Loading the H&G #130 bullet.

Here is a picture of the bullet #130 as usually marketed as “Button Nose” 185 SWC by commercial casters.  



The pictures are to illustrate the profile.  

I have read on a forum somewhere that getting superb accuracy isn’t as easy as the typical #68 style.  I haven’t loaded my stash of these yet. So I’m asking is there any nuances to loading these bullets for accuracy.   If it matters most of mine are Missouri cast lubricated.

Just curious if you have done a quality check on the Missouri bullets.  Have you weighed a sample to determine how much they vary?

Not yet.  I was in a binge buying spree a few years ago and I bought a bunch .   I’ll look into the quality when I get there.

Thank you.  I have some Brazos 180gr flat-base left, but I'm looking for a suitable sub for them when I run out.  I'm waffling between swaged bullets by Magnus or Zero versus a good quality coated cast bullet similar to the Brazos.  I look forward to hearing how you do with these.

Summers makes a quality 180 FB. only lubed though. Perhaps that will change under new mgt.

Yes the 130 bullet is tough to get any great accuracy at the long line, at least that was my experience back in the 80s. Ran it with 4.0 of BE.

Like Jimmy says 4.0 BE but use thin brass like R-P or Winchester. Critical to success is Photo Escapes expander plug for flat base bullets. Bullet must hand seat at least 1/16” to avoid wiping the base edge. It took me quite a while to get this to shoot. It seems to like going fast. It’s deep seated so recoil is higher.

I'm thinking there is a mix up of bullet weight since the mold I have cast the 130 H&G at 200grs and the 131 H&G at 190grs.
The 130 200gr has a longer body and seats deeper in the case while the 131 has the same waist length as the 68 H&G 200gr. bullet.
I in my 1-13 twist KKM barrel the 200gr 130 with 3grs of Bullseye is very mild and was my short line load till I started messing with a 180gr flat base bullet I cast that is similar to the H&G68. 4grs of WST cycles my hard fit 1911 and is very accurate at the short line when I do what I'm supposed to do.
I think the 1-16 twist is boarder line for the long waisted 130 H&G and is why it is hard to find a load it likes. Slow twist short waist bullets, fast twist long waist bullets.

jglenn21 wrote:Summers makes a quality 180 FB. only lubed though. Perhaps that will change under new mgt.

Yes the 130 bullet is tough to get any great accuracy at the long line, at least that was my experience back in the 80s. Ran it with 4.0 of BE.

Donny always had 180gr FBs in coated version.  He just never had them on website.  So one had to request it specifically.  Terry also has them (I just received ~5000, albeit from Donny's old stock), and he plans to offer them on the website next to the 175 grainers.

#130 bullets can be loaded and shut with excellent accuracy at 50Y.  As Bruce suggested it takes a bit of work to load them accurately.  Also I found that load must be optimized for particular gun.  Very specifically powder charge and primers, while other parameters remain the same.  Difference might be in 0.6gr range.  I had good results in two guns using 3.3gr of N310 with CCI 350 Magnum primers, or 3.5gr of N310 with WLP.  One gun liked 4.1gr N310 charge with WLP primers.  All were loaded to 1.150" OAL, which is roughly 0.925" base to "shoulder".  Second on using thin walled cases. 

AP

Like Roger my H&G 130 casts 200 gr bullets.  I compared these to some H&G 130's I had gotten from someone 20 plus years ago.  These weigh 185gr.  Mine are about .015 longer. The 185gr are .452 diam.  Mine come out .453 diam from a .452 marked star sizer die.  Both are bevel base.

I think there's a mix of undocumented "130s" out there. I too see a range of weight from various moulds

Trying to find my catalog

Something...

185 button nose for 25 ... 200 (68?) for 50 ...

'Das Macht Nixt' with my shaky hands.

Lyman 452460 is a 'looker'...

My Seaco/Reading Bullet Molds are marked H&G 130 produce 200gr flat base button nose bullets. The mold marked H&G 131 makes a 190gr flat based bullet.
 The Cast Master auto casting machine H&G 130 molds were bevel base and because of the bevel base they produced bullets weighed 185grs. 
Here is where the mix up in the determination of weight is, the H&G130 is a bullet type with molds cut to deliver different bullet weights.

If you can get them to feed, you should have no less, no more difficulty in getting groups equal to the 068. I had some trouble years ago with feeding but I don’t recall the gun.  Just giving you a heads up to maybe start with sufficient dummy rounds. My other comment is for you to get another brand or two before passing judgement, and of course shooting sufficient groups that your data is useful. Again this is from only one person but when it’s a HM, you listen. He me to stay away from Missouri. This was probably ten years ago.  Good chance that if they are still in business today that any real quality issues could have been responsibly addressed by now. But I’d add some other 130’s from folks I’ve found to make quality bullets before passing judgement on a batch from one caster. Let us know how they group.

The coated 185gr Missouri bullets (Bullseye #2) I got I weight sorted into 1.0 gr groups. They shoot reasonably well but liked to be pushed. I used 3.8gr of BE.
On the other hand, I had good results with their 155gr IDP #10 with 4.2gr of VV N310.

Both in a Kart barreled early Gold Cup with slide mounted Matchdot.

The trick in getting the short nose H&G 130 is in the style of magazine follower. Metal Form 8 round cap. is the magazine of choice with the round top follower.

Rodger Barthlow wrote:The trick in getting the short nose H&G 130 is in the style of magazine follower. Metal Form 8 round cap. is the magazine of choice with the round top follower.

^^^^ +1
Only magazines I use for Bullseye in my 45acp pistols.

[quote="Rodger Barthlow"]The trick in getting the short nose H&G 130 is in the style of magazine follower. Metal Form 8 round cap. is the magazine of choice with the round top follower.[/quote]


That's probably the source of the problem for me.  I know I was not yet a round follower convert back then.  Thanks for jogging my memory Rodger.