Anybody on Here Use Penn Bullets?

Anybody on here use Penn Bullets as a source for lead bullets? With Matt Dardas closed up, I'm looking for a new source for lead bullets. I'm partial to 185 gr. H&G#130 "button bullet" but there's not too many sources for that bullet profile anymore (Mastercast, Missouri". I do not need the accuracy that you guys need for 25 yd & 50 yd B/E shooting but I do appreciate a quality made bullet. I am considering the 180 gr LSWC by Penn. The "home of the silver bullet" people are priced way out of my range. Any & all info appreciated. I reload with 3.5 grs of B/E & shoot indoors no farther than 50 ft.

Jerry Keefer was a fan of theirs.

I used them once. They were cast too cold and were not great bullets. Just my experience.
Jon

the 180 isn't a hg 130 that i know of. Not sure who makes a true hg 130

Many thanks, Jon. I had a gut feeling that they weren't the best, now I know for sure.

Many thanks, Chris. No, the Penn 180 gr LSWC bullet not a H&G# 130 but a modified H&G# 68 with what appears to be a thinner nose cone section.

Chris Miceli wrote:Jerry Keefer was a fan of theirs.

Many thanks, Chris. I have a feeling that Mr. Keefer could reload with rocks and still shoot well.

mastercastbullets.com had the H&G 185gn #130.
Penn has always suppled me with near perfect bullets.

I use 200gr Penn bullets - well, they are more accurate than I am  Never had any issues with them, Haven't used 180gr though.

Magnus #801 is a modified HG130.  Good bullets.  Very accurate in my guns.

I have been shooting Penn 200 gr LSWC target grade bullets for years. My current gun, a SA with Barsto barrel will Ransom Rest 1.5 inch groups at 50 yards. My load is 3.8 gr N310, new Starline brass and Winchester primers. Zero 200 gr swaged LSWC will also group 1.5 inch with the same load.

AllAces wrote:I have been shooting Penn 200 gr LSWC target grade bullets for years. My current gun, a SA with Barsto barrel will Ransom Rest 1.5 inch groups at 50 yards. My load is 3.8 gr N310, new Starline brass and Winchester primers. Zero 200 gr swaged LSWC will also group 1.5 inch with the same load.

I did not see any reference to "target grade" bullets on his site. However, a year or so ago he use to advertise a special very weight tight tolerance 200 gr # 68 I believe. I no longer see it on his site though.

Try some cast 185/200gr SWC from Summers Enterprises. Donny is a fine guy to work with and bullets are both lowest price I've found and excellent quality. Otherwise, for "big name" bullets go to Terry at Magnus.

Gary Wells wrote:

AllAces wrote:I have been shooting Penn 200 gr LSWC target grade bullets for years. My current gun, a SA with Barsto barrel will Ransom Rest 1.5 inch groups at 50 yards. My load is 3.8 gr N310, new Starline brass and Winchester primers. Zero 200 gr swaged LSWC will also group 1.5 inch with the same load.

I did not see any reference to "target grade" bullets on his site. However, a year or so ago he use to advertise a special very weight tight tolerance 200 gr # 68 I believe. I no longer see it on his site though.

I stand corrected. At one time Bob offered both target and match grade bullets, with the match grade having a very tight weight tolerance. He now only offers match grade which I continue to use.

Many thanks for the info, Olde Pilot & All Aces & others. So far I'm thinking Donny @ Summer Enterprises for their 180 gr non bevel base LSWC, which appears to be a modified H&G#68, or Mike @ Mastercast bullets (mastercast.com) for their 185 gr H&G#130 which I shot a few years back. Both are priced very reasonable. Again,
many thanks for all of the great input & counsel.

we shoot Donny's 180s at the short line with a light load of WST and they work great..  easy to load also.

his new coated 180s are worth the extra cost to me. Zero leading.. as in not the least bit.. I simply run a patch through the bore and it's clean after a 2700.. it's the Hi-Tek coating...

Lot's of folks are running his 200gr H&G 68 BB with very good results.  I've been pushing him a bit to add the 160gr Magna copy of the H&G s242 bullet now that Dardus has closed.


I have not tried his 200gr coated bullet yet

Update on Summers bullets: NO leading. I clean my 1911's bore with one tight patch. Good to go.

All good to know. Many thanks for the additional info.

I did not have a good experience with Penn both product & customer service. But I may have been an isolated case.

penn had his lead man in the casting shop retire last year and he had a lot of bad bullets get out the door i got some of those bad but he replaced them with good ones I have not bought any lately.

Deerspy wrote:penn had his lead man in the casting shop retire last year and he had a lot of bad bullets get out the door i got some of those bad but he replaced them with good ones I have not bought any lately.

I load about 5000 rounds of Penn 200 gr lswc bullets a year, usually in two shipments. I received my second shipment about a month ago and the are just as accurate as before.

This guy is 5 minutes from my house, I use the H&G #130 poly coated 185 gr SWCs for my short line load, he has been casting commercially for at least 18 years-that's the time I've been reloading and buying his bullets.
I've always been satisfied with the quality of his work, he will ship across the USA.

http://www.kingshooters.com/bullets-pc-bullets/5-3014