KEITH NOSE HP
The KEITH NOSE .45 was designed to allow heavier bullets to be used in slower twist rifles. Many groups under
1 M.O.A. have been shot using 300 grain bullets and a 1-48" twist barrel.
“Nothing walks away from a KEITH NOSE HP” is the most common comment from those who
use this bullet. This design transfers all the kinetic energy inside the body cavity for
instant and devastating results when used on thin skinned game such as deer and antelope. This
bullet has a ballistic coefficiency of .137 and is at it’s best under 150 yards.
Total expansion is achieved with as little as 50 grains of powder making it the ideal bullet for
the entire family.
The following test information on the Keith Nose Hollow Point bullet,
was gathered by the manufacturer of my bullets.
Our bullets are .45 caliber and
are designed for use in sabots in either .50 or .54 caliber muzzleloaders. Our
bullets are all hand made and swaged from pure lead. Each bullet is guaranteed
to be accurate in weight to +/- one grain.
The Problem ... Muzzleloaders do not harvest game the way we would like them to.
Many of us have experienced the frustration of spending more time hunting game
once we made the shot than we spent hunting to get the shot. Seemingly perfectly
hit deer have run off into the woods virtually unaffected. If you too have
experienced this, read on as we have a solution to this common problem. A bullet
harvests game by transferring the kinetic energy it possesses into the vital
area of the body cavity of the intended game. A 300 grain bullet ahead of 100
grains of black powder will generate approximately 1550 ft/lbs of kinetic
energy. Elmer Keith, a pioneer of ballistic study and bullet testing, determined
that 800 ft/lbs of kinetic energy is sufficient to cleanly harvest White-tailed
deer size animals. Using this figure as our bench mark, the modern muzzleloader
has enough energy to accomplish this at approximately 150 yards. Why then are
these animals not being harvested cleanly? The problem is not one of
insufficient kinetic energy, but rather that an insufficient amount of kinetic
energy is being expended inside the body cavity. In order for this kinetic
energy to translate into the humane harvesting of game, the bullet must
dissipate this kinetic energy inside the body cavity. A bullet which passes
through the intended game without releasing its energy is totally useless.
Ideally the bullet should dissipate all its kinetic energy inside the body
cavity.
The Test ... A bullet recovery box was built and filled with material that would
simulate the tissue of a game animal. As the material used was only intended to
give a relative assessment of the bullets expansion and penetration
characteristics, exact simulation of tissue material as a collection medium was
not important. Each bullet was then fired into the box from the same gun at the
distance of 100 yards using 100 grains of FFg powder. Each bullet was then
recovered from the collection medium. The total distance of penetration into the
box and size of expansion of each bullet was then recorded. The photograph below
outlines the results of this portion of our testing. By comparing our bullets to
the ones that we knew, from actual field experience, did not perform to our
satisfaction, we were able to determine the optimum combination of expansion and
penetration. After dozens of combinations of nose designs, core designs, and
base designs were tested, we came up with bullets which give immediate
expansion, full penetration and total weight retention.
Bullet Recovery Tests
Deer Recovery Test ... The final test to determine that our bullet would perform
as expected on the intended game was to test them on the actual game of choice
used in the design process; White-tailed deer. This meant testing the final
product on the carcass of a white-tailed deer and recovering the bullets for
weighing and measuring. All shots were fired from 110 yards. Bullets varied in
weight from 250 grains to 300 grains. Powder charged varied from 70 to 100
grains of FFg. The recovered bullets are pictured in the photograph which
follows. From top left to bottom right the bullets are numbered One through
Five. Bullet One was shot broadside through both front shoulders. Bullet Two was
shot broadside through both lungs without contacting any ribs. Bullet Three was
shot broadside through both lungs contacting a rib on entrance as well as exit.
Bullet Four was shot broadside through both rear hams. Bullet Five was shot
quartering away passing through the liver, both lungs and contacting a rib on
entrance as well as exit. As seen in the photograph, each bullet expanded to
identical proportions. Each bullet retained all the original weight. It should
be noted that five and only five bullets were used in this test. All five
bullets were recovered exactly as they appear in the photograph. Two of the
bullets were actually lying on the ground after exiting the body cavity while
the other three were recovered within the first inch of the bullet recovery
medium. This test proves conclusively that the bullet performed exactly as
designed. The front half of the bullet gives immediate expansion while the
balance of the bullet gives total penetration.
Bullet As Recovered From Deer
Precision Rifle Custom Muzzleloader bullets are designed for immediate expansion
and complete penetration for the efficient, instant, humane harvesting of a
variety of big game animals.
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