[Dangerdan1895]

So I was hand loading for the first time ever today, 45-70 of course, and while I was seating the bullet the brass kinks just a bit, I know that it’s now a weak point, but since it uses the rim for headspace can I still shoot that round? Also the bullets are from cam-pro and PPU, and both have a meplat smaller than the 405 remingtons that I normally use, not pointed but just about the same diameter of a primer, please comment or pm me If I should be worried at all, thank you all and have a good day

 

[Scharfschuetze]

Welcome aboard Dangerdan.

Did you bell your case mouths enough before seating the bullet? Whose dies are you using? The major brands have a belling die set up for jacketed bullets. You should be able to seat your projectiles without buckling the case if you have a slight bell at the lip of your case.

To be honest I've never seen that happen with a 45/70 case, but it is common enough with thin walled cases like the 32/20 and 44/40.

Why not just toss the round. In the grand scheme of things, that case will not be a huge loss.

 

[Crusty Deary Ol Coot]

Dan,

Without seeing the loaded round, I will make no comment on shooting or tossing.

From here, I am also guessing there needs to be a tiny bit more flair to the cast mouth.

Meplat ---------------------- What is your planned use for your loaded rounds?

I am a cast bullet shooter/hunter with my 45/70 and have seen the results on deer and elk using the Wide Flat Nose cast bullets. As always with proper shot placement the results are fast and effective, Every deer except on that I hit back about the diaphragm dropped where they stood and elk were down in less time then it takes to tell about it.

My bullet is a WFN 465gr that I put out of the muzzle at 1650fps.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

 

[Drm50]

If it’s “kinked” very much it’s not going to chamber. Sounds like you didn’t bell case mouth enough for lead bullets. If it chambers it won’t hurt to shoot it.

 

[Dangerdan1895]

I’m using Redding dies, and I believe I belled

 

[Dangerdan1895]

I’ve got them loaded with 37grains of IMR-4198 and I plan on using them for black bear and whitetail, maybe load them a bit hotter if I draw a moose tag, and they buckled towards the inside of the shell

 

[Dangerdan1895]

Thank you all for your advice, I need it very much haha, I hope you all the best

 

[Drm50]

Not belled enough and if that is not new brass it might help to use a bronze brush on case mouth.

 

[Lever Jac]

From the looks of if I would check to see if the crimp was set correctly being it looks like the bullet started ok but bent the case after it had gone in a ways. I have never loaded 45-70 but I had a very similar problem with some 300Ham'r loads. My solution was a Lee Factory crimp Die.

 

[SIRJ]

I would suspect that the crimp was the issue. Do them in separate steps. See if that helps.

 

[Crusty Deary Ol Coot]

If it is a crimp issue, it is a simple fix.

First adjust the seating depth, then back of the seating stem and little by little adjust the die downward until the crimp is correct. Secure the jam nut so the die will not change positions, raise the ram to upper most position, the crimp position, then turn the seating stem down to touch the bullet. Lock the seating stem in place and you should be good to go.

No need to seat and crimp in two steps and NO need for a lee factory crimp die! It is all about proper die adjustment!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

 

[ironhead7544]

Are you seating the bullet to the crimp groove? Looks like it might be below the groove. Can you take a picture of some of you other loads completed, and of the bullets unloaded?

 

[redhawk0]

Looks like a crimp issue to me as well. Back your seating die off a bit...seat the bullets, then do a crimp in a second operation. I love my Lee Factory Crimp die for the 45-70. It's well worth the $18.

redhawk

 

[Crusty Deary Ol Coot]

Being a selective buyer of lee stuff, I took advantage of the possibility of testing a 4 die lee set of .444 dies along side my 3 die set of 444 RCBS dies.

I was loading some triple 4 ammo for a son and he brought his set of lee dies, bought used, along with the other components.

I was loading 275gr Wide Flat Nose cast bullets that I cast for him.

The result --------------------- properly loaded 444 ammo with three steps needed using the RCBS dies and 4 steps needed with the lee dies. Both ways made good ammo.

As I said earlier, it is totally a matter of properly adjusting the dies. If the three die set is properly adjusted, you save a step and get the same end result.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

 

[Kevin.M]

If it’s “kinked” very much it’s not going to chamber. Sounds like you didn’t bell case mouth enough for lead bullets. If it chambers it won’t hurt to shoot it.

What he said!
:dito::dito:

 

[94win30wcf]

Bell your cases just enough to start the bullet. seat the bullet in one operation. when you have them all seated. then crimp.

 

[old wound]

If that round will chamber, fire it and the dent will most likely flatten right out.

 

[mehavey]

This is the Classic Seating-While-Crimping problem
(and nothing to do with case mouth bell).

To Fix Same:
1. Unscrew the seating die multiple turns
2. Unscrew the seating stem multiple turns
3, Run a powder-filled case/NO bullet all the way up in the press, then screw the seating die body down till the internal crimp ledge just touches the mouth. Back it off a half turn
4. With bullet now in the case, run it back up and adjust the seating stem until the bullet crimp groove is almost (not quite) covered by the case mouth. (You've now established the OAL) Back the seating stem out multiple turns.
5. Screw the seating die body down to touch the case mouth. Drop the ram and screw the die body down another 1/2 turn(+). Lock the die locking ring at that point.
6. With seating stem still screwed out. Run the assembled bullet up into the die -- crimping it.
7. With the assembled/crimped bullet still up in the die, screw the seating stem down to firmly hit the bullet. Lock the seating stem.

The die is now adjusted to properly seat/crimp in one stroke, at the crimp groove, and at the proper OAL.

.

 

[Travlin]

A lot of good advice , I have one ? and one suggestion. What are your cast bullets sized to? Get a case chamfering tool and put a little bevel on the inside of the cases.

 

[egregiousblunder]

I’ve got them loaded with 37grains of IMR-4198 and I plan on using them for black bear and whitetail, maybe load them a bit hotter if I draw a moose tag, and they buckled towards the inside of the shell

Pull the bullet and resize the brass. I would consider this brass compromised though, once the case is wrinkled in any way I toss them or if possible trim them down to be used for another caliber. It looks like you may have not belled the case enough or went a bit too fast during the seating process.