April 2009 Barnes Bullet-N
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The late, great Col. Charles Askins was an old and very dear friend of mine who taught me an invaluable lesson. Our relationship goes back to the early days when Coni and I were still learning the ropes about how to run a bullet business. Charlie called me up one day to order some of our old Barnes Original 416 caliber FMJ’s. He told me that he had killed 80 buffalo and was on his way to 100. I was flattered when he said Barnes Bullets would be used to accomplish this task, and promptly sent the package to him.
I received another call shortly thereafter from Charlie. He said “Boy, I didn’t order hollow-points, I ordered full metal jackets.” I explained to him that the bullets were made from tubing and swaged closed at both ends, leaving a small pin-hole in the nose to give the appearance of a small hollow-point. I assured him they would work well on dangerous game. This was a bullet Fred Barnes began building in the ‘30s and hunters had been using them in Africa for years with great success. He politely listened to my entire sales pitch, and when I was done, he said “Listen Boy, how many buffalo have you shot?”
His question caught me way off guard because I hadn’t taken any! I was embarrassed, and realized that although I was telling a seasoned veteran how well this bullet would perform, I had absolutely no personal experience to back up my statement. What gave me the right? So, I answered him honestly and said “None.” He replied, in true Charlie Askins fashion, “Well, I don’t want a horn up my a#*!” I was speechless because he had me cold. I realized that I was nothing more than a salesman at that point in regards to Barnes Bullets’ performance on dangerous game. When our conversation was finished I hung up the phone, turned to Coni and said something to the effect of “That’s the last time I’ll have a conversation with anybody where my experience is called into question.” Within a few months, I was in Africa and had shot three Cape buffalo and an elephant. From that year forward I spent a minimum of 100 days a year in the field, hunting all types of game.
Long story short, Charlie said he would conduct some of his own testing because he wasn’t comfortable using those bullets in Africa. He ended up shooting a neighbor’s injured bull with a few of those old FMJ’s. They were retrieved completely intact, so he pursued and completed his task of shooting the last 20 of 100 Cape buffalo with Barnes Bullets.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I firmly believe Barnes Bullets is second to none because we are shooters and hunters who make products for the shooting community. Our people test Barnes products extensively under laboratory conditions and in the field year round. We speak first-hand about the way they perform so you can be sure, as our customer, that you’re getting the very best recommendations. Just the other day I had the chance to watch our 50-grain Varmint Grenade bullets in action on coyotes. It didn’t happen on a hunting trip, but practically in my back yard.
I raise and keep my roping steers on our property in rural Mona, Utah. Some of the cows have started to calve, which naturally attract coyotes. Because they live close to civilization, these coyotes are too well schooled to come to a call and are extremely hard to hunt. I’d built a custom .223 rifle several years ago and being the opportunist that I am, I’ve recently been keeping it behind the seat of my truck. Driving up my driveway one evening, I saw a big, male coyote standing in the brush 25 yards away. By the time I’d braked to a stop, grabbed the rifle and got out of the truck, he was running flat out some 250 yards away. I quickly steadied myself and the rifle, and fired. The bullet struck just behind the shoulder. It didn’t exit, but blew up inside, dropping the coyote instantly as though struck by lightning. Because this bullet is so highly frangible, there is no danger of ricochets going astray.
The Varmint Grenades are the perfect choice for keeping predators under control. They’re great for prairie dogs, too! For guys shooting black guns, our MPG’s are excellent varmint and predator medicine. These bullets are similar to the Grenades in construction and performance. However, a cannelure has been incorporated into the design for crimping to withstand the abuse a bullet takes in high capacity magazines. Check out our selection of MPG’s in 223/5.56, 7.62×39 and 30 caliber.They’ll work fine in bolt guns as well.
Paying attention to what our customers need has really paid off. Ground-breaking products like our Triple-Shock, Tipped TSX, MRX and other lead-free hunting bullets have been so highly successful, “me-too” manufacturers are now attempting to market similar designs. Barnes began perfecting copper bullets more than a quarter of a century ago. Our “Johnny-come-lately” competitors have a lot of catching up to do.
Good hunting in the months ahead,
Randy Brooks
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Spring is here, and I am looking forward to not seeing snow for a season or two!
Last year was amazing, as I said in a past newsletter. Barnes sales were up substantially, and this year is looking just as good as—if not better than—last year. We are very proud to say that, throughout the recent rush on bullets, we have been able to maintain our 98 percent average fill rate on orders that come our way. We are among the few companies in the industry in this great position—and not because we aren’t selling bullets!
I must give a lot of the credit to all of our employees—especially our managers who have planned well and extended themselves to make sure we have plenty of bullets to fill the record number of orders we’ve received. Barnes has maintained our 98 percent fill rate on orders for many years. This means we’ve always been able to supply bullets to customers whenever they’ve wanted them.
Because many of our customers have complained that they couldn’t find factory ammunition loaded with our bullets, we decided to stock loaded ammunition and sell it on our website store. Federal Vital Shok ammunition is the only ammunition we don’t sell on our website and hopefully you’ll be able to find Federal Vital Shok loaded with Barnes Bullets at your local dealer loaded with Barnes TSX and Tipped TSX.
We offer Barnes Bullets in factory ammunition from Cor®Bon, Black Hills Gold™, Weatherby® International Cartridge Green Elite™ and Silver State Armory. We’re trying to keep a good supply in stock, so if you’re looking for factory ammunition featuring Barnes Bullets, and have trouble finding it, check out our website store.
My daughter Jessica, who is the Public Relations and Advertising Manager here at Barnes, along with my 14-year-old grandson, Tanner, and myself are planning a trip to New Zealand. We hope to shoot red stag, tahr and fallow deer. Tanner is excited at the prospect of seeing some different animals not available in North America, and getting more hunting and shooting experience. It will be a terrific experience for him. We intend to leave in June or July. Plans are just now being put together, and we hope to have everything decided on shortly. I haven’t yet hunted in New Zealand. I’ve had plenty of offers to go there, but just haven’t been able to make it happen. I hope by this time next month hunting plans will be finalized. In the months that follow, I hope to report our successes to you during the hunt.
In mid-April, we plan to move into our new factory and company headquarters in Mona, Utah. The plant will be located 45 miles south of our current location. The area is a small farming community, and the people there welcome our move. Relocating to Mona will create new jobs and opportunities for people living in the county. We’re glad to bring some much-needed revenue to the area. Moving everything will be a huge undertaking, but we’re all very excited to have a brand-new facility to work in. I’ll post pictures for our Club X members when the building is totally completed—for now we’re still working on it, and will put the finishing touches on after the move.
As always, we appreciate your participation in Barnes’ Club X. Don’t forget to stock up on Barnes Bullets, or factory ammunition loaded with Barnes Bullets. Here’s wishing you happy hunting and shooting. Enjoy this great spring season!
Coni Brooks
Question: I’ve loaded up some of your 200-grain Triple-Shock X bullets in my .300 Winchester Magnum with Hodgdon H1000 powder. I’m getting pretty amazing groups at 100 yards. Do you have any insights you can share about the effect pure copper may have on my rifle over an extended period of time?
Thanks—Charlie Lambert
Answer: Hi Charlie: Pure copper is a softer metal than the guilding metal commonly used in most jacketed bullets. We shoot many thousands of our bullets through test barrels every year, and we’ve not seen any adverse effects of pure copper bullets on barrels—particularly compared to other brands that have guilding metal in their construction. Most folks don’t realize how many other bullets have jackets made of pure copper—for instance, the Swift Scirroco, Speer’s Gold Dot and our own Barnes Originals, just to name a few.
All bullets foul, no matter the materials they’re made from. The grooves in the shank of the TSX, Tipped TSX and MRX actually decrease barrel fouling simply because of the reduced amount of bearing surface that comes in contact with the bore. With proper barrel break-in, cleaning and responsible loading practices, your barrel should live a long, happy life.
Question: I’m sure you get millions of requests for different bullet configurations, but I think there are two gaps you should consider filling. One is a heavier TSX flat-nose bullet for all the Marlin and Winchester .45-70s and .450 Marlin lever rifles. Many of these rifles have been sold for defense against bears. The 300-grain flat nose TSX is rated for elk only, and is considered a little light for big bears at close range. (I take it the moose rating is about the same as for grizzlies.).
Many who own these handy carbines want to be able to drive a 350-grain or heavier bullet at handload velocities. Wouldn’t a 350-grain TSX flat nose be the ideal choice? I understand that length is an issue, but the current flat-nosed .45’s have a huge nose cavity that affects the weight-to-length ratio..
Second, I’d like to thank you for your loyalty to the great .348 Winchester. Can we please have a replacement (TSX) for the discontinued 220-grain X bullet in .348 caliber?
Thanks for your time—Christian Peterson
Answer: Thanks for the great requests. We’re already ahead of you on heavy flat-nosed bullets for leverguns. We are currently developing a line of bullets called Barnes Busters. They will feature a lead core to add weight while keeping length in check. The lead core will be completely enclosed by a thick, copper jacket. These heavily jacketed bullets are designed for .44, .45, and .500 magnum revolvers, as well as for .45-70 and 450 Marlin rifles. We recommend them for use on dangerous game like bear, wild boar, moose, bison, buffalo and other large, dangerous game when exceptional penetration is required. I hope to see 400-grain, .458-caliber Busters become available in the next week or two. The other calibers should be available shortly thereafter.
Dear Barnes -
Another season has come to a successful close—a result made possible by Barnes bullets. This mule deer was taken at a measured 224 yards with a custom Remington 700 chambered for the .30-06 Springfield. I loaded the rifle with Barnes’ new 130-grain Tipped Triple-Shock and Varget powder.
The buck never knew what hit him. Performance like this is rare—unless, of course, you’ve learned to make Barnes bullets your first choice. This mule deer is the 13th animal I’ve taken while using Barnes X, XLC, TSX, TTSX and MRX bullets exclusively. None of those animals moved an inch after the shot struck home. One-shot-stop performance is something I’ve come to expect when I use Barnes bullets.
This year two antelope and a fine coyote were also taken with the same load—with the same deadly results. I recovered my first Barnes bullet from a bank behind where the coyote had been standing. Even after passing through the animal and hitting the ground at such a high velocity, the 130-grain bullet retained 124.8 grains of its original weight. I’d pay to see another bullet brand match that!
Thanks again, Barnes. I can’t afford to have bullets fail me, and Barnes bullets have never let me down. They’re 100-percent deadly every time.
Happy hunting—Ryan Muckenhirn
Mushroom and Goose
1 goose
1 onion, sliced
1/2 cup butter or drippings
Salt and pepper
2 cups fresh mushrooms – sliced
2-3 sliced onions
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/8 teaspoon powdered thyme
Wash and quarter goose, brown with onion and baste with fat. Add salt, pepper, water, and bay leaf. Cook 1 1/2 hours over low heat. Saute mushrooms, onion, salt and sugar together. Add to goose and continue to cook 30 more minutes. Serve with wild rice.
Thad Stevens
Ballistics Lab Manager
It’s interesting when you stop and think about all of the different methods and tools we use, and various places we go to hunt. It’s kind of like a puzzle with pieces that each person fits together to provide him or herself with a great reward. What constitutes “the reward” varies from person to person, depending on an individual’s objectives.
Some hunt thick country where a long shot may be 100 yards. Others hunt high alpine basins where shots can vary from two to six hundred yards, or more. The fact of the matter is, when hunting trophy animals in wide open spaces more likely to be found in the mid-west and western states, a person will probably not be able to pre-determine the distance at which their shot will occur. Therefore, some hunters set personal limits as to the maximum distance they will take a shot. Others practice and hone their skills to feel confident in their abilities and equipment at extended ranges.
The proper cartridge and rifle combination is important, and normally where most begin. The latest and greatest “Super Magnums” have their place and can most certainly extend the range to which we effectively engage game. With that said, we also must understand that the rifle is still just a vehicle to get the bullet to the target. The bullet is what ultimately delivers our intentions to the target. Whether that’s simply punching a hole through a piece of paper, or bringing down a large bull elk. We have to match the bullet to its intended purpose.
When shooting longer distances, a lot of emphasis is put on marksmanship, as well it should. However, based on our experience and conversations with people, sometimes not nearly enough focus is on the proper construction and function of the bullet. We are finding that more hunters are choosing one bullet and discounting another simply because of a BC value. For hunting applications, frankly, this is unethical and careless for many reasons.
First, some bullet manufacturers publish Static BC values, which are simply an estimate based on the shape and external dimensions of the bullet. Barnes, and more recently a few other manufactures, publish what we call Dynamic Values. To produce a Dynamic Value, the bullets are actually fired and tracked over a given distance. Time of flight and atmospheric conditions are also part of the equation (click here to read about the Barnes Bullets procedure for measuring BC). This method of calculating BC may not put out the best numbers for the marketing department, but it is certainly the most accurate method and offers the greatest benefit to the end-user.
For example, let’s say one assumes the BC values assigned to a given bullet are correct. He then works up a load, creates a trajectory chart out to 800 or 1,000 yards, and heads for the hills. This individual could end up in trouble in a hurry. Why? Because we’ve found that the difference between static and dynamic numbers can be as great as 200 points or more in some cases.
Here’s a scenario: a .300 Weatherby firing a 180 grain bullet that’s moving 3200 fps with a zero range of 500 yards. If the bullet’s BC is off 100 points, shooting level at 900 yards, there is roughly a twenty inch difference in bullet drop, and a sixteen inch difference in a 10 mph wind. Remember, BC affects the bullet’s ability to slice through the wind as well. That’s a miss, or even worse, a wounded animal. Correct BCs are essential.
Next, bullet function should rate higher on an ethical hunters list than aerodynamics. Form should follow function here. If you are hunting with a bullet that has a great Dynamic BC value, but it lacks in the function department, what exactly have you accomplished? Maybe a great load for Camp Perry? For ethical long-range hunting, choose a bullet that will function not just at the extended ranges, but up close as well. You can’t always pick your shot. You may be well prepared to shoot long distances, but if a 400-inch bull walks around the corner in front of you, will you have the time to sprint backwards and away from the animal to take the shot that ensures proper bullet performance?
Accuracy is obviously an extremely important consideration. For long rang hunting, it doesn’t do you any good to have a bullet with a BC of .525 that hits like Thor’s hammer, but a three-inch group at one hundred yards is the best it will shoot.
It’s a good idea to visualize where the bullet could impact the animal, and how the bullet will perform at different points. Will it fragment just after entering the skin, failing to penetrate to the vitals? Will it connect with bone and fragment, causing a flesh wound? Will it simply not open and pencil through without causing much damage to tissue or vitals? These are things that should be considered, especially when shooting at long range. Poor shot placement or bullet performance at an extended distance limits exactly what one can do for a follow-up shot.
Also realize that if you are seven or eight hundred yards away, possibly across a canyon, that it may take a considerable amount of time to cover the ground between you and the animal. As ethical hunters, we owe it to the animal to not only make the shot count, but to choose the bullet that’s going to do the job as we have predetermined in our minds that it should.
So let’s answer this question: What does it take to bring down your intended game out to the maximum distance you’ve established for yourself? Obviously the size and constitution of the animal are factors, but some basic guidelines should be followed that can be applied across the board. First, the bullet must function at any given distance (close or extended if you are prepared for a long range shot.) Second, the bullet should shoot accurately from the firearm. Finally, evaluate the BC, but only after you’ve determined the bullet will achieve guidelines numbered one and two. There are things that can be done to compensate for a lower BC (within reason, of course) but not for poor function and accuracy.
Over the past few months, a series of tests were conducted in the Barnes Ballistics Lab. Bullets of various construction from a number of manufacturers were fired into simulated bone-gelatin at 100 yard and 1000 yard velocities. Accuracy was also recorded with a number of these bullets. The information gathered substantiates exactly what is outlined above. One bullet may not have scored an A+ in every aspect, but we can extrapolate the information from each test and determine which bullet will be the most effective and responsible choice for any given range. Bone gelatin is an extremely harsh bullet test, designed to simulate a shoulder shot on big game. The end results published here aren’t necessarily what a marketing department would choose to circulate, but a sort of “worst case” scenario to enable the serious hunter to make an informed, responsible decision.
The bottom line is that a match bullet is designed to punch paper, NOT to take down big game at close or even longer distances. One major bullet manufacturer backs up this statement and prints clearly on their boxes of match bullets that they are not intended for use on big game. This is a responsible, ethical recommendation to the shooting public.
When you purchase a box of Barnes Bullets, you are being supplied with more than just the bullet. You are getting an honest BC value, match grade accuracy and exceptional terminal performance over a wider range of velocities. Not to mention, a product that is tested afield extensively year-round all over the world by the Barnes proprietorship, employees, and a very demanding, yet loyal customer base.
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I grew up in South Africa, where the love of hunting and shooting were instilled in me at a young age by my father. Those values led me to competitive shooting with both high-power and small bore rifles, culminating with me trying out for the 2000 Olympic rifle team. My shooting pursuits were temporarily put on hold as I completed my chiropractic degree. Between shooting gophers, prairie dogs, and hunting coyotes and all the other big game species that inhabit the area, I will be opening a clinic and practicing here in Havre sometime in the near future.
—Dr. Hugo Michael Gibson
Coleman EvenTemp™ InstaStart™ Propane Stove
The featured product for March is Coleman’s new EvenTemp™ InstaStart™ stove. It features an innovative center burner positioned between two powerful primary burners to provide even heating for griddles or large pots and pans. All three burners are independently controlled in this compact, suitcase-style stove.
This handy, portable propane stove also features battery-powered InstaStart™ ignition for easy, match-free lighting. The two stainless-steel 11,500 BTU burners and 5,000 BTU center burner are fully adjustable, while the EvenTemp™ center burner provides even heat distribution
PerfectHeat™ technology includes a recessed cooktop and lowered burners designed for optimal performance. The stove also features a heavy-duty, aluminized cook-top and a removable steel cooking grate. The stove’s folding WindBlock™ system doubles as side tables to hold condiments or utinsels..
Consistent fuel performance is provided by a PerfectFlow™ propane pressure control. Stove uses standard 16.4-oz. propane cylinder (sold separately). A full-sized griddle with grease cup that stows inside the stove is also available ($34).
The stove (Model #5444-A52) measures 18.5” x 26” x 6” and weighs 18 pounds. Comes with Coleman’s limited five-year warranty. MSRP: $129.
For more information, contact the Coleman Company, Inc., 3600 North Hydraulic, Witchita, KS 67219;
Telephone:1-800-835-3278; or visit the website: www.coleman.com.
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His feral hog was taken with a .454 Casull Ruger Super Redhawk and the 250-grain XPB. |
He used a DPMS LR-308 and a 150-grain Tipped TSX. |
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