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Thread: Barnes changes small bores atitudes

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
    nekshot's Avatar
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    Barnes changes small bores atitudes

    I really continue to be amazed how Barnes performs in smaller calibers. I took a buck today at 240 yards with a 223 and 62 grain Barnes tactx. Went in right behind leg and out came out with hole that looked like a shot gun slug went thru it. A couple lunges and the rest was history. We use Barnes all the time in the kids 243's after we lost a deer due to common core cup bullet failure. I felt a little ashamed going to the stand with a 223 but it was at a grass field so I did not have to worry about unseen brush or vines. I have other stuff for in the woods but I am impressed what the solid copper and designed petals can do. Any other solid copper fans?
    Look twice, shoot once.

  2. #2
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    Not yet, but I have some 45 gr TSX loaded in my 22-250@4000fps to try!
    Even though I've always had DRT with every other bullet I've tried in the 22'250.(15 deer last count).
    I take that back- a 7 point in Junction stumbled 50 yards with a busted heart from a 70 gr Speer.

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  3. #3
    Boolit Master RU shooter's Avatar
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    How big of a velocity window do that have for expansion ? Anyone know? I've never used any of them but have always wondered . Seems it would eliminate standard J word bullet blow up at close range/high speed and still expand and kill well at longer ranges if the velocity window was big enough to let that happen .
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    Boolit Master pertnear's Avatar
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    I tried them in my .270 Win & they worked fine, but no better than my standard cup-n-core bullets. I went back to my regular Speer hot cores. As to a Barnes making a .223 into a deer caliber, let's just say I reserve judgment & avoid the standard debate & argument.
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    I think that they are a true "game changer" in 30 Caliber. They have a longer shank for the bullet weight. In the few instances where the bullet was recovered, the expansion was perfect. The other thing about them is that they retain nearly 100% of their weight. I really like them, particularly the 30 Caliber 130 grain TTSX. Amazingly accurate in my M1A. What I don't like about them is the price, Barnes is very proud of them.

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    "Any other solid copper fans?"

    "I think that they are a true "game changer" in 30 Caliber."

    This, TSX, in a .308 will smoke most anything

    30 CAL
    Diameter .308
    Weight 168
    Length 1.318
    S.D 0.253
    B.C 0.404
    Box QTY 50
    Catalog # 30351

  7. #7
    Boolit Master knifemaker's Avatar
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    Here in CA. we have to go to all copper bullets statewide in January of 2019. Hopefully the price will come down.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by knifemaker View Post
    Here in CA. we have to go to all copper bullets statewide in January of 2019. Hopefully the price will come down.
    And the Condors will reach all time population highs no doubt.


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  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by knifemaker View Post
    Here in CA. we have to go to all copper bullets statewide in January of 2019. Hopefully the price will come down.
    If you think prices will come down I have a bridge to sell you. You’re a captive market and don’t have any other options. I wouldn’t worry to much.....caught myself before going off on your new Governor but I’m sure you’re aware. I can’t wait to hear about the condors having copper poisoning next.

  10. #10
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    Where are the cheap Chinese knockoff X Bullets? If Bismuth or Tungsten were cheaper,
    would it make a good core for a conventional jacketed bullet?

  11. #11
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    I have used the 62gr TTSX from a 22-250 at about 3600fps on antelope with excellent results out to 257 yards. This year my 25/06AI pushing the 100gr tsx at about 3500fps killed 2 deer and 1 antelope buck from 30 yards to a bit over 410 yards. I also use the Thor 50 caliber muzzleloader bullets made by Barnes to kill my buck antelope this year.

    I like the Barnes TSX and TTSX style bullets but I also like to get muzzle velocity as high as I can. I have never recovered a Barnes bullet in any game animal I have shot.

    The 25/06AI seems to only like the Barnes 100gr I couldn't get anything else to shoot acceptable. Its printed 4" 3 shot groups at 800 yards more than one.
    Doug
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    I wish you guys would stop beating up on the Californians on this Website. Most of us live here because of Family or Work constraints. I'm pretty sure most every Californian here votes on a fairly conservative level. We're just out numbered by the fruits in SF & the nuts in LA. Between those 2 places that makes up about 2/3's of the Legal voting Population. Not counting the illegals that get registered and vote. And of course the 5% of the registered voters who still vote democrat, even though they've been dead for years.

    With the changes that Gray put in place that now make us a one party state, we're pretty much ****ed.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Walks View Post
    I wish you guys would stop beating up on the Californians on this Website. Most of us live here because of Family or Work constraints. I'm pretty sure most every Californian here votes on a fairly conservative level. We're just out numbered by the fruits in SF & the nuts in LA. Between those 2 places that makes up about 2/3's of the Legal voting Population. Not counting the illegals that get registered and vote. And of course the 5% of the registered voters who still vote democrat, even though they've been dead for years.

    With the changes that Gray put in place that now make us a one party state, we're pretty much ****ed.
    If your have that heavy if a swing in certain county s / city's it's time to have a electoral college vote on the state level.

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  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by nekshot View Post
    I really continue to be amazed how Barnes performs in smaller calibers.
    I concur 100%. Only took one deer and one antelope with the 22 cal Barnes X but have killed a bunch of deer with 6mm in a 243 Win. Everyone performed superbly. I did witness a large Bison bull killed by a young girl with a 6mm Rem use Barnes Triple Shocks. It worked very well.
    Last edited by M-Tecs; 11-12-2018 at 01:54 PM.

  15. #15
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    Actually, Walks- I'd never put someone down based on their locale. Our California and other Blue State members have to do what they can within the boundaries they would never have set. God bless you all.
    dk17hmr- does your 22-250 have the standard 14" twist? Is the secret to shooting long .224" bullets accurately maximum velocity? I've tried the 60 gr Nosler partition, Win 64 gr PP, and 75 gr Swift with no joy(3"@100yds). I have 77gr hpbt to try with Superformance powder if you think it'll work.
    I'm showing my age, but Nosler once made a great .224"deer bullet called "Zipedo"-55gr flat base lead tip solid base. It had annular ridges around the bearing surface and flat out worked on deer and coyotes- the only "big game" we had in N Texas back then.

  16. #16
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    My 22/250 had a 1:7 twist I had the barrel made for shooting heavies. I also killed a couple antelope with 80gr Amax from that rifle. I recently sold the barrel when I had a 6/250AI built. I'll get back around to a fast test 22/250AI for hunting purposes. I bet with a long enough barrel I could get the 62s up to 4000.
    Doug
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  17. #17
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    Played with the Barnes in 7mm; never got them to shoot as well as my more traditional nosler accubonds; have a dear friend who’s a true accuracy nut who with his 308 is sub moa at any given range with boring regularity. And claims the Barnes are a “game changer” he swears it makes his other pet rifle a 243 a serious big game rifle, I’ve seen the wound channels from several deer he’s downed with both , mostly at long range over a dry lake bed on the property he owns, especially in the 243 never recovered a projectile but I’d have to say it would kill anything on this continent, may not be the best choice for big bears but sure it would work; and in 308 sure it would.

  18. #18
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    One of my nephews swears by the Barnes 30 cal TTSX. He harvested a 4x5 bull elk broadside at 400 yds.

    He exploded the heart and the slug stopped against the hide on the far side. This was a factory load out of a 300 Remington Ultra Mag fired from his Remington 700.

    Three44s

  19. #19
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    ill be the naysayer here. One crop damage season my buddy and I used tipped x bullets exclusively in our 2506 and 257 wbys. We spent more time tracking deer that year then probably all the other 10 years weve been doing this combined. Just about every deer made it out of the field and left dismal blood trails. Now keep in mind a 200 yard shot is a close shot for us and most are around 300 with some at 400 plus. For the most part escpecially on the 300 plus yard shots they would punch through doing little damage and leave a tiny enterance hole and an exit hole that wasn't much bigger. I had used them for a few years in the 7 mag and various 30 cal guns and they allways did well but the smaller bores not so much. A different friend and I years ago did a pile of pentration testing on 223 bullets out of ARs. We were looking for the best "deer" performing bullets. the barnes was odd. One shot it would expand perfectly and the next it would pencil in and not expand at all. The hands down winner in our test was the 60 grain partition. It allways expanded left a good wound channel and penetrated deep. the old 64 grain ww was another good one. We didn't have the bonded bullets to try back then but if I was going to head out to kill a deer with a 223 it would be loaded with either a partition or maybe a bonded bullet but ive been soured on the barnes in small bores and wont use them again. Sure you will get guys who shoot one two or even three deer and claim there the best thing since white bread but come back with an opinion when you've shot 20 or 30. My guess is you will improve on your tracking skills because you will get practice. Maybe on bigger game that are more of a challenge to a bullet then a white tail is. But in my opinion in the 24s and 25s the premium bullets ARE THE CUP AND CORE BULLETS. Deer are easy to penetrate and cup and core bullets about guarantee enough damage that they put down deer right now. Even if you argue that cup and core bullets cant be considered premium deer bullets take a look at a typical deer. They are not hard to kill. My chocolate lab is as big and heavily boned as a typical whitetail deer. If paying big bucks for bullets or ammo to kill a deer makes you feel good then go for it. But im hear to tell you the deer isn't going to die in fear of your bullet. A well placed shot with a cup and core bullet will kill any deer. Only argument might be in the 22 cals that have bullets designed to blow up on flesh. Use a partition or a bonded bullet or even a heavier cup and core bullet and youll be fine. If your not you need to work on your shot placement. Spending more money isn't buying you a thing. I shot 39 deer this year so far. I used only two guns other the 3 deer shot with my 300 H&H using a 180 hornady. A 240 wby shooting 100 grain sierras and a 2506 shooting 100 grain nos bts. and each and every one of those deer is in the freezer.

  20. #20
    Cast Hunter

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    I use the Barnes 200 gn LRX in my .300 Win mag as it is by far the most accurate bullet I've shot out of that gun. We've taken black bear, grizzly bear, mountain goat, caribou and bull moose with it. Great performance with one exception. 150 yd quartering away shot on a moose resulted in the bullet hitting the left rear leg bone and disintegrating. Pretty sure I would have gotten better penetration out of a Nosler Partition or Swift A-Frame, but at least I was able to recover the moose ok. The LRX (Long Range X bullet) is designed for expansion at longer ranges (meaning lower velocities I assume). I'm guessing the scenario at hand was a bit much for the bullet construction. A moose leg bone is no joke.

    I have heard great things about the TTSX bullets and have started using them in my recently acquired .338 Win mag (225 gns). So far they have performed well on 3 Sitka Blacktail bucks.
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