Reloading Keith Style .44 Hard Cast.

3367 Views 61 Replies 16 Participants Last post by Michael W Cuber, 4 mo ago

Michael W Cuber

Discussion Starter · 7 mo ago

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Ordering some 260 gr Keith Style Flat Base from Rim Rock Bullets, and was wondering if anyone has loaded these bullets, or a similiar 260 gr bullet?
I’m loading for a Taurus M-44, and I’m not looking for max loads with H-110, but will be loading with CFE Pistol, and Unique. Don’t think the Taurus is equal in strength to a 29 Smith and certainly nothing like a Redhawk, but would like to work up some loads in the 1100-1150 fps range that won’t put any undue stress on the Taurus .44, so I’d be interested in anyones experience loading this bullet, or for a similiar Taurus .44 Mag. I’m really looking for a bigger hammer than 180’s in my Service Six without having to buy a new revolver!

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riposte191145

· #42 · 5 mo ago

Michael W Cuber said:
Ordering some 260 gr Keith Style Flat Base from Rim Rock Bullets, and was wondering if anyone has loaded these bullets, or a similiar 260 gr bullet?
I’m loading for a Taurus M-44, and I’m not looking for max loads with H-110, but will be loading with CFE Pistol, and Unique. Don’t think the Taurus is equal in strength to a 29 Smith and certainly nothing like a Redhawk, but would like to work up some loads in the 1100-1150 fps range that won’t put any undue stress on the Taurus .44, so I’d be interested in anyones experience loading this bullet, or for a similiar Taurus .44 Mag. I’m really looking for a bigger hammer than 180’s in my Service Six without having to buy a new revolver!

Rimrock list their hard cast line as either 12 or 15 bhn, I figure either would do for 1100 fps and that should definitely give you a "bigger hammer" .

Even in 4" guns, powders in the 2400 burning rate work, but at 1100 fps even powders down around Unique work well also.

I don't have much experience with .44s using really heavy bullets, but I've shot a few deer with a 245 Keith, one at 110 yards, in .44 Spl. at around 1000 fps - I could not have asked for any better performance (dropped on the spot) - I cannot imagine a 260 doing less, and it should penetrate even better on bigger critters. I did load some 340s over 296 for a 5" Redhawk but never shot anything with the load - and I'd likely consider it a bit too much these days.

Two modern powders that seem to do well are Lil'gun and Longshot (the latter being "faster") but all of the powders I see listed above should do well also.

While I like S&Ws and Rugers I do own a different .44 - it is a 2.75" Astra .44 - it seems to be a decent gun as I suspect your Taurus is.

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riposte191145

· #47 · 5 mo ago

I've used H110 and 296 but I would agree it is not for lighter loads and I just don't find the need for the max loads any more.

I'm sure any flat nosed bullet will get the job done but I really like the true Keith design - it is likely just an personal taste thing. I do also like the WFNs.

Forgot to mention, but most here know, Buffalo Bore uses Rim Rock bullets in many of their factory loads - fine stuff! I think so does underwood.

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riposte191145

· #49 · 5 mo ago

Michael W Cuber said:
I’m still looking for some 2400 to try in my Dad’s 629. Can’t wait for spring, and run some loads over the Chronograph—be interesting to compare the two revolvers side by side in regards to difference in velocity. The groups I’ve shot with the Taurus are going to be hard to beat—we’ll see; something to look forward to once the snow melts!

This might not be the place to mention it but the thread reminds me that I have quite a few .44s and fairly early on I discovered vary in velocity a LOT and sometimes not in a way that makes sense. I have an 8 3/8" S&W 29-3 and it gives no more velocity than my 4" 629-1 (the same is true of some of the .357s I own - some 6" guns give less velocity than some 4").

Of course it varies. Sometimes I think it is just a matter of when the gun was made (I mean here what day of the week

) - or rather, when in the gun was made in relationship to the wear on the tooling - when the reamers are near the end of their useable life the chambers are tighter and so the gun clocks higher. Of course variance in barrel/cylinder gap has some effect as well.

Just Ramblin'

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riposte191145

· #54 · 5 mo ago

Michael W Cuber said:
Perhaps the cylinder throats effect this? My Service—Six was horribly accuracy challenged, and I mic’d the throats and they were .350” dia!
They were squishing a .357-358 down to .350 and then launching them down a .3565–357 barrel!
I mic’d my brother in laws Security-Six throats and they were .357, so I reamed mine out to .3575, and it was like flipping a light switch the next time I took it out; what had been 5 inch groups were reduced to around 2” at 25 yds. The Taurus will allow me to push the 260 gr cast through the throats with some drag, but I wonder how much this might effect velocity, as I’ve encountered a mixed variety in revolvers I’ve shot over the years?

I think so. I had a very early Ruger Blackhawk (still have it) the .45 Colt cylinder was OK but the .45 Auto cylinder was just so-so in accuracy. Finally, one day I drove a lead ball through the cylinder throats and found most were .448"!

I have the exact opposite problem with my first S&W 25-5 (pinned barrel) - the cylinder throats run from .454 to .458" - it is erratic in accuracy but some individual chambers can be accurate with lead bullets if I use one chamber only. A later, non-pinned 25-5 is much better - not only are the cylinder throats consistent, the chambers are tighter at the back, reducing case swelling. Fortunately I have a 25-7 that is also that way.

In fact one of the things I really like about USFA was that they lathe bored the chambers rather than used a reamer...or at least that is what I'm told.

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