Just received my November issue of Rifle magazine (ok, ok I know you US guys probably got this issue some 2 months ago...). Dave Scovill has an article about a new Barnes bullet, labelled "MR-X". Bit of a mixture between a Ballistic Tip (plastic tip), Fail safe (solid front and rear core), TSX (bands on the sides) and a Speer GS Solid (tungsten core).

Sure looks interesting! And I can see the point of trying to make bullets with the same structural integrity as (TS)X or Fail Safe, but with shorter overall lengths. Case in point, a 270 grs TSX is almost too long to fit in a .375 H&H - it sure must be seated deeply to fit in a .375 sized mag box!!

Non-lead core bullets seem to be all the rage here in Europe at the moment. Hardly an issue of my German hunting magazine passes by, without some new non-lead bullet presented. Somebody must be expecting a lead bullet ban pretty soon, or so it would seem What happened in Sweden, did they eventually ban lead bullets?? Or is it not over yet??

It also strikes me, how fortunate we have been as reloaders and hunters over the last couple of years. I can't remember any period during my (admittedly modest) shooting career, when so many new bullets were introduced on the market, during such a short period of time. Here is to the innovation of the bullet manufacturers of this World!!

- mike

mike

to coin one of john barsness's phrases, "every tuesday we are embraced by a new bullet and powder."

for 50 years of my reloading career i got along with 3031, 4350 and 4831. for pistols unique, bluedot, reddot, bullseye. now i have 30 some canisters of assorted and sundry powder canisters in my basement and still find myself running out and buying more. it's a disease. i'm not even going to mention my bullet cabinet.lol

it's fun and it keeps me off the streets and out of the bars.

and yes you are correct to say we are fortunate? to have all this new stuff to play with. i wouldn't want it any other way.

you mention all this stuff, but look at the deluge of new cartridges to come out in the last few years. wow. it's incredible.

Barnes has been going nuts with new designs the last 5 years or so. On the one hand it is nice to see technology moving forward. On the other hand--- I find it a bit frustrating. Barnes changes the bullet shape, adds a coating, or adds the bands. With the changes occuring seemingly lot to lot, it leaves me with loads developed for bullets that are no longer in production. Thus, I have to start over load development again. With Barnes product running about $1.25 a shot -- it gets expensive fast! Also, loading for 15 different centerfire rifle calibers, I can not afford to purchase several hundred projectiles for each chambering. It can be an expensive and frustrating situation.

It almost seems the Barnes bullets are obsloete by time time you can find reloading data for them.

Eventually I want to go lead free, but I'm still waiting for better prices. Even the partiton is cheap compared to the monometals.

My question is---Why a plastic tip? Does that mean they've realized they are getting inconsistent expansion with their current setup?

SBB

quote:

Non-lead core bullets seem to be all the rage here in Europe at the moment. Hardly an issue of my German hunting magazine passes by, without some new non-lead bullet presented. Somebody must be expecting a lead bullet ban pretty soon, or so it would seem What happened in Sweden, did they eventually ban lead bullets?? Or is it not over yet??

Mike-

Göran Persson has joined the line of hunters

The ban has been postponed with the motivation that more research is required. Rumors from the corridors of power say there will be no ban. I hope this ban has turned into "a flying Dutchman". Perhaps some slug head finally understood that the environmental impact of lead bullets is very small, copper and other substitutes are also toxic. The amount of lead spread by the shooting community is not even a whiz in the seven seas. The largest amount of lead is from the industry, vehicle and transport sector.

On a few occasions I used Barnes X, some of the bullets have failed to expand. Which brings up a moral/ethical aspect of hunting.

Regarding use of lead shots over wetlands, scientist has conducted a few studies and results show that ducks and geese are affected by swallowing lead pellets.

Hasn’t Denmark and Norway banned use of lead in shotguns?

Cheers
/JOHAN

quote:

The largest amount of lead is from the industry, vehicle and transport sector.

This is no lie ...

Chris

Johan, I'm pleased to hear, that the Swedish authorities have at least postponed a possible ban on lead bullets. Bans of this nature often seem to have "domino effect", and encourages do-gooders in other countries.

- mike

Mike

I think Finland had a test bad on lead and scrapped the entire project.

Greenies and Taliban's have a lot in common than they like to admit. Both groups are just as enlightened and open to the bitter truth. Oh, both groups also wants to bring the civilisation back to "medieval standard".

Cheers
/JOHAN

I have a theory that a plastic meplat will improve the reliablity of expansion in copper bullets.

My thinking is that the copper meplat requires the integrity of the metal to keep tearing the bullet open while a soft lead core will expand anyway. Also a hollow pointed copper bullet can have it's petal(s) folded inwards and that might cause it to fail to expand also. That could happen from recoil in the magazine, handling etc.

I have not seen the new Barnes bullet.

For the information of our European members there is a ban in the USA on waterfowl hunting with lead shot. Steel and bismuth have been substituted. The steel shot is not good for some old shotguns they say.

quote:

Thus, I have to start over load development again. With Barnes product running about $1.25 a shot -- it gets expensive fast! Also, loading for 15 different centerfire rifle calibers, I can not afford to purchase several hundred projectiles for each chambering. It can be an expensive and frustrating situation.

Just another one of the reasons that I shoot Hornady & Nosler!

Just another one of the reasons that I shoot Hornady & Nosler! Wink

Exactly! The drums of the enviromentalists are warming up guys! I can see the beginning of a fight right here in the U.S. People the use monolithic bullets are just adding fuel to the fire that will end up with an all-out ban on lead in bullets!

On another note, take a look at the article by Bryce Towsley in the latest rifleman about the Federal fusion bullet! Another answer to the bonded bullet question. I would look forward to loading these myself, IF they were to become available! I wouldn't stoop so low as to BUY a box of them! Egad buy factory loads!! Well maybe if only to test for grouping and expansion??

quote:

With Barnes product running about $1.25 a shot -- it gets expensive fast!

Just where are you buying your barnes bullets and in what caliber?Even in Canada I am only paying about $40Canadian for 50 bullets.

Yeah, that's about correct. Midway sells 50 .284 TSX's for about $25.00.