Why wouldn't they be good for hunting? Barnes makes accurate bullets with great terminal performance. They wouldn't be my choice for 500 yards and up. But then most hunters can't shoot well enough for that distance. I use more Barnes bullets for things I'll eat than any other manufacturer.

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I'm no ballistics expert, but a 139 gr. all copper bullet with a muzzle velocity over 3100 fps seems like a GREAT hunting bullet. Deer, elk, antelope, bear......bang, flop.

 

Those Barnes Vortex cartridges are in my opinion the absolutely best hunting ammo you could ever have. I reload, have for 40 years. I have been loading Barnes bullets for 14 years. Barnes has been in a constant state of product development and improvement for decades.
They are are the top of their game now.

Make sure you really clean your barrel before sighting in with them Then your first shot or two might not be where all the others will print. Barnes bullets are best fired from a barrel that has been guilded with a few shots fired with Barnes bullets

Using cheaper lead core copper jacketed ammo does not mix at all. Can drive you crazy

 

Been using X's for over 25 years.

Like all bullets, they have a velocity window they work best in. Unlike most cup and core slugs, it's pretty much impossible to cause one to blow up due to high velocity impacts. The actually work better the faster they are driven.

It is possible to shoot very long range (Low impact velocity), and have them pencil right thru without expanding.

For hunting at "Normal" range (Impact velocity is more than 2000fps. Which equates to 450-500 yards for majority of sporting cartridges), they are without peer.

If you want to shoot beyond 500 yards, maybe a softer slug is a better choice.

In last 10 years, I have not seen the need to clean bore of all jacket material before shooting an X. And if you must clean all the time with X slugs, you have a rough bore that will foul with jacketed bullets as well.

The original designs from pre 2000 did foul (And showed erratic accuracy in otherwise accurate rifles). They fixed both of these claimed issues 15-20 years ago.

 

Been using X's for over 25 years.

Like all bullets, they have a velocity window they work best in. Unlike most cup and core slugs, it's pretty much impossible to cause one to blow up due to high velocity impacts. The actually work better the faster they are driven.

It is possible to shoot very long range (Low impact velocity), and have them pencil right thru without expanding.

For hunting at "Normal" range (Impact velocity is more than 2000fps. Which equates to 450-500 yards for majority of sporting cartridges), they are without peer.

If you want to shoot beyond 500 yards, maybe a softer slug is a better choice.

In last 10 years, I have not seen the need to clean bore of all jacket material before shooting an X. And if you must clean all the time with X slugs, you have a rough bore that will foul with jacketed bullets as well.

The original designs from pre 2000 did foul (And showed erratic accuracy in otherwise accurate rifles). They fixed both of these claimed issues 15-20 years ago.

I am in near 100% agreement with all you said. The only place where I would disagree is the blanket statement regarding Barnes bullets not opening below 2000'/sec.

Not all that long ago,,,,,in the past year,,,, I had a lengthy discussion about this with a Barnes tech info specialist.

The velocity at which they will open is now specific bullet dependent. Some will open just fine as low as 1600'/sec.

The tech specialist gave me a list of examples of many bullets that will open well way below 2000'/sec.

For me however it is a moot point for two reasons. One, I have never taken a game animal past 400 yards. And two, within the first year after I stopped using lead core bullets my blood lead level dropped from 5.5 micrograms of lead/deciliter to just under 3 micrograms.

By current health standards 3 micrograms is not considered high, but those standards reflect the influence of the vey powerful heavy metal industry. Especially for unborn to 6 years old group 3 micrograms is deep into the proven harmful zone

The negative health effects of lead are always there but often times hidden from easy scrutiny at the sub symptomatic level both in human consumers and scavengers.

Unfortunately, the powerful heavy metal industry, has thrown so much doubt, denial and confusion into this issue that we as hunters are needlessly and bitterly divided. The heavy metal industry has been engaged in the same type of denial campaign that the tabacco industry was doing for decades,

Barnes has a toll free number and will tell you anything you need to know about the range at which they will open.

Last thought, those Votex factory loads have proven to be very accurate for me in three different chamberings,

 

Barnes are a very accurate bullet at closer range and their performance on animals is mediocre. They blow through and don't transfer energy into the animal very well. If your punching paper at 100-400 yards they will perform well for you.

 

Energy transfer is needed to kill fly's, not game animals. Just ask an archer. The destruction of a critical body system, circulation or nervous, brings death. The Barnes TSX will penetrate far enough and on a straight line to hit the system you target from any angle and any reasonable range. They are the only bullet I use on big game, now. Every lead bullet I've tried has failed at one time or another, including the famed Partition. Exit holes show there is potential for more penetration than required at the angle the animal was hit.......and they make blood trailing SOOOO much easier! Entry holes are small, easily plugged, and usually don't bleed at all if the animal was hit very far up on the rib cage. One of the few TSX's I've recovered was from a big bull elk, hit quartering on at almost 500 yards. It sheared off several ribs going in and ended up in the pelvis area, over 60" of penetration. Yes, it opened perfectly. Would have killed the bull just as well from the back end as the front. Oh, last thing. Without the big energy dump there is almost no loss of meat to bloodshot. If you don't hit bone to create secondary shrapnel the bloodshot area around the hole is only 2-3" across. I have seen the lead "energy dump" bullets leave a bruise 16" across!

 

I shot a bull at 438 yards with a 30-06 using Barnes TTSX BT 168gr and dropped him in his tracks. The bullet went completely through him so I have no idea on the bullets expansion.

 

I bet the exit hole was 3/4-1" across.......

 

You are correct

 

Thank you everyone! Now if I can find more of these somewhere that would be awesome!

 

I saw a video of some dude shooting a whitetail doe with a 50 BMG. Blew a hole in her you could see through. She ran for about 40 yards until the blood ran out.

Energy transfer indeed.

 

I just had a box of 143g hammer hunters delivered. Going to try to find a load with them for the .280 ai. I was against copper for a long long time but I fear the day is coming and I would rather be prepared than not.

We will see how they do in that gun first. I may then look to replace my 212 Eld-X in the .300 wm to 181 hammers

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I just had a box of 143g hammer hunters delivered. Going to try to find a load with them for the .280 ai. I was against copper for a long long time but I fear the day is coming and I would rather be prepared than not.

We will see how they do in that gun first. I may then look to replace my 212 Eld-X in the .300 wm to 181 hammers

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i shot a big buck last year at around a 100 yards with my 280 AI using a 150 grain TTSX, it collapsed, droped like rock, stone dead

 

Count me in as a devoted Barnes user. I have been using them handloaded primarily in my .338 Win Mag (210g TTSX @2850fps mv) and they are amazing accurate out to 600yds, and have been devastating from 70-525yds. Those HL's have knocked down deer, elk, and a big bear in one shot (with only one exception); and usually weigh between right around 209g recovered. In 7MM Rem Mag I use an older box of Federal 120g Barnes TTSX that was screaming out of the muzzle at 3100+ fps; those put an antelope down at around 400yds and a deer at 190ish. I would love to find some more of those boxes because I have a tough time handloading 7mm in the velocities I like. If its not completely obvious by now, I Love Barnes bullets

 

To me it seems you are leaving quite a bit of velocity on the table in both your 338. We are pushing 215gr out of a 300wm right at 3000fps, so I would think that 338 could be go faster.

 

300 win mag case is larger than the 338 and holds more powder,so not a fair comparison..That said 3000 is doable but accuracy trumps speed so he is probably right where he wants to be..

I am also playing with Hammers..

 

300 win mag case is larger than the 338 and holds more powder,so not a fair comparison..That said 3000 is doable but accuracy trumps speed so he is probably right where he wants to be..

I am also playing with Hammers..

I thought the 338 had a touch more capacity....thanks for the clarification.

 

I shot five deer, two pronghorn, and three mountain goats last year with Barnes LRX 127 gr 6.5 bullets. Handloads, cuz the factory ammo went out of stock. The previous year, five deer and three lopes with 80gr pills from a .243. They work just fine. Yes, most critters ran briefly after being shot, but that's fine by me. Most of them dropped within 40 yards of where they were shot. The ones that dropped in place generally had shots that involved bone impacts versus perfect high-heart/low lung pass-throughs.

As the OP has apparently gathered, the 7mm LRX factory loading would be a fine hunting round (not just for elk).

 

I shot five deer, two pronghorn, and three mountain goats last year with Barnes LRX 127 gr 6.5 bullets. Handloads, cuz the factory ammo went out of stock. The previous year, five deer and three lopes with 80gr pills from a .243. They work just fine. Yes, most critters ran briefly after being shot, but that's fine by me. Most of them dropped within 40 yards of where they were shot. The ones that dropped in place generally had shots that involved bone impacts versus perfect high-heart/low lung pass-throughs.

As the OP has apparently gathered, the 7mm LRX factory loading would be a fine hunting round (not just for elk).

3 mountain goats[emoji15] in one year! Dang


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