ORIGINAL: Chasam60
I have read a lot on Barnes bullets,but have never tried them.My nephew shot a 5pt last week with a Federal 12ga Barnes expander. Recovered bullet was awsome. I want to shoot some in the Omega. My question is what is the difference between the expander MZ and the Spitfire?
Charlie
I am researching to go to a Barnes Bullet for my Savage 10ML2 smokeless muzzleloader. The Expander is a huge hollow point and the Spit Fire is a small hollow point that allows for more deep penetration. There are several different Barnes bullets that you use in a ML with different sabots, here they are:
Barnes #45105 275g XPB BC of .141, usiing HPH12
Barnes Expander MZ 300g #45131 BC .207, using HPH12
Barnes Origona 300g #457010 Spitzer SP BC .291, using MMP Orange or Crushed Rib Sabot ("Marriage made in heaven" is what one Savage shooter saidabout the crushed ribsabot and bullet combo in his Savage--fits "just right")
Barnes X-bullet 300g XFN 45832 BC .204, using MMP Orange
Barnes X-bullet 300g FB 45802 BC .235, using MMP Orange
Here is what I have read about the Barnes bullets for MLer use. Use the Expander for deer sized game because of the huge hollow point, it expand really well at low velocities, it would not go deep enough for elk sized game.
The Barnes XPB 275g is a pistol bullet, use that in deer size game (up to 400 lbs) for deeper penetation than the Expander, it has a hollow point not as deep as the Expander.
Barnes Origonal, is not all copper, but it retains over 70% of weight, use in 300g up to elk size game. Considered a very good bullet by several good Savage ML Shooters. Note the ballistic coefficient of this bullet is much higher than than all the other Barnes bullets. 222 yards MPBR in a Savage at around 2000 fps MV.
Barnes X-bullet 300g XFB is a boat tail X bullet. Retains 100% of weight. I don't know a lot of people who shoot this in a ML, but some do and love it.
Barnes X-bullet 300g FB is a flat base all copper X bullet, the flat base shoot better in MLer because of the sabot are all flat on the bottom. Retains 100% of weight. Several good Savage shooters shoot this in with the MMP Orange sabot.
I like the fact that the Barnesalways shoot thru game, always expand on impact to about 2x the bullet diameter. Always penetrate bone and never fragment on bone. Never fragment when shot at 2500 fps with some Smokeless powders (4198 for example). I like that they retain 100% of weight for the Expander, TMZ and X-bullet. The TMZ did NOT shoot good in my Savage. I want to play with different sabots for the Barnes.
That all I know based on my reading Cabelas Product Reviews, MidWay product reviews this forum and Doug's Savage Forum,
Best wishes
Chap Gleason