reloading 45-70

kwr76 · February 24, 2005, 06:40 PM

im trying to reload 45-70. the crimp on these cartriges is confuseing it is in the middle of the case.can you adjust the crimp by screwing the die in further and where should i start the die in relation with the shell holder. i have lyman dies that didnt come with directions.

WIL TERRY · February 24, 2005, 06:50 PM

The cannalure you see in the middle of the case was usually put there for indentfication, or in some cases to keep bullets from receding into the case.
Your seating die has a crimp shoulder built into the upper part of the die. You can see it and feel it in there. It is used to turn the mouth of the case into a crimp ring in a bullet. This done after the bullet is seated, or if you adjust the die carefully seating and crimping can be done simultaneously.
It works best for the new fellas to get the feel of seating the bullets first then backing off the seating punch to the top of the die and slowly screwing the die down until it turns the case mouth into the bullet's cannalure. DON'T GET CARRIED AWAY WITH CRIMPING NOW---TURN IT IN GENTLY AND STOP.
You may ignore the cannalure you see in the middle of the case.

cheygriz · February 25, 2005, 12:17 AM

The best advice I can give, is buy a copy of the Lyman reloading manual and read it. It will answer all of your questions. Many other manuals are excellent also, but in my experience the Lyman manual is by far the best manual for the beginning reloader.

MADISON · February 25, 2005, 08:10 AM

Set up a "dummy" round [no powder, no primer].
Remove the decapping stim from yoour sizing die.
If the round has 2 canalures, start with the longest one and see if the round will fit the chamber. If not, go with the short one.
Re-adjust the sizing die to size the case around the bullet.

flashhole · February 25, 2005, 06:29 PM

kwr76

Take a look at this link.

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech...h_notes.htm/49

Adjusting the dies is a very straight forward process. My first recommendation is to get on the internet and see if you can find the directions and print them out.

The FL size die should be adjusted to just kiss the shell holder when the ram is in the up position (pull the lever down on your press).

The expander die adjustment will be somewhat dependent on the type of bullet you use, my rule of thumb is to expand the case neck approximately 1/2 the bullet seating depth. This will allow the bullet to seat easily and retain tension on the bullet when it's pushed past the expanded region further into the case.

The bullet seating die adjustment will be highly dependent on the type and length of bullet used. It's an iterative process, seat it part way, take it out and measure it, seat it a little deeper, take it out and measure it , repeat until you hit the appropriate COL (cartridge overall length) as identified in the reloading manual.

I like to use a separate crimp die and I favor the Redding Taper Crimp Die for the 45-70. The Lee Factory Crimp Die is a good choice too. If you use the bullet seat die to crimp you really have to pay attention to the adjustment as you can overcrimp easily and buckle the case. Once you get the bullet seat depth correct you back off the seater spindle so it no longer comes in contact with the bullet. You then turn the die into the press a small amount at a time (say 1/8 turn or less) and cycle the round into and out of the die until you have the desired crimp. Then, with the round inserted fully into the die, readjust the seater stem down to come in contact with the bullet. You are now properly adjusted to seat and crimp in the same step.

Hope this helps.

February 24, 2005, 06:40 PM	#1
kwr76 Junior Member Join Date: February 24, 2005 Posts: 1	reloading 45-70 im trying to reload 45-70. the crimp on these cartriges is confuseing it is in the middle of the case.can you adjust the crimp by screwing the die in further and where should i start the die in relation with the shell holder. i have lyman dies that didnt come with directions.

February 24, 2005, 06:50 PM	#2
WIL TERRY Senior Member Join Date: July 6, 2000 Location: BLACK HILLS Posts: 1,322	You Are Confusing Two Different Things Here, Sir. The cannalure you see in the middle of the case was usually put there for indentfication, or in some cases to keep bullets from receding into the case. Your seating die has a crimp shoulder built into the upper part of the die. You can see it and feel it in there. It is used to turn the mouth of the case into a crimp ring in a bullet. This done after the bullet is seated, or if you adjust the die carefully seating and crimping can be done simultaneously. It works best for the new fellas to get the feel of seating the bullets first then backing off the seating punch to the top of the die and slowly screwing the die down until it turns the case mouth into the bullet's cannalure. DON'T GET CARRIED AWAY WITH CRIMPING NOW---TURN IT IN GENTLY AND STOP. You may ignore the cannalure you see in the middle of the case.

February 25, 2005, 12:17 AM	#3
cheygriz Senior Member Join Date: May 11, 2002 Location: high up in the rockies Posts: 2,289	The best advice I can give, is buy a copy of the Lyman reloading manual and read it. It will answer all of your questions. Many other manuals are excellent also, but in my experience the Lyman manual is by far the best manual for the beginning reloader. __________________ If you think a mighty military force is expensive, wait 'til you see what a weak one costs.

February 25, 2005, 08:10 AM	#4
MADISON Senior Member Join Date: January 1, 2000 Location: Roanoke, Virginia Posts: 2,678	Crimping a 45-70 Set up a "dummy" round [no powder, no primer]. Remove the decapping stim from yoour sizing die. If the round has 2 canalures, start with the longest one and see if the round will fit the chamber. If not, go with the short one. Re-adjust the sizing die to size the case around the bullet.

February 25, 2005, 06:29 PM	#5
flashhole Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2005 Location: Owego, NY Posts: 2,000	kwr76 Take a look at this link. http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech...h_notes.htm/49 Adjusting the dies is a very straight forward process. My first recommendation is to get on the internet and see if you can find the directions and print them out. The FL size die should be adjusted to just kiss the shell holder when the ram is in the up position (pull the lever down on your press). The expander die adjustment will be somewhat dependent on the type of bullet you use, my rule of thumb is to expand the case neck approximately 1/2 the bullet seating depth. This will allow the bullet to seat easily and retain tension on the bullet when it's pushed past the expanded region further into the case. The bullet seating die adjustment will be highly dependent on the type and length of bullet used. It's an iterative process, seat it part way, take it out and measure it, seat it a little deeper, take it out and measure it , repeat until you hit the appropriate COL (cartridge overall length) as identified in the reloading manual. I like to use a separate crimp die and I favor the Redding Taper Crimp Die for the 45-70. The Lee Factory Crimp Die is a good choice too. If you use the bullet seat die to crimp you really have to pay attention to the adjustment as you can overcrimp easily and buckle the case. Once you get the bullet seat depth correct you back off the seater spindle so it no longer comes in contact with the bullet. You then turn the die into the press a small amount at a time (say 1/8 turn or less) and cycle the round into and out of the die until you have the desired crimp. Then, with the round inserted fully into the die, readjust the seater stem down to come in contact with the bullet. You are now properly adjusted to seat and crimp in the same step. Hope this helps. __________________ ,,, stupidity comes to some people very easily. 8/22/2017 my wife in a discussion about Liberals. Are you ready for civil war?