Reloading press for 45-70

[Frank46]

I reload for 45/70 and 7.62x54R and of course the '06. But getting tired of trying to get the 460-500gr cast boolits seated with my old rockchucker. is there a press out there with a big enough opening that will allow seating without having to worry about getting my fingers seated as well??. Frank

[Scrounger]

[QUOTE=Frank46]I reload for 45/70 and 7.62x54R and of course the '06. But getting tired of trying to get the 460-500gr cast boolits seated with my old rockchucker. is there a press out there with a big enough opening that will allow seating without having to worry about getting my fingers seated as well??. Frank

RCBS Big Max. Discontinued, they're hard to find. And higher priced. The way of the world....

[joeb33050]

I reload almost everything with Lee Loaders, although I have press and dies for all calibers I use. Try seating your 45-70 bullets with a Lee Loader-it works great for me.
joe b.

[Swagerman]

No reason the Lee cast iron Classic press should not work well for you.

I highly recomend it.


Swagerman

[powderburnerr]

You may want to look at lymans accupress it is a hand held OR bench mounted press that has a throat big enough for the 45-2 & 7/8 ctg, and at 35.00 is pretty fair value.......... Dean

[Char-Gar]

Don't buy a new press, but a new seating die. The Vickerman seating die is the way to go. You drop the bullet in a slot on the top part of the die and it sits perfectly on the case mouth. You also get the accuracy advantages of straight line seating. I forget the guy who makes these, but he can make them in any size you want. Also Wilson makes straight line hand seating dies that are perfection. A tad slower but no better way of doing it.

Also if you use a Lyman M expanding die, you can expand the mouth of the case enough to start the bullet and being a round expansion and not a cone flair, the bullet will stay in place as you put it in the shell holder and tip it up to go into a standard seating dies.

Lots of ways to jump this snake other than buying a new press.

[Finn45]

FWIW here's Lee cast press and it's opening with .45-70+NEI458-645-GC weighing 710 grains; is it enough for everything, that I don't know:

http://pyssymiehet.com/gunstuff/leecast.jpg

[LAH]

Nice Finn45.

[SharpsShooter]

I'm currently using an RCBS RS2 for 45-70. It's easily open enough for 500gr boolits or larger.

[No_1]

FWIW here's Lee cast press and it's opening with .45-70+NEI458-645-GC weighing 710 grains; is it enough for everything, that I don't know:

http://pyssymiehet.com/gunstuff/leecast.jpg


Hey Finn,

What in the world do you hunt in your neck of the woods that you need a 710 gr. bullet?

[Jumptrap]

Hey Finn,

What in the world do you hunt in your neck of the woods that you need a 710 gr. bullet?

Russian tanks.

[MGySgt]

I reload for 45/70 and 7.62x54R and of course the '06. But getting tired of trying to get the 460-500gr cast boolits seated with my old rockchucker. is there a press out there with a big enough opening that will allow seating without having to worry about getting my fingers seated as well??. Frank

Frank - I load 45/90's 430gr GC on a Rock Chucker IV - no problems with lenght of cartridge

Drew

[Frank46]

Guys thanks for the info. Looks like the lee classic press for me. Natchez has them on sale for about $60 bucks. Finn, thats one heckuva 45 rifle boolit. Does it come with an internal guidance package??. Frank

[Finn45]

Hehe, I ordered it without the package system, so it takes a rifle to throw it. Russian tanks is one of course, although they have been crossing then border more with airplanes lately. Also time to time I fall in to the pit of written Internet knowledge, which in many cases suggests that heavier bullet means deeper penetration and deeper penetration means faster, more effective, more beautiful and better KILL in every way and in all circumstances. So, with this boolit I beat most commercial manufacturers and their SledgeHammers, MuchoWhackers, DeepDoers, StackKickers, MeatHaulers and other fancy named lead ingots. My learning curve is now a bit stuck at the moment, because I don't yet have completely clear picture how penetration through five mooses kills the first one any better. I'm still learning I guess. Besides you guys got me thinking it's not a bad thing to own a mould without actual need...

[rvpilot76]

FWIW here's Lee cast press and it's opening with .45-70+NEI458-645-GC weighing 710 grains; is it enough for everything, that I don't know:

http://pyssymiehet.com/gunstuff/leecast.jpg

Friggin' OUCH!!! The twist rate for that monster has got to be X turns per inch instead of one turn in X inches. Does that bullet actually exit the muzzle, or do you just recoil away from it? :D

Kevin :lovebooli

[charlie / sw mo]

I reload for 45/70 and 7.62x54R and of course the '06. But getting tired of trying to get the 460-500gr cast boolits seated with my old rockchucker. is there a press out there with a big enough opening that will allow seating without having to worry about getting my fingers seated as well??. Frank
i use a lyman turret press for loading my 45-70-- i like leaving it set up and not haveing to fool around changeing dies. i have several molds the largest being a lyman 520 gr hollowpoint. i think ill look into that 710 gr that fin45 posted--truely an awesome bullet. ill post a pic of my setup
charlie in sw mo

[fiberoptik]

No reason the Lee cast iron Classic press should not work well for you.

I highly recomend it.


Swagerman
It can take the 50 BMG dies, so I'd say it should be big enough.... [smilie=w:

[Frank46]

Finn45, just for the heck of it have you ever chronographed that boolit??. Wonder just how fast its going. Frank

[Finn45]

Hehe, not really. It should do very well from WinMag. I shot only few and despite low speed and Marlin's and 20" rifling the holes were "almost" round. More velocity might make them fly better, but I haven't done more experimenting. Velocity was about 1010fps and according to ql estimations something like 1180fps could be possible (16.5"). If I ever attempt to shoot faster I pretty surely start low and work up as the phrase goes and veery slowly. I shot NEI's 535 GUNN-modified at the same time and those were way more crazy; couple of complete sideways hits from 100 meters. These two were cast between more serious stuff with Lee dribbler and I don't feel too confident of the quality; they are ugly and there's big possibility to base voids. Just banging away you see...

[The Nyack Kid]

How do you size that monster ? Ive got the nei 440 gr wfn .it wheighs 475 with my wheel wheight alloy. I had to modify the noze punch on my saeco lube/sizer just to get the boolit to fit.

[Finn45]

NEI 440GC? Great bullet, although total weight of the boolit might be a surprise, way more than 440. I shot my first castboolit moose calf with that bullet three years ago, one commercial caster here around casts soft expanders from that mold, 472 grainers, around BHN8 I believe. This particular mold of his is one of the last ones cherried by Walt himself.

I sized this long one with RCBS lam1 without top punch. I have correct punch for it but RCBS didn't want to digest it :p, too long. Joel at NEI will make you a correct punch for 440 if you need it, I think he makes Saeco style as well.

[The Nyack Kid]

i took care of the too long top punch by chucking it in to a lathe and turning a big flat . now the punch works for all of my flatnose 45 cal boolits . that NEI 440 surprised me when i first wheighed it all right 475 grs naked. still it is a dandy . my first batch of heat treated boolets where also a eye opener . I shot into a 20 inch cottonwood tree and the boolit when all the way though ! i thought that was the neatest thing since smokeless powder .