lehigh defense bullets

I just picked up some Lehigh Defense controlled fracturing 265gr 45cal copper bullets. Anybody ever used these ? any info would be greatly appreciated .

Always wondered if anyone gut shot a deer and killed it DRT with these?

I truly believe these are a very lethal bullet but I just can't get myself to use a bullet that is designed to come apart. I read where one person took a bite of their deer steak and found a petal from a CF bullet. I'm guessing that's uncommon but you never know.

gmstack, I too just received 2 boxes of those same bullets and that bullet is new from what I hear. I am in the process of resetting up my gun with new scope and breech plug etc. and also getting several different sabots to try with the Lehigh's. they look like very high quality bullets and I just want to make sure I will be pushing them fast enough at 150 yards for them to perform like they should so I'm going to blackhorn if it works out. I'll let you know what happens when I start testing. with the fact that I don't always hit the deer exactly where I wanted, due to the deer walking or taking a step as I pull the trigger this bullet appeals to me the way it works, and I will just be careful about what meat might possibly have a piece of bullet in it. I had a nice buck this year take a step on me just as I pulled the trigger with a 20 gauge slug gun, he was quartering to me hard and it cause the shot to hit him in the hind quarter, I didn't get him, but I think with a bullet like this in the muzzleloader he would have been down most probably.

gmstack said:

I just picked up some Lehigh Defense controlled fracturing 265gr 45cal copper bullets. Anybody ever used these ? any info would be greatly appreciated .

Click to expand...

I am a life long Nosler Partition user!!!I They are/were the best Terminal Ballistic bullet I could find - bar none! Then Nosler dropped the Partitions that I had been using for ML hunting. Today and for several years now I have been using the Lehigh bullet and I would tell you it is the best bullet that I have used. I am old, really old, I am no longer interested in finding/tracking an animal after shooting and I REALLY wish I could say that I have never tracked an animal that I shot with a Lehigh - but - then real life happens. I can tell you that there are many fewer instances that hunting/tracking and animal is necessary. The bullet is a true Terminal Performer!

The CF bullet (Controlled Fracture) is just what it says - there is a controlled fracturing of the bullet and it can not happen until the bullet contacts liquid atmosphere. The petals then do open and rupture off the body of the bullet and radiate outward into and destroying the surrounding organs. The body of the bullet continues on cutting tissue and creating greater hydro-static damage in the internals. Normally and all cases for the body of the bullet exits the animal.

The petals... when the petals rupture and move away it has always been a concern that you might find them in the meat someplace. This normally never happens. The individual petals are so light they really can not carry enough energy to move a long distance in the liquid/tissue atmosphere of the chest cavity then after expending energy in the cavity there really is not enough energy left to penetrate muscle tissue to any extent at all. Normally you will find all six petals in the gut pile if you want to spend the time looking.

Back to the question... By far the Lehigh/Bloodline ML bullet performs better than many will ever know. But this design is under contract to Knight Rifles and availability of the bullet is limited as such... Lehigh has lately tried to mimic the performance of the Bloodline by creating a CF line of brass bullets. Several have used these including myself but... and I really hate to put this in print they do not perform as well as the Bloodline. They perform well but not with the same gusto of the bloodline.

Now today.... Enter the new Copper Bullet from Lehigh, currently the only one on the Lehigh Defense site is the .452x265 gr. CF. This is not your normal copper - copper bullet. It is not like any other cooper bullet on the market! Lehigh has formulated a new type lead free copper product, and I am going to use the word alloy really not knowing whether I am using the right term, but it is designed to closely resemble the properties of the original brass Bloodline. There will be additional Copper Lehigh's coming out in the future also.

Experience.... I have tested the bullet many times on non-animal targets. The performance of the bullets leaves me thinking these bullets are very equal to the Bloodline. I have not harvested with the bullet yet... dang it! I only had one deer tag this past season and passed on to many does and small bucks looking for the 'buck' and during my elk season I have to switch to a full bore lead projectile (Idaho is still way back in time). So I can not give a personal account.

A friend of mine on the other hand used them very successfully on many deer this past season. He also shared many of these bullets with some of his friends back east. Recalling off the top of my head I believe he indicated he knew of 20 deer harvested with this bullet, without ant performance complaints even on not-so-good shot placements.

The new copper BULLET... this copper is harder and I will say more brittle than any other copper bullet. You will not be able to res-size it. It does not deform or bend as easily as normal copper bullet. It will penetrate a greater distance.

Sorry for the length - I am a not so good writer so things always get long... Most of all hope some of this makes sense...

sabotloader, thank you for that report on the .452x265 Lehigh!

Thank you for your input. i have just bought a box of that new copper bullet and if our weather ever cooperates i will get out and try them out. i enjoyed your posting very much. guy