Old Rifles and Barnes Original Bullets. .277/180 gr RN. 7mm195 gr. RN, 30 cal 250 gr. RN,,,anybody else use them?

[Mustangs Rule]

My hunting partner of 40 years and I have been hunting with these extra heavy Barnes Original bullets for caliber round nosed bullets forever. I have a 1950's FN Belgium Mauser in .270 Winchester. He has a 7x57 Mauser ( That I sold him) and an original 1895 Winchester in 30-40, and uses the 195 gr and 250gr bullets respectively.

These bullets have a super thick copper jacket and lead core.

My 270 180 gr. RN has a SD of .332. It penetrates forever and allowed my .270 to "grow up". When I lived in Wyoming and hunted antelope in the Wind River range's high mountain meadows, thick with grizz. I always used them for antelope.

Using these bullets in fine old rifles has been pleasure. They are not tack drivers but will hold just over moa at 100 yards.

 

[std7mag]

When Barnes came out with their original X bullet it was a great bullet!

People were saying that with higher velocities that the petals would break off.
Causing multiple wound tracks while the base kept driving through.
Performed like a Hammer or Cutting Edge of today.

Then some idiot writer for one of the gun rags b****ed about "retained weight".

So Barnes changed the bullet to the junk that it is today to appease the masses that listened to said writer.

I've had 2 friends with good hits (I saw the impacts) that resulted in one deer recovered about 1/2 mile or more and one not recovered.

I know some people like them and use them successfully, but I wouldn't let my dog hunt with them!

 

[TN2shot07]

When Barnes came out with their original X bullet it was a great bullet!

People were saying that with higher velocities that the petals would break off.
Causing multiple wound tracks while the base kept driving through.
Performed like a Hammer or Cutting Edge of today.

Then some idiot writer for one of the gun rags b****ed about "retained weight".

So Barnes changed the bullet to the junk that it is today to appease the masses that listened to said writer.

I've had 2 friends with good hits (I saw the impacts) that resulted in one deer recovered about 1/2 mile or more and one not recovered.

I know some people like them and use them successfully, but I wouldn't let my dog hunt with them!

Those original x bullets without the bands also fouled the hell out of your rifle, no thank you…

I think he’s actually talking about some ancient version of their very heavy, original lead core bullets. Much more limited offerings in those now

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Those original x bullets without the bands also fouled the hell out of your rifle, no thank you…

I think he’s actually talking about some ancient version of their very heavy, original lead core bullets. Much more limited offerings in those now

You are right. The first X bullets came out in 1989. I am talking about the Original ones Fred Barnes began making in 1939. I began using them in the late 1960's.

They were very heavy for caliber, for example the Round nosed.277 bullet for my 270 Win. was 180 grains. They really mushroomed, stayed together, penetrated forever, were kind to meat and did not fragment.

I still have a half box of the 180's for my .270

I literally took truckloads of wild black big tuskers Russian Boar on depredation permits hunting them in grainfields with those bullets. They really turned the 270 into big Big game caliber even on less than ideal shots.