Opinions on a general purpose .44 revolver mold

Boolit Buddy Join DateSep 2012Posts58

Howdy,

I've got several Keith style molds but want something new as a general purpose, cheap shooting, accurate revolver bullet. I have S&Ws old and new and I'm not likely to have a rifle or any other make revolver. For one older gun in particular I need a bigger diameter than my current molds and at the same time don't want to have to have a bunch of different loads and bullets. What I want is a standard that will cover most of my shooting - cast WW with maybe some tin, 800-1100fps, from paper to maybe a deer. I'm thinking 4-5 cavity 240 gr. RNFP plain base, .433 diameter. Something like a .300 or .312 meplat. What ogive shape is going to be best? Will I be better served with a front band like the Keiths or just a gently curved ogive, or an ogive with a little step to allow free entry of the nose into the throat? I'm kinda thinking about the Accurate mold shown below.
Whadya think?

Boolit Man Join DateMar 2013Posts79

that is the Accruate 43-240E, i was looking at that same one and have the same question... is this a classic SWC design for general use on a .44 Mag revolver?

I bet that bullet would shoot real well in a 44. I have been having a little better luck without the Keith shoulder on my bullets. I have a lot of molds with the shoulder but the ones without seem to shoot a hair better. Not a lot better. I need to shoot a bunch more before I'm sure. Sounds like a good reason to go shoot.

that'll do what you want from a rnfp.
it would be an excellent choice for just one mold to cover bout everything you need done with a 44.
I use a very, very similar boolit for my general stuff loads.
the only thing you have to really measure is the nose sticking out of the case
for cartridge oal.
2/3rds bearing length and @ 1/4 bore rider is pretty good if you wanna push things hard.

it's all an educated guess,,,, till the trigger is pulled.

the more i find out about shootin boolits, the more it contradicts everything i ever learned about shooting jaxketed.

Boolit Buddy Join DateSep 2011Posts59

fluxed, 3/22/13

I've got a similar mold from Tom at AM with the 431-250grain-E. The boolits drop at about 0.432" for my slugged barrel of 0.429" on my SW 329 44sp/mag. I run the 44 special loads at 825 ft/sec which works fine for plinking and as my backup pig gun to my 12 gauge slug gun. I shoot mine unsized, pan lubed and there is no leading. Hard to beat an AccurateMold. Good luck.

best wishes- oldandslow

Ive had excellent results in about 8, 44 mag revolvers with the Saeco#420 200gr TC bullet

A deer isn't going to notice the difference, but the Keith's do make prettier holes in paper. If you're shooting for score or looking with a spotting scope from a long way off, this matters, if not, then not.

I had an e-mail conversation with Tom at Accurate regarding Keith-ish shoulders on .45ACP boolits. He said that current thinking tends to state a wide meplat is enough to shove meat out of the way and that a Keith shoulder really has no function in that particular application. What a slight shoulder DOES do for you however, is give a well-defined starting/stopping point for uniform sizing. RNFP's (he says) tend to size higher on one side than the other. While I don't necessarily take it as gospel, Tom does seem to know more than a thing or two on the topic - so were I in your shoes, I might be looking at his 43-240T, which has a slight shoulder well short of the classic Keith profile. (My .45 quest ended with a 45-230F designed on this concept)

WWJMBD?

I like my science WEIRD.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading
Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt"

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