Hammer vs Lehigh

[MuleyFever]

Thanks to @Muley Buck I was able to try the Lehigh Controlled Chaos Copper 142gr Bullet. I was wanting to try a copper bullet to see if they would be more accurate due to mag length limitations and they showed promise with a group just over .5". I bet I can get under .5" with a little more tinkering. I think I like this design better than a Barnes for expanded wound channel potential.

Has anyone hunted with these? They are the same concept as the Hammer Hunter that gets great reviews.

I am looking for a 500 yard or so bullet so the spec differences may not mean much for me. I am not trying to shoot 700+ yards. Looking at the specs the Hammer is .015 longer and 1 grain heavier. I looked up a conversion and the G7 BC Hammer list converts to a bit better than the Lehigh is listing.

The Lehigh costs half as much so I am wondering if there is anything anyone has seen that makes the Hammers worth the money? Especially for a 500ish yard bullet.

 

[Runningwater]

I "think", the controlled chaos is more along the lines of the deadblow hammer rather than their more flagship hammer hunter. I think the chaos and deadblow are much more frangible and retain less core than the hammer hunter or hammer sledgehammer. That said I've only ordered hammer hunters and have no first hand experience with either. On the hammer website they reference the deadblows but don't have them listed and seem to give them a less than full endorsement for big game. Or at least that's how I interpreted it....

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

IIRC Steve was basically saying they've tested the deadblow which were in response to folks that wanted more of an explosive energy dump and they performed fine on game but they still preferred the hunters unless folks really want the deadblow, in which case they're happy to make them up (I believe its just a deeper cavity so same bullet exterior and just a grain or two less weight).

 

[Muley Buck]

IIRC Steve was basically saying they've tested the deadblow which were in response to folks that wanted more of an explosive energy dump and they performed fine on game but they still preferred the hunters unless folks really want the deadblow, in which case they're happy to make them up (I believe its just a deeper cavity so same bullet exterior and just a grain or two less weight).

Just a guess, but that would explain the Hammer being a 143gn projectile and the Lehigh being a 142gn projectile. I decided on the Lehigh and went with them because of price and twist rate rating. I'm still on my factory barrel and it's a 1-9.5 twist. The Hammer 143gn is rated for 1-9.25 min. and the Lehigh 142gn is rated for 1-9.5 min. I called Steve last year and asked him about the bullets and it was a very nice and informative phone call. I specifically asked him if I could or should stretch that 143gn twist rate to mine and he suggested that I not do that and adhere to the twist rates and not go slower than what is recommended.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Another IIRC statement from Steve on why he likes folks to stick to the conservative twist rates he lists is to maintain bullet stability through penetration in the animal. Its something I hadn't previously considered. A bullet lower on the stability scale might be stable enough to pass through paper at a long range consistently but once slowed down as its punching through an animal it could become unstable and go off track or not push the metaplate through as intended, etc.

ANYWAYS, absolutely post up your results, very curious to hear. I am trying hunting with the hammers in one of my guns, only one critter to date with that one though so no real good experience yet terminally, they shoot damn well though. Running barnes in some other guns right now which have also been effective.

 

[Muley Buck]

I don't have any kills with the 142gn Lehigh yet. I did use the 6.5 CM 122gn Lehigh to kill a small buck like lightning at 437yds. Another I witnessed did a great job with the same bullet (different load/lower velocity) shot placement wasn't ideal, it was a little far back for my liking but still tipped over within 30yds of impact at 220yds. I do realize it's a tiny sample size, but from what I've seen the bullets did great and destroyed vitals very well, as long as you can place the bullets in the right spot.

 

[MuleyFever]

I just got a box of the Lehigh bullets. Hopefully I get to try them on game this fall. Excited to see how good I can get them to shoot with a little more fine tuning.

 

[Runningwater]

I'm planning on trying 166 hammers in 3006. If anyone has anything to report, good or bad, either loads or performance...would appreciate it!

 

[Muley Buck]

Well, it looks like you'll have plenty of time to see...

 

[Runningwater]

Whaaaaa!!!

 

[bitbckt]

There’s another forum with a Hammer Hard-on that’d be better to ask around. The culture around here doesn’t seem all that mono friendly (for those of us who must use ‘em).

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

There’s another forum with a Hammer Hard-on that’d be better to ask around. The culture around here doesn’t seem all that mono friendly (for those of us who must use ‘em).

There's plenty of us who use monos on here and threads that are specifically about mono bullet questions haven't had lead core folks pissing on them. If the thread is generally discussing the merits of each then thats a different story and will bring out opinions.

I just don't recall seeing the Lehigh mentioned much here before so no surprise on the lack of replies.

I've been shooting the barnes 145gr LRX for 5yrs happily in my 7mm calibers for a few dozen animals (either myself or others using the rifle). Trying the 181gr hammer in a 300wsm currently, only one kill on that so far. Gonna be working up a mono load in a 243 for my kids here this spring, grabbed the barnes 80gr TSX for now to try.

 

[bitbckt]

There's plenty of us who use monos on here and threads that are specifically about mono bullet questions haven't had lead core folks pissing on them. If the thread is generally discussing the merits of each then thats a different story and will bring out opinions.

Just to be clear, I wasn't trying to say here isn't a good place to talk about it, but that the population doesn't seem to use monos (esp. Hammers) as much as other places. So asking for load data might be more productive elsewhere.

Anyhow... as you were.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Fair enough. I think more use monos that you think though but so far that I've noticed seems just handful of us using/trying the hammers but obviously not as many as say the hammer time bullet forum itself.