Shiloh Rifle Forums

My Shiloh Sharps should be ready sometime in the first part of the New Year. I would like to start getting all the reloading components and accessories for my 45-70. I intend to use the rifle primarily for hunting and informal target shooting.

On my list of things to get, I already have;

Dies, custom expander plug, taper crimp die, brass, bullets, wads, decapper, powder, cleaning rod and blow tube. Mostly the obvious stuff. Any 'must haves' to add to the list? How about a broken case extractor?

I also plan on using Hornady 45-70 dies, any thoughts or comments on these dies?

Thanks.

Joe.

A drop tube should be on the list.I made one out of 1/4"idx36" copper tubing.soldered a brass funel on one end and a 5/8x3/8 od copper pipe reducer on the other.A powder dipper or a black powder drop.I make my dipper out of a cut off case with a brass brazing rod soldered to the side of the case,and dip the powder out of a 5x10 glass loaf bowl.A compreshion die is a must.A case trimmer and chamffering tool and a nylon brush like a brush used for cleaning milk machine tubes for cleaning the fired cases.

Make smoke Joe. Kurt

The broken case extractor is a good idea. But I would suggest you get a compression die and a drop tube 24" or up to about 30". If you plan on casting your own bullets (and I think it is much more fun that way, plus you can find the bullet that shoots best rather than being dependent on someone else's bullets. Of course you can buy wads, but a good press mounted wad punch is good to have (those hand punches are a pain, I gave mine away).

I'm sure some of the other gentlemen of the Forum will give you some more ideas. The compression die and the drop tube are must haves though.

Hey Joe, get yourself a primer pocket uniforming tool. Never had one on my loading bench till I started doing BPCR. Was amazed at how out of true primer pockets can get in a short amount of time. As Lee suggested get into casting as soon as you can. I had been shooting some Lyman cast bullets that I bought and I'm here to tell ya they were junk. Shot some of my first cast bullets today and what a difference. Another thing I added to my bench was an electronic scale to weigh cases and bullets, it's a must have. Also invest in some good reading material. SPG primer and Paul Matthews books are top notch, and in my opinion a requirement if you want to learn all the in's and outs of this game. This list could get longer but I'm sure someone else has some ideas. Good luck and have fun.

I have to ditto what Lee and BuckeyeShooter said, plus a GOOD one piece cleaning rod and some Ballistol. Also a good Lube formula that you can make yourself, such as that from Lee Stone. I've made lube from his formula and it really works great. Also if you want to really get your brass CLEAN get some ceramic media for your tumbler, it really works great, no dust, and it will last forever. Also you just can't have enough good reference books, and I enjoy "Black Powder Cartridge News" magazine. The "Black Powder Cartridge Primer..." by Mike Venturino and Steve Garbe and "Shooting Buffalo Rifles of the Old West" by Mike Venturino are two I would not be without, they both have priceless info in them. One of the best things you can have is a shooting partner that enjoys the same type of shooting. For the other stuff, there's Mastercard, for the shooting partner, that's priceless!!!!!!

Another book that you would find very useful is the book by Spence and Pat Wolf. It is about the model 1873 Springfield "Trapdoor" Rifle and Carbine, but the information on blackpowder reloading and shooting is applicable to any real gunpowder discipline:

http://www.the45-70book.com/

Even though Spence has passed on, Pat has edited his notes and updated the book and is just now releasing the third edition. A very valuable read.

Lee Stone,

Sounds like you posted a recipe for a very good bullet lube on the forum that I obviously missed seeing. Could you tell me which topic it is under, and I can look it up.

If not, would you mind posting it again? I'm always interested in trying something new like bullet lubes.

Regards

:D Thanks for all the replies so far....

I placed an order with Buffalo Arms Yesterday for a whole mess of stuff, I can see though I omitted a couple of items from the list!

Lee Stone, I would be interested in your lube recipe if you are willing to divluge it!

I have used about 50/50 crisco and beeswax for years in my .44WCF with great success. I use it in cookie form behind a smokeless lubed bullet. More time consuming to load, but fouling and accuracy has never been a problem.

Joe.

With all of the good things listed above,there is one item very importent missing.

PERSEVERANCE!!

Kurt.

I do not mind posting it at all. This works well for me. I hope it will work as well for y'all. Here is the recipe and some sources for ingredients.

BP LUBE COMPONENT SOURCES

WAX:
http://www.silverbowhoney.com/cgi-bin/s ... roduct=wax

http://www.jandnsales.com/

http://www.texasdrone.com/

http://glorybeefoods.com/gbf/Shop_List. ... me=Beeswax

http://www.candlesupply.com/waxes.html#soybean

MURPHIE’S OIL SOAP:
Local grocery store

PURE NEATS FOOT OIL: (Not Neats Foot Oil Compound)
http://www.tandyleather.com/prodinfo.as ... 6&mitem=21

PEPPERMINT OIL:

URL for the merchant:
http://www.good4all.net/

URL for the product page:
http://www.good4all.net/now7585.htm

RECIPE
ONE PART = ¼ POUND BY WEIGHT. (I use a postage scale I bought at Office Depot)

6 Parts BeesWax
1 Part Murphie’s Oil Soap
1 Part Pure Neats Foot Oil (PURE Neats Foot Oil, NOT Neats Foor Oil Compound)
1 Medium sized eye dropper Peppermint Oil (helps make lube more pliable without lowering melting temperature)


Melt wax in double boiler, add other ingredients and mix well. Do not allow to boil. If you want lube to be more resistant to ambient temperature (as in the hot summer time) increase the proportion of wax. Pour into mould (I use cheap flexible plastic ice cube trays). FOR DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY IT IS STRONGLY SUGGESTED YOU GO TO WAL MART AND GET YOUR OWN DOUBLE BOILER.

Joe Burr;

I used to use Crisco as lube in my all brass 12ga shells. I worked fine and clean up was very easy. I quit using it when one day I found that the Crisco in a box that had been on the shelf for a while had gone rancid. I guess the combination of left over fouling and brass did a number on the Crisco after a while. So, to empty the shells out for re-use, I had to shoot out the entire box.

You have now idea the odor produced by the combination of burning gunpowder and rancid Crisco. And believe me, you do not want to know either. By the time I finish off the box I thought I would throw up. The only good things about it were: A) the recovery of my brass shells, and B) it was a work day at the range and there were very few people there to be "unhappy" with me.

Crisco is no longer an acceptable blackpowder lubricant for me. I am sure it works just fine for others, but I like my recipe just fine. And it works for 12ga just as well as for rifles. And clean up is just as easy.

Lee Stone,

Thanks for the information and your lube recipe. I have had some stinky crisco come out of some older BP shotshells I have loaded, but otherwise good results.

I will give your recipe a try for my next batch of 12 gauge shells while I'm waiting on my 45-70.

I can see by your posts that you are figuring out what's needed most, $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ lots of $$$$$$$$$$$$$

Oh BOY, Dozer,
ain't THAT the truth!

Omak

That is the ONE aspect of this addiction that it is best not to dwell on.