Varmint Grenades

[bearpaw]

Has anyone shot these Barnes bullets (Varmint Grenades) at 4000+ fps in .22 centerfires. I was wondering if anyone has experience with them and knows if there are any problems with them breaking up at high velocities.

THANKS 

[sisu]

I have the 40 gr 223 ready to go for this spring. Tried to use them last spring but we were blown out of Montana with snow, wind, sand, hail, lightning...
They pattern nice on my target

[MtnMuley]

I haven't personally put them past 4K, but have had them in the 3800 range.  I couldn't get them to group as well as the V-max's, and didn't see much difference with the final outcome with them either (animals).  I have friends that say they've had them break up on them though, but don't know what FPS they were shooting.

[bearpaw]

I have the 40 gr 223 ready to go for this spring. Tried to use them last spring but we were blown out of Montana with snow, wind, sand, hail, lightning...
They pattern nice on my target

Nice to hear about the pattern, I was wondering about that too. How fast do you think you are shooting them.

I was going to try them in a little faster gun!

[sisu]

I have the 40 gr 223 ready to go for this spring. Tried to use them last spring but we were blown out of Montana with snow, wind, sand, hail, lightning...
They pattern nice on my target

Nice to hear about the pattern, I was wondering about that too. How fast do you think you are shooting them.

I was going to try them in a little faster gun!

About 3310 ft per second.
BTY because of their shape compared to my Hornady V-max loads that I also use. I try to only shoot these out of my Weatherby, it has a slower twist than my Tikka.

[BlackRidge]

I havent pushed mine nearly as far as 4k, but down towards the 3,400fps range, they've performed very well

Haven't gotten to shoot as many as I'd like though, or messed with different recipes, mostly due to the great consistancy of vmax and nosler CT bst's

[Lowedog]

I haven't personally put them past 4K, but have had them in the 3800 range.  I couldn't get them to group as well as the V-max's, and didn't see much difference with the final outcome with them either (animals).  I have friends that say they've had them break up on them though, but don't know what FPS they were shooting.

I found them not to be nearly as accurate as V-max's also. 

[jackelope]

My 22-250 while I've never chrono'd it I assume is pushing 4k and it shoots bugholes at 100 yards and I've never seen any issues with them coming apart. With that said I've probably only fired 40-50 rounds with those bullets so that's probably not saying much.

[bearpaw]

I haven't personally put them past 4K, but have had them in the 3800 range.  I couldn't get them to group as well as the V-max's, and didn't see much difference with the final outcome with them either (animals).  I have friends that say they've had them break up on them though, but don't know what FPS they were shooting.

I found them not to be nearly as accurate as V-max's also. 

I picked up some 40 v-max's to try and was thinking of trying the Varmint Grenades too. Thanks for the info guys, I think I will get a small box to try first instead of the large box.

[Lowedog]

I was shooting the 36gr Grenades out of my .223 fyi.

[AWS]

Haven't worked with the 36gr VGs but have run som 62gr VGs through my 6mm/204 and they are very accurate but have left softball sized exits on double lunged coyotes,  55gr NBT Lead Frees are proving to be a better pelt hunting bullet.



AWS

[bearpaw]

Thanks Lowedog and AWS, maybe I should get a box of 36's and 40's?

AWS, that is exactly the kind of hole I want in a coyote,  the greenies have ruined the fur market anyway.

[jackelope]

I was shooting the 36gr Grenades out of my .223 fyi.

Mine are 36's too.

[Jamieb]

One of the guys I shoot sage rats with every spring got some loaded .223 ammo with 30gr varmint grenades, Somehow he gets to test bullets for barnes before they release them to the public. Those little varmint grenades are supper explosive, I could hear the "pop" when a bullets would hit target and parts flew in every direction. IMHO one of the best small critter bullets.
I wouldn't use them on anything lager then a prairie dog but smaller critters are turned to red mist.

[carpsniperg2]

Now don't get me wrong, I like Barnes bullets a lot! But I stopped shooting them for years, because of a mess up in the box of varmint grenades that I bought. They were ordered from cabelas. When I started reloading with them and seated a few just fine. Then grabbed about the 4 bullet, and put it in the case neck. It fell threw the neck into the case Thought the case neck was not sized right so threw it aside and grabbed the next one. Same thing happened  Pulled out the calipers and there were 20cal bullets mixed in with 22 cal bullets Barnes and cabelas got a few words after that. I guess I was not the first person to get one of the recalled boxes This was about 6 years ago.