How Barnes Bullets Are Made

Here are some interesting videos that outline the process of building Barnes Bullets.  Barnes makes a premium bullet, which is pricier than some of the competition, but they work great for hunting.  I also like their MPG bullets, which work well for steel or varmints.  Most of the videos are fairly short and demonstrate small portions of how a bullet is made.

Starting off, here is a video on extruding lead.  Barnes offers several non lead and full copper designs, but there is still a place for the classic "cup and core" or lead core bullet.  The lead must be shaped and formed to specific dimensions to allow the bullets to be accurate.



The next step is cutting the extruded lead wire into smaller pieces, ready to be inserted into the copper cup.



Next comes using a CNC machine to cut bar stock to shape.



Here is the press for making TSX and TTSX bullets.



This is a similar press for making Varminator and MPG bullets.



A sample of the bullets are tested for accuracy.



Similar to the accuracy test, groups of the bullets are tested for expansion.  Barnes' all copper bullets are designed to perform well at a variety of speeds.  This makes some of their lighter 270 caliber bullets, such as the TSX and TTSX bullets a top choice for the 6.8 SPC on deer and hogs.



Here the copper TSX bullets get their distinctive grooves cut.  These allow the copper to form to the rifling.  They kind of remind me of the rifling bands found on cast lead bullets.



And last, but not least of the videos, the bullet wash.  Most machining processes leave a product that is a little rough around the edges.  The wash process creates a cleaner, nicer looking product and should help reduce accuracy robbing accumulations on the lead.



What are your thoughts on the Barnes Bullets?  Are they worth the money?  Let me know in the comment section below.


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