A while back I was sent some Lehigh 250 grain .452 bullets to try. I want to use them hunting this year if possible. So I wanted to see how the Genesis likes them.

Now the 50 caliber stainless steel barrel Genesis has a Nikon Omega 3-9x40mm scope on it. I had shot the rifle last time with BlackHorn 209 at 100 yards approximately. So I was sure it would be close at 70 yards. I set up the target and marched back to the bench to discover three readings on the range finder.. 70, 72, and 69. So I accepted 70 as the reading. It was a hot, sunny, bright sun actually, little wind kind of a day. The target in the shadows of the woods looked real good.

I was going to shoot more BlackHorn today, but really wanted to try Pyrodex RS pellets. My Genesis likes Pyrodex pellets for some reason. I know the Lehigh 250 should be pushed hard, but I am not a large powder charge shooter. So I started out with just two pellets. These were with a MMP hph 24 sabot.



While not in the bulls eye, I really could not argue the grouping. Then I loaded the next. I should point out I was swabbing with dishwater. And immediately after pushing it into the bore, I noticed how easy it went in. Looking at my sabots I could see there were a few Harvester Crushed Rib sabots in the bag. I am positive I grabbed one of them. As with the MMP the rifle loaded stiff, with this combination, it went down very easy.



So I will take a sabot blame on that one not being in the same hole. Then thinking... Lehigh can take a hard charge I figured... why not.

I swabbed the rifle clean, and loaded three pellets and took three shots.



Well the rifle did not like that combination at all. Being low on the Lehigh, I then got out a pack of 300 grain Hornady SST bullets with supplied sabots. The sabots if I had to guess would be MMP HPH 24.

I swabbed the bore of the barrel clean before I started.. I loaded 2 of the pellets and shot.



#1 on a clean bore was pretty good. 2-8 other then #4 and #7 were real good. Although I noted the barrel of the rifle was VERY HOT at this point. I mean, can't hold it hot. So I am not surprised it was acting up.

So I swabbed the barrel clean again, let the rifle cool down, and moved the target back to 100 yards...



At 100 yards my 2 pellet SST POA was the cross hair and heart of that little deer. I missed the center but made a Wisconsin heart shot with the first one. The next two were even further left.

Hard to understand, could be the heat, change of powder, a number of things.. but the rifle was dead center shooting last time. Now it shot to the left a little. Not a lot, but a little.

I think 2 pellets and that 250 grain Lehigh could be a real good load, once I get it centered up. Should be a good open field shooter. But I want to try some of them out of the rifle with the BlackHorn and then decided from there what powder to use, should I hunt hay fields this year.

Dave, I think the two pellet load and the Lehigh looks great... MD complains that the brass bullets wil not shoot well enough for him but those two shots look awful good to me.

There may be a harmonic problem going on with that barrel and higher more explosive powder loads. That could very well be the reason for the group opening up a bit...

I only had a few of the 250gr Lehighs and i forgot how they shot. I did have problems getting the 200gr 40cal to shoot as good as Barnes 195s or 200gr SSTs in the Elite. They would probably do better in my faster twist 45. The Lehigh 40-185gr though shot just fine and so does the 275gr 458 in the 52cal.

Dave not trying to hi-jak the thread but this post interests me... Lehigh Dave has said the length of the 40-200 makes it marginal in a 1-30 Knight.... Yet on the other hand it shoots light out for me from my DISC Elite... Scotty could this be a function of elevation. I know Dave say a velocity of 2300 should make them very accurate from the 1-30, but I am shooting them with 110 of T7 getting around 2150 fps.

I would say that you can't argue with either bullet. Both look like they will be good meat getters.

Dave my Genesis has not seen the light of day in a long time. Then you go and post this and makes me want to her out. Mine loved 2 pellets also and anything I pushed down her including the FPB's. Great shooting in an low cost gun. Think I paid $199 for mine.(camo-stainless)

I purchased this Genesis on sale too. I forget what I paid but it was like 50% of what they were originally asking. Mine also likes that 100 grain area. Any more then that an it seems to get bullet selective. Those SST's in 300 grain should do a number on a deer also. I know some have had bad experiences with the SSTs but others have had great luck. I want to try field hunting this year if my friend can get me in.

Mike what would you guess 2 pellets would push that Lehigh at? I want to figure some ballistics on it.

I think I have that number gotta go look on the other computer - I will get back at ya...

Found it... I would say 1750-1800 fps...

thanks.. I GUESSED 1600 fps so I was not too far off.

Dave do you want me to mail you a chrono to use for the fall/winter?