Was browsing Lehigh?s new website, and came across their 115gr Extreme Defense bullets. I?m thinking they may be a new offering, but not sure about that. They are saying that the maximum muzzle velocity for this bullet is 5000 (fps), Lol, not that we could even get close to that, but what the heck 😀
Material Copper
Bullet Caliber .400
Bullet Length .615
Minimum Impact Velocity (fps) 750
Maximum Muzzle Velocity (fps) 5000
https://lehighdefense.com/400-caliber-115-grain-xtreme-defense-lead-free-bullets-09400115spfc.html
Just looked this up. Now I am going to have to order some. Further down the rabbit hole I go. I got two boxes of the XP140s not long ago, loaded 20, but have not had the time to test. I need another chrono.
Straight Shooter Cast Bullets
West Virginia
200gr and 220gr
Hi tech coating
Cast Hard 22 BHN
I've been working up loads for some Lehigh 115's for my G29 but I can't get anywhere near the Underwood or Lehigh velocities! Ok, 1550 isn't bad but it's not the 1700 they list (I do get 1700 in my G40 but it's a bit big to carry... of course, the G40 gets nearly 1800 with factory loads!). I pulled an Underwood 115 (and a 100gr - both appear to use the same powder. Unfortunately the 100 gr. bullet is no longer made) Xtreme Defender and have no idea what powder they use. Since they advertise it as flash suppressed, it likely isn't even offered to us lowely reloaders. I know AA (now Western Powders) says the AA powders are "reduced flash" but they certainly are *not* flash suppressed! Especially AA#9, which generally flashes almost as bad as 296 or H110 (or Blue dot, or 2400, or HS6... etc, etc). I've seen the results of these little pills hitting flesh and I have them in all of my carry guns now! These things are often called a gimmick but they are not! Those flutes fling flesh out of the way like little daemon saws and the damage they cause is simply amazing. A u tube guy posted an autopsy of a (I think) 150 lb pig he'd head shot with a rifle. He then propped the pig up and shot it in the shoulder with a 90 gr. 9mm XD bullet. Once cut open, the bullet had passed thru both shoulder plates and stopped just under the hide on the off side, and everything in between was... probably mush is the best way to describe it. It was simply devastating! (Of course, u tube pulled the vid). That vid and my own testing has turned me into a convert! I believe the Lehigh (now owned by Bill Wilson of Wilson Combat fame) Xtreme Defender bullet is the best self defense bullet money can buy and will probably remain so until they come up with disrupters or phasers... or something nuclear!
Cheers,
crkckr