barnes bullets ? - The Firearms Forum

teddybaham · 04-28-2009, 09:03 PM

i have a good source to get barnes bullets at a good price, but i dont know which ones to get. the ones i looked at are the tsx bullets. but i also found some without the three indentions and are smooth sided. are these the older ones? from what i read tsx's are the way to go or the ttsx's even better. what about the ones with the tungsten core?

Bindernut · 04-28-2009, 09:29 PM

Yup, the ungrooved ones are the old-style "X-Bullet". The TSX (Triple Shock X-bullet) is the new version. Some sizes are still available in the original X-Bullet style, but most are now the TSX variety.

Like with the original X-Bullet, I've had pretty good luck with the new TSX in some rifles. Some barrels like em and some don't...that's an individual case "try-it-n-see" thing for pretty much each rifle.

I haven't any of the new tipped or tungsten core bullets yet...can't comment on em, but I suspect it's the same thing. Either your rifles will like em or they won't.

My personal experience:
Don't try using Barnes right off the bat in a new barrel unless it has a very slick bore. They'll foul like crazy until the bore is polished up. Barnes CR-10 or Sweet's 7.62 bore cleaners will be your best friend to get that copper fouling out!!!
I think I put about 500 rounds through my 77MkII .25-06 before I could shoot more than 20 rounds without some major copper fouling. Now I can run at least 100 rounds through it before I get fouling bad enough to affect groups.
My CZ550 6.5x55 is looking to be the same way, it's a fairly fresh bore (about 200 rounds through it) and is still fouling very quickly when I shoot Barnes through it.
In my old 6mm Ackley (Hart barrel), I didn't notice that Barnes fouled the barrel any worse than any "regular" jacketed bullet.

Is this source online or local? If they've still got some of the old .257 100gr flat-base X-Bullet, I'd be interested in buying as many as I can get my hands on. They no longer make a .257 100gr flat-base bullet, just the boat-tail version...and I can't get that one to group worth a darn in my Ruger.

Popgunner · 04-28-2009, 09:32 PM

Barnes are really great bullets. Revolutionary bullets. Be ready to clean more copper fouling as the copper is softer than regular bullets. Barnes sells a special cleaner for this. Be ready to buy the Barnes load manual-it's excellent. Their bullets are super accurate, & they are great on game.

teddybaham · 04-28-2009, 10:43 PM

i can look and see next time i go in that store. ill get you a price and there # and they may ship them

teddybaham · 04-28-2009, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Popgunner

Barnes are really great bullets. Revolutionary bullets. Be ready to clean more copper fouling as the copper is softer than regular bullets. Barnes sells a special cleaner for this. Be ready to buy the Barnes load manual-it's excellent. Their bullets are super accurate, & they are great on game.

id like to run these in my new browning 300 wsm. has 20 rounds through it so far. has any one noticed more fouling in a stainless barrel?
according to there site the barnes bullets with the tsx cut wont foul as much, stateing they even foul less than regular copper jaceted bullets

Bindernut · 04-29-2009, 05:59 AM

Stainless or black, doesn't seem to make a difference from my experience.

The biggest factor I've seen is how polished up the rifle's bore is...or if there is any (even miniscule) pitting in the barrel of a previously abused rifle. I've seen some recommend having a barrel lapped to polish it up but I'm just not a fan of lapping a barrel. Seems to be just an accelerated form of wearing out the rifling.

I'd say they're worth a try anyway. With a brand new rifle like yours you'll probably still find that most any bullet will foul a bit more than it will in a "broke-in" barrel until you get several hundred rounds through it.

GMFWoodchuck · 04-29-2009, 06:00 AM

Any thoughts on the non-Barnes copper solids?

Bindernut · 04-30-2009, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMFWoodchuck

Any thoughts on the non-Barnes copper solids?

The Barnes X-bullet series are the only full-copper ones that I've mucked around with.
The Trophy Bonded Bear Claw has a similar jacket material as Barnes uses of softer copper instead of standard gilding metal...it seems to work very similar to the Barnes solid/X in that it does foul a little more than a regular bullet jacket. But I've only loaded & fired a little under a hundred of these so I don't have a lot of experience with em.

Anyone else?

04-28-2009, 09:03 PM	#1
teddybaham Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: louisiana Posts: 41	barnes bullets ? i have a good source to get barnes bullets at a good price, but i dont know which ones to get. the ones i looked at are the tsx bullets. but i also found some without the three indentions and are smooth sided. are these the older ones? from what i read tsx's are the way to go or the ttsx's even better. what about the ones with the tungsten core? __________________ what part of "shall not be infringed" dont you understand??? -->

04-28-2009, 09:29 PM	#2
Bindernut Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: ND, USA Posts: 2,446	Re: barnes bullets ? Yup, the ungrooved ones are the old-style "X-Bullet". The TSX (Triple Shock X-bullet) is the new version. Some sizes are still available in the original X-Bullet style, but most are now the TSX variety. Like with the original X-Bullet, I've had pretty good luck with the new TSX in some rifles. Some barrels like em and some don't...that's an individual case "try-it-n-see" thing for pretty much each rifle. I haven't any of the new tipped or tungsten core bullets yet...can't comment on em, but I suspect it's the same thing. Either your rifles will like em or they won't. My personal experience: Don't try using Barnes right off the bat in a new barrel unless it has a very slick bore. They'll foul like crazy until the bore is polished up. Barnes CR-10 or Sweet's 7.62 bore cleaners will be your best friend to get that copper fouling out!!! I think I put about 500 rounds through my 77MkII .25-06 before I could shoot more than 20 rounds without some major copper fouling. Now I can run at least 100 rounds through it before I get fouling bad enough to affect groups. My CZ550 6.5x55 is looking to be the same way, it's a fairly fresh bore (about 200 rounds through it) and is still fouling very quickly when I shoot Barnes through it. In my old 6mm Ackley (Hart barrel), I didn't notice that Barnes fouled the barrel any worse than any "regular" jacketed bullet. Is this source online or local? If they've still got some of the old .257 100gr flat-base X-Bullet, I'd be interested in buying as many as I can get my hands on. They no longer make a .257 100gr flat-base bullet, just the boat-tail version...and I can't get that one to group worth a darn in my Ruger. Last edited by Bindernut; 04-28-2009 at 09:31 PM..

04-28-2009, 09:32 PM	#3
Popgunner Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Contributor Posts: 1,764	Re: barnes bullets ? Barnes are really great bullets. Revolutionary bullets. Be ready to clean more copper fouling as the copper is softer than regular bullets. Barnes sells a special cleaner for this. Be ready to buy the Barnes load manual-it's excellent. Their bullets are super accurate, & they are great on game.

04-28-2009, 10:43 PM	#4
teddybaham Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: louisiana Posts: 41	Re: barnes bullets ? i can look and see next time i go in that store. ill get you a price and there # and they may ship them __________________ what part of "shall not be infringed" dont you understand???

04-29-2009, 05:59 AM	#6
Bindernut Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: ND, USA Posts: 2,446	Re: barnes bullets ? Stainless or black, doesn't seem to make a difference from my experience. The biggest factor I've seen is how polished up the rifle's bore is...or if there is any (even miniscule) pitting in the barrel of a previously abused rifle. I've seen some recommend having a barrel lapped to polish it up but I'm just not a fan of lapping a barrel. Seems to be just an accelerated form of wearing out the rifling. I'd say they're worth a try anyway. With a brand new rifle like yours you'll probably still find that most any bullet will foul a bit more than it will in a "broke-in" barrel until you get several hundred rounds through it.

04-29-2009, 06:00 AM	#7
GMFWoodchuck Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Binghamton, NY Posts: 1,369	Re: barnes bullets ? Any thoughts on the non-Barnes copper solids?