Tell Me About the RCBS .41 Mag Keith!

[seagiant]

Hi,
I have a Ruger Blackhawk in 41 Mag that I did a little work on. The main thing I did for accuracy was open up the chambers so the boolit didn't get swaged down to far for the grooves of the barrel. This helped tremendously!

I bought the RCBS .41 Keith used from a member here and it was an older one as it came in a paper box. Of course it was in perfect shape and had been well cared for. I went to the range today and shot the pistol at 25 yds. shooting at clay targets sitting on the berm. I was amazed at how accurate this boolit performed and was wondering what everyone thought of it???

[seagiant]

Hi,
I was casting some of these this morning listening to the HAM's on my shortwave, having my cafe con leche and thought I would take some pics! Not hardly any rejects with this mold!

[Grandpas50AE]

My brother has been casting with his since the 1970's, and that is still his favorite cast boolit mold for the .41 Mag. It is a very accurate boolit indeed. His cast out at 215 grs. IIRC.

[canyon-ghost]

Now, bump up the distance to 50 yards! lol. Yesterday I shot the Keith to 80yards (75 meters) at Turkey silhouettes. First cylinder full, I knocked down two turkeys, with gusto!

The 41 magnum loves to stretch it's legs...probably to 200 yards, I'm just not there quite yet. Takes some work to shoot a high performance revolver!

14.2 grains of 2400, I was shooting a loaded down version. If I hadn't missed consistently to the left, I'd have been able to claim 100 meters!

Come on along, it's only starting to get fun.

[Irascible]

I have the newer 82039 version. Nothing but good things to say about it, although.... it would look better with a longer nose :>)

[seagiant]

Hi,
Well this boolit has shot well for me using 7.0 grs. of Red Dot up to 50 yds. This is a VERY accurate load in my Ruger Blackhawk. I have a jug of H-110 so I'm going to see what it will do with that stuff pretty soon!!!

I can't see what is different between the 38 and 39?

[canyon-ghost]

My 'go to' bullet is the 410610, gas checked at 215 grains. I'm working up 15.5 grain loads with 2400 now. It's a little softer shooting than the big Keith style. The Keith wants to lead on me, not so with the 215 gas check.

I've had a lot of fun trying to shoot the 41 magnum, my revolver skills aren't much.

[Grandpas50AE]

That boolit should perform just fine with the H110, that's what my brother uses for his hunting loads. In the 70's he and I worked nights, so had the shooting range to ourselves during weekdays. We used to shoot 4 times a week, spend the next three casting and loading; this was obviously while we were still single. We shot a LOT at 100 yards, and had no problems getting some very impressive groups with those boolits.

[canyon-ghost]

The lube groove for one.

[Guesser]

Used the RCBS boolit in a 10" Contender, only problem I encountered was running out of Lube before it exited the bore, got leading in the last inch when I approached max velocity/pressure. Have wondered about enlarging the loob groove and going for straight lino. I no longer have the mold but they are available. Has anyone opened up a loob groove to try for more and longer stay time??
I'm playing with a Lyman 410028 and may have the same problem.

[seagiant]

Hi,
Yes the H-110 is for max loads only and that is what I would use for longer ranges. The thing that got me into reloading some 30 years ago was the ability to DOWN load the 44 mag in a Super Blackhawk. Blasting is fun but so is running a little cooler at 50 yds and under. That is where my red dot works well.

Yes I can see now that the lube groove on the 39 is square and it's round on my 38! Thanks!

[GLynn41]

very accurate- good casting normally with the mold--made and used lot of the boolits with mine- sold it to a friend-- I just like a longer nose but that does not effect the usufulness of the boolit

[canyon-ghost]

Ah, the 6&1/2" barrel, that's what I shoot. They're a thing of beauty.

[Irascible]

Good eyes, the lube groove is different.
Besides the 39, I also have a 410610 Lyman. That would also look better with a longer nose but I don't know if it would shoot any better. I had my 410610 converted to a HP mould. The RCBS shot so well I didn't need think I needed another solid bullet, and with the gas check I can go to a soft alloy for the HP to work.
This Lyman actually casts big enough, as does my OLD 429421 HP

[seagiant]

Hi,
I guess Keith originally had a square lube groove and then the makers changed it? I noticed that Mihec had a group buy for the H&G 285 in a brass 4 cavity! Did anyone here get in on that and what are your thoughts on that boolit? I guess it is a little heavier? Pics?

[41mag]

I jumped in on the tail end of this GB, 41 Mag. #258 (Keith) in 4 cavity brass mould, solid FP and Cramer HP, and along with quite a few others am eagerly awaiting it's arrival, along with a couple of others.

To be honest, I haven't run many cast through my Redhawk in 41mag, but this one looked like a great place to start. Between my friend and I we should have some results up within a couple of weeks of receiving the mold. I have everything sitting here on go just waiting on it to arrive.

He purchased some HG #258's from Montana Bullet Works to get a start on working up a load. The weather round here, (not complaining,) has kept us from doing much of anything with them though, but hopefully this weekend we will get a chance to put some down range.

We hunt with our revolvers close to 85% of the time on both of our places, and shooting out to 100yds is becoming more and more frequent. It does take plenty of trigger time to keep things on that tiny piece of paper which those iron sights don't allow you to dial right in up close. LOL

Most of the time we are working on the hog population, but after smacking a few with some cast WFP's over the past couple of years, and seeing how they knock the bajeebers out of them, I would not hesitate to let the air out of a nice buck within 50yds or so. We are hopeful that the above listed mold will allow us to get both some very accurate loads and with the HP, be a bit more progressive with them.

I'll throw up a report once we get some powder behind a few of them.

[GLynn41]

yes Keith had a square lube groove- and I have always had trouble with the release-- that was one thing Lyman changed as well as the front band and the nose so Keith did not like the .410459
go to Mihia site and he lists some of the #258 keith molds in stock --also in vendors-- i think

[seagiant]

Hi,
Yea I saw the Mihec 258,wish I had the funds but will have to enjoy my RCBS for now,which is ok I've still got to see if I can get some accuracy from it when I pack it full of H-110! Might have to water drop some to harden them up for that!

Here's a pic of my redone RBH 41 mag. with a SBH hammer and a Powers free spin pawl. Might have to get a steel grip frame one day!

[**oneshot**]

I had used that mold for a few years. I switched to a 4 cav saeco of the same design. Both boolits performed excellent.

[Two Eyed Jack]

I recently got into casting to feed this .41 mag Blackhawk.
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/532/sany0831r.jpg

I don't have a luber/sizer yet (that is on the list) so I got a two cavity Lee tumble lube mold and started casting. I am shocked how well it shoots, basically as tight as the $26/hundred jacked bullets I have been wasting money on. Just not quite as fast.

This particular BH has a factory fitted steel grip frame. I really like the balance compared to the AL frame.

[GLynn41]

nice 6 guns-