By By Barnes

Well Hogghead,
I got there monthly newsletter and was surprised to see that everything changed. I wrote the "Barnes" company and expressed my displeasure with the previous owners decision to sell. I guess I should have seen it coming as I'm in the wood business and we've seen so much in the last couple of years of changing business and closers and things. Well this blindsided me. So I told the "new Barnes" I will not be using their bullets any longer. I mentioned I didn't want a Wall-Street manufacturer of bullets to have to depend on. I will seek other sources.
 
it is kinda scary when so much of our gun/ammo manufacturing is controlled by 1 company. Bigger is not always better.
 
Are you guy's nut's? I have never been a Barnes fan but if I were I would surely try them with the new manufacturer befor I said good bye!
 
I read that a while back also. I use these for big game, as do a couple of friends. I just spent a month working up a load with them for a friends 7 mag. I hope the don't discontinue or ruin the quality.

I agree they are overpriced. But underperform has not been our experience. I can almost always get them to shoot, and the deer and elk are always dead with any good hit. Do not have to worry about separations.

While I don't like the merger, I will continue using them until they ruin the bullets.
 
Overpriced??? Just how many shots do you take on deer or elk each year? At about $.80 each, I think most of us can afford to hunt big game with them, if you wanted. They do seem to hit big game much harder than the Partitions I used to use.

I have had such good success with the TSX and the T-TSX, that I will give the new ones a try. If they work the same, great. If not, Hornaday has the GMX.
 
Yep overpriced and over rated. Their varmint bullets have never performed well for me and I take a whole bunch of shots per year with those.

I'd say give it a chance, who knows it may be an improvement.
 
I have used a tremendous amount of Barne's products in the past but more recently have been using mostly Hornady for all of my needs.
I like the price point, availability, and performance of all of Hornady's bullets. I like their brass as well.
 
Originally Posted By: K-22hornet.Overpriced??? Just how many shots do you take on deer or elk each year? At about $.80 each, I think most of us can afford to hunt big game with them, if you wanted. They do seem to hit big game much harder than the Partitions I used to use.

I have had such good success with the TSX and the T-TSX, that I will give the new ones a try. If they work the same, great. If not, Hornaday has the GMX.

I can not agree with you on that one. I personally do not believe that it takes a more expensive bullet to kill a deer. But then call me COOKY. I like to shoot and practice with my rifles. Heck I can buy factory 30-06 ammo for less than it costs to reload with the expensive Barnes bullets. Your statement leads me to believe that only an expensive bullet can be used for elk?? Well most of my elk hunting is with primitive weapons and I cast my own bullets.

I am not saying that there is not a place for well constructed premium bullets. But for North America's thin skinned game?? I just do not believe it.

I realize it is your money. And I realize that shooters spend a lot of money on all the other aspects of the hunt. But I really do believe that high dollar bullets are not necessary for America's thin skinned game. And I am not talking about Grizzly bears. Just the average deer that the average Joe shoots every year. And I have shot a lot of Barnes bullets, and for the price I will say that I personally was disappointed with the accuracy of the bullets. Just an opinion. Tom.
 
After a pretty intense love affair with them, I've drifted away from Barnes in most rifles. My wife's .257 loves 100 grain TSXs and prefers little else, so it still shoots them. I also keep my .300 WSM loaded with TSXs as I want to have one rifle "lead free" in case the opportunity to hunt something in a lead free zone arises. I have a bad feeling that we'll all be looking down the barrel of lead restrictions in the near future, so it would avail us to be prepared with at least one lead free rifle that we can use while we convert others after the fact. Meanwhile, I shoot a lot of Hornady bullets with excellent results (V-maxes, SSTs, and Interbonds so far).
 
I quit using them years ago. I recovered 2 bullets that didn't open up. Short shots from a treestand, Found them with a metal detector. I wrote to them, and was told to ship them to them. They replaced them saying it was a QC problem. That if fine, except I was worried about useing non expanding bullets. Where I hunt it is illegal to use non expanding bullets for hunting. I know I could say they were supposed too. But if they don't open, how much enegry will they transfer.
 
This might just be off the wall but did it occur to anyone that maybe the owners got an offer that would allow them to retire and took it?
 
Originally Posted By: HOGGHEAD

Your statement leads me to believe that only an expensive bullet can be used for elk??

Not at all. Hundreds of elk are killed every year with Core-Lokts, Sierra GameKings, etc. I don't think they are neccessary for deer, even though I use them for all my big game hunting. I have not tried the Varmint Grenades, and probably won't.

What the Barnes seem to do, is upgrade the caliber I am shooting, i.e. take my 22 Hornet and move it to a 223; The 243 to 25-06; take my 270 and move it to 300mag, in on-game performance.

In the Hornet, I use the 45gr XLC for coyotes, and while it has not increased my range, it has decreased my runners noticibly.

In my 270, I use the 130TSX, and used the XLC and X before that. The longest I've had an elk travel after being hit with a Barnes is maybe 10 steps.

The only connection I have to that animal is the bullet.Within reason, I think the bullet is more important than the rifle, the scope, the cartridge, etc.. There are no "bad" bullets, just bad bullet choices for the task at-hand. Therefore, I continue to use what I think are the best biggame bullets out there.
 
I highly doubt the bullets will change. They just built that new factory and I highly doubt Remington would want to change any of what they have going on there.
 
I've never shot a single Barnes Bullet in any of my guns. So really I don't care. For Deer and Groundhogs, they aren't gonna do anything I can't do with, Sierra,Hornady,Speer,or Nosler.
I do agree though, that it sucks when the smaller companies sell to the bigger ones.
I was told Remington bought H&R about a year ago. Now just when I'm looking for a Handi-Rifle in .22 Hornet, they are nowhere to be found.
I wonder if Remmington is intentionally holding up production? I'm sure they would rather have folks buying $600-700.00 BDL'S than a $250.00 H&R.
 
Originally Posted By: chris112This might just be off the wall but did it occur to anyone that maybe the owners got an offer that would allow them to retire and took it?

Exactly. ya know people don't last forever. It's probably not much fun to retire in DEPENDS DIAPERS in the old folks home? Hey Kids go to school and want no part of the old family bussiness. I've noticed this over the years, farm, hardware stores,small grocery stores, butcher shops ect.

Time will tell what hand is dealt to Barnes.
 
I dont care if Barnes ever makes bullets again. Wouldn't bother me one stinkin bit....

Dont like them at all...overpriced, over rated, inflated BC's. Dont kill anything deader then a bonded lead core bullet does.

I got on the XLC bandwagon years ago and that was very shortlived. It only took 1 deer season of my family and I to realize they suck. After spending countless hours at the bench and the range, accuracy was mediocre, and on game performance was mediocre at best.

My experience was with the .257" 100g XLC in 25-06, and 165g XLC in 2 different 300 Win mags. I wacked a small forky about 100 yards through both shoulders with my 25-06 and I'm not lying, the exit hole was the size of a pieplate, I got pics...Interestingly enough, my dad and uncle were the ones with the 300 WM's and they were about the exact opposite, very little expansion and 1 bullet was found with 3 petals missing.

I kept the rest of them by my door to throw at cats, bout all there good for...
 
i think that the tsxs are every thing that they are supposed to be. they work! its just that simple. and as far as remington screwing up the quality i dont see any reason for alarm. remington makes good products always has and always will. cant stay in bussiness for as long as they have been be producing mediocre products.
 
Originally Posted By: 17tacticalLove their bullets, their 45gr Banded Solids in .224 are a thing of beauty when hitting a predator...
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