November 20, 2009
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November 2009 Barnes Bullet-N
| Randy Brooks Message: |  |
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Right now, the Barnes Bullets plant resembles a ghost town. This happens each year with the arrival of the fall hunting season. Employees schedule vacations from September through December so they can head to the hills and pursue one of their favorite sports.
Literally every department is affected, so we plan accordingly for people to be missing from the machine shop, ballistics lab, production, shipping & receiving, quality assurance, research & development, public relations, customer service, sales & marketing, and accounting. Careful scheduling is required to keep the plant humming and ensure products are shipped on time. We’re extremely proud of our industry-leading 98 percent fulfillment rate, and that doesn’t change during hunting season.
Accommodating our employees during this special season does present challenges, but I’m proud of their passion for hunting and we encourage everyone’s participation. So far this year, workers at Barnes have hunted throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico to take deer, elk, boars, bears, pronghorn, mountain lions, moose, turkeys and various predators, varmints and birds.
Each and every Barnes product is made by hunters, for hunters. Our people understand bullets and how they need to perform. They don’t settle for second best. For most of our employees, working at Barnes is more than just a job. They value hunting and shooting as important pastimes, and the satisfaction they gain working here extends well beyond a paycheck.
Good shooting,
Randy Brooks
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Here it is November, and we’re getting close to Christmas. Unfortunately, time goes by more quickly, it seems, the older you get. That is certainly happening to me!
I had a wonderful experience in Canada last month. As I mentioned in the October newsletter, I scheduled a trip for black bear in British Columbia, Canada. The hunt took place in the Sawtooth area just north of Cranbrook, B.C. The hunt was to be filmed for a television show, and I was hoping to have a chance to get a good black bear. I’d never hunted black bear before—I really don’t know why I hadn’t—and I was really looking forward to a new experience.
I took a Montana Rifle in .270 Winchester loaded with 130-grain Tipped TSX bullets. The rifle shot extremely well, and I had complete confidence in both it and the bullet if an opportunity was presented.
At around 6:00 p.m. the first day of the hunt, we spotted a black bear busy eating berries on a hillside. Before we could reach the bear, it disappeared into the timber. We decided against going in after the bear, as it was getting late and there was concern about being able to get the whole thing on film. Also, soon there wouldn’t be enough light to let us take good photos. We decided to leave the bear alone for the evening and come back the next morning.
To our surprise, a snowstorm blew in overnight, bringing low clouds with it. We couldn’t see much farther than 100 yards—if that. We returned to where the bear had been the night before, but nothing seemed to be moving—at least as far as we could tell with our limited vision.
On the third day, there was more snow, but fewer low clouds. We decided to go back to the same place and wait to see if it would clear up a bit. The weather would begin to clear, and then get snowy again. Finally about 1:00 p.m., we spotted the bear out on the hillside—again picking at berries.
We devised a plan to let us get close enough to shoot without the bear seeing or hearing us. I told my guide Murray that I would need to rest my gun on his shoulder, as there was nothing for me to steady it on. I wanted the best possibly chance at getting this bear down with one shot, and placement is important.
The bear was about 120 yards away when I quickly got set to take the shot. I aimed right behind the shoulder. When I fired, the bear immediately went down. Excited, we all climbed the steep hillside to look at the bear. The bullet had gone exactly where it was supposed to go. The bear was an older sow with a beautiful coat. Her teeth were worn down and the pads on the bottom of her feet were also pretty worn. All I could focus on was the beautiful coat—I was very excited about that.
We took some great photos and the camera man had caught everything on film, which I was thankful for. I later learned that Murray had been a little skeptical about me using a .270 Winchester and a 130-grain bullet. Earlier, a client had used a 7mm rifle loaded with 140-grain bullets, and had to shoot the bear three times. I told Murray the man couldn’t have been using a Barnes Bullet (working my sales job!) Murray acknowledged that, no, it wasn’t a Barnes, but he didn’t know what kind of bullet it had been.
When we dressed out the bear, we found my bullet had turned the lungs to jelly. Murray was impressed, to say the least. After seeing the result, he said he was definitely going to the sporting goods store in Cranbrook to buy some Barnes Bullets as soon as possible. He did exactly that two days later.
I hunted with Sawtooth Outfitters. I stayed in a wonderful cabin way back in the timber, and the country was absolutely breathtaking. After the snowfall, everything was so beautiful it seemed like I was in heaven. I was very thankful to be where I was at that time.
For me, every hunting experience is wonderful. I always take precious memories home with me, along with some new lessons learned. I treasure every outdoor moment I have, and will be forever grateful for the hunting opportunities I’ve had. I am especially thankful for all the people I have had the pleasure to be around and hunt with.
The last weekend in October, three Barnes employees and myself are going to south Texas for a whitetail hunt. We will be videotaping some of the hunt for our next DVD—“Performance Vs. Deformance”—which will be available in early January, 2010. This is a DVD you’ll surely want to see. It will be sent to you free of charge, just like the other DVD’s we have produced. Just be sure to send in your request once we update the website and one will be mailed to you. This will be the third DVD in our series of educational DVD’s about Barnes Bullets. The first DVD is titled, “Choosing the Right Bullet”, and the second is “Bullet Myths Busted.” These DVDs have been extremely important in helping our customers understand what each of our products do. We are excited to be bringing our third one out soon.
I hope you’re having a great fall season and that you have been successful in hunting—or will soon be successful on an upcoming hunt. Be sure to load up Barnes Bullets for your hunts. Remember, the bullet is the cheapest—and most important—part of your hunt. Success hinges on how your bullet performs. That’s why we have worked hard developing the best, most effective bullets you can buy.
Happy hunting,
—Coni Brooks
Q.
Is there a formula to correct velocities measured 10 feet in front of the barrel to provide actual (or approximate) muzzle velocities?
Specifically, I have a 7mm STW load using a 160-grain TSX that chronographs 3225 feet per second (fps). I also have a .300 Ultra Mag load that fires a 180-grain TSX at 3240 fps. Both velocities were measured 10 feet from muzzle. Both loads use powder charges listed in your Reloading Manual #4.
Thank you.
—Mark Stenstrom
A.
Hi Mark,
Our ballistics calculator suggests that you’re actually losing .5 fps of velocity for each foot of distance between the muzzle and the chronograph. This means a reading of 3225 fps measured 10 feet from the muzzle equates to an actual muzzle velocity of 3230 fps. A reading of 3240 fps measured 10 feet from the muzzle equates to an actual muzzle velocity of 3245 fps.
Thanks for the great question!
—Best, Ty
Q.
I’ve used your load data for 115-grain TSX bullets in my .257 Weatherby Magnum. I use the COAL (cartridge overall length) listed of 3.160 inches, and find that when I get close to that measurement, all I have to do is touch the bullet tip with the caliper and the bullet falls into the case.
What am I doing wrong? Is this related to new brass resizing, etc?
Thanks for your help,
—Frank Free
A.
Hi Frank,
You may be inadvertently crimping, which could cause a slight bulge in the case neck and result in improper or poor neck tension. Try backing the entire die body out of the press several (two-to-four) turns. Lock the die in place with the locking ring, then screw the center seating stem down until the desired seating depth is achieved.
Please feel free to call or email if this doesn’t solve the problem.
We appreciate your comments and patronage!
—Best, Ty
We Aim to please. Reloading is a great hobby; enjoy it.
Tender Wild Turkey Recipe
1 whole wild turkey or breast
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Place turkey breast side up into a large crock pot. Mix spices and rub onto the turkey. Cook for 6 to 8 hours on low or until nice and tender.
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I love hunting, it has been a major part of my life. I now live in Ca. where you cannot use lead bullets in any part of the state. I have reloaded my own shells for many years and only barnes TTSX bullets and have found they give me the best results of any bullets out there! I am also a minister and pastor in Hesperia Ca. at The Words of Life Pentecostal Church. The picture above is of a bufflalo I killed in Utah.
Thank You,
— Harry Dockery
Montie Design Portable Shooting Rest
Designed to meet the needs of all shooters as well as most firearms, the easy-to-carry rest weighs less than two pounds and disassembles easily in three pieces, fitting neatly into a small carrying case. Unlike conventional bench rests, which are heavy and complex, the novel Montie Design model — made of sturdy yet lightweight aluminum — provides steady support for different sized long guns ranging from semi-automatic and bolt action rifles to shotguns, carbines and pistols.
For more information, visit the Montie Design Portable Shooting Rest website: http://montie.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=12″ .
Outdoor writer Bryce Towsley (left) and Barnes Ballistics Lab Manager Thad Stevens (right) with their hogs taken in the Florida Everglades. Both were using DPMS AR rifles in .308 Winchester and 168 grain TTSX ICC factory ammo, a new offering for ICC in 2010. Outfitter: Everglades Adventures.
