# BARNES BULLETS ?



## mayor (Dec 30, 2006)

I have loaded and shot Nosler ballistic tips, speer bullets, and some berger bullets. Have yet to do any Barnes bullets. Who out there has, and what kind of accuracy, killing power have you seen? Im looking at the TSX or the MRX. Give me some of your opinions.
:sniper:


----------



## cwoparson (Aug 23, 2007)

If you go to the Barnes web site they will send you a free DVD on their bullets and how they perform. Very informative 20 minute DVD.


----------



## Csquared (Sep 5, 2006)

Mayor...probably 80% of my loads use either a Nosler Ballistic tip or a Partition, but I have learned on here that the Barnes TSX is quickly earning a reputation as an awesome hunting bullet.

I learned alot from the personal experiences of a former poster here (not sure why he's not here anymore). Check the past posts by Horsager and you'll find lots of info, including pics of groups shot with them.

I will most likely develop a load soon for my .338 using a TSX instead of the 250gr Partition load I've currently chosen.

I use Barnes Expanders in my shotgun to hunt deer here in Illinois, and they are absolutely amazing, so I'm gradually moving over to Barnes' side.

Good luck!


----------



## szm69 (Apr 28, 2006)

I have used them and they punch right through deer with very little damage done, kind of like a full metal jacket..........

but I could never get very good accuracy out of them, so I gave up on them.

Hornady SST's do everything I need them too on deer and for almost a 1/3 of the price!


----------



## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Mayor, I have shot Barnes X bullets since 1990. They were hard to find and relatively more expensive than now. The new TSX are very good. I don't remember the name of the blue coating they put on them to try stop copper fowling a couple years ago, but I didn't like it. Copper being harder than lead the bullets don't obdurate in the bore well, and that combined with the slick coating left to little purchase of bullet to bore. The result was poor accuracy.

The new TSX solves the copper fowling problem by greatly reducing contact with the bore without any slick coating. The result is match bullet accuracy and good penetration.

Many people don't understand the wound channel difference in X bullets and traditional bullets. If you can imagine a bullet entering from the left and going right a traditional bullet would channel would look like this (lets say with a 150gr 308 bullet) : Entrance hole would be caliber size, one inch in wound channel would already be expanded to two inches, two inches in wound channel would be five inches, and max out at six or seven inches at three inches in. This diameter would continue for two or three inches then begin to diminish rapidly. At ten inches the wound channel would be back down to two inch diameter, and at 12 inches it would again be just slightly over caliber diameter. The X bullet on the other hand in the same test medium would enter just like any bullet at about caliber diameter. Within two inches it would have expanded to two inches in diameter, and at three inches distance the diameter of the wound channel would be between two and three inches. It would sustain this diameter for about 48 inches compared to the traditional bullet stopping at about 18 inches. Total wound channel volume is far greater than with the conventional bullet.

So which bullet is best? That depends on the game you are hunting. It is perhaps overkill on deer, because perhaps less than half of the energy is contained within the deer. Don't misunderstand, it is very lethal on deer, but they always run 30 to 100 yards. If I was hunting where I was worried about someone else shooting a deer I had already mortally wounded I would shoot a Ballistic Tip. So how about elk, moose, or bear. Not much of anything will outperform the TSX on these larger animals. Take any 30 caliber magnum and if you know where the heart of an elk is it makes little difference what direction he is facing you can reach his heart. You often hear about waiting for a good angle. Put a 180 gr TSX in a 30 caliber magnum, and that goes out the window. If you want the elk bad enough he is yours.

My 300 Winchester Magnum puts a 165 gr TSX out at 3425 fps, and groups just over 0.3 inches at 100 yards.

edit: darn spell check that would be obturate, not obdurate.


----------



## Scooter (Nov 4, 2005)

Well said plainsman! I have used the TSX's and still do in everthing I shoot and have no problems and alot of dead deer. The best I can say about my TSX experience in the deer field is bang flop that's it. Like mom said be careful you could put an eye out with those things at a good distance away too!


----------



## whitehorse (Jan 28, 2008)

personally, I would stay away from this brand, I too shoot the nosler balistic tip, and they are pretty affordable as well.. the only load that I have ben interested in realoading from barnes is their varmint garnades... not sure how their accuracy is, but i looks like a powerful little round for groundhogs


----------



## Savage260 (Oct 21, 2007)

Whitehorse, the 36gr Varmint Granades I shoot out of my 22-250 have been great. Excellent accuracy at 100yds, and the only Prairie Dog I have shot with them just basically exploded. You could probably put three in the trip 20 at 100yds!!!


----------



## varmit b gone (Jan 31, 2008)

How do the varmit gernades perform compared to a nosler ballistic tip(for a 223)


----------



## whitehorse (Jan 28, 2008)

use this link, it pretty much made me want to shoot them on PD's, as far as performance, I believe your nosler balistic tips will be a safer bet, but I have not tried the varmin grenade (plan to VERY soon) I mean you can have a lot of fun with this barns, and i'm sure it's accuracy is going to be more than satisfactory. (even if you miss more, the connections are going to be a hell of a lot more intense) I'll let ya know what I find out


----------

