What would Elmer choose ??

[Dom]

Wonder what Elmer Keith would choose for his cast bullets today. Traditional lube or PC ? Elmer was always very strong in his opinions. I;m sure he would make a strong comment one way or the other.

[hermans]

Well, I would also describe myself as a bit of an "traditionalist" ....somewhat like Elmer was.
I have been casting boolits for my handguns since the mid 70's and have always used the traditional lube method, because that was all I knew at that time.
Then I discovered the Cast Boolits forum about 10 years ago.....here I first heard about a Star lube sizer, so I bought one, and it totally changed my life, especially when I had to lube 2000 45 swc's. So my RCBS lube sizer gathered dust from that moment on...
Then I started to read the the "Coatings and Alternatives" section here, and wondered why these guys would want to powder coat their boolits, if you have a Star like me???
Well, I slowly started to think that it might be a good idea to try powder coating some 9mm and 45 boolits......today, 3 years later I have not used my Star again since I powder coat all my boolits now.
So I do not know what Elmer would have done if he had access to this wonderful source of information......I guess he might have given it a try?

[Lloyd Smale]

elmer was in innovator in his day. He brought us new bullet designs and the 44 mag (at least helped) he was one of the first to push the 45 colt into new territorys. My guess is he would have been one of the first to jump on the pc wagon.

[smithnframe]

I think Elmer would have nothing to do with PC bullets!

[ioon44]

I think Elmer would really like Hi-Tek.

[charlie b]

Elmer was an experimenter and he wanted max performance from his pistols.

I am sure he would have tried PC/Hitek. Not sure if he would have liked it or not. He'd probable compare velocity and stay with what gave him the most speed within the pressure limits of the pistol.

[Lloyd Smale]

remember too. For the most part elmer only fooled with lead/tin alloys. 20 to 1 was considered hard to him so he would have really seen some advantage in pc if were talking back then and not if he were here today. My guess like i said would he would love hard alloys, gas checks and pc. A traditionalist? Back then a traditionalist casted pure lead over a fire for his musket. Elmer was an innovator. He was one of few that ushered in modern casting practices. He was constantly experimenting and trying things others never heard of. He was no traditionalist. Who before him tried pushing cast bullets in handguns to velocitys of those times was closer to rifle rounds like the 38/40 45/70 ect. when 99 precent of them at that time when hand gunners were be shooting cast 800 fps at most. John Linebaugh gives credit to him for inspiring him to push the limits even further. As did experimenters like paco kelly and glen freyxll and Rob Applegate. Add to that elmer was much more of a shooter then a caster and would have embraced anything that would have been faster and easier and gave him more time to shoot and less time making ammo and cleaning guns.

[derek45]

elmer was in innovator in his day. He brought us new bullet designs and the 44 mag (at least helped) he was one of the first to push the 45 colt into new territorys. My guess is he would have been one of the first to jump on the pc wagon.

agree

He was an innovator

he only seems like a traditionalist decades later

.

[376Steyr]

elmer was in innovator in his day. He brought us new bullet designs and the 44 mag (at least helped) he was one of the first to push the 45 colt into new territorys. My guess is he would have been one of the first to jump on the pc wagon.
Plus one on this. Furthermore, I bet a young Elmer would have tried five different types of PC, plus invented a new style of bullet which would only work with PC coatings. Just think, we could all be arguing about what the "true" Keith Double Reverse Hollowpoint actually looks like.

[Char-Gar]

I think we need to hold a seance. However, I guess Elmer would have better things to do other than show up.

[Burnt Fingers]

Well, I would also describe myself as a bit of an "traditionalist" ....somewhat like Elmer was.
I have been casting boolits for my handguns since the mid 70's and have always used the traditional lube method, because that was all I knew at that time.
Then I discovered the Cast Boolits forum about 10 years ago.....here I first heard about a Star lube sizer, so I bought one, and it totally changed my life, especially when I had to lube 2000 45 swc's. So my RCBS lube sizer gathered dust from that moment on...
Then I started to read the the "Coatings and Alternatives" section here, and wondered why these guys would want to powder coat their boolits, if you have a Star like me???
Well, I slowly started to think that it might be a good idea to try powder coating some 9mm and 45 boolits......today, 3 years later I have not used my Star again since I powder coat all my boolits now.
So I do not know what Elmer would have done if he had access to this wonderful source of information......I guess he might have given it a try?

My Star makes a great sizer for my coated boolits.

[Electrod47]

Elmer didn't even like gas checks.

[Lloyd Smale]

did he say that. I think if anything he thought there were expensive and hard to find. You didnt go down to the local sports shop and buy checks in the 40s and 50s and you didnt go on line and order them. He probably didnt want to have to rely on them. Like i said about all he used was 16 to 1 and 20 to 1. He couldnt afford to buy lineotype that printers still used then and during those years you didnt go into a local garage and buckets of ww. He made the best out of what he could get. He also lived through years where manufactures specs for guns were all over the place and sometimes a soft bullet worked better. Id bet if he had a brand new freedom arms 454 he wouldnt be shoot 20 to 1 and he would be using gas checks and he would be using pc and hed probably be loading on a couple 1050s that dillion gave him.

[hermans]

My Star makes a great sizer for my coated boolits.
I might just try that next time!

[Three44s]

I think Elmer would have been pretty cautious about PC and his first concern would have been barrel wear due to using it.

Three44s

[Dom]

WOW ! Great responses,,,,, & 4th of July also !!! What a great day...... Thanks all.

[firefly1957]

Elmer did not like gas checks in revolvers because of the cylinder gap forcing cone travel .

I do believe Elmer would have tried coated bullets not sure what method he would have liked . Myself I am really liking baked on enamel spray paint over other methods . This is on lead from pure to hard alloys to I got pure lead to 1700 from 10" pistol and pure lead to over 2000 f/s in rifles with great results.

[gnappi]

Well, I would also describe myself as a bit of an "traditionalist" ....somewhat like Elmer was.
I have been casting boolits for my handguns since the mid 70's and have always used the traditional lube method, because that was all I knew at that time.
Then I discovered the Cast Boolits forum about 10 years ago.....here I first heard about a Star lube sizer, so I bought one, and it totally changed my life, especially when I had to lube 2000 45 swc's. So my RCBS lube sizer gathered dust from that moment on...
Then I started to read the the "Coatings and Alternatives" section here, and wondered why these guys would want to powder coat their boolits, if you have a Star like me???
Well, I slowly started to think that it might be a good idea to try powder coating some 9mm and 45 boolits......today, 3 years later I have not used my Star again since I powder coat all my boolits now.
So I do not know what Elmer would have done if he had access to this wonderful source of information......I guess he might have given it a try?

Lucky you can shoot as cast and coated without sizing. After PC'ing I have to size... my .357 Sig and one of my .40's would choke on unsized bullets.