Henry 45-70 brass lever safe & good reloading for newbies

[JEBar]

the bullets you are considering should be fine .... when it comes to punching paper at our level of shooting, the cheaper the bullet the better .... that includes all of the components that go into loading ammo .... as to lower powder charges for heavier bullets, you are absolutely right .... the pressure generated in moving the bullet is a critical concern

[Firefly]

Hi Brunix

I too am in Europe and I agree that a lot of items available in USA are not available here. In order to reload cartridges you will need the following.

One Reloading Press, I use Lyman
One set of scales, I use an RCBS
One powder measure, I use a Reading
One set of reloading dies, I use Lee Do not forget case lube when resizing Lee lube is good
One case trimmer and length gague and cutter
One case mouth chamfer tool
Cases, any listed will work, Starline, Winchester, PPU
Primers, any large rifle
Powder, 4198 is good but difficult to get due to eu reach rules, try Vitavihouri, RS (reload Swiss), trail boss is good for light loads.
Regarding case life if the case mouths are treated after a few loadings they will last much longer, note only heat the mouth do not allow the rest of the case to get hot as it will ruin it.
Above all check everything reloading is not difficult but if you make a mistake the results can be serious.

Regarding the term trapdoor load and lever action load either is safe in the Henry as it is a strong modern action designed to take the pressure. The trapdoor load refers to the early trapdoor action rifles used in the 1800's. These were black powder rifles and unsuited to modern higher pressure posers. In truth the loads listed for Ruger rifles are probably safe but I would be wary of the high loads
In relation to if I know what I am talking about I have been Reloading for rifle and pistol calibres for over 50 years, I have never had a problem with reloaded bullets and have only ever had 20 split case in total on all these years

,

[clovishound]

there is one thing that intrigues me, the reload data seem to indicate less powder for a heavier bullet.
IMR 4198
36 Gr for 400gr bullet,
and 39 Gr for 300 Gr ....
I would rather have thought that a heavier bullet needed more powder,
but maybe it is to limit the pressure ...?

Sorry for the reply so long after this was posted, but I haven't been following this thread, since I don't load for 45-70.

Yes, Brunix, you are correct. The reason for more powder for a lighter bullet is pressure. With the same case, and powder load, a heavier bullet will take more time to move it forward out of the case and into the barrel. This means the expanding gas will reach a higher pressure. Pressure is usually the limiting factor in determining the maximum load. The exception to this is sometimes lead bullets will have a lower pressure max load that is limited by velocity. Too much velocity in a lead bullet can cause issues with lead buildup in the barrel. Also, most plated bullets have a maximum velocity beyond which the plating tends to come apart.

I see that no one has suggested coated bullets as an alternative to jacketed or lead. I use them frequently in .357 magnum in my Henry and they work very well for me. They are usually much less expensive than jacketed, and don't have issues with leading the barrel and are much cleaner when loading. No lead residue, or lube buildup in the dies. I don't see any lead data on Hogdgon's site, but I know there must be data out there. Just wondering.