Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Your 1st Experience with an X Bullet

I can't recall if it was in the latter part of the 80s or maybe early 90s, but I tried them in a custom XP in .250 Savage. As long as I paid attention to copper fouling in the bore, they shot great and provided nice expansion in both test medium and game.

When my original supply ran out, I bought more -- but the results were not the same. They failed to expand on game and, other than the rifling, were almost pristine when taken out of test medium, much unlike the earlier batch. I contacted Barnes, and they asked me to send in the rest of the bullets and to pull all that I had loaded (well over 100). The acknowledged a metallurgy issue with certain lots and told me they'd send bullets to replace these. After checking with them three or four times over the next year or so, I quit calling -- and to this day -- several decades later -- they never sent those replacements LOL.

Much has improved since then.

I use generally use cartridges of moderate capacities, so Barnes bullets aren't often the best choice. But the 6.5mm 115 grain and the .30 cal 110 and 120 grain in the Tac-TX line are the exceptions, and I've used those with incredible results. The 95 grain TTSX designed for the SPC is also a winner for lower-velocity rounds.

I wish they'd offer a 7mm 120 grainer with similar expansion capabilities for the likes of the 7-30 Waters, etc.