Barnes Varmint Bullet !

just

Well-Known Member
Hi there, just bought some Barnes Burner VLC 40 grain in .22 for my Hornet, they're blue and dry film coated ?? Any one got any experience of them !? Thank's..:confused:
 
Moly Coated? If so, somebody sold you some very old stock: ten years at least. Moly coating was found to be of 0-benefit, if not slightly detrimental.(Claims that the coating residual in the barrel hurt accuracy with non-coated bullets. I steered clear of commercial moly so I can't help there) You can't give away moly bullets here. Hope they shoot for you though~Muir
 
I have used Barnes bullets and will happily share my experiences. I gained interest in Barnes due to using too soft projectiles (Hornady SST) on deer and was so frustrated that I wanted really hard bullets.
To answer Muir, Barnes never moly coated their bullets. The dry blue coating just is refering to is a proprietary coating developed by and only used by Barnes (called XLC). Muir is correct that this is old stock as Barnes no longer offer this coating (I personally could not confirm the proud claims Barnes had for this product and as it is no longer offered, I am obviously not alone in this). I saw these bullets available still a couple of years ago so I can't agree with Muir with the 10 year claim.
I agree with Muir in regards to moly coating though - accuracy was an issue for me too and the longer barrel life was a given if I never used the rifle if I couldn't hit anything with it (excuse the cyncism).
I have heard of and personally experienced a number of unusual accuracy problems with Barnes Bullets (my experiences a couple of years old, so I assume that these bullets have developed and improved). In 2006 I loaded my Mauser 66 (243 cal.) with Barnes XLC. Played around and got a load which shot 4 cm groups at 100 metres. A good friend was at the range (previous state shooting champion in hunting discipline) and tried them in his Blaser 93, with 63cm groups (yes: sixtythree centimeters)!!! The 4 cm grouping was confirmed again with him shooting my Mauser, his rifle shot 2cm with his handloads, but there was no way after several attempts back and forth that he could group better with his Blaser. So, the Barnes bullets are (or certainly used to be) very finnicky in regrads to spacing distance off the rifling, and other spacing needs to be spot on. We used them on Roe and Red Deer and were not overly impressed as the bullets were very hard and always exited but didn't expand on the way giving off energy with subsequent damage to organs and very small exit wounds. Animals were all recoverd (dead) after considerably longer dashes than we experienced with more traditional hunting bullets.
So, just, play with the bullets and I am sure with some work ( and keeping a careful eye on measurements) you will be able to develop some really good rounds for your rifle and get pelts with very little damage but will have to walk a little further to pick up your game. Hope that helps...
 
I have used Barnes bullets and will happily share my experiences. I gained interest in Barnes due to using too soft projectiles (Hornady SST) on deer and was so frustrated that I wanted really hard bullets.
To answer Muir, Barnes never moly coated their bullets. The dry blue coating just is refering to is a proprietary coating developed by and only used by Barnes (called XLC). Muir is correct that this is old stock as Barnes no longer offer this coating (I personally could not confirm the proud claims Barnes had for this product and as it is no longer offered, I am obviously not alone in this). I saw these bullets available still a couple of years ago so I can't agree with Muir with the 10 year claim.
I agree with Muir in regards to moly coating though - accuracy was an issue for me too and the longer barrel life was a given if I never used the rifle if I couldn't hit anything with it (excuse the cyncism).
I have heard of and personally experienced a number of unusual accuracy problems with Barnes Bullets (my experiences a couple of years old, so I assume that these bullets have developed and improved). In 2006 I loaded my Mauser 66 (243 cal.) with Barnes XLC. Played around and got a load which shot 4 cm groups at 100 metres. A good friend was at the range (previous state shooting champion in hunting discipline) and tried them in his Blaser 93, with 63cm groups (yes: sixtythree centimeters)!!! The 4 cm grouping was confirmed again with him shooting my Mauser, his rifle shot 2cm with his handloads, but there was no way after several attempts back and forth that he could group better with his Blaser. So, the Barnes bullets are (or certainly used to be) very finnicky in regrads to spacing distance off the rifling, and other spacing needs to be spot on. We used them on Roe and Red Deer and were not overly impressed as the bullets were very hard and always exited but didn't expand on the way giving off energy with subsequent damage to organs and very small exit wounds. Animals were all recoverd (dead) after considerably longer dashes than we experienced with more traditional hunting bullets.
So, just, play with the bullets and I am sure with some work ( and keeping a careful eye on measurements) you will be able to develop some really good rounds for your rifle and get pelts with very little damage but will have to walk a little further to pick up your game. Hope that helps...

I did mis write, I should have written ten years at worst, as they were marketed in 2000 if I recall correctly. Don't know when they were dropped but I believe they are not available any more. Could have sworn they had a molybdenum-based coating. Ah. No surprise. I'm getting old...:old:~ Muir
 
Hi there and thank's ! Am i likely to harm the barrel with these 'unusually' coated heads !? :-| Considering iv'e spent thousands in the local gun shop over the last couple of years, one would imagine they could supply me with the appropriate heads - these were the only ones available !! FAO will have to up the holding of 100 on this next varation coming, this is no good !!:mad: considering a round trip to the nearest proper gun store is 4 hours !!:cuckoo:
 
Hi Just,

I do not consider that the Barnes brass pills will harm your barrel. I wanted to subtly indicate that precise loading and measurements need to be maintained to get the best accuracy out these bullets and the accuracy can, if you simply use the loading dies without adjustment for these heads, be mind blowingly bad. I was not impressed by the terminal performance on game (probably very good on Cape Buffalo and other really hard game, but I haven't seen any in German forests lately), and this, more than accuracy issues, made me move away from the Barnes pills to more traditional boded bullets which performed far better on game (personally I like Norma Oryx, Nosler Accubond and Woodleigh). I would suggest to try the Barnes XLC /VLC out, at worst you'll be one experience richer...
 
I don't think I'd venture into the longer bullet for a 1-16" 22 Hornet' especially given the magazine OAL restrictions of the CZ. I would bite the bullet (sorry for the pun) and buy a large quantity of one kind of bullet and work with it. I like Midway's "Dog Town" 34 grain. Relatively high BC for a light bullet (.139 @ 3000 fps /3500 ft) and inexpensive. I buy them in 1000 lots.~Muir
 
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