H20Hunters 2013 Spring Bear Thread: Corned bear review

[headshot5]

H20, what rifle were you using (caliber).  I'm sure you mentioned somewhere in the previous 150 million (sarcasm font) pages of this topic, but I don't feel like doing detective work to find out.  I am always interested in bullet performance. 

I have also heard (rumor mill is still going strong), That barnes moved towards tipped version bullets (TTSX) to get a little more reliable expansions, since sometimes the hollow point ones would plug up with for example bear hair/fat, and would not start expanding as quick, but the tipped version starts expanding on impact.

I have seen failures that looked similar on the old X-bullet.  I have not personally used barnes x-bullets in my rifles, I just have others types to use up first.   

[BOWHUNTER45]

You guys have some good points for sure ...Lets take the .270 for instance .. This Cal . was designed with a 130 gr bullet in mind ...which is a very good bullet and performs very well on deer & elk .. But once we discovered what a 140 gr bullet does out of a .270 we never looked back .. I think it is the perfect bullet for a .270 ..little heavier than the 130 and a little lighter than a 150 ....I do not want to express my knowledge to much because some people get offended  But I have put those 140 gr interlocks to work a few times and mainly on bears ..Where I hunt I hardly get a shot less than 200 yrds ..Most of the time they are 300 or more and I always shot bears in the shoulders and I can say from my experience they have performed well for over 40 yrs in our family ...I am an old school kinda guy ... if it works for you do not change it ...kinda like me and the Wasp thing  I have seriously cut back on how I hunt bear ...I see plenty of bear every year but I would rather watch them anymore than kill them ..Just all the years of packing bear up the hill instead of down the hill has worn me out ...Sure stinks to get older and lazy  From all the years of reloading I found that 54grains of IMR with a 140 gr hornaday Interlock is the perfect load for me 

[BOWHUNTER45]

.....and for all you .270 shooters who never tried a 140 gr out of a .270 you are seriously missing out ....I suggest if you have not , to do so and see what I mean 

[BULLBLASTER]

I prefer this type. It was recovered at the site of the shot instead of at the butcher  . This wasfrom my spring bear this year. Hard quartering away shot.

It wasn't even a wasp! 

Btw I have had more bad experience than good with Barnes so I don't use them anymore. 
but there is no denying that yours did the job.

This is a neat thread.

[h20hunter]

Thats a cool pic Blaster.....I'd like to stick one this fall.....

[h20hunter]

H20, what rifle were you using (caliber).  I'm sure you mentioned somewhere in the previous 150 million (sarcasm font) pages of this topic, but I don't feel like doing detective work to find out.  I am always interested in bullet performance. 

I have also heard (rumor mill is still going strong), That barnes moved towards tipped version bullets (TTSX) to get a little more reliable expansions, since sometimes the hollow point ones would plug up with for example bear hair/fat, and would not start expanding as quick, but the tipped version starts expanding on impact.

I have seen failures that looked similar on the old X-bullet.  I have not personally used barnes x-bullets in my rifles, I just have others types to use up first.

I shoot a .270 Ruger M77 Stainless. The bullet mentioned was a Barnes 150g. I've used the 130 gr on deer and had excellent ranger performance as well as on game performance. As BullBlaster mentioned...the bullet did its job and then some. I've also used the 130 Hornady Interlock on last years fall bear....devastating performance on a high shoulder shot. I agree that most of the newer Barnes offerings are tipped....I also agree this is to help with expansion at a great velocity range.

[h20hunter]

Also.....what would the thread be without a final pic of Mr. Bear........in my cooler!

[D-Rock425]

 

[h20hunter]

yep.....

Summer sausage and smoked cheese at lunch today! Over the weekend we cooked up two of the backstrap hunks. Tasty indeed. Since the muscle groups are smaller and there are more of them in this cut I think it will go into the crockpot next time for some pulled bear sandwiches....

[X-Force]

John does great work... i wish i brought some bear with me to work today.. but everyone usually eats it before i ever get a chance. 

[BOWHUNTER45]

I prefer this type. It was recovered at the site of the shot instead of at the butcher  . This wasfrom my spring bear this year. Hard quartering away shot.

It wasn't even a wasp! 

Btw I have had more bad experience than good with Barnes so I don't use them anymore. 
but there is no denying that yours did the job.

This is a neat thread.

I prefer that type too !! I just wanted to  A LITTLE  I AM USUALLY IGNORED ANYWAYS 

[h20hunter]

I hate to say it Bh....I've need nodding my head a lot more lately reading your stuff. I happen to agree with you on the 130's and 140's.......I know....Soon I'll have my own dog named Warden!

[D-Rock425]

Any reply from barnes yet?

[h20hunter]

Nope....

[Curly]

So....picked up Mr. Bear at the butcher today and have already enjoyed some summer sausage, smoked cheese, and crackers. Delicious.....

So anyway he recovered the bullet from the far shoulder where it was lodged. I don't remember my exact load data and am to lazy to go find it. These bullets are for my .270, 150 gr Barnes X Bullet. This is not the tipped TSX. I don't remember the velocity. Ending weight once cleaned and dried is 146.7 gr measured on my digital scale. A few things....First off the shot placement if you remember was hard quartering away. Bullet entered at the last rib or so, blew out the liver, both lungs, and broke the far shoulder. It traveled a long way and was obviously a very devastating shot on the bear. He traveled a few strides and that was it. However, as you will see, the bullet did not expand very impressively. The shot was fairly close and I would expect more expansion a bit past the 100 yard mark and beyond.

Here it is.

Did you shoot your reloads over a chronograph?  Based on the pic of that bullet, I'd say 150gr Barnes should be left for .270WSM and not for the standard .270 Win.  It seems your MV must be very low for that bullet to not open up at a shot that close.   Hard to argue that the bullet failed when you recovered it out of a dead bear, but they really should open up a lot more, especially at 60 yards.