Guess the crap bullet?

[Biggerhammer]

A good friend took a youngster out last year for Mule deer. When the shooting was all over and the deer was down, these two bullets were recovered from the buck. Both were good hits by any standard, the bullet just failed to perform as advertised. I have never personally hunted with this brand, reason enough not to. In the end the buck was dead so all and all it did the job but I could have been a whole lot cleaner of a experience for the young man, had the bullet performed as well as let's say a Accubond.

Bad batch? Who knows but it happens often if you spend allot of time on the numerous shooting/ hunting forums out there. More often than not this brand bullet is not recovered due to complete pass throughs. I'm not a fan of two holes. Some are, I prefer one in and just under the off side hide but that's just me I guess? The only time I demand two holes through the front shoulders is on bear. This type of failure can go unnoticed with such a low recovery percentage.

One was shot at a range of 240 yards and the other at 360 yards. Handloads by a guy definitely in the know how and just under max in the book.

[headshot5]

I have seen failures like that on a couple elk (I was not shooter).  I think that is why the tipped version came out to make expansion more reliable.  I prefer lead in my bullets, so I don't use them.  Plus I can get better bullets (IMO) for cheaper.     

[mountainman]

The Tipped Barnes ar amazing. Every bit as an Accubond, which is also a great bullet! I used the Tipped on my African safari last year, quite a few critters, lowly .308 winnie, one shot per! Yes, shot thru every one but one. Found on off side..nothing moved more than a couple yards. Do not like the Triple bullet, but the Tipped?? Well, does what is needed and it proves itself!

[Maligator]

I'm an Accubond guy myself. Haven't really gotten into the solid copper bullets yet, not sure if I will unless lead gets outlawed like shotshells.

[Biggerhammer]

I'm an Accubond guy myself. Haven't really gotten into the solid copper bullets yet, not sure if I will unless lead gets outlawed like shotshells.

Carps tried the Nosler E-Tip and or has been present when animals have been taken with them. He said they performed exellent. I may give the Nosler E-Tip a try this fall.

[Biggerhammer]

The Tipped Barnes ar amazing. Every bit as an Accubond, which is also a great bullet! I used the Tipped on my African safari last year, quite a few critters, lowly .308 winnie, one shot per! Yes, shot thru every one but one. Found on off side..nothing moved more than a couple yards. Do not like the Triple bullet, but the Tipped?? Well, does what is needed and it proves itself!

Maybe the Tipped TSX was their saving grace but for many years that wasn't a offering. Takes a bit to shed the poor reputation of the original non tipped TSX. By the way that was a 6mm 85gr launched by a .243 Winnie.

[BOWHUNTER45]

You know where I stand  It is kinda like asking what broadhead I shoot 

[carpsniperg2]

Had poor luck with the barnes bullets. The only ones I use is there muzzleloader bullet. Seen to mainly failures and got a box of mixed bullets from barnes that could have ended very badly.

My friend at nosler got me to try some etips. I have taken multiple animals with them and all of them have preformed flawlessly. The animals have been dead on impact with perfect bullet performance. If I remember right 2 bears and 2 boars.

I still love my accubonds and kill more critters with them then anything else. For a 90% weight retention and a hard hitting deep penetrating bullet the etip is the best solid copper bullet in my mind.

[snowpack]

I never really thought the TSX was a good option for little calibers/light bullets.  Copper takes some good momentum to really get the expansion started and keep it going.  Could you tell if the bullet tumbled?

[mountainman]

You know where I stand  It is kinda like asking what broadhead I shoot 

Montecs?
 

[Biggerhammer]

Had poor luck with the barnes bullets. The only ones I use is there muzzleloader bullet. Seen to mainly failures and got a box of mixed bullets from barnes that could have ended very badly.

My friend at nosler got me to try some etips. I have taken multiple animals with them and all of them have preformed flawlessly. The animals have been dead on impact with perfect bullet performance. If I remember right 2 bears and 2 boars.

I still love my accubonds and kill more critters with them then anything else. For a 90% weight retention and a hard hitting deep penetrating bullet the etip is the best solid copper bullet in my mind.

In your experience would you choose the Accubond or the E-Tip as your standard? Did you recover any E-Tips?

[Biggerhammer]

I never really thought the TSX was a good option for little calibers/light bullets.  Copper takes some good momentum to really get the expansion started and keep it going.  Could you tell if the bullet tumbled?

I always felt Barnes bullets and their construction were better suited for fast small diameter cartridges with some serious speed so as to hold together and penetrate. A .257 Weatherby magnum being a perfect example. I saw no need for that type of construction for let say your big thirties or larger. There are much better choices for dangerous game, solids being the main contender there. CEB's and such.

[carpsniperg2]

Had poor luck with the barnes bullets. The only ones I use is there muzzleloader bullet. Seen to mainly failures and got a box of mixed bullets from barnes that could have ended very badly.

My friend at nosler got me to try some etips. I have taken multiple animals with them and all of them have preformed flawlessly. The animals have been dead on impact with perfect bullet performance. If I remember right 2 bears and 2 boars.

I still love my accubonds and kill more critters with them then anything else. For a 90% weight retention and a hard hitting deep penetrating bullet the etip is the best solid copper bullet in my mind.

In your experience would you choose the Accubond or the E-Tip as your standard? Did you recover any E-Tips?

To tell you the truth, the accubond. For certain animals and hunts I will choose the etips. I still have no problem shooting anything that walks with a accubond. Yet the high weight retention 90-95% on the etips and super deep penetrating makes them great for super tuff game animals.

[Bofire]

I agree BH and if I remember the ranges when you first posted this, you did not have high velocity any longer. In my opinion the range was excessive for a 243 with any bullet. I think I remember 290 and 345 yards?? I love my 243 but it is a 250 yard deer gun max. for my ethical use. A wonderful 500 yard coyote gun tho.
my 2
Carl

[Biggerhammer]

I agree BH and if I remember the ranges when you first posted this, you did not have high velocity any longer. In my opinion the range was excessive for a 243 with any bullet. I think I remember 290 and 345 yards?? I love my 243 but it is a 250 yard deer gun max. for my ethical use. A wonderful 500 yard coyote gun tho.
my 2
Carl

I couldn't recall the exact ranges from the original post, I texted him a bit ago and those were the ranges he just sent me.

[Biggerhammer]

I agree BH and if I remember the ranges when you first posted this, you did not have high velocity any longer. In my opinion the range was excessive for a 243 with any bullet. I think I remember 290 and 345 yards?? I love my 243 but it is a 250 yard deer gun max. for my ethical use. A wonderful 500 yard coyote gun tho.
my 2
Carl

I attempted to take a Antelope at 700 yards with a .243 Winnie once. Made the hits with a very accurate rifle the deal was closed shortly after with a 25-06. The .243 was not up for the task. Even with solid hits. It may have been but we didn't give it the time to find out. It was all over in a minute.

Bang, Bang....... BOOM! FLOP!

[carpsniperg2]

I have only recovered 1 bullet. It was 92% weight if I remember right and opened nicely.

[JLS]

I've shot a lot of critters with the untipped TSX.  I've recovered a lot of them from my .338-06, as they always stick right under the hide on the offside.  Every one of them performed exactly as advertised.  Same with the 30-06, I recovered several of those.  All mushrooms with about 95% weight retention.  I haven't recovered many from my .243, but the few I have also mushroomed well.

With the .243 I've killed elk at 250, mule deer up to 350, and antelope at about 425.  Flawless performance on all.  Sorry you guys haven't had good luck with them.

[Biggerhammer]

I have only recovered 1 bullet. It was 92% weight if I remember right and opened nicely.

92% is great! Even with the Accubond shedding more weight they are true performers. Until the Accubond came out I was a die hard Ballistic Tip guy. Even in the big magnums due to the fact that we hardly shot anything in the open country over here under 300 yards. Past 300 the bullet had bled off enough velocity so as to,perform well a not fail and under penetrate like I have seen the BT's do at point blank. The 140 BT out of a 7mm Magnum being a prime example. Under 200 yards it was flat coming apart. 200 and beyond we always found them perfectly mushroomed on the off side under the hide. I and several friends killed allot of Mulies with the 140 BT/ 7 Mag combo. Now with the 140 Accubond I would have no reservations about point blank shots.

My brother shot a Mulie at 30 feet tops point blank head on chest shot with a 140 Accubond from a .270 WSM. That bullet traveled the full length of the deer and was under the hide at the back of one of the hind quarters. 70% weight retention and mushroomed perfectly. Now that's a bullet and that .270 WSM had some SPEED ON IT! 

[snowpack]

Yeah hammer, I guess I should've added some more.  I agree that the TSX works well for the small calibers at closer ranges when they still have the really high velocities.  That design of bullet seems (to me) to be real picky about its optimal velocity.  I don't care to shoot past a range with TSX where I don't suspect my velocity to still be above 2700 fps.  the smaller calibers tend to just slow down so much so quickly, I avoid it in them. 

[carpsniperg2]

I have only recovered 1 bullet. It was 92% weight if I remember right and opened nicely.

92% is great! Even with the Accubond shedding more weight they are true performers. Until the Accubond came out I was a die hard Ballistic Tip guy. Even in the big magnums due to the fact that we hardly shot anything in the open country over here under 300 yards. Past 300 the bullet had bled off enough velocity so as to,perform well a not fail and under penetrate like I have seen the BT's do at point blank. The 140 BT out of a 7mm Magnum being a prime example. Under 200 yards it was flat coming apart. 200 and beyond we always found them perfectly mushroomed on the off side under the hide. I and several friends killed allot of Mulies with the 140 BT/ 7 Mag combo. Now with the 140 Accubond I would have no reservations about point blank shots.

My brother shot a Mulie at 30 feet tops point blank head on chest shot with a 140 Accubond from a .270 WSM. That bullet traveled the full length of the deer and was under the hide at the back of one of the hind quarters. 70% weight retention and mushroomed perfectly. Now that's a bullet and that .270 WSM had some SPEED ON IT!

Still like my partitions and they have killed a lot of critters for me but they are nothing like my accubonds. In my mind the 270wsm and the 140 accubond is one of the best loads/rifles out there. I run accubonds/btips and etips in almost all my rifles. I run sierra in a couple and hornady in a couple but the majority of the boxes on my bench say nosler. I have recovered more then a few accubonds and they all seem to be in the 65-75% range. Which is great on the lighter skinned animals and it dumps tons of energy into the animals. The only thing I don't like about them and the btips are they blood shot like crazy. Btips of course more but both can ruin some meat. Yet the killing power on them in amazing. I just picked up some 125g'ers/30 cal to load up for the blackout. I am going to have someone shoot a deer with that load this year!