Originally Posted By: K-22hornet.I have been a Barnes user since 1992, in fact, they are all I use for big game, and also in my 22 Hornet for coyotes.
They seem to 'upgrade' the cartridge being used, when they hit game. For example, a 243 works more like a 25-06, a 270 like a 300Win, the Hornet like a 223.
Way back in January/February of 1992, I was reading an article about reloading the 223. The author was the first guy in the U.S. to get hold of a .22cal X bullet, as the first years production of them went to Australia.
What caught my attention about the X, was when the author shot several x bullets into ballistic gel blocks, and the blocks expanded so violently that they knocked the adjacent block off the table. He shot the X out of a Contender, at about 2,600fps MV, about what my Hornet did (pre-Lilgun). No other bullet, at normal 223 speeds, could do that.
So, I bought a box of 45gr X bullets for the Hornet, and noticed a reduction in the runners and floppers I had (coyotes), compared to any other bullet I tried.
To this day, I use the 45gr XLC's in my Hornet for coyotes. When I run out of those, I'll use the 45gr TSX.
I would concur 100% that they perform like a heavier bullet than they actually are, in fact, Barnes will tell you they perform like a bullet 30% heavier. I would agree with what they say.
A friend of mine and I hunted Africa about 5 years ago now and he had a problem with his scope rings so he used my 7mm RUM loaded with 140 gr Barnes TSX bullets. We shot 13 animals with my rifle, all plains game from Kudu to Sable to Hartebeest and I can tell you that not one animal took a step from where they were shot. We only recovered one bullet and that was from my Blue Wildebeest. I shot him directly through both front shoulders and the bullet hung up just inside and opposite side under the hair. Everything else was a complete pass through with devastating internal damage.
My experience with Barnes bullets has been outstanding and I have enough of them on my reloading bench to last my lifetime.