What's your brass life for 45-70 & 30-30?

[Libraryhound]

What's your brass life for 45-70 & 30-30? I will be reloading game loads but not hot loads. Both will do for what I want but just looking at brass life.
Thanks
Libraryhound

[Jason F]

I got about 10 reloads on my 45-70 brass with mid level loads starline brass.  30-30 rarely leave safe so no help for you there.

[twoshooter]

I know that midrange 30/30 loads should last at least 8-10 rounds. Between range pickup of my own and a couple of deals here I have several hundred rounds of brass so never really find out. I have reloaded some over and over when working up loads and so know they will go at least the 8-10 above. I trimmed some after about 5X I think. I think primer pockets may loosen up a bit, I have never had a head separation or split case though.

As for 45/70, my loads would mostly be light, only one I use would be midrange as I see no need. I have crunched some or damaged them in resizing, and wore out the case mouth from belling/ crimping because I use almost all cast, but again I have never had a case fail.  I know many of them have been used 20 times.

[Libraryhound]

Thanks that is what I needed to know. I plan on getting both barrels but one now one later.10 to 20 times for a 45-70 is better than I hoped for.(I do realize that not all brass will perform the same).
Thanks
Libraryhound

[BBF]

I don't have a 30-30 and bought enough 45-70 brass to last me a lifetime . With the exception of one 45-70 case which I screwed up bad enough to discard it, I have not had any failures. I do not full resize them, just enough to hold the bullet unil I can get the loaded round into the LEE factory crimp Die.

[keith44]

Like BBF I just neck size my .47-70 brass.  Every 7 loadings I anneal the necks, check the length, and trim and bevel as needed.  I shoot cast bullets at mid-range lever gun pressures, and have brass that has seen 25 loadings.  About 5% are showing primer pockets getting loose.  So 25 loadings with extra care is my personal limit.

[keith44]

Forgot to add that I shoot a single shot .45-70, not a lever gun, so I can let the brass grow more than others can get away with.

[KIMBER45]

I'd say 20 to 25 is a good number. My primer pockets either get loose or the case splits at the mouth of the case.I shoot lead in my BC 45/70. Velocity is about 1360 fps.

[mechanic]

20 plus.
Ben

[mauser98us]

Forever if used in a handi and sized right to begin with

[Ranger99]

Never yet had any problems as far as
case growth or head separation signs.
Primer pockets got a little loose on
some used brass i've used. No problems
with the new brass i've used, but i've not
counted reloadings either, just watched for
trouble signs, and I use batches of cases
for specific firearms.
I also load for .444 as opposed to 45/70.

[sabbatus]

Proper care of the cases in a 45/70. They will last longer than you can ever imagine.   I have about a hundred pieces of remington brass that i bought 13 years ago with my rifle.  And i shoot my 45/70 alot throughout the year.   Somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 to 800 a year.   The brass i have lost has either been to me damaging it or primer pockets getting loose.    Ive also got about 30 of my original 50 pieces of w-w brass that i bought in 2002 for black powder use

[Blackhawker]

I shoot hotter loads in my 30-30 and it seems that R-P and WIN brass lasts about 7 to 8 loads.  After that, the web seems to crack and sometimes broken cases get stuck in the chamber.  Federal brass seems to last longer.