Barne's Varmint Grenade

[Williamb]

Wondering if anyone has experience shooting these 22 caliber 50 grain bullets out of a .223 1:9 tw barrel in an AR. I usually shoot SMKS 69 grains with Varget out of my Les Baer Super Varminter. Super accurate. I understand these Varmint grenades make Pds explode. Interested in comments along with suggested loads.

Thanks -

 

[Craiger5658]

William,
Here's my 2 cents worth: they suck! I must say I haven't tried the .22's yet, but I loaded some 26 grain .20 cal loads this past spring for digger squirrels and they were lackluster at best. They did a number on one at about 40 yds, but other than that, at ranges out to 300 yards, squirrels would just roll over or cripple off. No explosiveness at all. We shot all of our loads into 2 phone books at 100 yds and the BVG had the deepest penetration and least expansion of: 32 Sierra BK, 32 Nosler BT, 32 Hornady VMx, and 30 Berger. The Sierra's have worked best followed closely by the Hornady. All 32 loads were up around 4,000 fps and the BVG was about 4,200 out of a Savage LRPV. I don't know how they'd work on a bigger bodied varmint, but I'll leave that up to you. My vote: shoot a 50 grain Sierra BlitzKing, you won't be disappointed.

 

[Williamb]

Thanks - sounds like if you hunting anything bigger than a grape they may not be good. By the way - if you haven't seen the attack of the grape go to the Barne's web-site. That's one way to sell bullets.

 

[brfun]

Williamb
for what its worth I tried the 36s in my 22BR 14 twist and the accuracy was hoard. I will never forget the first group i shot in the load development and how i started laughing it was so big. i told a fellow shooter at the bench next to me i didn't think a BR could shoot that bad. toward the upper end i did manage to Finlay get it to group in the high 1/2" range. So with a few left i loaded them up at that to just get rid of them and blow them off at squirrels. even at 4200 fps i was not impressed with explosiveness. Berger 52 varmint were as good or better and shoot consistently in the low 2s.
no more grenades for me!
Brian

 

[JerryMay]

I picked up a box of the 36g 22's when I was in the US and was quite excited about using then!......then came the sight in and range test. The rifle they would be used in was a Remington LVSF in 221 Fireball, quite a good little rifle for a factory effort, shoots 0.400" to 0.600" with most handloads at 100 yards. Well.... the Barnes Varmint Grenades averaged 2-1/2" to 4.00", not very good me thinks...
Jerry,,England)

 

[jmatson]

I have had good luck with the 36 VG's in my Savage Mod 10 Predator in 223, I use Lapua brass Vit. N130 25.0 gr and Win SR primer COL 2.290 3830fps it shoot about .300 to .450 five shots at 100 yds. As for terminal performance on ground hogs here in Pa find them very satisfactory but I wouldn't use them beyond 300 yards.

 

[jwv2001]

I've tried the 36 gr. Barnes VG in a .223 Ackley and 221 Fireball. Good accuracy in both. One thing I discovered, they have to be pushed fast. 4100 fps. in the Ackley and 3700 fps. in the Fireball. I use VV N133 in the Ackley. H4227 in the Fireball.

 

[762willdo]

I too picked up some of the 36gr. .22 and was VERY disappointed in the accuracy of the bullet, until one night i was sitting at the table looking at my notes trying to figure out how fast i could push them,thinking this was the problem) i had the box of bullets in my hand and was shaking them,absent mindedly) when i realised i was hearing somthing rattle so i opened the box and took out a couple of bullets and shook them and i could definetly hear somthing inside so i opened the tip and out fell a bunch of what looked like walnut shells or tumbling medium of some sort, of the 70 remaining bullets in the box 64 of them had this stuff rattling around inside of them.
i called barnes and they said please send them in and we will replace them, they also said this was a isolated case and there should not be any more out there, BS i went to 3 more sportsmans warehouses and shook the boxes i found and they all rattled. at my sportsmans ware i took them up to the gun counter and had them open the box and had them take out a bullet and shake it THEY heard it rattle and said they would pull them immediatly i went back 3 days later and the boxes were on the shelf tapped shut.
So make of this story what you want after i got good bullets and loaded them the accuracy increased by 5000%
EK