I have seen MANY animals killed with Barnes bullets. The key to them working well is impact velocity.
2300 FPS and over, they work perfectly (most times). From 2000 to 2300 impact velocity, they work well. (most times)
Under 2000 FPS on impact they tend to be a bit erratic because expansion is very limited or non-existent, but they can still kill super well because they tumble even when they don't expand. A tumbling bullet can be super deadly, but the down-side to this type of performance is the fact that a tumbling bullet (like a fragmenting bullet) often takes weird paths through the game, and it's not uncommon to hit an animal exactly where you want to and have such bullets turn inside the body and miss what you wanted to hit.
It's the hole that does the killing, and the bullet is the tool we use to make the holes. If the hole turns at odd angles you may kill like lighting, or you may have one turn and go where you didn't aim it.
So I think of Barnes bullets as High Velocity Bullets, (Or as close to mid range bullet.)
Look at the velocity your rifle and cartridge can give you, and look at the BC of the bullet you want to shoot and see the range it is down to 2000 FPS. That is the reliable effective range of that Barnes Bullet from your cartridge and rifle.
I seldom use them just because I have found I like the Nosler Partitions, various bonded bullets, and even cup and core bullets better overall because many of the rifles I love to hunt with are old fashioned and fire their bullets at between 2250 and 2650 from the muzzle, so in many cases the bullets getting down to 2000 FPS is not going to be that many yards of distance from my muzzles. From my 303, 300 Savages, 8X57 and many of my 165 and 180 grain 308 Winchester loads. Bonded, Partition and even good cup and core bullets work better at lower impact velocities for me in most cases. I do use the Barnex TMX at times from the following. 308 Winchester...130 grain. 1 deer. 3 antelope. 270 Winchester 140 grain 1 mule deer. 1 white tail deer. 30-06 150 grain (Pre TSX bullets) 1 elk. 300 H&H 165 grain (Pre TSX bullet) 4 deer. 1 elk. All the above have left me nothing to complain about at all, on every kill I have made with them.
I have loaded some ammo for my 25-06 with 115 grain Barnes TSX and also some 223s with 62 grain Barnes TSX, but so far I have not killed anything with them. I have seen Antelope and deer both killed with the same load from other's 25-06s and 3 elk killed with that bullet from my daughters and grand-sons 257 Roberts rifles, so I know how well it works, but I personally have not killed anything with them. (yet)
My friend Josh has killed about 15 coyotes and 2 deer with his AR15 in 223 with the 62 grain Barnes. It's worked very well, so I loaded some for myself, but I have not killed some much as a rabbit or prairie dog with one yet. Some day maybe.......
