My experiance of Barnes X bullets is the following.
Some years ago I had a group of Americans hunting with me, one of whom worked for BarnesX and had loaded all the rounds for the hunt for the other 4 men. We were stalking Red Stags and Sika north of Inverness during the rut.
From my memory two clients hunted the first day, and the first stag although in easy range when shot at, re acted without showing a strike, although it ran down hill away from the hinds, which they very rarely do in the rut. Put down as a miss although suspicions were raised they went onto another stag, and after several hits managed to retrieve the beast. The exit wounds were tiny and once back in the larder it became apparent that the expansion was negligable and that in all likely hood the first stag had been hit.
This proved to be the point the next day we found it about a mile away, as luck would have it we could see the Ravens and crows feeding on it. Although the carcase was useless.
I then stopped the group using BarnesX and went over to Noslers. This proved succesful, until on an early morning stalk with one client using a 300 win mag left hooker, he put BarnesX in the mag. A Sika Stag was spotted by myself coming off the hill as the light came up. We were lying on a large rock against an old deer fence. Range about 130yds broadside. He hit the stag, and throught the binos I saw a strike in what I thought was over the top, but in fact was a direct hit. The stag ran as if unhurt and appeared OK, the client jumped up and I pushed him back down as the Stag had no idea where we were. The client sprung up again and discharged the rifle which had a muzzle brake on it right next to my head. This blew me off the rock, and onto the ground. As I got back up I watched the beast as it fell over, having covered a distance of over 300 yds. Only then did the client realise what he had done.
Needless to say my impressions of BarnesX bullets and the client were to say the least unfavourable. It all happened in a split second and it took me a considerable time to regain my hearing and a certain amount of vision.
Some years after this episode in my life as a professional guide, I was approached by a very professional stalker who was culling Reds, on I think Isla, or Jura ( the place where Simon King Films and Bill Odd ball) SNH or who ever it was insisted on using BarnesX to stop LEAD polution
The stalker in question asked me about my experiance with BarnesX and he had encounterd the same issues. Shortly after they changed to ordinary Noslers, no more wounded deer.
On refelection I thinkl they are too hard for soft skinned game over here, but in Africa they work a treat, so I have been told. Having hunted Africa 6 times and taken dangerous game, I have always used Noslers and Hornaday Solids.
That is my story gentlemen, I know some on here swear by solid copper bullets, and will now probably tear me to pieces: so be it. But this is my experiance of BarnesX bullets.