Does anyone know what the percentage of weight loss is for an X bullet that loses it's petals. I assume it would be somewhere around 20% but I'm not really sure. I'm trying to decide whether it's worth while moving up to heavier bullets for bigger game. I think it's not really too necessary. A 200 grain Nosler Partition might weigh 150 grains when it exits so a 165 grain X bullet would end up exiting with the same or more weight.
I dont know for sure, but on barnes bullets i have seen, i have never seen one break a petal. We were shooting them into a gravel mound and digging them out and they looked good and had all their petals yet, just dinged up they retained over 96% of their weight. We were shooting 250's out of a 35 whelen and 180's out of a 30-378 weatherby mag.
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Barnes I have yet to see the Nosler Partition of ANY weight that will out perform an Xbullet. Dont get me wrong, the partition is a good bullet. But IMHO the Xbullet is a GREAT bullet. The experiences I have had with 130s and now the 150 Lazerheads from my Warbird lead me to believe that you dont need ANYTHING over 180 grains in a 30cal supermag. John Lazzeroni, love him or hate him, has spent ALOT of time testing bullets on gel, targets AND animals. He is not hesitant to put the 150 Lazerhead up against ANY 180grain. And that includes penetration into animals in the elk, moose and larger African plains game variety!
I think technology has actually allowed a "turn about" with respect too bullet peformance and parameters. You used to have to shoot heavier bullets in magnums to prevent blowup due to velocity. That sacrificed the magnums number one benefit, velocity which spells better trajectories. Now with bullets like Xbullets, Accubonds, Scirrocos etc... you dont have to sacrifice velocity and trajectory in your magnums. We can drop back too 130-165grn selections without suffering loss of penetration.
And doubly, if you want extra penetration from low velocity calibers like 270-30/06 etc then go with bullets like a 180 Triple Shock. They dont require alot of velocity to go in, go deep and do alot of damage.
That's what I was thinking. I shoot 150gr X bullets in my 300 Weatherby and was toying with moving up to 180gr for black bear. I don't want to buy more bullets and deal with changing my scope's zero between bear and deer season. I belive the 150gr X bullet can break both shoulders on a 500lb bear and exit with no problem but I just wanted to see what everyone else thought. I shoot Triple Shocks and I think I'm getting around 3,450fps but I've never chronied them.
I find 180gr barnes flys better in 1 in 10 twist barrels like my RUM or your Weatherby than the 150. To me the big 300's deserve 180gr bullets. My 308's and 06's seem to like 150 to 165gr. I bet your animals will never know the difference.
Red, my experience with the Scirocco in my .300 Weatherby has proven to me that it is not in the same league as the Barnes X, Partition, Northfork, etc... when it comes to penetration. It's not even close. In fact, I don't consider it to be in the same league as some "standard" bullets. It has a tendancy to pancake all the way down to the base, thus creating a huge frontal area which substantially limits penetration. I won't use them any more in my .300 Wby or anything else for that matter. The Barnes Triple Shock is about all I'm using now in the Wby and it's quickly becoming my favorite bullet for just about every rifle I've got.
SM I agree that a Scirocco isnt a Xbullet as is neither the Accubond. I only include them for those who believe that they MUST shoot a ballistic tip type bullet or their magnums arent going to fly any better than their 270s they replaced. IMHO NOTHING compares with an Xbullet particularly the Triple Shock. Now we have a bullet that does it all, drives nails, penetrates like a solid and has the shape and sizes to fly long and still hit hard. And you're right about using them in other guns, I bought a box of the new Federal Vital Shok's with the 180 Triple Shocks for my ol 06 that I plan on using next weekend in the hardwoods of southern MO.
The next arguement is "yeah well the Barnes' are solid copper so they fouls alot and require extensive cleaning". What does a bullets interior makeup have to do with its external properties? EVERY bullet has a copper jacket and fouls just as much as an Xbullet. The competitors will never stop their attacks.
EVERY bullet has a copper jacket and fouls just as much as an Xbullet. The competitors will never stop their attacks.
Not true at all.Most bullet manufacturers do not use jackets made pure copper.They use jackets composed of alloys that do not foul as much.Some exceptions are scirroccos and bearclaws which foul just as badly in my rifles.
Nothing copper fouls my barrels like Barnes X Bullets. and I do mean nothing. I like the performance of Barnes X bullets and I have used them for years. I don't use them much anymore though. The Partition does all I will ever need from a bullet and does it without the excess fouling. Should I ever need a bullet with more Penetration than the Partition, I would use the X bullet. 99 percent of my Partitions exit the animal. Thats all the penetration I need.
Barnes X Question
