Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting Post pics of Keith style bullets

429-421 .44 from an Ideal single cavity mold.

Sweet! memtb

Nice.

I can't be the only one.. c'mon fellas, pics!

Looking good Creeker!
Which molds are they from?

The 45 is from a brass MP mould. I had a matched set of 4 cavity.
The 38 is from Lyman, 358429.

These moulds were sold with the business.

32-115, 38-172K, 412421, 41-230K, 44-HG503, 44-270K, 452423, 45-270-SAA, 45-270K

I have an RCBS 250K somewhere around, but I don't use that one much.

Very nice!
That HG503 is one ive been wanting to get

Looks a lot like my old NEI 454-270-PBK made by Walt Melander.

I cast 150gr and 170gr in the 38/357, 210gr in 41Mag, 250gr in 44 spl/mag and 255gr in 45 Colt. All but the 150gr are cast in H&G molds. But I don't know how to post pictures.

I think every mold I have are reproductions of the originals from other makers, but offered by NOE.

The biggest difference (and advantage) one may have is the alloy used for a diameter basis NOE is cut for; for example, the NEI molds were spec'd with Linotype as the basis for alloy. Walt made great molds, but were often cut for a .451 diameter in 45 caliber with Lino or .429/.430 in 44. Cast with wheelweight metal or range scrap, this leaves an undersized bullet for most of he 45 Colt guns I have, which have .454-458 diameter throats. 44 Smiths of old need upwards of .432 to .434 diameters to be at their best.

H&G and RCBS are similar in this regard, which is why I rarely use the 44-250K (.430) and 45-270 SAA (.454) RCBS molds, both of which are spec'd with lino and cast under size with my standard alloy of wheelweights. The 44K RCBS barely even sizes at all in a .430 die with wheelweight as the alloy.
Lyman still uses their #2 alloy as spec, which still may produce an undersized bullet with readily available alloys used today.

NOE or most of the other semi-custom makers either spec their molds with wheelweight metal or offer several diameters with wheelweight metal as a basis for diameters for that ever important ability to size to fit the throats or the ability to keep the seal from case mouth to muzzle.

If one has a mold spec'd for .454 in 45 caliber with the alloy standard as lino, such as the RCBS 270 SAA, it works great in .452-453 throat guns with wheelweight metal, but not in the .454 or larger throated guns that it was supposedly designed for, unless really soft metal is used to bump up and fit the throats for the support and seal. I'd just as soon have the bullet fit snug and be a bit harder, without resorting to linotype or a softer tin/lead alloy, both of which are more expensive and harder to source and also are less flexible in application.

Something to be aware of when looking at Keith bullets when mold shopping.

I know what you're talking about. The old 454-270-PBK was fat enough to use wheelweights and size to .452".

Very good info there Hawkl, thanks for posting

As a note, Walt Melander would cut a mould for the diameter of your choosing. He did this a few times for me.

I thought I'd throw the info out there.

I've been reading old Ross Seyfried articles and one mentions all of the "superior" attributes of the LBT bullet designs. I agree with some of them, but after having a pile of those molds, I think PT Barnum might have gotten carried away in some cases. Time tends to sort things out.

Ross had the old H&G503 and it didnt shoot as well as his new found bullets. Upon reading all of his stuff, his Keith mold threw .429s, and barely at that. So the less accuracy in the tests arent necessarily design driven.

Of note his more accurate bullets were made to order and fitted properly to begin with and I believe Ross would note that today. He did then, just in different articles probably several years apart.

I think Brian Pearce has a pretty good handle on how Keith bullets perform and how well they work for a wide range of loads, something that more specialized designs aren't well adapted to.

We provided many of the Keith 44 & 45 bullets Mr. Pearce used years ago. He was & is a believer in the Keith design.

That's pretty neat Creeker.

More Keith bullet pics, gents!

Hey lightman, If you want to send me the pics I'll post them up for you
Dan