remington Hepburn in 40-70 Straight !

    I've already had him order RCBS 40-70 SS Legacy dies along with 100 pieces of Hornady 405 WCF brass to trim down for the 40-70 and of course an appropriate shell holder for the 405 WCF case !


    Now what I need to know is what you guys that use the Hornady 405 WCF brass trim it to and if you are finding you need to ream the insides of the cases because of shell wall thickness !

    Any answers are greatly appreciatted !

    I already have the 405 WCF brass to trim down , so that will be the only brass option in case someone prefers something else .
    Dependent on the reamer used, you may have some issues with brass. In the recent past the 40-70SS chamber was done to some different dimensions depending on who built the rifle. If you look at the Buffalo Arms catalog you will see brass available for different rifle mahufacturers. I may be wrong here, but I believe Hornady started making brass a few years back to a standard reamer dimension. As stated before, I'd get a chamber cast, or ask the gunsmith/manufacturer what brass to use. And yes, the cartridge is a good one. Once you get a load worked up for it you'll love it!

    Regards,
    Bill
    America is like a healthy body, and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within. Joseph Stalin


    "Hope" is not a strategy.

    Life member NRA
    US Navy Retired
    NRA Certified Rifle, Pistol, Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor, Range Safety Officer
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  6. 01-23-2009, 12:36 AM #6
    6pt-sika
    6pt-sika is offline
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Central Virginia
    Posts
    4,707
    Well I went over today and worked on getting this rifle ready to load !

    I got the cases trimmed to what would chamber in the gun at 2.525" and also got the seating depth worked out for the Lyman 410655 !

    I was fortunate in that I didn't need to ream them even with the bullets sized at .409" !

    Only thing I noticed was that after I trimmed to length the first tiem and then sized I would need to go back a trim about 2/100's off again so they would chamber ! Evidently when I would run them thru the sizing die it would stretch them about 2/100's .

    Anyway all we need to do now is cast some more bullets , size lube and load them up and see if the thing goes BANG
    Parker's , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  7. 01-23-2009, 12:42 AM #7
    madcaster
    madcaster is offline
    Boolit Master in Heaven's Range
    madcaster's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    1,083
    6pt-sika,
    Did you get my PM Sir?
    Jeff
    The .30/06 Springfield,the ULTIMATE cartridge combat,hunting and target cartridge,a .45 single action and a good FLINTLOCK is all I need to be happy!
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  8. 01-23-2009, 11:14 AM #8
    SharpsShooter
    SharpsShooter is offline
    Boolit Master

    SharpsShooter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Rainelle, West Virginia
    Posts
    1,913
    Keep us posted as to the results please. I am looking at ordering a rifle in this caliber / cartridge.

    SS
    NRA Life Member Since 1981



    "The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that's good"-- George Washington

    II Corinthians 4:8-9. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed."

    Psalms 25:2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  9. 01-23-2009, 11:18 AM #9
    6pt-sika
    6pt-sika is offline
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Central Virginia
    Posts
    4,707
    Quote Originally Posted by madcaster View Post
    6pt-sika,
    Did you get my PM Sir?
    Jeff
    Yes thank you !
    Parker's , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  10. 01-25-2009, 12:07 AM #10
    6pt-sika
    6pt-sika is offline
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Central Virginia
    Posts
    4,707
    Here's some pics I took today of my buddies Hepburn while we were at his house working with it a little !







    Parker's , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  11. 01-25-2009, 12:12 AM #11
    6pt-sika
    6pt-sika is offline
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Central Virginia
    Posts
    4,707
    We cast some bullets for the old rifle today with 1/20 !

    Cast the Lyman 410655 and the RCBS 40-350CSA . Sized them at .410" and lubed with SPG !

    Took the old rifle out behind my friends house to try it at 25 yards for a start !

    Shot the Lyman with 52.5 grains of Goex Cartridge , with a Beeswax cookie and a Federal 215 primer .

    Shot the RCBS with 55.6 grains of Goex Cartridge , the Beeswax cookie and a Federal 215 primer !

    We got nice three shot clusters of about 1-1.5" . Certainly they could be better , but then again for the first try the "could" be way way worse
    Parker's , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  12. 01-25-2009, 09:56 AM #12
    LIMPINGJ
    LIMPINGJ is offline
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Emory,TX
    Posts
    951
    I love to see them being used and not sitting in a case.
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  13. 01-25-2009, 10:13 AM #13
    SharpsShooter
    SharpsShooter is offline
    Boolit Master

    SharpsShooter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Rainelle, West Virginia
    Posts
    1,913
    Sounds like a fine start to me. What did the boolits weigh? Beautiful rifle BTW

    SS
    NRA Life Member Since 1981



    "The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that's good"-- George Washington

    II Corinthians 4:8-9. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed."

    Psalms 25:2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  14. 01-25-2009, 11:51 AM #14
    Boz330
    Boz330 is offline
    Boolit Master




    Boz330's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Central Kentucky
    Posts
    3,961
    Is that an originl? What is the twist on it?

    Bob
    GUNFIRE! The sound of Freedom!
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  15. 01-25-2009, 04:59 PM #15
    6pt-sika
    6pt-sika is offline
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Central Virginia
    Posts
    4,707
    SS ,
    the bullets were cast from 1/20 and from the mold the Lyman bullet was about 420 and the RCBS was about 365 .

    Boz,
    I'm pretty sure the rifle has had the action and buttplate re color case hardened .And MM93 tells me the checkering is different from any he's ever seen on a Hepburn .
    Parker's , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Forum Rules

Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check