Redmt
Well-known member
Has anyone shot the old Barnes 150gr. .308 xbt bullets? They have the blue coating on them. My research found a couple reviews saying that they need to be super-duper sonic to expand. A buddy gave me a box to play with.
Barnes xbt
- Thread starter Redmt
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VikingsGuy
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From what I read, they aren't appropriate for hunting use due to poor/no expansion. But I am sure there are some guys who have put meat in the freezer with them.
Redmt
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I wasn't thinking about hunting with them, there's too many other really efficient choices. I was kind of wondering if they would make for a good mid to long range target load? He has a couple hundred of them.
VikingsGuy
Well-known member
I doubt they have a great BC for serious long-range target use, but just for fun, I am sure they will fly straight.
Redmt
Well-known member
Maybe I'll just put them on the shelf for show and tell until primers become more available! Thanks for the input.
Don Fischer
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This never ending search for perfect items, in this case bullet's, is really screwy. Guy uses 180 gr core locks for 40 yrs in his 30-06 and had killed every animal with two shot's or less, mostly one shot and suddenly his bullet's need replaced with the latest and greatest! I wonder what it is these guys are really looking for?
VikingsGuy
Well-known member
Reducing lead in the environment, reducing lead in their food, better long-range performance, better powder efficiency, lower recoil, less wind drift, the joy of tinkering, . . . . Countless reasons to play with our toys.
A hundred years ago I suspect you were the guy saying whale oil gives him all the light he needs so why fuss with oil/gas/electricity. Or 400 years ago, that spears and longbow won all the wars they needed, so why mess with gun powder. SMH
Huntin' Fool
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Eat game most days - The science says lead is bad to eat. - Used copper the last few kills.
Redmt
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I vote for the joy of tinkering! The unending quest for knowledge! Besides that, If somebody gives you something to play with it's a requirement that you play with it!
Don Fischer
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I strongly doubt many hunter's really worry that much about lead in the environment or in their food! Tell them they are not allowed to hunt anymore because bullets have lead in them and they will revolt. Tell them these new bullet's are safer because they have no lead and they consider changing not so much because of the lack of lead but to keep on hunting. Then the idea of shooting extreme range for most people seems to be not shooting targets at 500 yds but game animals. Then the idea that lead free bullet's shoot flatter consumes a certain number even though flat is an imaginary term at 500 yds. Twenty some inch's drop at any range has no resemblance to flat.
VikingsGuy
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As usual, you missed the point.
Redmt
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Not only missing the point he missed the entire subject.
Don Fischer
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"Reducing lead in the environment". You can't possibly believe many hunters actually worry about that. hell lead comes out of the environment we hunt in! "Reducing lead in their food". I'm 76 years old been hunting all my life and I have never known one person that even got sick eating animals shot with lead bullet's. Know a lot that have picked lead shot out of birds they have killed and most people bite into a shot eating they spit it out. Imagine that! "better powder efficiency". Most people I know don't know squat about powder efficiency nor do they even care. What they want is a powder that they think allows them the shoot well! Is anything less powder efficient than a magnum cartridge? yet they sure are popular. So much for powder efficient! "Lower recoil". Easily handled by choice of the cartridge you use and the weight of the bullet. I strongly suspect a 150gr lead core bullet and a 150gr mono bullet from the same rifle recoil about the same. A lighter bullet in the same rifle will recoil less no matter what it's made of. "Less wind drift"! Really? Well, have to give a probably there but most people don't give wind a lot of though unless they are serious long range shooters. "The joy of tinkering". Seems to me that's what your doing with a good number of posts you make. These thing's you talk about and you have no way of actually measuring them unless you are a manufacturer. So had to go back and see what the point of the original post was. Not sure I know. has anyone shot the bullet's and a buddy gave him a box of them. so what's the point there? Sounds to me like asking opinion on a bullet's but God forbid any other option might be mentioned. it's opinion's! You really like to run your mouth, get's people to shut up and not say anything after you have spoken the gospel, that's what you make me think. So what the point. here's the point. Come's to anything you say anyone that might believe different is obviously an ass! have a nice day!
Working on preserving my sanity. Welcome to my ignore list!
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Redmt
Well-known member
Every day is a nice day even when another cranky old dude gets in the middle of something that has nothing to do with my original post. Rant on dude!!
VikingsGuy
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Now that’s a relevant reply.
Don Fischer
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"Reducing lead in the environment". You can't possibly believe many hunters actually worry about that. hell lead comes out of the environment we hunt in! "Reducing lead in their food". I'm 76 years old been hunting all my life and I have never known one person that even got sick eating animals shot with lead bullet's. Know a lot that have picked lead shot out of birds they have killed and most people bite into a shot eating they spit it out. Imagine that! "better powder efficiency". Most people I know don't no squat about powder efficiency nor do they even care. What they want is a powder that they think allows them the shoot well! Is anything less powder efficient than a magnum cartridge? yet they sure are popular. So much for powder efficient! "Lower recoil". Easily handled by choice of the cartridge you use and the weight of the bullet. I strongly suspect a 150gr lead core bullet and a 150gr mono bullet from the same rifle recoil about the same. A lighter bullet in the same rifle will recoil less no matter what it's made of. "Less wind drift"! Really? Well have to give a probably there but most people don't give wind a lot of though unless they are serious long range shooters. "The joy of tinkering". Seems to me that's what your doing with a good number of posts you make. These thing's you talk about and you have no way of actually measuring them unless you are a manufacturer.
Why don't you say what the subject is. You asked about a bullet that seems hard to find
OK there's your post. What's your point? That OLD Barnes 150 gr .308 bullet's have a blue coating? maybe that your research says they need to be driven super-duper sonic to expand? So does an FMJ! What kind of bullet is this. I assume it's a copper bullet with probably a hollow point. My own test years ago showed HP bullets with lead cores had a habit of closing up the point and bending. I'm pretty sure mono bullet's without a plastic tip run the same risk. A buddy gave you a box to play with? Well good for you, play with them!
Here we go. Couple post's later you say your not thinking about hunting with them but wondering if they will make good mid to long range target loads. if that's it then why did you mention a need to be driven at super-duper velocity to expand? In target shooting expansion seems to have little to do with it. You and the brain from Twin Cities have a ball with yourselves!
Redmt
Well-known member
Jeez just a bored old guy looking for a internet fight? Another coward behind a keyboard. It's kinda pathetic to see senior citizens with nothing better to do than try and cause problems. I feel sorry for you. Guess what Bubba? I won't play.
Caseknife
Well-known member
The only Barnes that I have recovered and have not expand properly in 25 years or so of using them was one of the original "X" bullets in 6mm. Shot a big muley buck going away on a bench below, the bullet hit between his shoulders and ended up in the neck at the base of the skull. The recovered bullet was complete, not expanded and the tip was bent. The "XLC" that you have were of the same design, only coated with a friction modifier. Never did shoot them, so, all that said, can't help, sorry.
I've shot and used Barnes "X" since they first came out. The Blue Coated "XLC" are "slick as snot" and really need a LEE Factory Crimp Die to get a decent "bullet pull" upon ignition. otherwise, your velocity/accuracy gets wonky. In a 338 WM, I could never get enough powder in the case ( either R19 nor H4350) to get any real speed with the 185 XLC. There was no LEE FCD back then either. Still going a tad over 3000fps but no speed demon. I shot alot of the uncoated XBT Barnes and they shot very well. When the TSX came out, they shot like Match bullets and did not foul like the older ones. "Sometimes" they didn't open, as some have testified. However, the new Tipped TSX is the berries! AND, the LRX is even better than that one! Whoopee! You can shoot the XLC 150s. Load 52gr of IMR 4064 and have a ball!
