Barnes X performance

[Zachary]

I got back from my hunting trip in Texas.  I killed three hogs with three different guns.

The first was a 250lb boar.  It was about 50 yards away.  I had my Remington Sendero SF in .300 Win. Mag with a Nightforce NXS 5.5x-22x-56mm Illuminated Mil-Dot Scope.  The ammo was PMC 180 grain Barnes-X bullets.

I was in a tower blind about 8 feet high.  The boar was facing towards me, angled down.  I placed the cross hairs at the base of his neck.  At the first shot, he was down, but his legs were kicking, so I shot him again.  It took 2 people about 1 1/2 hours to clean him.  His hide was about 1" thick and our knives became dull after it was all over.  BTW, believe it or not, we recovered one of the bullets.  It mushroomed perfectly.  I can't believe that we recovered it.  It was lodged on the far side of the grisle plate. Increadible.

The second was a smaller 150lb. sow.  It was also about 50 yards away.  I had my Winchester M70 Classic Stainless in .338 Win. Mag with Burris Black Diamond 3x-12-50mm.  The ammo was PMC 225 grain Barnes-X bullets.

I was in another tower blind about the same height.  The hog gave me a perfect broad side shot.  I purposely aimed on the shoulder because I knew that the .338 X bullet would penetrate, but at the last moment, the hog took a step forward and the bullet was right behind the shoulder.  At the shot, the hog curled up a bit and then circled and ran in the other direction.  It finally stopped about 50 yards away, started to fumble around like a drunk, and finally dropped.  The bullet penetrated right through.

I got out of my stand and took my Taurus Raging Bull in .480 Ruger with open sights and Hornady 325 grain XTP bullets with me because I know that Hogs are tough to put down.  While I was examining the 150lb hog, which didn't even move, I noticed a smaller pig running towards me from about 80 yards away.

I hid behind a bush and it ran right past me about 25 yards in front of me.  It was about 40lbs or so.  Although it was later in the evening and the sun was in my eyes, I placed the open sights on the shoulder and pulled the trigger while it was still running.  At the shot, the little guy made a back flip, but started running in the other direction.  I aimed in the same place (but opposite side) and shot again.  This time it dropped.  I examined the hog and found out that my first shot was at the base of the neck with a hole the size of a quarter.  The second shot was right on the money - right on the shoulder.  

I would surprised that the .480 didn't put it down quicker.  After all, it kinda was a neck shot, and it was only 40lbs.  Would my 454 put it down quicker?  I don't think so.  I guess it was just one of those things.

Anyway, I had a blast, more so with the little running pig and a handgun with open sights than with the big rifles and big scopes.  

Handgunning for hogs if simply more fun.

Zachary

[Bigchoad]

Barnes X Bullets are quite the Death-ray! I was in Africa using federal .308 loaded with 165 gr Barnes X
4 shots and 4 kills on plains game (1 impala, 2 blesbuck and 1 Red Hartebeest) We only recovered 1 bullet, from the Hartebeest all of the others went straight through. The one from the hartebeest opened perfectly.
Great stuff!

[billy_56081]

How about some pics of the hogs and even better for us gun heads, a pic of the recovered bullet.

[nomosendero]

They do indeed work. Zachary, sounds like you had some fun. Yes, shooting Hogs with a handgun is fun, I shot several with a Redhawk 44 when I lived in South AR. I have a funny story about that concerning a hunt
with my middle son, but a long story for another thread perhaps.

Thanks for the report.

[Doesniper]

I shot an elk a few years ago with a .375 270g Barnes TSX. She was standing faceing me at a slight angle. The bullet hit in front of her left shoulder and was found under the skin of her right butt cheek. She took two steps. I'm a big Barnes fan.

[quickdtoo]

Another graveyard thread, Zachary posted this thread almost 7yrs ago! See the sticky on TSX performance in the Hunting in Africa forum. 

Tim

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/board,6.0.html

[nomosendero]

Another graveyard thread, Zachary posted this thread almost 7yrs ago! See the sticky on TSX performance in the Hunting in Africa forum. 

Tim

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/board,6.0.html

Dang if he didn't!! I should have looked at the date.

[quickdtoo]

 

[charles p]

Any of you fellows ever try the original X bullet.  I tried some 140's in my 7mag and they would not group very well.  About ten years later I loaded some leftovers in my 7mm-08 and voila!  I shot several doe deer with it a few years ago.  Even lined up two and make a double head shot.  Worked great.  I don't shoot bucks anymore.  Leave them for the kids.

Haven't used the TSX yet.  May load a few for the 7mm-08. 

[Hank08]

I'm still shooting the originals, bought several boxes in, I think, 1984, shot great in my 7 mag, now a 7 stw and still shoots great.  I've killed about 40 bucks with them, all one shot kills.  Still have a couple of boxes that will last me another 50 yrs.  Would like to try the new ones but the originals were too good.  It's hard to improve on perfection.  I've only recovered
one X bullet, I shot that buck going away and it traveled full length and was stuck in the brisket, perfect mushroom.
H08