pahntr760

Has anyone looked at the Barnes MRX bullets? (Maximum Range X). Just wondering if you all have and how you like em. They seem to be a sort of hybred TSX and ballistic tip?

handloader1

Too expensive!! Good luck.

ranger140892

They're right at $1 a bullet. Outragous.
It's a good idea, though it wasn't Barnes' idea. Tungsten cores allow for a shorter bullet than one of the same weight, made of copper only. Shorter equals more stability and a little less copper fouling.
But after all is said, any quality lead core bullet will match or outperform it.

uncle_motorhead

There isn't a better bullet than the new MRX's.They don't blow up and shed the core like the bal tips or other lead core bullets do. They retain 99 percent original weight, are shorter than the all copper bullets and you don't get lead poisoning making you forget things like the lead bullets do. Besides even @ $1 each if you shoot 50 per season that doesn't buy the gas for your 4x4 for a weekend. Why shoot inferrior bullets? Unless you want to lose memory and want to wound and lose your animal? (I wouldn't use them on varmits though)

ranger140892

I really like Barnes bullets in a couple of my guns. But their claim of zero weight loss is more than an exageration. Over the years I've recovered about 15 of them and I've seen weight loss in every one.
A couple had all four petals broken off, and some just lost pieces. I just pulled the three I still haveout of my reloading bench and weighed them. Average weight retention on the three is 88%. None of these had petals missing. Still damn good though.

skeeter 7MM

I can't even get my hands on any MRX's if I wanted to, being so new and in limited supply.

Uncle moterhead what has your experience been with the MRX? Game, etc. Curious to see how they perfrom in comparison to the TSX. I haven't seen to many field reports with this bullet so please share your with us. Thanks

bigcountry

Wow, since they have just hit the market, is your glowing praise just from what you read, or the multiple animals you shot with them?

ranger140892

That's what I'm thinking

uncle_motorhead

Most of my experience is with the XLC's and triple shocks. However I got a box of 30 cal 165gr MRX. My 30-378 Wby (Sako TRGS) shoots them @ 3650 fps.(110 gr RL22 but please start 10 gr lower and work up) I have another box ordered from Midway USA. (I use 120 gr RL25 for the 130gr XLC's @ 3980 fps My main whitetail old load) When I shoot these Mrx's into soaked but drip dry phone books they do not lose the petals, open nearly perfectly even when shooting at an angle. When I shot it into an 8" oak log it lost the petals, had almost 1/2 inch frontal area and went out the other side. I dug it from the ground and it weighed 127gr. I've killed a coyote and a whitetail with the MRX 165 & 30-378 Wby. Obviously I didn't find the one from the coyote. On the whitetail it went through both front shoulders and was caught on the far side hide. (430 yards) and he actually ran 20 yards with the heart and lungs blown apart and both shoulders shattered. Weight 157gr diam .673" across the petals. I haven't recovered any (X bullets) that had petals blown off on whitetail. Actually I have very few that didn't go out the other side even from my 270 win and 6mm (only one killed with the 6 but who knows how many the 270 has dropped). I also load for my buddies 300 Wby but don't thinkwe've found a bullet in a deer from it. (I load for a couple 06's and a 7mm rem mag but use the Lazzeroni 120 gr 3800+fps for the 7 but that is another story) I guess the most amazing thing is nearly all deer only go 3 feet after impact and you don't get lead poisoning. Back when I was shooting Bal tips all I did was track wounded deer and we would recover the boattail base (and bullet dust). I have a video of an entrance hole 6 inches in diam from the bal tip (tracked him 1/4 mile before shooting him again) Also these MRX's seem to want more powder in the larger cases before you see pressure. When you see pressure you are a hundred fps faster than you imagined possible! If you want to keep your tracking skills shoot the other bullets. If you want to pick up your deer where you shot him, shoot Barnes X Bullets. By the way I am Very picky and very hard to please. But that is my experiences with them. Aren't you sorry you asked? (Yes I used to shoot partitions and black talons too)

skeeter 7MM

How is 157gr of 165gr bullet = 99% weight retention(your original comment)? This is based on your numbers and am just curious how you came up with the 99% retention, after recovering a bullet from the only biggame animal you used it on. Wet phone books, logs really mean little to me but hey if they do to you go hard!

Also I have never seen a deer with both shoulders shattered run anywhere? Furthermore if the scapula was indeed hit (the shoulder bone) with an MRX at 430yards then how did you destroy the heart? I have shot deer in the shoulders with BTat a lot closer ranges and haven'tblown upthe heart so this kind of strikes me as odd. Or do you consider the front leg of a deer the shoulder or lungs/heart all one.

My experience with deer and the BT doesn't ressemble yours. Iprefer behind the leg 1/3 up right where the heart and lungs meet or 1/4 away high lung out the opposite shoulder. With this shot placement I haven't tracked a deer further than 50 yards, in fact I only recall one deer making 100 yards with the BT. It works for me and our canadian bodied deer.

Any way thanks for your remarks. I like the TSX for elk and moose a lot, though I just can't get off of the NBT load. Shoots great and worked wonderfully...differents strokes I guess.

Good Luck