BigIron:
In general beautifully...
I have used the uncoated ones, having not been able to try the coated ones...
In my 416 Rem rifle I get 1 to 2 MOA under field conditions and I can hit targets up to 300 meters. It seems to be a characteristic of Barnes X bullets that they shoot better in big bores. I have never been able to get the same accuracy from two 30-06 I also own, and I have tried everything, including voodoo...
I have used the Barnes X-400 on all sort of animals: warthog, impala, kudu, hippo (brain-shots), zebra, eland, springbock, buffalo, waterbuck and bushbuck. All animals, when well hit, have died in a short time. There is just no substitute for good bullet placement...
I have recovered some bullets from animals, and some of them in turn look like Barnes� propaganda photos. I have gotten many with up to 95% of remaining weight, but also some with only ca. 70% when they lost petals. In general they have opened up as advertised.
This happens mostly when no bone is struck, and bullets tend to lodge just under the skin at the opposite end of the entrance hole; sometimes the bullet actually turned 180 degrees around.
When I have hit bones, some or even all petals were lost, and the bullet looked like a solid. On small and medium game, like impala, bushbuck, kudu, etc. the bullet normally exits giving you good bloodtrails and surprisingly small meat damage (less than a 30-06). Penetration has been outstanding.
I have found that save for fouling, it is a very good bullet for Africa. I am a great believer in the one-rifle safari, and a single load is a complementary idea to this concept.
I can of course imagine situations where a solidlike behaviour exhibited by a bullet like Barnes X can lead you into trouble, but then, nothing in life is completely riskless.
I would like to try Gerards new bullets next and compare them with the results I got from the Barnes X...
Antonio
