45-70 case life

[Dave B]

I noticed that my 45-70 brass gets about .012 longer when sized. How long should I expect them to last? I only shooting fairly light loads. 350 gr with 27gr 5744.

[Jim]

I've got some cases I've been reloading since 2002.

[Dframe]

The 45/70 is a relatively low pressure round and will last a LONG time with light loads. I've used a few cases more times than I can remember.

[hiram]

I've been using 60 gr of goex 2f with no failures.

[beagle]

Usually the biggest problem is small neck splits from crimping. I use mine in a M95 Marlin./beagle

[1Shirt]

As usual I agree with Beagle. I also anneal about every 5-6 loadings. Have some brass that I have been loading off and on for probably 10 years. No idea of the count, but bet it is in excess of 20 or more loadings.
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[Dave B]

I guess what I'm asking is , are your cases growing in length at sizing, and how many times can you trim them.

[XWrench3]

are you saying that they get 0.012" longer EACH time you fire them?? it would be hard for me to understand that one. i shoot some of mine at the upper pressure limits, and get nothing like that! i have had to trim a few here and there, but nothing consistently. if yours are growing that much every time, i think i would be having a good gunsmith finding out why!

[jdgabbard]

Well, I don't load 45/70...but maybe I can answer this one for you. It depends. Are you full length sizing? Because if you are, then you are going to be displacing more metal. It also depends how sloppy your chamber is. Like other things rifles, sometimes next sizing helps. Sometimes it doesnt. Next time try just neck sizing...

[chevyiron420]

I am curious as well if you have a fat chamber. Does your cases expand alot on fireing? what kind of gun is it? I have a roller that has a big chamber compared to the cases i use, but i dont full size so i dont know how much longer they would get if i did. I gatta tell you that .012 streatch each time would bug me too. Also i as a side note, i noticed i get my longer case life out of remingtons rather than winchester.

[Gunlaker]

I usually get about 0.002" to 0.003" stretch from cases fired in my Marlin 1895g with warm loads. I've got single shot rifles in .45-70 that don't seem to stretch cases noticeably at all.

I trim a max of 3 times. In my Marlins, I use cases twice for loads in the 30-35k cup range (as high as I care to go). Usually I trim after each of those firings just to keep the case length uniform and the necks square. After that they get used for lighter loads (usually something like a 405gr cast @ 1200fps). Then they last a long long time. I have some on their ninth firing and there is no evidence of thinning at the case head or further stretching.

I think the cases I use in my single shots might last forever, as they never seem to need trimming.

Chris.

[jdgabbard]

After I've thought about this for a while, I come to decide it might be in your interest to check headspace. But thats just my .02

[Jim]

Usually the biggest problem is small neck splits from crimping. I use mine in a M95 Marlin./beagle

Actually, that's the only reason(I think) that I'ver ever lost one. I quit crimping on account of that.

[XWrench3]

I guess what I'm asking is , are your cases growing in length at sizing, and how many times can you trim them.

basicly, i trim them until i see a ring around the bottom part of the case (which means impending case seperation failure) or until the neck splits. at that point, the cases are junk. trying to dig a case that has sepperated (meaning the head of the case comes out with the extractor, but the body stays in the chamber) will end your day at the range. plus, very likely send a bunch of hot gasses towards your face. not good! a split case neck, is much nicer to deal with, but ruins the case anyway. cases are an expendable item, just like the powder or boolits. it is just that you get to re-use them several times before you have to chuck them into the recycle bucket. i don't believe there is any written case life expectancy chart made. because of so many factors. chamber size, load pressures, crimping or not, everything that can change, will affect the life of your cases. generally speaking, the lower the pressure, the longer your brass will live. QUIT WORRYING, AND GO HAVE SOME FUN!!!:Fire::Fire::Fire::Fire::Fire:

[bishopgrandpa]

Some Lee sizing lube on a Q-tip applied to the inisde of the case neck will help. Works particularly good on bottlenecks but will help straight necks too.

[Dan Cash]

I guess what I'm asking is , are your cases growing in length at sizing, and how many times can you trim them.

When you fire them they will get shorter. Measure fired vs resized.

[Kragman71]

To answer your question;I only shoot cast bullets in my 3 Trapdoors,and expect to get 20 or more reloads from my brass.I do not anneal,and no longer crimp the cases.
Currently,my batches are:11 reloads,and 14 reloads.
The cartridge is very old and many cases were made with a balloon head.These would shear off at the bottom of the case,leaving a nice 'button'in the extractor.
In the 1950's,semi solid head cases were introduced.These were much better,but did not last as long as the modern solid head,that can last over 20 reloadings.
Frank

[45 2.1]

I've still have the original cases I started out with in the 45-70 circa 1975. Some of those finally had some neck splits. Those cases got annealed and were reformed to 40-50 BN. I set those up to be used as handseated/decap/reprime and fired them 250+ more shots each, which I got tired of (and didn't hurt the case any). Cases are lost from over-sizing, expanding and crimping too much. Pope and others stated that they lost a cases when the primer pocket wore so it didn't hold the primer anymore. The count at that time was over 2,000 shots on the case..............

[BrianB]

I started loading 45-70's about 15 years ago and I am still reloading the same cases I originally purchased at that time. (Along with others I have acquired since) Case stretch has not been an issue and I shoot pretty hard loads...50.2gr of Reloder-7 with 300gr Hornady HP's. I recently purchased a case trimmer after seeing my cases were noticeably longer than the Hornady casings my dad gave me. After checking them, I found that all my Winchester casings were the correct length and the Remington's, some being 15 years old, were actually a bit short. After checking the length on the Hornady's, I found out their casings are much shorter than everyone else's. I can't say how long you can expect the brass to last, but 50 cases, under typical hunting conditions, (not a lot of target shooting) should hold you for several years.