Who is using the Barnes Triple Shocks? / Like them?

[Nomosendero]

J. Jones,

I have been shooting the 115 Gr. Triple Shock in a .25-06
Sendero at 3,250 FPS. I Shoot .5 inches at 100 yards with this load. I have shot some Whitetails here in Ar. & Antelope/Mule Deer in Wyoming. In each case, the wound channels were impressive along with complete penetration.

 

[7Rumloader]

Yes buy a box now!! I have tried them and they beat the heck out of the XBT any day of the week. All my rifles are factory other than triggers and bedding and I get at least 1/2 inch or less 3 shot groups at 100 yards. They work great on any game and as far as one said that they are not longe range bullets BULL! I took 3 whitetail this past season at over 300 yards and the bullet worked perfect. Not the first one left where it was when the bullet hit him. I have had no trouble with the TSX getting good accuracy as long as you keep it 30 thou of the lands. I use other bullets and at long range they dont work as well as the X bullets IMO.

 

[goodgrouper]

Wapiti 13
At long range, heavy bone is what you should want to impact and if the Barnes bullets petals stay on unless they hit the bone, then I don't believe them to be a good long range performer.
As I said, if your 20 deer and elk were average shots (under 400 yards) then that bullet might work for you, and nothing I say will ever change your mind. However, if you are talking long range (600 plus) then Barnes will let you down sooner or later guaranteed!

Barnes brags about how the Triples react the same as the XBT's on game, but are way more accurate. I have seen that to be true. Coni Brooks (owner's wife) brings me bullets that have been fired in their water tank once a year and I'm always wondering how they think a water tank under controlled conditions simulates bone and flesh. Sure, her bullets she brings look fine, but they also look totally different than the bullets I tested at different ranges in dry and wet phone books. Very rarely do I have a Barnes have more than two petals still connected! That is like shooting a full metal jacket which is illegal in my home state!

Say what you will, and do what you will, I have proof of true long range kills on this forum, and I stand behind my bullet choice and my choice ain't Barnes! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[goodgrouper]

I don't want to rain on your parade 7RUMloader, and please don't take this the wrong way but since when is 300 yards a long shot for a 7 Ultra? This forum and topic are about LONG RANGE HUNTING with Barnes and no one yet has had any proof that they work at extended ranges! A couple guys have talked about their accuracy at 100 yards which I know can be good with Triple shocks, but this topic was supposed to be about how Barnes WORK at long range. 300 yards to me is handgun range, and is absolutely no challenge with a scoped 7 Ultra! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
If you want to talk about Barnes bullets at a measly 300 yards, I think RED RIDER/Daisy has a forum on their website!

 

[goodgrouper]

Tom Van,
Your right on the money baby! NO Appologies needed!

 

[LWolken]

Like others have said the Barnes are a close range heavy game bullet period. The design in itself will not work at long ranges. Its a great heavy game bullet for moderate distances and much of its performance will depend on impact velocities. Out past 500yds even the most powerfull magnums do not deliver enough impact velocity for full expansion so what you get is a bullet which reacts like a full metal jacket and just pencils through. You might as well be shooting arrows. Look at the photos provided by barnes and the 400 yd bullet does not even expand greater than the diameter of the bullet. If you call that performance your asking for trouble. Also the razor sharp petals are not razor sharp and do not provide any cutting advantage over conventional designs. This is pure marketing hype. I also find it interesting they fire them into a water tank. Don't get me wrong they are a great bullet for their intended purpose its just not a long range bullet. My guess is that the new accubonds and inner bonds will eventually prove supperior for long range hunting purposes.

Lance

 

[tdv75098]

Quote-"The X-cavity in the Barnes Triple Shock bullet has been redesigned to allow for controlled, reliable expansion over an even broader range of velocities. This same technology has also been incorporated into the entire Barnes X-bullet lineup, including the X, XLC, and TSX bullets. The main difference is the addition of 3 to 5 shallow grooves in the shank of the TSX design. These grooves reduce the surface area of the bullet in contact with the bore, and provide a place for material displaced by the rifling to expand into. This "relief valve" allows the bullet to travel down the bore without major distortion as the bullet is engraved by the lands and grooves. The result is reduced pressure and fouling, increased velocity, and better accuracy. Our results in the lab and feedback from thousands of customers all show that the TSX bullet is the most accurate of the three X-bullet designs."-end quote. I just found the above information in the Feb 2005 Barnes newsletter and thought you all would find it pertinant.

 

[Eaglet]

I enjoyed very much watching the Long Range Hunting video called "Beyond Belief". I believe it is very professional and the host is very knowledgeable. They are taking game very long ranges. In their web site, speaking of equipment they say:
[ QUOTE ]
I use both Barnes XBTs and Swift Sciroccos and still can't figure out which one I really prefer.

[/ QUOTE ]
Does that count for anything in defense of Barnes bullets?

 

[7Rumloader]

Very funny!! I never said it was the longest shot on record in the history of shooting. I was only giving an example of my experience with them. I dont get many chances to kill one at 800 yards but I'm sure if I did I would use a barnes X and what you say may be true they may let me down but until they do I will use them! I don't get offended cause I know people have their own personal favorites and i can talk till I'm blue in the face and it aint gonna change your mind or the guy down the street either. I looked for that forum you spoke of and couldn't find it at red ryder or daisy's website! Handgun range for you is 300 yards?? **** what kind of hangun do you have? Longe range for one person may be only a drop in the bucket for you. He may not shoot elk at 800 yards!

 

[7Rumloader]

J.Jones was only refering to 200 yard shots in timber anyway. If it makes you feel any better I like the swift scirrocco bullets as well and think they perform very well but the accubonds have yet to impress me. It's all up to J. jones anyway which bullet to use so lets just agree to disagree for now and keep posting our own Personal experiences with the original question at hand. P.S still looking for that dang forum you spoke of! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[wapiti13]

7RUMloader, I agree that we'll just agree to disagree. I've made good kills at 500 + yds on big mulies with the X bullet in a 7/08. Looking at my ballistics with a starting velocity of just 2,800 fps (140 X), you guys shooting the new big 7s are going to have the same velocity at at 800+ yds with a 160 TSX that I had at 550 yds with a 140 gr X (plus a bunch more energy). Bullet performance at a given impact velocity is valid info no matter the distance. Velocity is velocity. Therefore, with the bigger 7s and their speed, I've had good expansion and penetration at your ranges of 800 yds. Either you like X or you don't. Hopefully, all shooters will shoot straight and make a good humane kill at whatever range.

 

[7Rumloader]

Thank you wapiti. All that matters is a persons own comfortable shooting range whether it be 200 or 1000 yards. I dont get many 800 yard shots around home ( North Carolina ) and I never said I only used X bullets I use others as well. The longest kill I have made was a shade over 600 yards and was with an X bullet on a nice 8 point buck that I have mounted and maybe thats why I like them as much as I do. That was not even with my Ultra Mag it was with my trusty old 7mag! I have yet to take an animal over 375 yards with my Ultra mag but have shot it at much longer distances. My ability is not limited to short distances just most of my hunting spots dont offer insane distances to shoot animals at. We have a thousand yard range ( a local field that a dozen of us get together and shoot in on any given saturday ) that I use for practice but rarely does a self respecting whitetail buck ( or doe ) poke there head out in it before dark during open season for me to take a shot at them so I shoot what I'm offered and most of the time thats 200 to 400 yards.

 

[Paul Wyatt]

[ QUOTE ]
Wapiti 13
At long range, heavy bone is what you should want to impact and if the Barnes bullets petals stay on unless they hit the bone, then I don't believe them to be a good long range performer.
As I said, if your 20 deer and elk were average shots (under 400 yards) then that bullet might work for you, and nothing I say will ever change your mind. However, if you are talking long range (600 plus) then Barnes will let you down sooner or later guaranteed!

Barnes brags about how the Triples react the same as the XBT's on game, but are way more accurate. I have seen that to be true. Coni Brooks (owner's wife) brings me bullets that have been fired in their water tank once a year and I'm always wondering how they think a water tank under controlled conditions simulates bone and flesh. Sure, her bullets she brings look fine, but they also look totally different than the bullets I tested at different ranges in dry and wet phone books. Very rarely do I have a Barnes have more than two petals still connected! That is like shooting a full metal jacket which is illegal in my home state!

Say what you will, and do what you will, I have proof of true long range kills on this forum, and I stand behind my bullet choice and my choice ain't Barnes! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Goodgrouper, if you're going to disparage a product and belittle a manufacturer, then at least be logical! First, you state that heavy bone is what you should want to impact. You state that Conie Brooks brings YOU??? bullets every year that have been shot under controlled conditions and you ridicule her tests, then in the next sentence tell how your own controlled tests show something else. You contend that heavy bone is the test of a "real" bullet, but make no mention of any bone associated with your phone book tests, so how are your tests better than hers and how are your results more believable? Are you contending that the Barnes bullets loose their petals at long range and reduced velocity? I have a bunch of Barnes 230 grain slugs that were shot at over 3200 fps from a 338 into heavy clay at 30 feet and show perfect mushrooms and complete weight retention. So what? Clay, water, phone books all tests!!
You made some condemning remarks about LRB bullets in response to a query of mine a while ago on this site including some rather unbelievable statements about barrel makers telling you that LRB bullets required special rifling to shoot. If your contention were true then I could see some potential of developing a barrel, slug combination that would be symbiotic rather than catatonic and give me an accuracy advantage. I had never heard of such a thing, and sent an email to a very well know and respected custom barrel maker inquiring about this. I quote the response:

"I can see that the throat ought to be matched for the bullet shape but beyond that I can't see how a change in rifling geometry would have any effect, if that is what the writer is saying.

I know shooters who've used these bullets and like them. I personally have not shot them."

Now, I am no greenhorn to shooting game at long range. I have used Barnes Bullets at long range on elk and moose and have yet to loose one. I can not tell you what the bullets looked like because they were buried on the hillside upon which the animal stood, but in each case the animal expired on the spot and to me THAT is the test of the bullet! I have never lost an animal using Barnes bullets, but I did loose a large bull elk using one of the bonded lead core bullets that you find to your liking. In that case, the bull was hit solidly three times in the boiler room at less than 400 yards! That experience led me to change calibers, AND to change bullets!!
To each his own. I hope there are plenty of people who disagree with my experience, just as I trust there will be some that agree - it keeps the manufacturers busy and gives me choices. That benefits us all.
I don't care whether you agree with me or not. I appreciate opinions and I appreciate facts, I even appreciate emotional opinions. I do have trouble with antidotal evidences paraded around as facts that should be used in making a determination of products that I should use!
In keeping with the logic and demeanor of the topic though, I have paraded a couple of of my own antidotes!
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[goodgrouper]

It is just a shame to me that you have to wound an animal until it convinces you that your magic x bullet is not the best choice. You won't trust pictures or fact from someone who has been there and done that at ranges farther than you've shot, therefore, I can only try to help people newer to our sport who don't have their minds in the "gotta see it fail before I believe it" mentality.
So, I will post some pics in the next few days of a string of bullets that were fired at different impact velocities at the Barnes factory. This set of bullets were given to a friend of mine by his son-in-law who is a Barnes machinist. His job is to measure the bullets coming through, and test them for malfunctions. The bullet that hit water at 2400 fps petaled out to roughly the same size as the shank! In other words, a bloody full metal jacket!
Oh, and in case your wondering, he gets free Barnes bullets and you know what--HE DOESN"T USE THEM ON HIS HUNTS!!! And my other friend who works there puts the grooves on the Triple shocks, and guess what, HE DOESN"T USE BARNES ON HIS GAME EITHER! That should tell you something.

I only state this to save that poor white tail an agonizing FMJ death.

I shoot a Reminton xp-100, and it is fun hitting stuff with it at 300 plus yards.

Your last sentence is very true. Everyone in this game is on a different level in their shooting career, so that is why I am confused why you would argue with someone who has gone farther on game than yourself. I AM NOT bragging about my shooting capability, I am just simply stating that for my long range kills that I have made, Barnes would not have been the answer. Now, if someone who is on a level higher than me and has killed big game at farther than 1030 yards (my longest kill on big game) comes on here and tells me he did it with a Barnes bullet, than I would not argue with him! He has proven the method at a longer distance than me. But, alas, I have not seen that post yet.
good shooting!