Barnes bullets

[jameswhitten]

Here is a question for anyone who has ever tried Barnes bullets.How do they,Barnes-X) perform as far as accuracy off the bench,and performance on deer sized game and smaller?How do they stack up against the normal Sierra,Hornady,Nosler,etc.in these catagories.The penetration should be great,but how about accuracy and terminal damage?Can the same weight Barnes be shot in the same twist barrels as conventional bullets?All input is appreciated,so long as it is based on experience.
Thanks,James

 

[KClark]

James,

I have been using Barnes X bullets exclusively in my 280 with a 1-9 polygonal for the last 13 years. In that time I have taken antelope, wild pigs, blacktail, mule deer, mtn goat, caribou and elk.

Accuracy is outstanding. It is equal to the Nosler Ballistic Tips I used previously. 3 shots in 1/2" is normal with 130gr BTs,discontinued I think), 140gr BT and 160gr FB.

Terminal performance is picture perfect. I have recovered only 3 bullets from 32 animals. 2 of them were at original weight and 1, a 160gr FB that went through a bull elk diagonally, lost 1 petal and dropped 4 grains in weight. The wound channel looks like that of any other bullet except it goes all the way through.

I have taken coyotes and bobcats,sorry I didn't count them) and they looked like what you would expect after being hit with a 130gr bullet doing 3150fps. Just a mess.

One thing I have noticed is they like max pressure. They are not as accurate in my rifle at lower pressures. Fouling has never been a problem in this polygonal rifled barrel.

As far as the twist rate, my 1-9 handles the 160gr FB great. I have shot it on paper at 300 yards and it will shoot about 2 to 2 1/2" so it has enough twist for that. I think stability for a given twist is the function of bullet length not weight. So that being the case a faster twist would be necessary for X bullets to stabilize compared with traditional bullets of the same weight. As a general rule I believe the most common twist in each caliber will stabilize most of the X bullets.

Hope this helps,
Keith

 

[M700]

Was disappointed in the accuracy, barrel fouling and velocity with Barnes X the first time I tried them, some years ago, in a .300 Win mag.

When Barnes announced the TSX, I decided to give 'em another try, this time in a brand new .25-06 Rem 700. Fouling in this case is less than before, but still significant. Accuracy is good. Velocity is very good, and effect on target, just fine thank you. I think the 100 grain Barnes TSX bullets and my .25-06 are a great match.

Fouling after just six shots with the TSX in Rem .25-06 factory barrel.

Working up loads for the 100 grain TSX. Settled on 53 grains of H4350, although more powder did not cause problems.

End result was an instant one-shot kill on a Washington State mulie.

Fouling is likely caused by both the pure copper construction and the rough factory barrel. Accuracy and terminal ballistics were very good. With an out-of-the-box Rem 700 CDL I got 3-shot groups of under 2" at 300 yards. In a general purpose hunting rifle, that's good enough for me!

Regards, Guy