Sabotlessly - Lehigh .500x350 gr. XP - Extreme Penetrator
06-03-2015, 07:13 PM
#1
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
Sabotlessly - Lehigh .500x350 gr. XP - Extreme Penetrator
Yesterday in the mail I received a package of bullets - bullets that I had not ordered, but they were the new Lehigh .500x350 grain Xtreme Penetrators in solid Copper. I am not totally sure who sent them, I have a couple of thoughts but have not followed up yet.
Anyway - I worked this morning for a few hours and then got bored so I decided to go shoot. I was actually planning on shooting another rifle but with these new bullets decided to take the Western ULite out of the rack and go with it. I stood the rifle in the cleaning rack and took a couple of bullets ot and dropped them down the bore. They slid down quietly and slowly telling me that they were CLOSE but not tight enough. This is the part that Lehigh Dave shutters over... I took 8 of those brand new bullets out and laid them on the work table - found the two general purpose files and quickly and I might easily knurled those 8 eight bullets between the two files. The first couple I knurled with only a couple of rolls and then tried them in the bore. The felt really good, I could not push them down with my thumb but was sure with the short starter this would go down correctly. So I knurled the remaining 6, loaded up and headed to the Dinger Farm...
At the Farm, I set up the shoot up, I put a paper target out at about 50 yards with all the intentions in the world of shooting a paper target to check sights. I also set up 3 clay pigeons at about 75-80 yards - I had forgotten my range finder. When I got there Dinger had told me that he set up 2 Silver Bullet cans out I the field to shoot at with a 243 but the rifle wasn't sighted in well so they didn't hit either of them. He suggested that I could shoot them if I wanted to. The closet can was about 80 yards out and the second was 110-120.
I loaded the rifle 110 gr. T7-3f a MMP Sub-base and one of my newly knurled Lehigh XP's. And since it was the first shot from a clean barrel I decide 'what the heck!!' take on one of the clay birds just to get that first shot over. Well, I be danged first bird shot and hit and it appears to be a dead center shot... see the pic. It really was done with a bit of luck... Well after that shot I thought things were looking good so loaded up again, and I was correct a short starter was needed but one the bullet was through the crown - a good push with the range seated the bullet and base on the powder.
Next target, since I was feeling it - sure the first silver bullet next to the birds. One bullet one silver bullet blown up. I walked out and look at the Silver Bullet - I was holding the front sight with a six o'clock hold on the bottom of the can and the bullet hit just above the center of the can. After that shot when onto the next 2 birds. I missed the second bird with shot one holding on the bottom of the bird. The second shot holding just below the bottom of the birds scored. Repeated that hold on the 3rd bird and it was blown away.
At this point I could not resist the urge to go after the long Silver bullet. When I first looked through the peep at the can it was so small - the front bead would cover most of the can and you are really only hoping you are in line with the can left and right. It would not take much to miss left-right. Si I wasn't feeling quite all that much confidence. Anyway loaded up and held right on the bottom of the can - the shot was just short but in line... Loaded again and this time held on the Silver Bullet what I thought was about the middle of the can. It exploded - gosh that was fun... I walked out and took a picture of the second can, appears to be the POI was on the Point of Aim.
Well with that all done I had not interest in shooting paper... The only purpose of the paper was to prove accuracy for Lehigh Dave - really did not think it necessary any longer.
Here are a couple of composite pictures of the shoot.
Anyway - I worked this morning for a few hours and then got bored so I decided to go shoot. I was actually planning on shooting another rifle but with these new bullets decided to take the Western ULite out of the rack and go with it. I stood the rifle in the cleaning rack and took a couple of bullets ot and dropped them down the bore. They slid down quietly and slowly telling me that they were CLOSE but not tight enough. This is the part that Lehigh Dave shutters over... I took 8 of those brand new bullets out and laid them on the work table - found the two general purpose files and quickly and I might easily knurled those 8 eight bullets between the two files. The first couple I knurled with only a couple of rolls and then tried them in the bore. The felt really good, I could not push them down with my thumb but was sure with the short starter this would go down correctly. So I knurled the remaining 6, loaded up and headed to the Dinger Farm...
At the Farm, I set up the shoot up, I put a paper target out at about 50 yards with all the intentions in the world of shooting a paper target to check sights. I also set up 3 clay pigeons at about 75-80 yards - I had forgotten my range finder. When I got there Dinger had told me that he set up 2 Silver Bullet cans out I the field to shoot at with a 243 but the rifle wasn't sighted in well so they didn't hit either of them. He suggested that I could shoot them if I wanted to. The closet can was about 80 yards out and the second was 110-120.
I loaded the rifle 110 gr. T7-3f a MMP Sub-base and one of my newly knurled Lehigh XP's. And since it was the first shot from a clean barrel I decide 'what the heck!!' take on one of the clay birds just to get that first shot over. Well, I be danged first bird shot and hit and it appears to be a dead center shot... see the pic. It really was done with a bit of luck... Well after that shot I thought things were looking good so loaded up again, and I was correct a short starter was needed but one the bullet was through the crown - a good push with the range seated the bullet and base on the powder.
Next target, since I was feeling it - sure the first silver bullet next to the birds. One bullet one silver bullet blown up. I walked out and look at the Silver Bullet - I was holding the front sight with a six o'clock hold on the bottom of the can and the bullet hit just above the center of the can. After that shot when onto the next 2 birds. I missed the second bird with shot one holding on the bottom of the bird. The second shot holding just below the bottom of the birds scored. Repeated that hold on the 3rd bird and it was blown away.
At this point I could not resist the urge to go after the long Silver bullet. When I first looked through the peep at the can it was so small - the front bead would cover most of the can and you are really only hoping you are in line with the can left and right. It would not take much to miss left-right. Si I wasn't feeling quite all that much confidence. Anyway loaded up and held right on the bottom of the can - the shot was just short but in line... Loaded again and this time held on the Silver Bullet what I thought was about the middle of the can. It exploded - gosh that was fun... I walked out and took a picture of the second can, appears to be the POI was on the Point of Aim.
Well with that all done I had not interest in shooting paper... The only purpose of the paper was to prove accuracy for Lehigh Dave - really did not think it necessary any longer.
Here are a couple of composite pictures of the shoot.
06-04-2015, 04:46 AM
#2
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
Very nice shooting. I see you are rolling them between files. Does that make them that much larger in diameter or just something that can grab rifling? That should make a nasty hunting bullet.
The other day when I was shooting, I used old refrigerator oranges that had been in there too long. They don't explode so much as bounce in the air and blow apart.
The other day when I was shooting, I used old refrigerator oranges that had been in there too long. They don't explode so much as bounce in the air and blow apart.
06-04-2015, 06:49 AM
#4
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
Very nice shooting. I see you are rolling them between files. Does that make them that much larger in diameter or just something that can grab rifling? That should make a nasty hunting bullet.
The other day when I was shooting, I used old refrigerator oranges that had been in there too long. They don't explode so much as bounce in the air and blow apart.
The other day when I was shooting, I used old refrigerator oranges that had been in there too long. They don't explode so much as bounce in the air and blow apart.
