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Thread: H&g #68

  1. #21
    Boolit Master gnostic's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Van Gelder View Post
    gnostic

    I am not really sure what was at the root of the feeding malfunctions. I suspect that the bullet (Lee 200gr. RNFP) I was using at the time was the cause, I could shoot half a box of ammunition with no issues and then it would jam on the next shot. My 1911 guns will feed anything, including the RCBS 270SAA bullet, so far the Remington has flawlessly fed, the #68 and the other H&G bullet I have, the 240 gr. SWC designed for the Auto Rim.

    I found the #68 mould with the handles in a box of used stuff in my favourite gun shop back in 1968, it cost me $5.00. At the time the only other mould I had for the .45 was the standard 225 gr. RN bullet. My .45 was a 1911 (not A1), an old WW1 gun, that had never been fired, had US Army stamped on the slide. It cost me $45.00 and came with a box of military surplus ammo. I started using the #68 and it made my lead go a bit further than the heavier bullet and it was a better choice for game. When I lived back East, I would load those bullets over 4 gr. of BE, they would not function the action, making brass easier to keep track of, that load accounted for a lot of small game for the table.

    Over time I have taken deer and bear with that bullet in the .45 ACP, as well as rabbits, squirrels, grouse woodchucks, etc. so I do have some investment in that bullet.
    You got it working, that's what matters. I've owned 1911's that I dumped a lot of money in, that gave me fits trying to get them to feed bullets like the 185 grain Lyman 352389 with an 11 lb. spring. And they kind of did the same thing, they were not reliable. In my case, the problem was my hold was inconsistent, i.e. limp wrist. Anyway, like Shakespeare said,'all's well that ends well.'

  2. #22
    Boolit Buddy John Van Gelder's Avatar
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    I have been a long time Ruger fan, I just never got on with the American .45.

    Burnt Fingers

    What you described with the Springfield is just was was happening with the American, I believe that the feed angle may have something to do with that. Shooting cast bullets in auto loaders is a bit of an art.

  3. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by tazman View Post
    The H&G68 is a great boolit and shoots accurately in all my 45ACP pistols. The Lyman 452460 is the same weight and shoots better for me.
    I don't see where the H&G68 is any better than anything else.
    I started my shooting the 1911 pistol with 452460s from a 2- cavity Lyman mold. That bullet's long bearing surface probably makes it capable of better accuracy but it may be a moot point as in a good match grade 1911 few shooters are capable of outshooting the gun with either bullet. I graduated to the H&G 68 and would not give it up because of the 4-cavity H&G mold I cast them in. Quality and ease of casting with the Hensley and Gibbs mold is not hype.
    A long-time favorite of bullseye shooters was the stubby Lyman 185 gr semiwadcutter or the similar H&G 130 but some shooters preferred the 452460 for 50 he slow fire.

  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Van Gelder View Post
    I have been a long time Ruger fan, I just never got on with the American .45.

    Burnt Fingers

    What you described with the Springfield is just was was happening with the American, I believe that the feed angle may have something to do with that. Shooting cast bullets in auto loaders is a bit of an art.
    That's good to know. I've been eyeing a Ruger American. Now I can take it off my list.
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  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Van Gelder View Post
    David2011

    Over the last 50 years that I have been shooting, reloading, and building 1911 platform guns, I have never had a 1911 that I could not get to work with that bullet. I guess that I was just not that invested in the American. The Remington is just a better fit for me, I works right out of the box.
    Just relaying what I have encountered in building and modifying 1911s. It’s hard to know how much someone else knows about these things. Someone brought me a Remington for an action and trigger job a few years ago. I thought it was a very nice 1911, better than some well known makes that sell for considerably more.
    Sometimes life taps you on the shoulder and reminds you it's a one way street. Jim Morris

  6. #26
    Boolit Buddy John Van Gelder's Avatar
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    Burnt Fingers

    Over on the Ruger forum I belong to, there have been mixed results shooting SWC bullets in the American, some folks have gotten them to work, others not.

  7. #27
    Boolit Master WRideout's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Green Frog View Post
    Years ago, there was an article in one of the NRA reloading guides that said in essence, if you have the Lyman 452460 for your 45, that’s the only bullet you’ll ever need. Seems like you’ve confirmed that again with its H&G equivalent.

    Froggie
    I acquired a 452460 single cavity mold in an estate sale, before I even had a gun for it. Later I bought, on a whim, a used STAR 45 ACP alloy frame, commander size. I have been very impressed with both of them. The STAR is extremely accurate with that boolit, at least out to combat range of 15 yards or so. I can turn the bullseye into a single ragged hole on a good day.
    Wayne
    What doesn't kill you makes you stronger - or else it gives you a bad rash.
    Venison is free-range, organic, non-GMO and gluten-free

  8. #28
    Boolit Buddy John Van Gelder's Avatar
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    I started out handgun hunting when I was 14, with a S&W "Kit" gun, the .22 on a 32 frame, that was 60+ years ago. I have also been a traditional bow hunter for just a little longer, one skill complements the other. Handgun hunting is a lot like bow hunting, you need to get close and place the shot. I developed a fondness for the 1911 back when I was in the service, I was a small arms instructor for a number of years. Back in those days I did not make a lot of money, and supplemented the families diet with what I hunted, lots of small game taken with my .45 and a cast bullet. When I acquired the #68 it was just the ticket for target/small game loads in the automatic.

    In my reality my gun/bullet combination has to be suitable for putting meat on the table, if I could put a dollar value on the amount of protein I have "harvested" over time using that bullet, I am pretty sure it would buy me a new truck at today's prices.

    I have lots of old moulds, they were new when I bought them, some look like Lyman moulds but have "Ideal" stamped on them, lots of stories there as well.

  9. #29
    Boolit Master

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    This week I've been casting a HG68 clone in this 6 cavity Lee group buy mold. Possibly the best casting mold I've
    ever used. It drops excellent boolits very fast and keeps on putting them out. They drop at .454" and are sized .452 and lubed with White Label BAC (beeswax-allox-carnuba).

    While I shoot a Colt Gov't these HG68 are destined for my S&W Brazilian 1937 2nd Model Hand Ejector. It loves HG68.

    This is the as-cast pile. Hasn't been inspected or sorted yet. The other boolit is NOE 432421 for the Ruger Flattop .44 Special and S&W Model 29. The single cavity Lyman mold on the far right in the photo is 357446.





    Dutch

  10. #30
    Boolit Buddy John Van Gelder's Avatar
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    Dutch

    A good looking pile of bullets, Your Lee "HG68" is pretty close, it looks like the base band is a little wider than the top band, my old mould drops them with both bands the same width. That could be camera angle.. I also have a 357446, a good bullet for the old short cylinder "N" frame .357s.

  11. #31
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    My H&G #68 clone is a SAECO #69 four cavity mold.
    I don't think there are huge differences in the various clones of the H&G #68, it's a pretty straight forward design.
    The differences seem to be things like bevel base vs. plain base and the contour of the nose.

    The SAECO mold produces EXCELLENT bullets but frankly I think a lot of the H&G #68 clones are in the same camp.

  12. #32
    Boolit Buddy John Van Gelder's Avatar
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    I just went out and shot my Remington a bit more, I am definitely pleased that I have a high capacity, striker fired .45 that uses the #68 bullet.

  13. #33
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    I recently started working with the RCBS clone of the H&G 68 and can't sing its praises enough. 4 grains Bullseye and the bullet seated/taper crimped with the case mouth dead even with the top of the upper band yields excellent accuracy and zero feeding malfunctions during the 1500 or so shots fired over the last month or so in either of my Colts- a Series-70 Gold Cup and a 1913-vintage 1911 Gov't Model.

  14. #34
    Boolit Buddy John Van Gelder's Avatar
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    gnoahhh

    That is the same seating I use with my Remington. I also had a WW1 era 1911, it functioned just fine with that bullet.

  15. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by gnoahhh View Post
    I recently started working with the RCBS clone of the H&G 68 and can't sing its praises enough. 4 grains Bullseye and the bullet seated/taper crimped with the case mouth dead even with the top of the upper band yields excellent accuracy and zero feeding malfunctions during the 1500 or so shots fired over the last month or so in either of my Colts- a Series-70 Gold Cup and a 1913-vintage 1911 Gov't Model.
    The 201 or 201KT?

    I have both and they are slightly different.
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  16. #36
    Boolit Master
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    The 201.

  17. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by gnoahhh View Post
    The 201.

    That's a good boolit. I just picked up another 201-KT so I can run two molds. It was far cheaper than having a custom mold made.
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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check