Dinger Farm - Testing 45 Sabotless

[sabotloader]

Got a small package of Lehigh 45 cal Sabotless bullets the other day from Dave and have been itching to shoot them.

I have already shot version 0 of this bullet - it was accurate as heck, but I did suggest some thoughts for revision of the bullet and the possibilety that it might be a more universal fit to many 45 cal guns.

Revsion 2 showed up last week and at first glance you really do not see much of a change... which is good it should not effect accuracy.... I was suppose to get a Revision 1 also but it got short changed in the mail - which is alright with me 2 is better I am sure.

Here is a picture that might help you see the changes....



The gas/engraving rings have been moved up the bullet and an extra ring has been added. It is my thought that this should provide more stability to the bullet in loading and shooting. It will be much more difficult to load it crooked or for it to move any on its way out the bore - should load and come out straight.

The other change occurred in the base of the bullet - the 'minnie cup' the cup was deepened and the walls were thinned, I beleive that this will insure the cups obturation to the bore and provide a positive gas seal at the base of the bullet. I was thinking this might be important especially for those shooting real smokeless like the Savage crowd and even should help those of us that shoot reduced loads.

I guess Dave went along with these thoughts as he gave it a try and now the testing...

"Ole #71"... is a very tight bored Knight DISC Elite. Loading version 0 was difficult - not impossible but difficult. Tom's Remington 700 ml - 45 cal is the opposite... its bore is a little larger and think would represent the bigger bores - so I took both guns to the farm...

It did seem to me that these new bullets even with the extra gas ring loaded a little easier than the older variety. I still think I would like to see Dave reduce the base and the ogive to .448 instead of 0.448.5 - I really believe this would add more versitilty to the bullet and not harm accuracy or gas seal.

In the Remington once that short starter had them in... they went down very well. Tight enough to insure thay will not come off the powder but yet tight enough you had to use a firm pressure on the rod to get them down.

In either case you do need an appropriate bullet starting jag to fit the bullet - I happen to be using a 'Spin Jag' that works very well.

Here is the target from today's activity... On the Remington target there was a couple of scope moves involved... and I think my Tasco World Class is nearing the end of it's useful life.



In any case I think Lehigh Dave is making progress on this venture.....

[Semisane]

I don't know how you can live with yourself Sabotloader, shooting those precision made bullets and getting them all fouled up with powder and banged up hitting things. They're just too pretty to do that sort of thing to.

Those are some impressive groups. I never would have expected a hollow base brass bullet to get a proper gas seal.

[sabotloader]

Semisane

I hope and I really do hope - that you noticed #5 in the group - or really out of the group... And you know I was thinking.... What I am thinking now is I am going to stop using numbers and start using the alphabet... I do not know what the 5th letter is and I do not want to know...

shooting those precision made bullets and getting them all fouled up with powder and banged up hitting things. They're just too pretty to do that sort of thing to.

See - I thought of the same thing! I hate shooting them at nothing but paper... thank gosh!! Dave furnishes a handful of each bullets to be tested. It is after the testing is done that they start getting expensive. You have to order bullets from his outlet, operated by his niece Amanda and she has no clue who I am. but she does add a nice note to each invoice - thank you for your purchase...

I never would have expected a hollow base brass bullet to get a proper gas seal.

Me neither when I first suggested maybe a sabotless I was sure they would be copper. But, he knows a whole lot more than I do about metals. It really does seem to be working as designed + brass is a self lubricating metal - member reading that someplace - so it is really easy on the bore.

I really thought the cup would split/crack as it was forced wider - but they sure work good.

In the back of my mind - I really fear the 'Lead Ban' - I know the educated folks out there are going to get it through at some point and we will be forced to an alternative... it might be one state at a time but with California and few others caving in - it is coming... I read in the paper the other day, they are even after fishing sinkers...

Speer just went through the same thing as the government ruled that you can not use a hunting bullet as a 'Home Defense' bullet and since the Gold Dot was/is a main stay of a lot of police forces... the Gold Dot to them will retain the same name and be built different and the Deep Curl will be the hunting line....

[cayugad]

That is just flat out impressive. That #5 ... be careful who er I mean what you blame it on as he/it can get testy.

They are a nice looking bullet. What I also find interesting is just how little 10 grains of Triple Seven adds to the velocity of them. I would have guessed that you'd need a stiff charge to spread that skirt to seal it. That really is some impressive shooting.

[josh...just josh]

great! now make one in .50 cal...

[sabotloader]

josh...just josh

It is coming! I have the first version and they are now being modified to get it right...

[kb1]

nice post and niceshootin sabotloader.i would love to try some in the 1/20 super-disc.the 200g .40 lehigh's have given me the tightest groups in it so far using 110g vol. blackhorn.i still need to get out and see how they do at 120-130g but the sidelocks have had my interest of late....karl