Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Anything wrong with "X" bullets?

I'll share the moly limb with you...............

I really hate em.
I like to see the deer fall after I shoot. About half of the 20 whitetails and mule deer I've shot so far with 53 grain X's out of my .22 Cheetah - fell too fast for me to witness the fall. The others ran less than 10 yards. Darn those lousy, over-priced, fouling, innacurate, pencilling through, multi-ogived bullets anyways! I hate them so much!

Anybody know where one can get the Triple Shocks in .423? Thanks. "D"

It's not rocket science guys. I've never had a problem with an X not opening up, but if you're worried about it or like to see 'em drop on the spot, then break bone with them. It's that simple. Put an X of whatever flavor you like through a shoulder and it's down. They aren't going to pencil through when they hit bone!

Agree with Cheaha. If you don't already have loads, go straight to the TSX. Niiiiiiiiice!

I've loaded them in 2 30-06's, a .270, a 300WSM, a 300WM, 2 7RM's.

Once I figured out how to load them, with proper seating depth, they are amzingly accurate. Often I get groups with 2 or 3 holes touching.

They knock the hell out of everything I have shot or seen shot with them, as long as shot placement was correct.

This includes 1 grizzly (7RM) 1 wolf (300WSM) 2 black bears (30-06, 7RM) and 2 deer (7RM)

I jsut wish I had started using them earlier. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Gatehouse,

Typically, what seating depths have you found to be effective?

Are there general depth areas that you have found that Barnes bullets like?

TIA

Straydog--

Most of the negative comments you've read apply only to the "standard" Barnes X, and even then I would take them with a grain of salt. The X bullet has been improved vastly over the past decade, and these days I expect usable to excellent accuracy even out of the standard, "naked" X without much load workup.

They don't apply much at all to the Triple Shock X. Have now tried this bullet in maybe a dozen rifles, and accuracy ranged from 1" on DOWN. In many barrels it equals Nosler Ballistic Tip or Sierra accuracy.

Fouling is no more than with other bullets, often less.

Any of the new generation X's open up reliably at velocities as low as any expanding spitzer on the market, except the plastic tips, at least down to 1900-2000 fps. It shot a pronghorn at nearly 400 yards with a 6.5x55 a couple years ago, and the velocity with the 120-X was down to under 2000 fps. The shot went right behind the shoulder and the pronghorn backed up 15 feet before tipping over. LOTS of damage.

It will also punch a nice big hole through anything you care to shoot, without destroying as much meat as any lead-cored bullet I am acquainted with, and that is most of 'em.

I have some 130 TSX's just waiting to be loaded in my .264 Winchester Magnum, and I would be happy to hunt anything in North American other than brown bear with that combo. Would also be happy using it on smaller, edible stuff like doe whitetails or pronghorns.

MD

Thats good to know info. Good luck with your .264 mag. project.

I have only shot game animals with standard X bullets. The problem? They kill so fast you never have time to even attempt CPR when you realize you shot the wrong one. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I have not recovered many except in cases when I have shot really heavy parts of animals (like breaking heavy bone - several inches of spine, etc) or doubling on animals. I have seen just two bullets ever "pencil" and I recovered both. They were both shot a bit farther than too far. The mistake was mine in those cases, not the fault of the bullets.

They don't shoot as well as some other bullets sometimes and they don't usually seem to like the same pet loads that work with cup and core bullets but they can be made to shoot very adequately. From field positions I don't think I could tell the difference between X or other bullets in accuracy.

I like to start em off kissing the lands but your barrel will tell you what it likes...

Cheaha,

Both a pard and I have tried that . No workee.

I have tried 50 off and 60 off. Better but still not what I think it's capable of.

Trying 40 off tomorrow and we'll see how it works.

Just load up a few 3 shot loads @ 40 off, 30 off, 20 off, etc...

Your barrel will tell you what it likes...

Best I can remember without looking at my load notes, the 308 is 60 off and the 22-250 is 30 off. It just takes a little time and a few bullets to check it out. Good luck

Westman

It's abit different in each rifle that I have used. All of these rifles were factory stock at the time...

Barnes reccomends .050 off the lands, and pretty close to that has worked for me, but getting them closer works too.

The way I generally work up a load is to increase the powder charge a grain at a time, until they start grouping togehter, and then pick 3 loads nearest to each other.

Then I shoot 3 of them each to see what kinds of groups I get.

Then I choose the best and fiddle with the seating depth.

If your ammo is straight, I usally get good groups soon enough. To be honest, it usually takes me about 25 or 30 X bullets to find the load, then I just load up about 50 of them, and that is good for a few years, including sigthing in and hunting shots taken.

I generally have a "heavy" (X bullet) and a "light (Accubond, now) and a "practice" (often Hornady becasue they are so cheap, but good killers nonetheless) load for each rifle.

I'm done with having 20 different loads per rifle...I just use the 3.

Howver, I am going to try the 168gr TSX when I get my 300WSM back from the gunsmith. I think that it will cover the "heavy" and the "light" loads, and I jsut need the "practice" load to be extra! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

How do the .22 caliber X's perform? I just got some for my 22-250, but haven't pulled the trigger on anything but paper? Pat

One of the last articles the late, great, Finn Aagaard wrote was on the use of premium 22's on game. The X was the best of them, but, in his opinion, still did not provide the kind of damage he would like to see in a deer round.

I have some 53 gr. XLC's loaded up for my WSSM (at 3900), but no mulie has stepped out to volunteer for an evalaluation, yet. HTH, Dutch.

I used the original X when it first came out and refused to buy anymore based on the accuracy issue. I have since tried the TSX and have worked up loads that are equal to or better than Sierra Matchkings (1/2moa)

Regarding playing with overall length I used three shot groups ranging from .020 to .060 off of the lands and shot a 15 round composite group that measured .82" at 100. Using the recommended sweet spot of .050 fit my magazines perfectly and is consistently at or kissing 1/2moa. This rifle has never hit 1 moa with any factory load and would only do slightly better the matchkings before.