page_title: Elmer Keith
section_title: Keith-style bullets
hierarchical_section_title: Elmer Keith / Keith-style bullets
caption_attribution_description: English: 255 grain Elmer Keith style .45 caliber Semi Wadcutter.
context_page_description: Elmer Merrifield Keith was an Idaho rancher, firearms enthusiast, and author. Keith was instrumental in the development of the first magnum revolver cartridge, the .357 Magnum, as well as the later .44 Magnum and .41 Magnum cartridges, credited by Roy G. Jinks as "the father of big bore handgunning."
context_section_description: Keith was also responsible for a number of bullet designs still popular today, and collectively called "Keith style" bullets.  These bullets were based on the semiwadcutter (SWC) design, but using a wider than normal front surface, and convex sides.  These changes increased the volume of the bullet outside the case, thus allowing more room inside the case, needed for large loads of slower burning powders (see internal ballistics).  These bullets remain popular for both target shooting and hunting.  When shooting paper targets, they cut a relatively clean hole in the target, yet provide more case volume and a better ballistic coefficient than a flat front wadcutter.  When used for hunting, the heavy bullets provide excellent penetration; they are often used on dangerous game, for which more reliable penetration is required than is possible with expanding hollow point or soft point bullets.
  Originally Keith specified a meplat that was 65% of the bullet caliber, but later increased it to a 70% meplat.  The other distinguishing characteristics of a "Keith-style" SWC are a double radius ogive, beveled crimp groove, three equal width driving bands, wide square bottomed grease groove, and a plain base with sharp corners.  The wide forward driving band helps keep the bullet aligned as it jumps across the cylinder gap.  Because of the three wide equal width driving bands, the total bearing surface is half the length of the bullet.  The relatively large bearing surface helps the Keith-style SWC to be an inherently accurate bullet, and minimizes pressure leakage due to projectile blow-by.  The wide square bottom grease groove holds ample lubricant.
caption: Keith-Style SWC
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