Loading keith bullets, with My hand press.

[358429]

For sure, beats buying factory ammunition!

Ammo for the revolver and rifle.

Be safe. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210716/5ed2851d0210019497b3ce4f5f6f5e63.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210716/c14997205b74fcce578a3d1b8708e306.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210716/df3aa20b1d694656833d1bc3cfbdc8e1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210716/3de2820cadd19e4797c52c57fe6eea78.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210716/3a0912859f9beaad9d0424116abbe5e1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210716/8053a8092a13fb9549753faece66959b.jpg

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[725]

They look great

[358429]

Thank you. I'm loading these for the 77/357. However i am sure they'll be exciting from the J frame...[emoji3]

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[Wayne Smith]

Amen - it sure does beat buying (or trying to buy) ammo!

[mehavey]

:bigsmyl2:

[Stopsign32v]

Ammo porn

I'm ok with this :coffeecom

What are these loaded with/to?

[dannyd]

Great Bullet; I load those in 357 magnum with milled out primer pockets for Large Rifle Primers. Use in Thompson Center Encore. Get a standard deviation of 12 to 27 ft/s.


Lived in NV before the Freeways were there.

[358429]

Ammo porn

I'm ok with this :coffeecom

What are these loaded with/to?Imr4227.

12 1/2 grains.

Powder touches the bullet base when seated. Nice mild load with good accuracy and good power from the rifle.


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[tward]

You can’t go wrong with Keith bullet designs ! Great ammo porn! Tim

[Stopsign32v]

Imr4227.

12 1/2 grains.

Powder touches the bullet base when seated. Nice mild load with good accuracy and good power from the rifle.


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I really need to make a thread with opinions on worthwhile powder to buy if and when this ends and have it per caliber I will be shooting. I might do this today...

[Texas by God]

Great pics.
I bought a Lee hand press when they were introduced. I lived in a small house in the city at the time so the porch, tailgate, kitchen table all were my loading room. I found an old solidly built wooden survey transit box that would hold my press, priming tool, lube pad, powder scoops, and whatever dies and components I needed for what I was loading.
Before long, I drilled two holes in the rear beam of the press so I could mount it to the box with wood screws.
I loaned it to my brother in Colorado and who knows where it is now?
Thanks for stirring up good memories.

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[charlie b]

Portable presses are cool. The first Lee turret presses came with a maple storage box that could be made into a bench to mount the press. Used to load a lot on the coffee table in the living room.

[358429]

Watching tombstone on dvd and priming cci550's into 357 magnum starline brass (that's been trimmed and wet tumbled[emoji41]) using the hand press[emoji16]

I really like the breech lock Ram priming set. It is a huge improvement over the original one. All the pieces are captured and it primes more consistently in my hands.

I was priming 308 last weekend using the original Lee Ram Prime and the priming cup flew off into the gettin place, never to be found again. I did find the tiny spring and the rod, I was tempted to throw them into the woodpile[emoji2959]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210820/247d8651da866a9445ff25c303575eaf.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210820/9ee07d3d37253669128f2eacc19cfbaa.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210820/96c7fae097166ceaa693cd2d494c0dd9.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210820/4045b76702f83570ce02dc7db443c558.jpg

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[Stopsign32v]

This one? https://www.amazon.com/LEE-PRECISION-90180-Breech-Press/dp/B0050Z5A6E

[358429]

https://www.titanreloading.com/product/lee-breech-lock-ram-prime/ this is the priming tool with the captured parts that cannot fly off.

These bullets are loaded over 15 grains winchester 296, thrown through the lee perfect powder (it gets crunchy!). Brass trimmed to 1.23" with modified lee trimmer, I ground down the stud with a diamond stone and then polished the tip, overall length loaded is 1.6" and will fit my revolvers and bolt action 77/357.]

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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210821/2a8aa5abe06d89791a5f30f59a4bef79.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210821/1c3b6f4945397435fbc1db61bf848b8d.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210821/f6f32f22fbd96149bdfa4552a9545f30.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210821/a785827439de4100ae83b335e47b30d4.jpg

[mehavey]

That's a LOT of flare. :veryconfu Eeek !
FWIW: All you need is a 1/2-dime's worth of bullet entry into the case to avoid shaving.
(and saving your brass from case mouth splitting downstream)

;-)

[358429]

You're right it is too much flare, it complicates seating and crimping. I'm using Lee dies and lee universal expander.

If I flare less during seating it will begin to crimp and scrape even with it backed out all the way. I'm just making do, where I am, with what I have. Do you have a recommendation of a die set for 357 Magnum that would be fantastic for loading these fat plain base bullets?

I'm currently seating and crimping in two separate steps. I'm okay with continuing to seat and crimp in separate steps.

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[Stopsign32v]

I can back up what 358429 says. Lee expander on 357 at least is very crappy. It flares just the entry and is difficult to get the .358 sized boolit started without a flare close to that above.

[onelight]

You're right it is too much flare, it complicates seating and crimping. I'm using Lee dies and lee universal expander.

If I flare less during seating it will begin to crimp and scrape even with it backed out all the way. I'm just making do, where I am, with what I have. Do you have a recommendation of a die set for 357 Magnum that would be fantastic for loading these fat plain base bullets?

I'm currently seating and crimping in two separate steps. I'm okay with continuing to seat and crimp in separate steps.

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You should be able to adjust your seating die so that it won't crimp at all . You can flare to the point that the case mouth will not enter the seating die without touching that is usually to much flare but with flat base bullets and a hand press it can be difficult to keep the bullet in place without more flare than is used with a bench mounted press. Inside and outside case chamfering will also help .
The NOE mouth expanders would cure this but will add another step in your process.
Your loaded rounds look great :)

[lightman]

I love a Keith bullet and cast them for several calibers. Your loaded rounds look great!

[FISH4BUGS]

I love a Keith bullet and cast them for several calibers. Your loaded rounds look great!

I use Keith designed bullets when I load for handgun. 44=#503, 38=#51
The thing I like about them is they have a lube groove the size of the Panama Canal. Never had any leading no matter how hard I drive them. If I REALLY want to drive them hard, I'll use the gas check version.
I like 231 for the standard loads and 296 for the full house magnum loads. I keep my powder choices simple.
My guns will always shoot better than I can.

[358429]

I'm not sure why the same picture was duplicated three times in post 15, I changed it to be how I intended it to be.

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[NEKVT]

Imr4227.

12 1/2 grains.

Powder touches the bullet base when seated. Nice mild load with good accuracy and good power from the rifle.


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That's a bullet and powder combo I want to try in my Marlin 1894C. I have a one cavity Lyman mold and will probably dedicate some trimmed back 357 cases for it to get OAL that fits to avoid loading it too hot in 38's.

[358429]

That's a bullet and powder combo I want to try in my Marlin 1894C. I have a one cavity Lyman mold and will probably dedicate some trimmed back 357 cases for it to get OAL that fits to avoid loading it too hot in 38's.It works in 38 Special. I load them both (155 grain hollow points and 172 grain semiwadcutters) with 10 grains in r-p or federal 38 special brass and shoot in 38 special taurus revolver. It shoots great in my hand.

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[W.R.Buchanan]

And here all along I thought you were using one of mine? You won't regret upgrading!

Randy

[358429]

I like the apparent quality of your hand press Mister Buchanan.

But the double moving leverage arms would get in my way. I do all reloading operations 1)depriming and resizing 2)priming 3)expanding 4)seating and 5)crimping with the Lee hand press.
I also used it inverted as a bullet sizer.

In the normal orientation I full length size 308 Winchester without problems.

I do not need the additional Leverage.

What I want is the quality.

If you made one that was set up the same way the Lee press is set up, I might start a fire in my pocket pulling the money out so fast.

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[BunkTheory]

I like the apparent quality of your hand press Mister Buchanan.

But the double moving leverage arms would get in my way. I do all reloading operations 1)depriming and resizing 2)priming 3)expanding 4)seating and 5)crimping with the Lee hand press.
I also used it inverted as a bullet sizer.

In the normal orientation I full length size 308 Winchester without problems.

I do not need the additional Leverage.

What I want is the quality.

If you made one that was set up the same way the Lee press is set up, I might start a fire in my pocket pulling the money out so fast.

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One cant reallyimprove MUCH upon the lee hand press...

however if one went and did a remake of the lyman handpress that has the option of being mounted on a table edge...

And installed a method, say set screw in the arm so that a user could set the required setoff distance as required in the lee hand press manual.... the cost effective minded market would actually be interested.

[358429]

There are many improvements that could be made to the hand press. Better handles, better Machining, better Hardware, tighter tolerances, those are just some things I came up off the top of my head.

One advantage I have noticed with the slop in the press is that the dies float and I think it helps make better ammunition (more concentric) interestingly enough.

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[dondiego]

I have loaded more ammo on my LEE Hand Press than I have on my Dillon 650!

[358429]

How worn-out is the ram Don Diego?[emoji3]

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[dondiego]

How worn-out is the ram Don Diego?[emoji3]

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It is definitely broken in and the press has duct tape all over it in the sharp spots. LEE sure could fix that! I last loaded several hundred 30-06 for it to feed a new Browning SLR.

[358429]

Nicenicenice!

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[358429]

"I have got my work cut out for me[emoji39]"

Haha I'll be here for a while. Watching Shanghai Joe while I'm trimmin'.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210829/c493174715522c007c6df9ce85eaf837.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210829/12c5c973af567a8f8d048afd8e0471b8.jpg

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[bruce381]

just shot some 358429 with a square grease grove (have to bang on the hinge pin to get them out).
any way shoot great but maybe to hot 16.3 296 some flatish primers goods easy extraction tho.

[smithnframe]

Very nice!

[bruce381]

"that's been trimmed and"

I never used to trim pistol brass but after seeing too much crimp, just right crimp, NO crimp I started to do that much more consistent and no more chambering problems from over crimp. All cases same length is the way to go.

[358429]

Yes. The ammunition has to meet personal standards. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210902/fae313785863c3a4f48f5f3d42c3c6e2.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210902/6ebbaf0e1cbcc0a3b5c472852fccc843.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210902/1e1287cc429aeacba9a9708447976b61.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210902/7e0168503c0d23e39d5925e16b12a116.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210902/177e2568e14e40da96bf9d9d810fb876.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210902/2fd77feeb4f264f3709fc97e794de46c.jpg

[Budzilla 19]

That’s some great looking loads!! I love the blue!

[358429]

Thanks guys, I might test them today.

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[Schreck5]

358429
I use the NOE mouth expander dies too and they work so much better. I was having exactly the same trouble that you are before someone here, I forget who, turned me on to NOE.

[358429]

I went shooting today and tested the blue bullets. I shot them through the J frame, the sp101, and the 77357. This Combination is worth repeating so that's good!

I was fittin' to turn gunpowder into fireballs when I noticed to the right a gentleman had a labrador chronograph setup. I asked him if I could run the numbers, he allowed me to use his equipment! Thanks guy!

The model 60 is averaging almost 1,100 feet per second!!!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210903/ef1f10c17d10feaccffd1d3fc64a613b.jpg

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[358429]

358429
I use the NOE mouth expander dies too and they work so much better. I was having exactly the same trouble that you are before someone here, I forget who, turned me on to NOE.I've been looking at their website, I just haven't gotten around to call someone over there, figure it out which pieces I need. Looked like they had a couple different ones listed for 358 I don't want to buy the wrong tool, feel like a dummy.

How does it do differently that makes it great to use? I'm excited for an improvement, I dont like my brass to look like a tuba[emoji2959]

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[Super Sneaky Steve]

You're right it is too much flare, it complicates seating and crimping. I'm using Lee dies and lee universal expander.

If I flare less during seating it will begin to crimp and scrape even with it backed out all the way. I'm just making do, where I am, with what I have. Do you have a recommendation of a die set for 357 Magnum that would be fantastic for loading these fat plain base bullets?

I'm currently seating and crimping in two separate steps. I'm okay with continuing to seat and crimp in separate steps.

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The problem is with the Lee seater die. It has a sizing ring at the bottom that takes out your flare before you can seat. It works fine for jacketed boolits but for cast it's not so good. My Hornady seater die doesn't size the case and is what I use.

[358429]

I still can't believe the velocity that I was getting from a 2 and 1/4 inch barrel snub. The bullet is heavier than 170 Grains.

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[358429]

As I watch Kid Vengeance I made 135 more. I like turning gunpowder into fireballs[emoji41]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210904/fe65244624e63e5a91ca8c5afa7944c2.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210904/7f30e7fca010aa23118f19d192ce8538.jpg

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[358429]

Assembling morehttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211016/0ee63700720d27c9b2524546fe5fb228.jpg https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211016/e23a998141aed60b475e002bf1e5cdad.jpgrevolver and rifle ammo[emoji3]

I am glad it is cooling off outside, would like to do some casting, been raining all day[emoji1787]my casting spot in the sideyard is thoroughly soaked[emoji1787][emoji1787][emoji1787]

These https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211016/4b0d8c5df0cdc6e73ce2e965225dd3a6.jpgare the load I have settled on for my steel swinger and paper plate experiments. They feed easily from the rotary ruger box magazine if you cycle the bolt briskly and get about 1.1k fps from the magnum snub. Interesting that the velocity remains the same with a lighter bullet. The hollow points loaded with h110 shoot to the sights out to 15 yards.

Yup hold on tight https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211016/714f22044212c74d218560a39e9e9338.jpgthat gun wants to dance.

I keep thinking maybe I should upgrade my reloading tools until I think about how much I like the powderhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211016/5efc060f819513e4de7d62fdbc1e2328.jpg dispenser mounted on this cedar stump[emoji3]

I am a big fan of these hand tools.

Until the sun comes out these https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211016/e582c3a69d883557227006b7dcdd2c34.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211016/424193a9d65fd9d8185ced19802c5b3a.jpgpictures will have to suffice.

I want to see how these hollow points will perform on game, ballistics gel, or national geographics stacked deep in a box.

Also continuing the https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211016/cbe220ebc8817ba489f90bdaa9a0477e.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211016/05fe72ea4750bf49c35ade7cafb79abe.jpg38 special experiments with hitek and imr4227https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211016/974620f2279d387c6f8ff7bbba0730aa.jpg

[smithnframe]

My go to bullet in 357, 41 mag, 44 mag, 45 ar and 45 Colt!