Best Brand Brass for 45-70

[The Pistoleer]

I am getting ready to order some 45-70 brass.What brand is best and why?

Where is the best place to order it from?

Pete

[Thebear_78]

I really like starline brass

[Ray Newman]

If you are meaning to load Black Powder:

Winchester holds a few grains more  ('bout 5) of powder as the brass is thinner.

Remington will hold slightly less as the brass is thicker.

I have had no experince w/ Starline.

See if you can round up a Fellow Shooter or two for the purchase. Brass gets cheaper when bought it in lots of 500. Or do you know someone w/ a fFederal Curios & Relics FFL--many dealers (Midway, Graf, Brownells, etc.) give dealer discounts to C&R holders. Best US$ 30.00 I ever spent was to have a C&R.

As far as prices, also look @ shipping costs. S/H can increase the total price & make a seemingly good deal not so good....

[popgunbpcr]

I prefer Winchester. Thinner brass, holds more black powder. Need the extra space for shooting bullets like the Steve Brooks creedmore bullet. I have some that I have shot for 6 years. I suggest annealing the brass so it will wear. Have a great day.

[slayer]

I looked at the Remington and Winchester brass of said caliber and noticed the Winchester brass is smooth and Remington brass has a Calilure on it, what is that for? I am use to Canilures on the bullets, not the brass? Thanks-Jack.

[Ray Newman]

The cannelure on a full metal patched bullet (AKA jacketed) is to apply a crimp. On a cartridge case, it is to control the seating depth of the bullet.

All of my R-P cases (400+) don't have a cannelure. The Winchester cases that I load have a cannelure.

[slayer]

Thanks Ray. I knoticed this not on new raw Rem brass, but on their factory loaded stuff with the 405gr jacketed loads. Is that normal for that? I don`t want to buy those, shoot them and then rload them with that canalure in the brass, or doesn`t it matter if that canalure is there or not? Thanks-Jack.

[ribbonstone]

Cannelure will partly iron itself out as you fire..which will mean you'll trim cases a bit earlier and more often until it stablizes (or you will if you are picky about case length matching).

Doesdn't hurt much with black powder loads...most of us are loading to long OAL so the bullet base is well clear of that cannelure.  IF your loading requires the base to be seated past that cannelure, then you might be troubled by it.

I use R-P cases simply becasue I found a deal on them some years back and bought 1000.  New brass does not have that cannelure (at least these don't).

While I have modern loading gear, when I got one rifle, lthe seller tossed in an old Lyman 310tool and a set of 45/70 dies.  These old dies don't over work the case as some modern press mounted dies do...just enck sizes the case to about the depth I set the bullets, so my case life has been exceptionally good.

[Timberlake]

Mr Pistoleer,

I've loaded for the 45-70 since 1959 in my Trapdoors (I was VERY young then) and exclusively used WW brass.  Most of my earlier loadings were with 20 grs of 2400 and no wad or filler.  I've since gone to black powder and 64 grs of Swiss 1.5 or Goex 2f at 68 grns.  

I've had numerous 45-70's in the interim and still cling to the WW brass.  Good friends of mine use RP brass with equally good results.  I've not tried Starline.  IMO, go with the best deal on brass.

TL

[slayer]

Thank you Gents!! Either way, I plan to fire about 100-200 rounds of factory stuff before loading the Black in her instead of buying raw brass, as I want to have some fun for a while when I get my BC, then start the black. I will buy rounds without the Canilure just to be safe, probably something with a 405 gr all lead load. Jack.