Hello all,

I am a big fan of Barnes bullets. I have used them in Africa and on many game animals in the USA. I have become interested in North Fork Bullets due to a lot of posting from guys here.

I am interested in comments from guys that have used both Barnes and North Fork and how they compare.

Thanks...Jamie

quote:

Originally posted by Uglystick:
Hello all,
I am interested in comments from guys that have used both Barnes and North Fork and how they compare.

Thanks...Jamie

I've used both and the Northforks do not give me the copper fouling like the Barnes did.

The A-Frames and Northforks and TBBC bullets are all exceptional bullets.....IMO they are all roughly equal and the best you can buy today!

North Fork are quite similiar to Swift A frames so if you have had any prior experience with A frames you would know. The ribbed shank aids in acheiving same velocities with less powder and less fouling. Barnes is an exceptional bullet, no doubt about it. I have many of Barnes and Swifts as collectables and one North Fork from a .338-06-I'd say take your pick as they are all just fine for killing and performing excellent!

The NF & Swift are really nothing alike in construction. The NF is close to the TBBC w/ less fouling due to the rings cut into the shank. The NF is a great bullet giveing the accuracy you want from a mono solid bullet w/ the terminal performance of a bonded lead soft point. I have not hunted w/ the Barnes but I have w/ the NFs & they are easier to get top accuracy from.

fred you got into the particulars of it being a mono solid and performaning like a bonded soft point. mine was just a plain jane field study or use. that shank of a mono solid was apparent in my use with the NF and bonding was obvious, bullet weight unfired 225grn. upon retreival and cleaning 189grns.-one tough bullet!

Uglystick ----- I have been a beleaver in premium bullet since 1973, when I first started reloading. My first venture was for Elk and the rifle was a .300 Winny. I was using the old turned Nosler Partitions and they served me well on Elk, Caribou and Brown Bear. I also started shooting many more rifles from .338 Win up to .416 Rigby. Along the way I found Barnes bullets and while I continued to use the Partitions for my old favourites I tried the original Barnes and then the blue coated Barnes and they served me well and for a couple of my rifles I still use them, because of a supply I built up while using them. The Barnes TSX is a great bullet and I still shoot it in some of my rifles. I then started to use some Swift A-Frames and found them very tough and in one case very accurate, but as a whole not as accurate as some of my old tried and true loads. ----- Then I found North Forks and WOW did I get my head turned. My thing is pin-point accuracy with the larger stuff for Elk-Moose-Bear type animals in our Western states and Canada and Alaska and then the African animals of all sizes. I shoot extensively three days a week like many people play golf, for me and my private range and my reloading room, this is my world. When I found the North Fork bullets and tested their toughness and discovered their accuracy I knew good design and manufacturing finally paid off for todays hunters. I have taken many Elk and Deer with them as well as Impala, Kongoni, Zebra and Cape Buffalo. My son and two of my six grandsons have used them on Elk and Deer, with many more to follow. I have dozens of targets with one hole groups and a few recovered bullets as evidence as to their effectiveness. A .416 Rem bullet of 370 grains that retained 99.1 percent of it's weight after traversing a Cape Buffalo and lodging in his neck bone, perfectly mushroomed. A 270 grain .358 Caliber bullet from my son's .358 STA that blew through both shoulders of a Bull Elk at 125 yards and penetrated a bedded down Cow Elk head 25 yards beyond, finally recovered on the opposite side of the cranium as evidence, with 91 percent retained weight. A .358 270 grain bullet from my STA that had 85% retained weight from a bullet that took a Kongoni (Hartbeest). These are some of my experiences that attest to the good design of the North Fork bullet. In my opinion it is a shame they never get exposure from the so called experts who manage to shoot everything else under the sun and publish reams of paper in the national mags. Maybe they will wake up and shoot something else and discover a real bullet and what it can do. Thanks for asking the question, it gave me a chance to get on my soap box. Good shooting.

Here's another vote for the Northfork. I've used Swift A Frames, Barnes, and Northfork on game. I like em all, and have never lost an animal with any of these designs, but the Swift and Northforks have given me the best accuracy, less fouling, and better consistency across the board.
The so-called experts don't write about the Northforks because the publications for which they write sell lots and lots of advertising space to the larger companies. And-----those same companies fund trips and junkets for professional writers.
Northfork offers a great product.

Thank You ALL !!! Especialy Phurley5 for the input and information.

I have been very pleased with Barses X and TSX but I am always looking for better performance.

I have a classic Barnes X story of penetration and bullet weight retention. I shot my first Cape Buffalo in Tanzania in 2003. I used a 458 loaded with a 500 grain x bullet and 500 grain solids. The first shot was the X bullet into the Buffs left shoulder at 45 yards. The Buff turned and ran and I pumped him with the 2 solids that I had left in the rifle. The buff went down and died in 60 yards. The X bullet was found under the skin on the opposite shoulder and was perfectly petaled open. The X bullet took out both lungs and the heart and broke the near shoulder. RETAINED WEIGHT 498 GRAINS. The solids went up the buffs ass and broke his pelvis, one exited his chest and the other was found under the skin in his neck. THAT SOLID WAS 500 GRAINS and other than rifling marks it was not deformed at all.

The only disapointment I have with Barnes is I don't recover many and I realy like finding a bullet and checking it out to see what kind of job it has done. I know this is a petty thing to complain about because full penetration means the bullet is doing a great job.

I have only recovered one other Barnes X and that was from a big whitetail up here in Maine that I shot last year. I shot it with my Marlin Guide gun in 45 70. 300 grain X bullet pushed to 1900 fps. The bullet went in hard quatering away at 50 yards behind the ribs and I found it bullet in the bucks neck. This one lost all but one petal and was down to 245 grains.

I will try to post some pics of my recovered bullets when I get a chance so other bullet freaks like me can enjoy.

BTW based on advice I am going to try some 200 grain North Forks in my 300 win mag and maybe some 250 or 270 grainers in my 375 H&H.

Ugly, you will like Mike's bullets, there are none better for hunting IMO. FWIW, I have hunted w/ the Nosler partitions for years & can say I have only recovered one of those as well. Premiums just do that, but other will disagree w/ their effectiveness based on cost. For me, the bullet cost is negligent, even for deer hunting. The freaking gas cost more than I spend on all my ammo for any hunt.