Does the S&W 69 have enough cylinder length to seat 250 Keiths in the crimp groove?
I don't have any of those bullets so I don't know, but the cylinder is long enough to accept a load using the Lee 310 gr. gas checked bullet, even crimped in the rear groove. The only problem with this load is that the throats are too tigbt to allow the round to fit all way into the cylinder. I'll either have to drop my charge with this bullet and seat it deeper to the forward crimp groove or find a different heavy with a shorter bearing surface.
(Note: The M69 cylinder is 1.670 inches and isn't recessed for cartridge rims -- a 1.712" hand load fits, but is right at the face of the cylinder. Lymans No 49 edition shows OAL w their 425421 Keith Bullet is 1.710". A .429 minus plug gauge will enter all throats a .430 plug will not.)
Just loaded a 250gr Keith (Lyman 429421 from Western Bullet Co.) and when seated to the top of the crimp grove, the OAL is 1.690" in Starline .44 Mag cases.
