Tipped Bloodline

[ronlaughlin]

Tom sent six of these bullet with the added tip to test. It is a 40 caliber bloodline, and with the tip weighs 203 grain. First test was to shoot at paper using 50 grain of Blackhorn powder. Target was at 25 yard. Aim was the low blue tape. Two shots were taken.

Obviously the bullet doesn't get along with my rifle, or perhaps the rifle/scope is messed up. After seeing the target, i wasn't very confident about shooting through the carpet, plywood, and water jugs. However, since i was there, i went ahead, and loaded 50 grain Blackhorn, a bullet, and set up to shoot the jugs at 25 yard.














The bullet went through three jugs, barely cut the edge of the fourth, and went away. There is no evidence it fractured. The video show the front jug still held water as it lay there on the ground with minimal damage, after the bullet went through. There was no sign of slits on the back side indicating flying petals. Normally the front jug is shredded; this is the first time i can recall it still holding water afterwards. There was no evidence of flying petals through the front or back of the second jug either.

The target shot earlier made me wonder if my rifle/scope was messed up, so i shot three 200 grain shockwave, at the target placed at 101 yard. Load was 115 grain Blackhorn, W209 primer, Harvester sabot. The 45 Omega with the 4X scope shoots OK.

 

[Squeeze]

It could be the 50 grn load also, I think there's a sort of barrel harmonics. I've noticed a lot of guns move in and out of accurate through a load range. It seems to vary a little, but say for example a gun will be accurate with a 40 grn charge, then an 80 grn charge, then again at 110. But the farther you get between those points, the more the group starts to spray.

 

[1874sharpsshooter]

It could be the 50 grn load also, I think there's a sort of barrel harmonics. I've noticed a lot of guns move in and out of accurate through a load range. It seems to vary a little, but say for example a gun will be accurate with a 40 grn charge, then an 80 grn charge, then again at 110. But the farther you get between those points, the more the group starts to spray.

Faster twist would probably help too

 

[sabotloader]

It could be the 50 grn load also, I think there's a sort of barrel harmonics. I've noticed a lot of guns move in and out of accurate through a load range. It seems to vary a little, but say for example a gun will be accurate with a 40 grn charge, then an 80 grn charge, then again at 110. But the farther you get between those points, the more the group starts to spray.

Faster twist would probably help too

With the 200 the twist rate is important... but still if he hit water the bullet should have opened unless it went in side ways...

 

[ronlaughlin]

Here is a photo of the bullet entry hole in the front jug........

....and the two holes made by the bullet in the cardboard....

....all holes made at 25 yard.

 

[chaded]

I personally wouldnt use this bullet with a tip, even before this test. It being a hollowpoint is what makes this design so effective. The force that happens when the hollow cavity fills up and breaks the hard brass is tremendous. I dont see how this would perform consistently by filling up the very crucial design of the bullet, but i could be wrong. Maybe if pushed really fast it would perform better but that takes away from the beauty of this bullet in that it performs whether pushed slow or fast with the same devastating effects. And all for what? A very minimal and not noticeable gain of b.c. I dont know, just my thoughts but i will take my bloodelines without a tip.

 

[wolfer]

What is tip made of?? :?: Hard bullet with hard tip probably not so good. W

 

[sabotloader]

What is tip made of?? :?: Hard bullet with hard tip probably not so good. W

The tip is a Poly tip as used by many manufactures. They are not the soft tip (almost rubbery tip) used in the Hornady LEVERevolution bullet

 

[ShawnT]

So why add the Tip? :huh?:

 

[sabotloader]

So why add the Tip? :huh?:

I certainly can not give the official answer... but possibly sales! The are so many people that believe that BC or Ballistics is the most important identity that a bullet might have. So I believe Lehigh might have been trying to satisfy both groups which could lead to increased sales. The real problem is Lehigh Dave will not go with it if it is not as good as he thinks it should be. Hence two efforts at tipping a Lehigh have been moved aside.

Another thought is that are so many of us that transitioned to muzzleloaders from great centerfire rifles and one of the things most often looked at there was the BC of the bullet. I used to get weird looks all the time from other hunters would ask what rifle are you using for Elk- I would reply a Tikka Lite 300 Win Mag shooting Nosler Semi Round nose Partitions - why would you use a poor BC for a rifle like that? Answer - because they worked awesome for me.

Hope some of that makes sense...

 

[ShawnT]

So why add the Tip? :huh?:

I certainly can not give the official answer... but possibly sales! The are so many people that believe that BC or Ballistics is the most important identity that a bullet might have. So I believe Lehigh might have been trying to satisfy both groups which could lead to increased sales. The real problem is Lehigh Dave will not go with it if it is not as good as he thinks it should be. Hence two efforts at tipping a Lehigh have been moved aside.

Another thought is that are so many of us that transitioned to muzzleloaders from great centerfire rifles and one of the things most often looked at there was the BC of the bullet. I used to get weird looks all the time from other hunters would ask what rifle are you using for Elk- I would reply a Tikka Lite 300 Win Mag shooting Nosler Semi Round nose Partitions - why would you use a poor BC for a rifle like that? Answer - because they worked awesome for me.

Hope some of that makes sense...

It does and is sort of what I was thinking. I never got hung up on BC, and in all honesty never look at it. To me that really only comes into play for Long Range shooting. I pretty much never shoot a Tipped bullet in my ML as I personaly like the thump of a wide meplat bullet. I now really like the Blood lines and plan to get some of the .452 x 265CF to try in my UL.

 

[WV Hunter]

I think I'll stick with the std bullet. No tips for me!

 

[wolfer]

Considering that my ML shots are way longer than my shotgun shots at deer, only legal firearms in this parts of VA, they still aren't all that long. Tip and BC useful for the long range (300 yds plus) shooting like in beanfields etc but I am using Pittman and Parker bullets sabotless for that. Sure I'm using SML rifles but "the book" shows my rifle shots are 90% between 10 and 85 yards. I have a long range rifle and it is set up for the long shots but it stays home mostly. I am really liking the "extreme penetrator" bullets from Lehigh and will give some of them a try this year. Humping them along at 2200 and with the good ole BDC scope they will shot as far as I'll be comfortable with those rifles. I'm guessing the handgun model penetrators out of my 45s saboted will be great at 2200 to 2400 fps. I use the Lehigh vent liners and keep plenty on hand and do replacement yearly on some rifles and check all with tip cleaners and replace as necessary.

I'm guessing the "tipped" bullets would do great at SML velocity as the Parker and Pittman bullets shoot great but are a bit on the fragile side for heavier game and bone.

JMHO, W

 

[sabotloader]

So why add the Tip? :huh?:

I certainly can not give the official answer... but possibly sales! The are so many people that believe that BC or Ballistics is the most important identity that a bullet might have. So I believe Lehigh might have been trying to satisfy both groups which could lead to increased sales. The real problem is Lehigh Dave will not go with it if it is not as good as he thinks it should be. Hence two efforts at tipping a Lehigh have been moved aside.

Another thought is that are so many of us that transitioned to muzzleloaders from great centerfire rifles and one of the things most often looked at there was the BC of the bullet. I used to get weird looks all the time from other hunters would ask what rifle are you using for Elk- I would reply a Tikka Lite 300 Win Mag shooting Nosler Semi Round nose Partitions - why would you use a poor BC for a rifle like that? Answer - because they worked awesome for me.

Hope some of that makes sense...

It does and is sort of what I was thinking. I never got hung up on BC, and in all honesty never look at it. To me that really only comes into play for Long Range shooting. I pretty much never shoot a Tipped bullet in my ML as I personably like the thump of a wide meplat bullet. I now really like the Blood lines and plan to get some of the .452 x 265CF to try in my UL.

I totally agree with your assertion! I am old really old and it took me a long time to move to your thought even shooting modern center fire rifles. Not a lot of people see that value.

 

[sabotloader]

Considering that my ML shots are way longer than my shotgun shots at deer, only legal firearms in this parts of VA, they still aren't all that long. Tip and BC useful for the long range (300 yds plus) shooting like in beanfields etc but I am using Pittman and Parker bullets sabotless for that. Sure I'm using SML rifles but "the book" shows my rifle shots are 90% between 10 and 85 yards. I have a long range rifle and it is set up for the long shots but it stays home mostly. I am really liking the "extreme penetrator" bullets from Lehigh and will give some of them a try this year. Humping them along at 2200 and with the good ole BDC scope they will shot as far as I'll be comfortable with those rifles. I'm guessing the handgun model penetrators out of my 45s saboted will be great at 2200 to 2400 fps. I use the Lehigh vent liners and keep plenty on hand and do replacement yearly on some rifles and check all with tip cleaners and replace as necessary.

I'm guessing the "tipped" bullets would do great at SML velocity as the Parker and Pittman bullets shoot great but are a bit on the fragile side for heavier game and bone.

JMHO, W

I believe that you will really be surprised by the XP bullets. There is guy on another forum that used them exclusively on hogs and is more than happy with the Terminal Performance of the bullets.