Well today I bought a powder measure. Man is this making life better reloading for the pistols.
I know a progressive press would be even faster but for now I don't mind not having one. I think I have the load for the .41 at least for now.
I fired 45 cast SWC and then 5 jacketed XTP's and it helped with cleaning the lead out of the barrel after shooting. The XTP's that I found were mushroomed to about the size of a nickle. Guess I have them going fast enough now. Before they were not expanded at all.
I hope to get a chronograph next month so I can see just what speed they are going.
Groups for my brothers .45 LC got better today also. It was him as we figured.
Dad got out with us and he shot it while we adjusted the sights. It was shooting about 9 inches low. Dad then worked with my brother to help him get over his pushing the gun as he fired.
Now I just have to figure out what bullet i want to try next. Anyone ever use the Nosler Partitions for handguns?

Don, don't get in a hurry to rush out and buy yourself a progressive press. It sounds like you are still WAY too much into the "experimenting stage" of reloading and this is something progressive presses are NOT good at. A progressive press is build to sit and grind away the same bullet one after another. They do this and they do it well. But you've got to want to crank out a LOT of bullets for one caliber to justify it IMHO. (I've got two of them...and still do a lot of my loading on the Rock Chucker.)

For your .41, I would suggest trying Hornady SX bullets. I've shot some and they are vicious on varmits.

I agree with Pecos on the progressive. Maybe if I was cranking out a lot of ammo for a semi auto and self defense competition. I love having a chrono though. For developing new loads it tells you when you are getting into the too hot zone. Of course you already have calipers and a mic. What else do you need? Slim

Hi Don, Dry Creek Bullet Works has some beautiful Keith type bullets for the 45. They have a 275gr and a 320gr. Both should work great in the Ruger. They also have a 230gr Keith type for the 41 mag but it is too long for the Tracker. I am shooting it but i have trimmed a selection of cases to 1.240" to make it work. They shoot best in my Tracker at 1100 - 1200.

All their bullets are very well cast. There is an article in Aug. 2002 Handloader magazine by Brian Pearce about Keith type bullets. It is a good read. He specifically mentions Dry Creek as the best of the commercial cast bullets he has seen.
http://www.sixgunner.com/creeker/Default.htm

[ 07-19-2002, 16:50: Message edited by: twillis ]

O.K.what is the difference between Keith style and Semi wad Cutters? They looked the same to me.

Sent you an e-mail with a document that explains them. Characteristics include:
1. Flat point between .270" and .300"
2. Three driving band of the same width and all three being the same diameter. The first driving band is ahead of the crimping groove and helps align the bullet in the throat and as it engages the rifling. It needs to be wide to avoid skidding as it hits the rifling. Alot of SWCs reduce the diameter of this band by .002".
3. Deep and beveled crimp groove. Deep to prevent bullet jump and beveled to help the case straighten out on firing.
4. Grease groove is large and flat bottomed to hold more lube and increase the length of the bullet
5. Bullet is long with much of the length outside of the case.

Common mods that SWCs have that make them different:
1. Reduction in the width and diameter of the front driving band.
2. Smaller and rounded grease groove
3. Reduction in weight.

Hope this helps.