45-70 govt case prep questions

[Quemtimebo]

Hi all. My reloading stuff arrived today from Midway and I am jazzed about getting started. I have a question about prepping the 45-70 government case: what exactly needs to be done? Since they're not bottle-necked do I need to worry about trimming and chamfering new brass? Or is it enough to lube em up and run them through the sizing die?

I'd like to avoid any explosions come range day.

[Fjold]

The 45.70 headspaces on the rim. Resize them and check the length. Uneven case length means that your bullets will seat at different depths in the cases and the crimp will be at different places on the bullets. The whole purpose of reloading is to get the maximum uniformity of your loads.

You don't have to chamfer the cases because being straight walled cases the case mouths will be belled by the second die in the reloading process.

[Argonaut]

What you want to avoid is non-explosions!!!! The difference with a straight case like the 45-70 and most pistol calibers is you have to "bell" the case after sizing and before setting the bullet. The adjustment of the expander die is important. Not too much "bell" but enough to get the bullet seated (or Crimped). I start with the expander die backed off and work it up slowly a little at a time to get the right expansion.

[LazyAndy]

I suggest you chamfer the brass. It makes bullet seating a lot easier. This is especially important when using all lead bullets, as the softer lead will shave easily.

[TMC]

In deference to LazyAndy don't chamfer the brass. A slight bell, as the others have said, is all you need and lead bullets will seat down nicely without shaving any lead. I load 45-120 and the big bullets go in just fine. If your loading smokeless powder you don't need a ton of crimp, for black powder more is needed.

Oh and don't worry if they look funny when your done. My 45-120 rounds look like the brass is buldged from the bullet but they chamber just fine.

[22popnsplat]

Just as a reminder , you trim after sizing . I often do run new brass through the sizer but I have never had it need trimming til its been fired a few times . I chamfer the case mouth after trimming to make sure there is no burr on the inside and outside.