Barnes .458 Banded Solids - 450 & 500 gr

[1r4rc]

Just a quick heads up - Barnes has .458 Banded Solids available on their website in 450 & 500 gr. I hadn't seen these available before in .458.

 

[1r4rc]

It looks like these are only available in round nose... not their normal flat tip. I've become partial to the flat tips (breakaway or cupped). Anyone know, did they do RN for feeding purposes in bolt rifles? I see an earlier thread re the same in .375. I'm wondering whether this is a limited run or whether anyone heard - are they considering their normal flat tip?

 

[fourfive8]

Has nothing to do with feeding. To my knowledge Barnes was sued or threatened with court action by the Feds because of the FP monolithic bullet. The contention was it tended to penetrate some forms of body armor. Barnes has not chosen to fight that battle and has decided, for now, to stay with the RN. Who knows the future? The choices for FP monolithic solids is limited. I think CEB makes mostly brass versions and limited copper versions. North Fork makes copper versions. One or two other companies make some form of FP monolithics but may or may not be currently available. One of the best was designed in RSA and actually moved some production to the US. That was GS Custom. Info has it they got shafted by Chey Tac and there are no plans for restarting production. IMO, the GS Custom, Rhino and North Fork are three of the best copper monolithic FPs ever developed. Currently North Fork is available in limited quantities from Reloading International. Rhino is an RSA company and to my knowledge not currently available in US. If you want a brass monolithic, check out CEB- they make a lot of brass styles but seem to be more limited with copper. Additionally, many of the monolithic bullet companies have chosen to chase the long range "sniper" market with extreme BC type bullets and seem less interested in DG FP hunting bullets. That's my subjective observation.

 

[fourfive8]

I was able to gather up a good supply of GS Custom bullets before the trouble. Pics of GS Custom FP monolithic and North Fork FP monolithic.

 

[1r4rc]

Thank you fourfive8. I heard that too re Barnes and ATF. I shoot their FN in my 470 but hadn't seen solids from them in 458 for yrs. Was surprised they were back and more so by the RN. I'm not really clear why ATF would have a problem w FN but not RN, but whatever. That aside, have you had any experience w the swift solids in bolt rifles? They cycle well and shoot accurately in mine. I haven't tried the NF solids yet but they look like good bullets. Thanks again.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

@fourfive8 has it spot on. This has nothing to do with feeding in magazine rifles. But rather due to Barnes getting attacked by the ATF during 2012.

Currently, flat nosed solids are manufacturing by:
Cutting Edge Bullets (the best)
Rhino (only available in Africa)
Northfork (although their website no longer lists any caliber offerings under their “Flat Point Solids” & “Cup Point Solids” categories on their website).

 

[Forrest Halley]

Thank you fourfive8. I heard that too re Barnes and ATF. I shoot their FN in my 470 but hadn't seen solids from them in 458 for yrs. Was surprised they were back and more so by the RN. I'm not really clear why ATF would have a problem w FN but not RN, but whatever. That aside, have you had any experience w the swift solids in bolt rifles? They cycle well and shoot accurately in mine. I haven't tried the NF solids yet but they look like good bullets. Thanks again.

Apparently flat noses are hard on horse trailers...

 

[colorado]

Has nothing to do with feeding. To my knowledge Barnes was sued or threatened with court action by the Feds because of the FP monolithic bullet. The contention was it tended to penetrate some forms of body armor. Barnes has not chosen to fight that battle and has decided, for now, to stay with the RN. Who knows the future? The choices for FP monolithic solids is limited. I think CEB makes mostly brass versions and limited copper versions. North Fork makes copper versions. One or two other companies make some form of FP monolithics but may or may not be currently available. One of the best was designed in RSA and actually moved some production to the US. That was GS Custom. Info has it they got shafted by Chey Tac and there are no plans for restarting production. IMO, the GS Custom, Rhino and North Fork are three of the best copper monolithic FPs ever developed. Currently North Fork is available in limited quantities from Reloading International. Rhino is an RSA company and to my knowledge not currently available in US. If you want a brass monolithic, check out CEB- they make a lot of brass styles but seem to be more limited with copper. Additionally, many of the monolithic bullet companies have chosen to chase the long range "sniper" market with extreme BC type bullets and seem less interested in DG FP hunting bullets. That's my subjective observation.

Thank God I bought a hundred of their 570g banded solids for my 500 Jeffery a long time ago.