The Barnes X Bullet's Performance at High Velocities

    with Michael Courtney

The 6mm-06 does have a significant ballistic advantage over the 25-06. It's not huge, but it is a real advantage, and is even bigger if one goes with the 6mm-06 Ackley Improved. For deer and varmints, I'd go with the 85 grain XBT bullet at 3600-3700 FPS from the 6mm-06 AI case. A 25-06 can only push 85 grain bullets to around 3500 FPS, and the Ballistic coefficient  of 85 grain .257" bullets maxes out at about 0.34. The BC of the 85 grain .243" XBT is 0.401.

The original poster suggested the Nosler partition. This is not the best choice for these velocities, because the front end blows off quickly and you're left with a core of 60 grains or less that is barely over 1 caliber in diameter. The X bullet will retain close to 100% of its original weight and maintain an expanded diameter of two calibers. It will penetrate a deer fully from any angle and dump energy evenly along the wound channel.

When one considers such a small caliber for Elk, the 95-grain X bullet is also the best choice (especially if we're talking about mature bull elk, you might get away with a partition on cows). Again, the main point is full penetration and an even energy dump along the whole wound channel.

Once the front portion blows off of the 100-grain partition, all you've got left is a 60-grain core. It's not going to penetrate as well as (or the bonded Rem Corelokt Ultra - Darrell) the 95 grain X bullet that retains its full weight and loses much less energy in the first 8-10" of penetration. 

Michael Courtney

I didn't mean to denigrate the Nosler Partition, "but at velocities about 3100 FPS," the front blows off quickly. It is probably the best big game bullet going at lower impact velocities.

The Barnes X Bullet's Performance at High Velocities
    by Michael Courtney

(This was Michael's reply to some News:rec.guns -- news group posts.)


These are Michael Courtney's experienced "fair comment opinions," that are put forth in the name of freedom of speech and publishing, and are not presented as absolute proven fact regarding Nosler and Barnes bullet performances.

Note: There are numerous new .243 deep penetration bullets on the market as of 06/12/03, watch for their introduction.  Even Remington came out with the Core Lokt Ultra in the .243 Winchester cartridge. See my tests of this new bullet on  another of my pages, --it's a good one. The new .243 Winchester Ultra cartridges are on sale in Cabela's stores.

I like the performance of Hornady 100 grain Interlock & especially the Remington Corelokt Ultra Bonded Bullets for deer in my 243/06 Wildcat and 243 Win.
They are explosive and penetrate will enough.10/31/03. - Darrell Udelhoven

News:rec.guns
The Nosler Partitions are outstanding bullets. I have had all one shot kills on all my big game with them for the past 18 years. Took a nice elk with my .308 with the Partition last fall. The bullet holds together beautifully.

BTW, I reload for 18 calibers.

Joel Jacobs

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