Barnes Bullets Field Results

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scopenstalk

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I am curious what other peoples experiences with Barnes Bullets are. I have killed 4 animals using 120-140 grain TTSX. All 4 animals were between 250 and 400 yards. And all 4 of them were one shot kills wit h a stock Remington 700 Chambered in 7mm Mag. And not all of those shots were ideal either. I have heard so many polarized opinions on these bullets it baffles me!
 
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I'm a believer in the TTSX, somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 one shot drops. From NA animals to African plains game, 180gr 300 Ultra. I have recovered bullets that are impressive. As with any bullet shot placement is key.
 
Barnes have performed exceptionally well for myself. Every one that I've recovered has been perfectly pedaled back just like their pictures and almost 100% weight retention.
 
I use the TSX exclusively in my 7mm Rem (160 gr) and my wife's 7mm-08 (140 gr) and I've been very pleased. I had a lot of trouble with Bergers on game...all went away when using Barnes.
 
I used the 180gr TSX for a while in a 300 win mag , after a moose and 5 or 6 elk from 50-450 yards I quit them.

Obviously they do work. but I was never impressed by the fact most of the time the animal didn't show much reaction and twice I had to track them much farther than should have been required for where the shot was placed. I never lost an animal with them but I saw a definite opportunity to.

I went back to my trusted Partitions , for shots 500 yards and less the partition has no competition as far as I'm concerned. they may be old and boring but if it ain't broke don't fix it.

















Stay Thirsty My Friends
 
I shoot the 130 gr. TTSX out of my .270 WBY. and I love them. The only drawback is they don't pattern well for me. I'm going to try the accubond for shooting longer range.
With that being said, the TTSX is flat out deadly!
 
I have used on 4 African animals(Kudu being the biggest) and 2 mule deer all were one shot and all dropped or ran 40 yards at most. This is and will stay my go to bullet.

MDNDEER
 
I shoot the 180?s in my .300. I like them. Can?t saw all my kills have been one shot, but the bucks have all dropped like a rock and moved only a few feet before finishing shot.

Brian Latturner
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I use them exclusively in several of my rifles and over 20 years I've never had one not kill what I hit. Most have gone straight down with one shot. That includes a 140 g 7 mag one shot kill of a Shiras moose that was facing me at 300 yard. I like them because they hold together and will not explode like light jacketed bullets sometimes do. They have also performed for me like much heavier bullets of the same caliber. That's my experience.
 
My family has been using Barnes bullets for quite a few years. We have shot rifle ammo and also muzzleloader bullets. Out of our rifles we have used 7mm-08, 30-06, 338 win mag, 300 win mag to kill animals with them, and over the years I've never seen a Barnes bullet fail if the shot was right. So, while they may not be the end all be all of bullets, as I think there are a lot of really good bullets out there these days, they work.

My guns have always really liked Barnes TTSX factory loads. They aren't cheap to shoot, but they are accurate and they perform.

I am going to try the ELD-X in my new 7mm though.
 
I used barned ttsx 100 grain out of a 257 wby this year for the first time and I was pretty impressed. I shot a large cow elk at 315 yards and she dropped where she stood. I figured I had spined her but when we got to her I saw that I hit her right behind the shoulder just clipping the bottom of the shoulder blade. Exit was very small but the job was done. When we skinned her the wound channel looked just like the ballistics gel you see shot. Large wound cavity immediately upon impact. Later that day my friend used the same rifle on a cow at 500 yards (he missed a good shot earlier and suspected his scope got bumped somehow) and the results were equally as good. He hit right where you want to behind the shoulder in the heart and lungs. She staggered and dropped in 20 feet. Complete pass through. So I am a believer I guess.
 
Never been much of a barnes fan... hornaday eldx are my current go to with the berger vld as a close second. For a standard set up nosler accubonds would be my top choice
 
bullets are always an interesting subject. everyone has a brand the think is the best and everyone has had an issue with one bullet or another if they've shot much. Me, I'm a Barnes believer but you do need to understand the bullet. It will out penetrate everything out there and retain almost all its weight. because of that fact, you need to go down a weight class for the bullet you are used to shooting. example might be if you are used to the penetration you get in a .30 cal 180 gr bullet go down to a 165 or even a 150. you will get more speed and the same penetration and by going down in size it will perform more like you are used to. I killed a bull moose at a measured 400 yards, broke both shoulders and exited with a 168 gr TTSX out of a .300 Wby. I've had Noslers fail to penetrate past the should blade on a buffalo but I do think they are a good bullet. Its just one of those things that happen. I tried an ELD X on a deer this year and while it is an excellent bullet on paper I will not use it again on a deer. I recover 3 pieces of the bullet and it only equaled 30% of the original weight because I shot it at 200 yards. That bullet would have been fine at 500 maybe but not at that range. There are some great bullets out there now and all have there pluses and minuses. My muzzle loader will always have Barnes bullets stuffed down the fount of it!
 
Good point. You clearly are lighter bullet= higher muzzle velocity kinda guy. Im a heavier bullet= higher BC, high retained velocity kinda guy. They all kill when put in the right spot and the bullet performs the way it was designed to. I haven't had a bad experience with eldx in the past 2 season in my 300 rum (212s) and 6.5x284 norma (143s) both have had one shot kills on elk,muleys, whitetails and antelope from 200 to 800 yards. I have had two berger bullet malfunctions on animals. Both on elk at shots under 400 yards. Thankfully both time times follow up shots were possible.

Coloradoboy
 
Part of the problem out there now is rifle shooters are pushing ranges way beyond what we did just 10-15 years ago and a bullet that is tough and can hold up to high velocities and not come apart are too tough to open at extreme ranges. Conversely bullets that will open and preform well at 500 yards plus are not tough enough to hold together when things get close or raking shots. There is no one bullet that does 600 yards as well as it does 60 and vice versa. To me, a Barnes guy is one extreme and a Berger guy is the other. I for one would rather have a bullet I know will hold together and limit my hunting to 500 yards max but i'm kinda anti Long range hunting because I like the intimacy of being close to an animal and the challenge of it is more important than the size of the animal or the bragging rights of an 800 yard shot. Keep in mind, I am a long range shooter for sport and have a gun set up for 1000 yard stuff but it is just a sport of its own, not my hunting rifle. I'm not dissing someone that does that, it's just not my style. I am shooting Barnes in my hunting guns and Berger and Hornady in my LR (target) guns.
 
My daughter look a mature cow bison and we took 2 antelope this year w/ the 127 Barnes LR in 6.5 Creedmoor. Great performance and under half inch at 100 yards, 2 1/2 @ 400.
 
Good results out of 30.06 (180) and .338 win mag (210) as well.
Recovery as too, which is odd. I hardly ever recovered nosler partitions. But I was younger and a butcher , didn't take time to look. & I used to be a hard core Federal guy.
The already accurate guns are more accurate with Barnes.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-02-18 AT 09:03PM (MST)[p]I was going to ask the sharp shooters here : if I shoot a heavier bullet out of a .338 win mag and how big? Can Will my long range shooting ... improve?
 
Barnes TTSX and LRX are definitely some of my favorite bullets. They are easy to work up a good accuracy load too. Can't say that about all the others. My 12-year-old daughter unexpectedly drew spring bear last year. I had already picked up a new 6.5 Creedmoor in a Savage lightweight hunter. I threw a load together with the 100-grain TTSX (looking for low recoil) with a similar seating depth and a similar amount of powder, based off of other loads that I have developed. Ran out to the range and sure enough, .75 MOA groups. She was able to take a great boar with one shot.
 
I'm a believer. I've used TTSXs on game with excellent results. Deer and/or antelope have gone down with 80 grains out of a 243, 120 and 140 grains out of 7-08s and a 280, 130 and 150 grains out of a 300 Savage and 30-06, 185 and 210 grains out of a 338 WM, and 160 grains out of a 338 Federal. I can't recall ever having a bullet failure with a TTSX. I've taken multiple bull elk with the 210 grain TTSX in a 338 WM without any troubles. For some reason, I decided to use a 150 grain TTSX in a 30-06 on elk this year. The bull I shot with that combination dropped in his tracks.

Like I said, I'm a believer.

T
 
All I have experienced with the TTSX, LRX and all VOR-TX ammo is perfect ion. Bybyobamas, we would love to see some of these bullets that "didn't expand".
 
I think that the advent of Berger bullets is kind of what started the whole "the bullet failed to expand" bandwagon against other brands. Since bergers practically explode even at 400 yards in the calibers I have tried them in, if that was a persons point of reference they would think barnes dont expand period. Also sometimes I wonder if the longer shots are where people are seeing this due to lower velocity
 
Good point scopenstalk. The new LRX bullets from Barnes open at ranges most are not capable of shooting.
 
I have using 140 gr tsx in my stw for years on deer, elk and bears one shot never have recovered any bullets but 3400 fps plus pretty fast out to 600yds. They have my vote as a kid would always get a box of core locks every year shot alot of critters with them
 
>These barnes don't need to expand.....300
>H&H in the middle....
>
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Homer , Here is a few more Barnes bullets.
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I started loading Barnes bullets over 30 years ago. The x bullet in 338 win mag. Then started the blue coated bullets to help with fouling and gaining a few FPS. Then the Ttsx the three rings cut into the bullet . Help gain back a few FPS and they stopped making the coated bullets. They have never done me wrong in years. I have done my part and have never recovered a bullet until last year. Two from my Bison and one from my daughters 270. The 270 far left then the two 338?s , 300 Tejas, 408 and 50 cal.
 
>
>Homers KALI 50 & BIGJOHNS 408
>look like they're loaded with
>Similar Bullets!
>
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Yes ! They are a solid brass bullet that is machined that way. You can feel the groves in the bullet. The fifty is a cooper Rocky Mountain bullet. We have the Rocky Mountain bullets in the 408 as well.
 
You know BIGJOHN!

If You had let me pack that 408 around on the Henry's I coulda filled My 2017 Deer Tag don't Ya?:D:D:D
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-07-18 AT 03:41PM (MST)[p]The 416 Barrett is 395 grn turned solid...the middle 50 DTC is 647 grn barnes TSX-BT and the other 50 is 750 grn TAC-LR BT
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