Most accurate Pistol bullet style?

[Markbo]

There are lots and lots of specific bullet 'styles' that are made, mentioned, sold all the time. The Keith bullet may be the most famous lead bullet known to every shooter. I am not particularly a long range handgunner due mostly to age and eyesight.

But seeing lots of guys here that are (and I do have scoped handguns ;) )got me to thinking... is there any one bullet 'style' that is routinely found to be more accurate than others? In my very limited experience, I cannot say that the Keith is that bullet.

And I mean across the board - no one caliber. I shoot CF from .32 to .500 so I have just got this thought in my head, is there one bullet style that in all calibers is more inherently accurate than any other, OR is there a particular style that seems to be more accurate in specific calibers?

Now please, I understand all the other variables must be at play, but I am questioning this one variable. Not the gun (though I am thinking revolver here), barrel, cylinder, sights or bullet hardness, size, metalurgy, etc ... just the bullet style. This might even include the caveat - gas checked only, who knows?

What say you?

[Love Life]

For me it has always been a RNFP design. From revolvers to rifles.

[Harter66]

The full wad cutter seems tuff to beat for the 1st 75 ft. I've not shot enough different boolits to make a qualified statement really.

[azrednek]

The full wad cutter seems tuff to beat for the 1st 75 ft. I've not shot enough different boolits to make a qualified statement really.

I'm 100% in agreement and more specifically the swaged hollow base wadcutter. For short range paper punching it is hard to beat the full wadcutter.

[EDK]

For me it has always been a RNFP design. From revolvers to rifles.

+1. While I like full wadcutters in my 44s for short range and the KEITH boolits are a good compromise for longer ranges, the round nose flat point works at short, intermediate and long range. The fact that it is also the best feeding round in my pistol cartridge MARLIN Cowboy rifles is another added benefit.

:Fire::castmine::redneck:

[Blammer]

When I look at all of my targets, the RNFP or the Trun Cone design stand out as more accurate than any of the SWC style boolits I've shot out of my 44 mag.

I have yet to shoot a target like this with ANY SWC at any distance.
That's 5 in one spot and the sixth was because I thought I kept missing so I changed my point of aim. :D

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Targets/5-44shots226grNEI.jpg

[beladran]

I have a 147 hg #73 swc its super accurate .9 inch groups at 50 yards out on my comp revo.. round nose an flat points never shot worth a flip for me... my 44mag 629 loves flat nose!

[Old Caster]

I don't know if a blanket statement could be made about this. It might have a lot to do with caliber and certainly with different guns having to do with a myriad of variences. In my .32 Benelli the bullet of choice is a flat base slight bump in the front cast Saeco 98 grain wadcutter or HBWC bullet. In my 45's a H&G clone that doesn't vary from the original too much is the best. A truncated cone bullet never worked in those pistols but as mentioned above it is someones elses favorite in a different gun. In 38 my best groups are with a 150 RCBS or 158 Lyman 358477 or a HBWC, but the HBWC only works well in my Smith 14, 15, 66 and Python. In my 27 and two 28's they are horrible. A wadcutter for the 38 that looks just like the one for the .32 but in .38 (Lyman 358495) is real bad in everything but the Python. In my case at least, it is hard to say which is the best and it is also hard to guess why because there is no apparent pattern.

[HammerMTB]

In all my revolvers, the RF seems the best to me for long range. The wadcutter is at least as good, but only for shorter range.
In all my semi-autos, the TC wins it hands down. The SWC does well, too, but since my autos are all combat style guns, I don't care how they do past 50 yards, and for the most part 1/2 that distance is plenty accurate enough.

[MT Gianni]

IME, it may be the rn. It does have the worst performance on game and doesn't cut a clean hole in paper but they do group together.

[stubshaft]

The best in most of my guns is the LBT LFN profile followed by a TC design.

[44man]

The Keith is decent but he was looking for a neat hole in paper along with a meplat for game. He crossed the wad cutter with a nose for longer range.
The RNFP and LBT WLN and WFN will always out shoot a Keith. I believe it is because of better cylinder alignment to the forcing cone.
Shoot a soft Keith and slump will change it to a RNFP anyway and Elmer never figured that out.

[Char-Gar]

I think you are hunting for a critter that does not exist! I have fired all kinds of bullets in all kinds of sixguns and autoloaders and I have not found one type that is best "accross the board". I can talk about a specific handgun in a specific caliber and can come up with what has worked best for me, but that is about all I could say.

[ColColt]

I use to thiink the SWC reigned supreme for accuracy...that is until I met the 358-158 Lee and most recently another similar design for the 44 Magnum(Accurate 43-160B). both have provided superb accuracy from a GP100 and the M29. How well either would do at 75-100 yards, I don't know since I don't shoot at that range.

[MtGun44]

LOL! Like asking whether redhead, blondes or brunettes are prettier or make better
wives. Lots of different experiences and lots of different opinions.

AND everyone is right - for their wife and their gun. Not so much for anyone else's wife
or gun.

IMO this is one of those "How high is up?" questions.

Bill

[azrednek]

MtGun44 I think you hit right on the head as there isn't really a correct answer.



IMO this is one of those "How high is up?" questions. Bill

Now that one is easy, "how high is up". It is way up there. Now given the choice of a blonde, redhead or wadcutter, I'll take the blonde.

[GLynn41]

do not think there is just one but while I have got good groups at 100yards with my 410459 I hav e nothing like .44man has spoken -- with a Tangential .400 nose with .33 meplat .410 gc from Mt mold I have gotten close what blammer has at 50 yards --- - almost of my what I call better groups have been with gc and LBT, or Tange or TC style-- I had a Thompson gc that did very well from .44 Super -no sure what to call that one as they multiple grooves and no real shoulder to speak of-- My keith is very usable but not as accurate as some others I have - but I am pushing 60 :roll:

[MikeS]

Seeing as how there almost as many different boolits listed as being the 'best' as there are people replying, if you're looking for the most accurate boolit for YOUR gun(s) you might want to see if some folks will send you a small amount of their favorite boolit, then try them in your gun(s) to see which is best for YOU. This is unless you want to collect lots of moulds.

The only caliber that I have lots of moulds for is the 45ACP, for the other cartridges I shoot I only have 1 or 2 moulds for each of them.

[Markbo]

This all went kind of like I thought it would. My experience has been each gun is an experiment unto it's own, but I have been casting my own a very short time.

Blondes, brunettes or Redheads? Yes.. depends on the whole package... not the bow. :drinks:



...The only caliber that I have lots of moulds for is the 45ACP, for the other cartridges I shoot I only have 1 or 2 moulds for each of them....

This caught my attention. My .45 ACPs all shoot the same bullet for practice... a 200gr TC whether lead, plated or jacketed. They all seem to shoot it well. In fact I have settled almost exclusively on the Ranier plated bullets (FP & HP) because they are so cheap to buy and always accurate in lots of different pistols. Heavier or self defense loads are all pretty much TCHP or RNHP & I use factory only for any carry gun. The rest of that statement though... in there is a pearl! Just how many moulds did you have to go through to find the 1 or 2 molds in each caliber that seem to give you the best accuracy in multiple guns?

I work a lot of hours so time is a precious commodity. Casting and reloading is therefore limited. I don't want to collect moulds & thus boxes and boxes of bullets that I KNOW are not the most accurate. Mike what did you do? Try lots of moulds or try lots of styles from bullet suppliers? Having bought lots of lead bullets I know for instance there are a particular few that I shoot in .45 Colt that seem to be consistently accurate across the board. Maybe not always THE one, but consistent. The problem with them is that they are all too hard and leading becomes an issue.

[357shooter]

In 357 the SWC (Keith or not) out-shoots both WC and the LBT style "fill up the throat/not the case" designs. That's at shorter range than what 44man and others shoot.

So the best design across calibers and across shooting-needs. Such as short vs long range, bulls-eye vs steel plate vs silhoutte vs measuring groups vs hunting vs feeding vs ... isn't one answer. That echos what others have said.

[Artful]

Your going to have to define distance - at close range WC rules - push the range and RNFP will out shoot it. SWC was designed not as most accurate bullet but one all around hunting style. That said SWC is my favorite as it punches paper cleanly and kills well - at's my all rounder.

[44man]

I was a HUGE fan of the 429421 back in 1956. It shot fine. I also loved the 385156 long before.
Then I started IHMSA with the Speer and Hornady silhouette bullets. 1/2" groups at 50 meters was common and less then 3" at 200 meters with open sights and Creedmore was easy.
That was when I started to study the revolver and what it needed for cast and hunting.
I seen revolvers with tight cylinders fail so they had to be perfect.
The cylinder MUST have a little play and the boolit MUST bring it into line. Only a perfect gun will work if too tight. A rare animal!
The nose on the Keith is smaller then the bore so if you stick it in the muzzle it will wobble back and forth. That means the little edge has to pull the cylinder but it is small and fragile.
I found that matching the nose of the good jacketed bullets with cast made a difference. But that was the beginning only. Years have been spent on this. Hundreds of details, lots of thinking. It was not easy. Twist rates, case tension, primers, lube, everything was important. My thinking changed a lot.
Long ago I started to read Veral Smith. He is a genius with lead. Yet he did not go into other things I learned, only boolit design and fit, but there is so much more to get a revolver to shoot like a rifle.
But in the end, it is real easy, just come out of the dark ages.

[buckweet]

dang.... now i gotta gets a .38 wadcutter !!!

[44man]

dang.... now i gotta gets a .38 wadcutter !!!

That's funny but they shoot fine at closer ranges. I am not anti anything that works. It is just the little improvements and longer ranges that have driven me. I suggest, you try but if you do OK with anything, I will not argue. It is only my opinion after all. What occurs at this site is a million ways to go. I was at another site and they were actually cussing at each other. No, No, not right at all.

[azrednek]

No, No, not right at all.

Thats probably the best answer!! There probably isn't a correct answer as the best or most accurate bullet for all shooting situations. I can see it turning into a Coke/Pepsi or Ford/Chevy type debate as one's personal preference is probably the best choice.

[ChuckS1]

Given any design, the most accurate bullet will be the one with the best filled out base. When I cull my cast bullets, I look for completely round bases with nice sharp edges. I only cast pistol bullets, so I can't say this works for long range rifle bullets.

[1bluehorse]

Okay, okay, lot of info here but I think I have it....look for a Brunette with a short flat nose, with big meplats ??? drinking a Pepsi driving a Chevy.......:groner: oh I almost forgot, has to have a well filled out base also.....right??

[azrednek]

Okay, okay, lot of info here but I think I have it....look for a Brunette with a short flat nose, with big meplats ??? drinking a Pepsi driving a Chevy.......:groner: oh I almost forgot, has to have a well filled out base also.....right??

Can't be to carefull these days so to be on the safe side, not without a gas check!!

[Artful]

OMG - you got it wrong - take the redhead driving the ford drinking coke you got the big meplats and well filled out base correct though.
Gas checks optional if you're feeling lucky go for it.

[Lloyd Smale]

im a big fan of kieth bullets. Probably because im a bit old school. But if i could only buy one mold and wanted to insure i was going to get an accurate bullet id pick a mid weight for the caliber lfn with a gas check. Ive got lots of five and six guns and just about all of them do there absolute best work with an lfngc casted on the hard side