New to me H & G #130 bb

[hammerhead357]

I just finnished casting some boolits in a new to me H & G #130 bb mould. I haven't had one for about 15 or more years and traded for this one.

What a great casting boolit design, I test cast about 280 boolits and the only 4 rejects I had were the ones I dropped on the floor. I did discard the first 40 boolits that I cast inorder to get the mould up to proper temp. Yes I use a mould heater to help too. I had forgotten how easy this design was to cast.

My alloy was straight WW and the boolits weighed an average of 197.4 grs. for 10 and were between 453 and 454 in diam.

I am really glad I traded for this, I had been searching for one for a long time. Didn't really need the bb but I can have that removed later if I choose....Wes

[MtGun44]

The 130 was used by many top shooters in Bullseye 2700 in it's day. I have an H&G mold
and have used it, but only a bit. So far (not at all exhaustive, just a few tries, actually) I have
not found it to be as accurate as my 452460 Lyman in several 1911s.

YMMV.

[hammerhead357]

This was just to replace one that I let go several years ago I just like the design and they cast well. May use it in the 45 acp for semi autos or in the 45 ar for revolvers.

The whole basis was for fun...Wes

[MtGun44]

It is a 'known good" design, many folks have had really good results with it as a match
boolit. Should be great in the revolvers, too. I have gotten 1" groups from the 452460
and about 1.5" groups from the H&G 130. Not like that is a huge difference, and it may
very well reverse in another gun. You'll likely have a lot of fun with it. All my H&G molds are
a joy to cast with, too.

[hammerhead357]

Mtgun44 I have about 17 or so other H & G moulds that I use and most of them are wonderful. I just hadn't had a 130 to play with for about 20 years or so.....Wes

[fecmech]

Mtgun --The 452460 is my most accurate bullet also in the .45 auto easily topping the H&G 68 and just barely the Saeco 130. When I shot bullseye many moons ago I used the 452460 at the 50 yd line and the 130 at 25 for timed & rapid fire due to the decreased recoil (at least in my head!)

[Wayne Dobbs]

What is the best OAL for this boolit in .45 ACP?

[fecmech]

What is the best OAL for this boolit in .45 ACP?

I have always loaded both the 130 and 452460 with just a slight amount of the front shoulder out of the case so that a loaded round headspaced on the bullet and the back of the case was even with the end of the hood on the barrel.

[MtGun44]

Fecmec has it just right. Depends on your chamber, but seat one a bit long in a
dummy round and check against the barrel out of the gun. Keep bumping the boolit
deeper until the case is flush with the hood with light finger pressure. I think that
headspacing on the bullet like this will give best ignition since all the .45 ACP
cases that I have ever measured are short of trim length and the vary a lot from brand
to brand.

If you are using one lot of brass, this will be less important.

fecmec - yep, I agree with your #6 post above. I like the H&G 130, but -----
Gotta love the 452460 - it won me two target matches last year with my plain jane old Kimber
Custom - bone stock and around 50,000 rounds thru the old girl. Shoots that load really
well, too - esp with a consistent lot of Starline brass rather than my regular old junk stuff
that I use in IPSC, every headstamp in the world and some have hit the ejector so many
times you literally can no longer read the headstamp. And people ask how many times you
can use a piece of brass . . . . . . don't know but A LOT!

[Dale53]

I have a "like new" H&G #130 four cavity mould. It casts better than any mould I have used (and I have used a "bushel" of moulds). It also shoots as good or better than any bullet I have used in a .45 ACP 1911 or my two 625's.

In spite of the above endorsement, my favorite bullet in .45 ACP is the H&G #68 (my six cavity MiHec clone) as the #68 will feed more reliably in a marginal 1911 platform and cuts a cleaner hole in the target.

FWIW
Dale53

[hammerhead357]

Dale I won't argue with you about the #68 because it is one of my favorites also. I just wanted a #130 to replace the one I let get away. I have a custom matched pair of the #68s in 8 cavity. Also have one of the 4 cavity #68bbs designs that I like for the ar revolver...Wes

[Dale53]

hammerhead357;
I won't be getting rid of my H&G #130 four cavity mould any time soon, either (like MAYBE when I die:mrgreen:)...

Dale53

[fecmech]

On the subject of .45 headstamps. I remember reading a post on a board somewhere about a fellow picking up brass after a rapid fire bullseye string of fire. He asked the fellow next to him what headstamp he was using so he didn't pick up any of his brass. The fellow replied if he could read the headstamp it wasn't his brass!

[MtGun44]

fecmech, Hmm - that guy might have been me . . . . . . ;-)

near as I can tell you can shoot 4.8 TG under a H&G 68 forever and not
really wear out the brass.