Barnes Bullet eXpansion

[lloydsmale]

my father his killed probably 20 deer with his model 700 muzzle loader using the barnes muzzle loading bullet and it does the job!

excellent pic projp. I'm going to have to try their 50 cal. muzzleloader bullet, that thing looks like it would hit like freight train!

 

[jseandsje]

Does the tipped triple shock really knock down whitetaile with lung shots at close range? I'd like a bullet that will knock down at both long and short range lung shots. What I mean my kockdown is less that 50 yds tracking.

I like lung shots, because I want to use as much meat as possible. I've harvested ca 50 whitetails, and only 1 was a shoulder shot (pulled the shot).

I hunt with a 270 WSM. 130 gr Nos BT's, 140 Nos Bt's, 150 Nos Bt's, 140 Noz AB's, 130 Hdy SST's, 150 Hdy SST's - under 250 yds, the deer all run a great distance. I had a large Doe, and a small buck run nearly 200 yds with a lung shot from the Nos BT, and the Nos AB. All have a lot of damage, just didn't get devastating initial shock that I'd like. How they can run that far with the damage is beyond me.

A friend of mine who has hunted many more years (45 yrs) than I told me this - A tipped bullet is so sharp - it's like a needle - at real fast insertion, doesn't hurt as much. The slower the insertion, the more you feel it. So he says that the tipped bullets typically don't give you the devastating shock on up close lung shots. He says that they work much better for quick kills at longer ranges (> 350 yds). I'd have to agree with him - about 10 of my shot were past 350 yds, and the one shot that dropped the deer immediately was a 530 yd shot with a 150 gr Noz BT.

I know this may sound like hogwash, but I'm stating the facts as they have happened to me.

Let me know about the tipped TSX. If you guys are getting good knockdown (<50yd tracking) on whitetail lung shots at close and long ranges - well I guess I'll have to try some.

Thanks

 

[lloydsmale]

tracked deer more with tsx bullets then any other design. I actually lost two deer last year that i about know where hit well. First deer ive lost in over 10 years of doing crop damage shooting. One with a 80 grain tsx out of a 2506 and the other a 100 grain tsx out of a 257wby. My buddy also lost one last year with the 100 tsx in his 2506. I got rid of every barnes bullet in the loading room and wont use them again. they may be fine for larger game but just dont do enough damage on something the size of a whitetail.

Does the tipped triple shock really knock down whitetaile with lung shots at close range? I'd like a bullet that will knock down at both long and short range lung shots. What I mean my kockdown is less that 50 yds tracking.

I like lung shots, because I want to use as much meat as possible. I've harvested ca 50 whitetails, and only 1 was a shoulder shot (pulled the shot).

I hunt with a 270 WSM. 130 gr Nos BT's, 140 Nos Bt's, 150 Nos Bt's, 140 Noz AB's, 130 Hdy SST's, 150 Hdy SST's - under 250 yds, the deer all run a great distance. I had a large Doe, and a small buck run nearly 200 yds with a lung shot from the Nos BT, and the Nos AB. All have a lot of damage, just didn't get devastating initial shock that I'd like. How they can run that far with the damage is beyond me.

A friend of mine who has hunted many more years (45 yrs) than I told me this - A tipped bullet is so sharp - it's like a needle - at real fast insertion, doesn't hurt as much. The slower the insertion, the more you feel it. So he says that the tipped bullets typically don't give you the devastating shock on up close lung shots. He says that they work much better for quick kills at longer ranges (> 350 yds). I'd have to agree with him - about 10 of my shot were past 350 yds, and the one shot that dropped the deer immediately was a 530 yd shot with a 150 gr Noz BT.

I know this may sound like hogwash, but I'm stating the facts as they have happened to me.

Let me know about the tipped TSX. If you guys are getting good knockdown (<50yd tracking) on whitetail lung shots at close and long ranges - well I guess I'll have to try some.

Thanks

 

[kweidner]

I too have been hunting with the Barnes for about 6 years now. I use them exclusivley from my Ar-15, 6.5 284, 280 rem, and 300 ultra. First valuable lesson learned shoot for bone. They are incredible, it anchors them. The bullet does minimal meat damage belive it or not through the shoulder. I have probably shot upwards of 50 animals with them mostly medium GA whitetail. Tracked a few but that was due to me pulling a shot. Never lost one with a Barnes. Once i started shooting the shoulder, ,never had to track again. DRT shot two this year near the 500 mark with the ultra. It was like i hit them with a train. DO NOT SHOOT BEHIND THE SHOULDER UNDER 100 YDS. Deer will be relatively easy to find but they will run a bit. Hit the shoulder and lights out. This is my experience. Of the 50ish animals i have shot, no shoulder was ruined....What turned me into a believer was when I took 2 one year with my AR in the 70 grain variety both near 300 yds. One nice 8pt was facing me. shot the brisquet. bullet traveled all the way through the deer, quarter size exit out of the back ham, DRT. Never looked back, never will. I need to find those pictures. Since then I have helped many a younger hunter get into larger game with the Barnes. Give the shoulder shot advice, and I end up having to help them clean their quarry. JMHO

 

[25 Otter]

Sorry no pics here. I have been trying to come over to Barnes now for a long long time. The only Barnes I've had any success with was the old pure copper and lead orriginal. Since then the XLC has come and gone. I got burned on a couple boxes of them. Then the "X" (non tsx). More junk. Burned again. I inquired with Barnes about the bad luck I've had with their products and did get a response. They offered me 2 boxes of 338 TTSXs for the bargain price of $73.00 delivered. That was their version of a deep discount for my troubles.
I can see where lead free is going to become a potential problem for hunters and shooters. I can see the benefits of it as well. But, I'm not going to purposly target shoulder shots on non dangerous game just to make my bullets do what lead core slugs have been doing since the begining. The only bone I intentionaly target on a whitetail is the neck bone. In the last 30 plus years of taking whitetails,maybe 6 have been shot with other than a neck shot. Moving,non-relaxed deer or just not a good oppertunity. Back on point. Why devote myself to a bullet that has to be fired into large bones to perform as necessary to dispatch the game? Brown bear,moose,African plains game,or anything that can return the favor in the killing of you as well? Maybe. Not 200lb deer that really aren't all that hard to kill with good old conventional bullets. Heaven knows Barnes customer service isn't all that exciting. Just my likely unpopular opinion,but it's the way I see it . No offense intended.

 

[HARPERC]

25otter
Not exactly my story, but close enough. Still have a few Originals for a special occasion.

 

[lloydsmale]

I hunted regular deer season (not crop damage shooting) with handguns for about 15 years. I quit because my old eyes just dont let me shoot past 50 yards with a handgun anymore. I hunted and shoot cast bullets in handguns about exclusively. With a handgun and cast i take shoulder shots whenever possible but it doesnt make much sense to shoot barnes bullets into a shoulder of a deer out of a high velocity rifle because behind the shoulder shots dont anchor them. I can shoot a ballistic tip or a sierra behind the shoulder and usually drop deer and the only meat wasted at all is the ribs. Even a barnes tsx through the shoulder wastes a good part of those shoulders.

I too have been hunting with the Barnes for about 6 years now. I use them exclusivley from my Ar-15, 6.5 284, 280 rem, and 300 ultra. First valuable lesson learned shoot for bone. They are incredible, it anchors them. The bullet does minimal meat damage belive it or not through the shoulder. I have probably shot upwards of 50 animals with them mostly medium GA whitetail. Tracked a few but that was due to me pulling a shot. Never lost one with a Barnes. Once i started shooting the shoulder, ,never had to track again. DRT shot two this year near the 500 mark with the ultra. It was like i hit them with a train. DO NOT SHOOT BEHIND THE SHOULDER UNDER 100 YDS. Deer will be relatively easy to find but they will run a bit. Hit the shoulder and lights out. This is my experience. Of the 50ish animals i have shot, no shoulder was ruined....What turned me into a believer was when I took 2 one year with my AR in the 70 grain variety both near 300 yds. One nice 8pt was facing me. shot the brisquet. bullet traveled all the way through the deer, quarter size exit out of the back ham, DRT. Never looked back, never will. I need to find those pictures. Since then I have helped many a younger hunter get into larger game with the Barnes. Give the shoulder shot advice, and I end up having to help them clean their quarry. JMHO

 

[gillettehunter]

I have a couple of pics of Barnes TTSX bullets. I have done well with them. 1st pic is a 130gr .270 after entering a hind quarter of a deer and going diagonally to be recovered in the shoulder. Perhaps 30 inches of deer. Was running when i shot and he went perhaps 100 yards with this far less than ideal shot angle.
The 2nd one is a 150gr from my .300WSH. Above a bull elk shooting down through the front shoulder and ending up in the leg. Elk never went more then 15 yards.
The TTSX's seem to expand as advertised. They are not ideal for every situation. Lets see if I can get the pics to show up....Bruce

 

[barnesuser28]

looks good expecially the top one. but the bottom two you cant complain, they opened up like they are supposed to

 

[Dalebow]

300wsm 180 gr TSX
I will take pics of the one Barnes I recovered after going through over 2 feet of a 500 pound black bear, thru one shoulder, all the goodies through the far shoulder and perfect mushroom under the far hide.

Didnt recover the one I shot my 6 X 6 elk with that day, straight thru the shoulders, DRT

A month later I shot my biggest KY whitetail to date, 11 point shot texas style, traversed the entire deer and found after 4 feet of penetration perfectly mushroomed.

257 Weatherby 80grain TTSX

Shot my B & C antelope, 284 yards, DRT, thru both shoulders, hit the far shoulder, exited to God knows where.

When I read about a guy using a 7mm magnum and 150 grain TSX and it didnt expand I can only say, duh!
Caliber for the animal your shooting and the right bullet. No a Barnes X wont open much side to side on most deer, but get a raking or full length body shot and they will, on deer broadside deer I shoot thru the shoulder or high shoulder, the bullet doesnt "blow" up and punches nice little hole thru deer.

You cant use a cannon on a mouse and expect it to expand

 

[jseandsje]

from my 4/20 post, again, looking for information for whitetail lung shots with barnes bullets, at all ranges. I'm a meat hunter - even if a trophy - I'm more interested in the meat than the horns. So my ideal bullet would be a bullet that works well through all ranges, when whitetail are shot through the lungs. What I mean by "works well" is that the deer travel 50 yds or less with lung shot up to 500 yd range.

Again, if the barnes will do this, I'll try some.

Any experience shared is appreciated.

 

[marioq]

My experience is with elk but does fit your request in that both elk were shot in the lungs with NO bone hit except ribs. I think the bottom line is shot placement. One was a double lung went 30 yards and died. The other was 400 yards through both lungs and it went 10 ft. So the Barnes works. Just shoot well

 

[Dalebow]

I shot 27 deer over time with a 300 wsm and 150 grain BT, none took a step, if you want to wack deer and deer alont that is the ticket.

 

[gerryb]

I have used the TSX and the TTSX on just about everything. I have heard they pencil through so I thought shooting a jackal at 25 yes with 180 TSX at 3000 fps in the ribs I could lifesize mount him, no way blew him in half and I actually got blood on me , so much for that.I have been able to cull whitetail and with a 25-06 and 257 bee are the only round I have never had a deer take a step. I have used 270, 30-06 ,300 win but some ran 20 yards. I shot a nice leopard last year with a 300 TSX from a 375 RUM at 40 yards dead right there . I have been trying to get one to fail or pencil or anything else so I could try some north forks but it has never happened.I tried some 140 north forks in a 6.5 weatherby and every thing was bang flop out to 673 yards also 120 TTSX same thing on several deer out to 500 . I lost two deer with the 6.5 weatherby with 140 Berger VLD's trying for long shots over 500. I had read good things about them but in my experience and that is just mine I will stick with TSX as the best killer with north forks equal after that a step down. I have not had the most experience but 31 African safaris and well over 500 north american animal ranging from javalina to grizzly these things I read about have never happened to me. Maybe I am just lucky but I don't thin so.I would not hesitate to use nosler partition or accubonds or ballistic tips and would shoot anything with swift a frame but other than those I am worried. I DP shoot most animals through the shoulders so I can not say much on lung shots which may be different.