Question For the Gun Guys

Alright, I have recently started shooting again and I have decided to buy a new rifle. Anyway, I have decided on a big-bore rifle; I think I want a .45-70 Govt. Most of my shooting is in the 150- yard range up to maybe 300 with a scope (If I even buy one for this gun). I don't hunt. I do blast things I don't like.

I'm looking at a Marlin 1895 CB (Cowboy). The main reasons I like this gun are the 26" barrel (for better accuracy) and I the old school look.

However, as always there is a catch. I really don't want to spend $20 on a box of ammo. However, hand-loading sounds like an interesting hobby to take up. I'm not interested in trying to cram as much powder as physically possible in the brass. In fact, I probably will just duplicate or just slightly improve on the factory loads.

My main question is this: about how much am I looking at to setup a decent reloading station, and about how much will 20 complete bullets run me? I already have a good precise scale.

If you want a gun like that, I would really reccomend looking in to the .444 Marlin instead of the 45-70. The 45-70 is just too slow for my liking





EDIT: Didn't see you were mostly intrested in reloading. Cant help you there, I just buy all my rounds in boxes so I don't know much about reloading

brand new, my dillion 650 with case feeder set up for 40 cost around 750 i think. Brass was super cheap, no worries there, the bullets I used are 70$/1000 and primers were 100 something a case. Start up is not cheap, but it all depends on how much you shoot. I shot close to 2 matches a weekend, and with practice, put me any where from 2k-2.5k rounds a month. My reloader was paid for in the first year, not to mention my groups were tighter then factory and I could load longer, important for my comp gun.

So I guess the question is, how often are you gonna fire the bad boy?

In addition, i second :stupid

You can't pack the cartridges for 2 main reasons:
1) the powder needs air to burn
2) the chamber can't handle that much heat & pressure.

Might not be able to with the 45-70, but I do know with some cartridges you can. Its called a compressed load. The shell is overfilled with powder and when the bullet is pressed in it packs it down.

I don't hunt. I do blast things I don't like...[reloading is] like an interesting hobby to take up.Don't bother reloading unless you're a serious match competitor and/or want to pick up the skill. You can buy plenty of .45/70 for what a set up will cost.

I don't know much about the guns being discussed. But I shoot with a 8mm Czech Mauser, bought it at a gun show for $80. This thing is dead on accurate, bolt action, and you can find the Mil-Spec ammo really cheap. Super easy to dissassemble, and can still buy plenty of accessories for it, my brother bought a plastic stock for his. I don't think I could have found a better all around gun for 80 bucks.

Here's what I have researched so far:

Press: RCBS Rock Chucker Press ~$100
Dies: Hornady No-Lube dies ~ $35
Shell Holder: ~$5
Powder Measure: ~$30
Cookbook: ~$20
Case Trimmer: ~$1
Hand Primer: ~$15 (Optional)

TOTAL: ~$206

Feel free to tell me if any price is way too low or if I have omitted something essential.

Supplies: No idea. Somebody help me out with this one :toothless

Ok, right now .45-70 retails for about $1 apeice. That's really fawking expensive (to me). What kind of money am I looking at per handload? On some site the number was about $0.12.

The way things look like right now, my reloading gear/supplies would pay for themselves in less than 1000 rounds. Is that being overly optimistic?
Thanks for the advice guys :beer

You're still gonna have to buy some "store made" .45/70's from time to time. The reason for a case trimmer is that the case will grow when firing and then resizing. The brass will get thinner and thinner, develop cracks and splits. Eventually, it becomes unsafe and you'll need new cases. This is especially true with a tapered case like the .45/70.

I'm not that up on RCBS (mine was a Dillon), but I assume the one you're looking at has a de-priming station. You'll also need a case tumbler and lots of crushed walnut shell to clean the brass - and your wife will probably use it to clean jewlery, silverware and stuff.

Get some plastic cartridge cases and labels for storing the re-loads. Make sure to record the bullet weight, powder load and date on the labels.

If you like to make smoke along with the noise, use Pyrodex RS (rifle, shotgun) powder. It measures the same as smokeless and smokes like old fashioned black powder, but it's safer to handle.

Shoot safe and keep it in the ten-ring. I'm a life NRA member.

if you want to blow stuff up, get this pea shooter. the barret .50 cal.
http://barrettrifles.com/images/front_rifles.jpg

.45-70 isn't a tapered case it's a straight shank shell. What made you choose that gun? There are much higher power guns out there. I have a .45-90, the shells for that are all but impossible to find so when we shoot it we shoot .45-70 shells. It's over 100 years old so it doesn't get used much and it's much more rare than a .45-70

i have a barrett, cost me about 1.75 per round. that about 20 bucks per mag.

but, damn. we have some fun blowing up crap with it. it is an occassional shooter, mostly because i am limited to where i can shoot it. my local range in lauderdale hates it when i want to come out. i have to call ahead.
when i lived in connecticut it was easier, because of my private club. we had a class three weekend once a month. boy was that some fun.

if i wanted to get something for close in 150 yard and in shooting, i might go with a 7.62x39. the are cheap and super plentiful.
i have an AR setup for that. but then again my .223 is alot of fun and really cheap to shoot. and will carry into decent range. but not like my m14 will.

.308 is still my favourite by far for general shooting.

my 2.5 cents.

cheers,
just like what you shooting with.

.444 magnum would be a good bet. Those lever guns are nice ( I assume its a lever gun). But for long distance you really cant beat a nice Bolt action in .30-06. I shot a Remington 700 in .30-06 and I hit a football sized piece of quartz 250 meters over a canyon. talk about DEAD on accurate, and the 06 has taken more deer then anyone cares to count.


As for reloading. I have a .35 remington lever gun im reloading for. For

89.99 you can have a LEE aniversary KIT. it has everything you need execpt:

Lee case trimmer for the caliber (the kit above has everything but the caliber specific part:

Dies ( i went with LEE because they are one of the cheapest, I have had NO problems with them yet.) 25 bucks.

Caliper.

Thats pretty much all you "need" to start. Id recommend a bullet puller, kinetic is fine.

There ya go, fairly inexpensive and a great start for a light reloader.

go to www.accuratereloading.com and the forums for more info, a lot of old hands there to help you out.

good luck.

I don't know much about the guns being discussed. But I shoot with a 8mm Czech Mauser, bought it at a gun show for $80. This thing is dead on accurate, bolt action, and you can find the Mil-Spec ammo really cheap. Super easy to dissassemble, and can still buy plenty of accessories for it, my brother bought a plastic stock for his. I don't think I could have found a better all around gun for 80 bucks.

Many bolt actions today are based on the Mauser 98 action

check out graybeardoutdoors.com.

.45-70 isn't a tapered case it's a straight shank shell.:brownbag My bad, you're correct Bob...some info (http://www.trackofthewolf.com/popUps/popSingle.aspx?partNum=CASE-45-70).

One thing, I am not really tied to anything.

The three main contenders are: The 1895CB (.45-70), a nice AK-47 (7.62-39), or a Rem. 700 (.30-06).

The straight case was one reason I was thinking of the .45-70. It's also a pretty big gun; and for $550 new at my local shop, it's not bad in money terms. I'm not looking for the biggest, baddest thing on the block, I just kinda like the caliber. Not too big, not too small kinda thing.

Something else, I shot an AK a few weeks ago and I could not hit shit with it. :brownbag I don't know why; I'm a pretty good shot. I was only at about 90 yards, so it wasn't the gun. I was shooting the new Fed. American Eagles; Wolf had dried up locally. The gun also jammed up and completely quit working after only 50 rounds. From what I have seen that AK was FAR below average. . .

I shot a Rem. 700 and I was great with it. I'm wondering about a left handed one (I am left handed but I have always shot right handed guns). Oh yeah, another reason I like lever guns; they are ambidexterious (I don't mind getting hit in the face by hulls).

I have a Winchester Model 94 carbine in .30-30 and I love it. The new LeverEvolution tips really work. You have to put more than one in the mag though, one will get sideways when left by itself.

Which brings me to another question: Can I make single loads (none in the mag) with ballistic tips to get away from the rainbow effect the flat bullets cause? If I could that would probably sell me on the .45-70.

I like .308s too, but I can't really find a quality one in my price range, about $600 down.

When I first decided to get a new gun, I wanted an AK. Then I decided I wanted more range, so I started bouncing back and forth between a .308 and a .30-06. Then I saw the 1895CB and I thought that would be really nice, and I almost bought one; then I saw the price of ammo and that kinda spooked me :toothless. I have not abandoned the idea of an AK-47, but I'm going to have to have a really good experience with one before I commit to actually buying another.

Thanks for the tip on the kit Ptack. :beer Anybody else have experience with that kit?

Still, I would like to know the average cost of a reloaded round (I realize there are many factors, I'm just looking for a rough estimate.) Does 35 cents a round sound reasonable?

Thanks for all the help guys :beer

Alright. For my 35 rem. IT costs me LOWEST of 15.95 a box, but thats only at gun shows. The ONLY place that has it is 23.95 for 20. Thats about 1.20 a round right. Well now im reloading for 50 cents a round. Thats a savings of 60 cents A ROUND. and thats with semi expensive bullets. So if i shoot 300 rounds, ive paid for my initial investment.

If i had a .30-06. It would be even more savings and more rounds. I am going to start loading for a buddies 7mm. It will save him BIG bucks,

Hmmm, thanks again Ptack. That was exactly what I needed to know. :beer

What brand of powder and and bullets do you prefer?

I wonder if Hornady will ever offer those wonderful ploymer tip bullets to reloaders (yeah right). That would be the shit!

#1 buy a GOOD reloading manual,speer,lyman,lee,hornady or the ABC's of reloading,are all good books.See if you want to do it,if you still do than go to a local gun shop and inquire about reloading,see what brands they carry of reloading presses and accessories,nothing like the support of a local dealer,if none are available get a midway usa catalog or check out their web site midwayusa.com,you can get the books from them also,lee, rcbs,lyman,horndy all have package deals with a press and most of the accessories you'll need.

#1 buy a GOOD reloading manual,speer,lyman,lee,hornady or the ABC's of reloading,are all good books.See if you want to do it,if you still do than go to a local gun shop and inquire about reloading,see what brands they carry of reloading presses and accessories,nothing like the support of a local dealer,if none are available get a midway usa catalog or check out their web site midwayusa.com,you can get the books from them also,lee, rcbs,lyman,horndy all have package deals with a press and most of the accessories you'll need.


DEFINATLY agree with this, that lee kit comes with the Modern Reloading guide.

REad the opening sections abotu reloading. Then read it again, then get another one and read. Usually between 100-200 pages, but it shows you EVERYTHING you need to know to be safe.:thumbup

Yep,It took me about a month to decide if I could do it after reading and talking to local shop and other friends about reloading,it is not something you take lightly you could lose a finger,eye,hand,life,by not reloading correctly,not to mention the damage to your gun.
I have a dillon 550B set up for 45acp,500+rounds a month for steel plates.
I also have a rcbs rock chucker single stage that I load rifle on,feels like I have more control over the charge with the single stage.