.45/70 brass questions

[Rick R]

While not specifically “Levergun” I’ll ask here cause they’ll most likely get shot in one of my Marlins. I normally use Starline .45/70 brass with WW coming a distant second.

A friend called a while back as the proud non-reloader of a Henry .45/70 levergun and wanted to know what to shoot. My advice was light reloads or cowboy factory loads. He didn’t listen.

Then he calls back that he’d bought a rail system that apparently took gunsmith attentions to install. And an AR15 style reflex scope. My question was “have you shot it yet?”. The reply was “no, I’ll do that when the smith sends it back”.

The next communication was that the scope died, the gun kicked, there was a .243 that was too good to pass up, swapping occurred and he’d leave his empty brass on my porch.

When I got home there was a 50 caliber ammo can full of .45/70 ammo boxes sitting there. Ten Federal boxes (5 brass, 5 nickle) from 300gr softpoints and four boxes of Hornady Leverevolution with more loose Hornady brass piled in the can. All empty brass. No wonder the scope died. My shoulder and my wallet both feel the pain.

I know the Hornady is short and requires resetting dies. Has anyone worked up a simple load over Unique or 2400 using cast? I’m basically thinking load it, shoot it and leave it at our public range.

Is the Federal brass decent? I’m kinda tempted to load the nickel stuff up with my normal hunting load (NOE 360gr WFN over Varget) and keep it in the leather loops on my stock to avoid verdigris during deer season.

[stubshaft]

My favorite plinking load for my 45/70's is 27.5 2400 behind an RCBS 405 bullet. I've been shooting this for over 30 years.

[nhithaca]

In my opinion the Federal brass is equal or maybe better than the Winchester brass. Remington is a far distant third. Never tried Starline.

[RickinTN]

Try 12 grains Unique with a 350 to 425 grain bullet. This is my "only" 45-70 load although I'm thinking about trying about 10 grains of Red Dot.
Why discard the brass? It's good for many firings.
Rick

[Winger Ed.]

I've never had any issues with Federal brass other than the normal wear & tear you'd expect from any other brand.

For the different length of cases- You can either keep them as separate batches, and adjust the dies accordingly,
or trim them all down to the shorter length. A third option is sell one of the batches here, they'll get snapped right up.

With 100 or so of each, and not wanting to make extra work for myself, I'd opt to keeping them separate.

[Rick R]

The Hornady factory ammo with the pointy gummy tipped bullet uses significantly shorter case than normal .45-70, I’ll probably put them on a shelf and cogitate upon them. My heirs may figure out a use.

If the Federal is equal to or better than Winchester then I’m a happy little fellow. The nickel casings will be low use hunting ammo which works for me.

In my experience Starline .45-70 brass is almost indestructible where Remington cracks after very few loadings. Winchester seems thinner/softer than Starline probably better at obturating with low pressure loadings but lasts nearly as well. I know BP shooters anneal Starline cases but I’ve always just ordered another batch, which became silly when I figured out that I’m still shooting cases from my first order over 10 years ago.

[Geezer in NH]

Many years ago in the late 70's KMart had their annual pre hunting season sale going on $3 a box hunting rounds. I looked at the ammo and they had Federal 45/70 300 grain HP 's for the $3 a box. I asked the guy at the counter if this was right He said sure is. Next is how many you got, turned out 2 cases of 10 boxes. I bought it all. Still using the cases today so it is real good brass.

[indian joe]

yup! Federal is GOOD brass - dont throw it away .................

[GregLaROCHE]

Federal works fine for me. I’d full length size them the first time and then neck size after that, if using in the same gun.

[Noah Zark]

Try 12 grains Unique with a 350 to 425 grain bullet. This is my "only" 45-70 load . . .

^^^THIS.

12-13 gr of Unique under 300-400 gr cast is parabolic in trajectory but in my experience it is phenomenally accurate in my Marlins, Miroku 1886s, C Sharps 1875, and Lyman / Pedersoli "1878" Sharps that's in the white and looks like an 1874 Sharps. One Ragged Hole accurate if I do my part, at 100 yds, and not much larger at 200 yds. Certainly minute of dead whitetail.

Noah

[BLAHUT]

I use 45/70 27gr 5744 mag primer under a 515 gfp ol 2.55 star line brass in my lever gun for hunting, at 100, 10 touching.

For target 45/70 star line brass 525gr psp pure lead 38.5 to 42grs black horn 209 buller sized to .561 i make my own lub. At 1000yds will hold the 10 ring if i do my part. Any brand primer (mag) not federal primers they give more than 100fps in this load i use star line brass for most everything i have loaded a tone 2000lbs plus, of lead in these star line brass and are still useing them today. Primer pockets stay tight, this is a light load. About 1000 to 1200 fps.

[BLAHUT]

I am wondering if anyone has a way too bring lead, wheel weights, monotype, lino type ect. Back to pure lead ?? Soft??

[Rick R]

Where the trim to length on .45/70 brass is 2.10” the Hornady brass starts out around 2.03” which is why I asked if anyone used it and what load they used.



The cases in the photo are (l to r) Starline, Winchester, Federal, Hornady. Perhaps the Hornady’s length won’t make much difference loadwise.

In full size cases I’m using a Guide Gun with enough Varget to go over 1,900fps with a 360gr NOE WFN, my wife shoots a 400gr NOE over 24gr of 2400 in her Guide Gun. I can shoot the Varget load in my TC Katahdin carbine but it isn’t fun. I’ve been playing with the 400gr NOE over 22.5gr of 2400 (my RCBS Little Dandy rotor #26) in the TC which may get loaded into these Federal cases to differentiate the loads. It is decidedly less punchy in the TC.

FWIW, My wife killed her first deer with a 405gr commercial cast boolit over 14gr of Unique and it tasted just as good as any I pre-tenderized with my 1,900 fps loads.

[SoonerEd]

I save the hornady brass for when i load full house hunting loads using FTX bullets in two of my 1895 marlins. Use the other brass for boolits. Starline is excellent brass. I like it better than other brands except lapua and norma.

You could load the hornady brass with boolits but you would have to adjust your seat depth and crimp die. And, if using hotter loads you would have work up new loads with likely slightly less powder.

[boingk]

Marlin 1895GBL here, using Federal brass and magnum primers, 14gn Trailboss and a 405gn cast. Runs just subsonic and under an inch at 100yd with a 30y/o Barska 4x scope. Really good round.

Definitely hold onto the brass, even if you just keep them separated and run one type until it fails then you can move onto the next.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I've used Federal(new empty boxed brass) and bulk Winchester with cannelure (1980's purchases). Both have held up well, my Federal is heavier than the Winchester, with case capacity noticeably less with top end loads needing adjustment worked up in Winchester needing reduction in Federal. 'Normal' pleasant loading, not much difference, with annealing, both last a very long time. With a top load of A2015 and the Barnes 300 gr ORIGINAL at 2200fps(recoil does suck), the trajectory above 9000ft(thin air) is surprisingly flat and works just fine on elk or moose, only used on 2 deer, of course it worked on those.

[Gunlaker]

Federal brass is good. It has less case capacity than WW or Rem brass so I generally use light loads with it.

Chris.

[BLAHUT]

I found federal brass to be hard and britle, work hardens and loose primer pockets fast, ww brass ok, rem brass holds up well, starline to be the best, imf is very good if you can get it. Starline holds up the best for me after many firings in compitishion, depend on how hard you use your brass, i load mine a lot. For my hunting loads in my guidegun, loaded for bear when fishing or deer hunting brass is tosed after one time use.

[robg]

i use 24g of 2400 with a quarter sheet of toilet paper to hold the powder against the primer in my SBL .pleasant and accurate load.

[bangerjim]

I am wondering if anyone has a way too bring lead, wheel weights, monotype, lino type ect. Back to pure lead ?? Soft??

Sell you hard alloys on here and by the pure on here!

You cannot easily destroy good hard alloys and make it pure. Once it is alloyed, it is pretty much done....the metallurgy is far beyond your capabilities in a home shop.