That somebody besides me has taken Barnes to task for their outright BS. I encourage you to read the following:
https://bergerbullets.com/barnes-tests-proves-why-berger-hunting-vlds-are-so-successful/

I don't happen to think that Berger is the "Be all, to end all" in bullets, but I do think they are a fairly honest company. (I think most of their errors are 'honest' ones.)

Paul

The link to barnes report does not work...

no surprise eh?

I can't see well enough to read all of the article BUT I have used the Barnes x bullets in 22 caliber for deer & black bear. NEVER AGAIN. They DO penetrate but just don't get the job done like a good jacketed bullet will. I'm almost certain the hydrostatic shock effect just isn't there. They will kill if the bullet hits a vital spot but that's about all. Berger VLD hunting bullets do much better. I still prefer the Nosler partition bullets over all others. ......Paul H

I've had a 'problem' with Barnes' bullets since 1974 when a husband and wife team (Randy and Coni Brooks) purchased the business and started publishing ballistic coefficients for their bullets that were nothing short of outright lies. Ridiculous, stupid, exaggerations with the sole purpose of selling bullets because the average reloader bought bullets based solely on BC, AND at the same time didn't have the means or wherewithal to actually test/check BCs. In the above article, Berger danced around coming out and calling them bald-faced liars, but came about as close as anyone I have seen. I'm sure Berger's lawyers were squirming in their seats. In addition to publishing FANTASY BCs, Barnes Bullets (which SHOULD be called "Brooks Bullets"), also shamelessly flat out COPIED the bullet designs of Lutz (German) and GS Custom (South African). To add insult to injury, their copies are horribly CRUDE in comparison.


I try not to do business with businesses with the character of Barnes/Brooks Bullets. All of which is too bad, really, because Fred Barnes actually made GOOD bullets. Right up to when he sold the business IN 1965! He was the first bullet maker, to my knowledge, that made bullets with PURE copper jackets and PURE LEAD cores. Hawk is the only company today that I know of still doing that. Fred Barnes hasn't had anything to do with "Barnes Bullets" for nearly 50 years!


Paul

I Just have to point out that GS Custom and Lutz Möller never really brought anything new to the table apart from a manufacturing process that is really expensive and slow, i.e. the bullets need to be machined from bar stock on NC lathes.
Barnes had been selling monolithic (solid copper - non drive band) long before Lutz & GS 'got on the scene'.
Drive band was a logical improvement to be made to a poorly performing (Barnes X -  patterned like a shotgun) bullet and purely for clarification 'drive band bore riding' projectiles were used commonly in large arms for quite some time, pre dating two world wars.
 
Now I agree with you regarding deceptive marketing in fact I'll drag Noslers name through the dirt even though I have used their products for as long as I remember, Noslers moving toward pricing bullets by the sub 100 box was the beginning of the gouging...(most other players willingly following suit) I hate the 'how can we make 'em pay more for giving 'em less' as much as the hyped marketing merde del toro. Bullet makers (including Berger) - ptoooey. BTW Pure copper is not ideal jacket material

jOe, I'll have to agree with you on the Nosler less bullets for more money. I still like the Nosler partition system. .......Grooved bullets have been around about as long as I can remember. The Navy calls them barrelet bands. Used mostly on the bigger  cannons. These  can be added  to any bullet by using  groove rollers. I use common electric ground wire for making .172, .224 & .228 bullets. I have no problems with them. ......I might add, Sierra Match King bullets in .224 caliber & 70 to 80 grain weights do a great job on deer. Never killed black bear with them.   ......Paul H

"Fair enough" regarding Lutz and GS Custom manufacturing process, although GSC's prices are fairly reasonable - last time I checked - if you live in South Africa. You'll have to "show me" that Barnes' drive banded bullets pre-dated Lutz's.

One can choose the particular evil one hates. While Nosler's "50/box" marketing strategy is annoying, TO ME, 'annoying' pales in comparison to bald-faced lying about a performance criterion that is difficult to check/test.

I suppose I would have to admit that I MIGHT look a bit less hatefully on Barnes' lack of integrity if I had EVER gotten their bullets to shoot straight from one of MY rifles. The one Barnes bullet I did get to shoot straight from a friend's rifle, they quit making VERY shortly after it was introduced.

The external performance, ("BC"- which I have measured on more than one bullet), AND the terminal performance on game, of the Accubond bullet, has made me even more 'forgiving' of Nosler's 50/box marketing strategy. I still don't like it, but I can certainly 'live with it' easier than I can being told a bald-faced lie about a bullet's performance specification.

Like I said, what we hate is always a personal choice. I choose to loath Barnes Bullets company for being liars. At the same time, I loath ALL marketers and their "gunwriter" (ptooey), shills. ALL OF THEM.

Paul

According to the Barnes website, Barnes Bullets started selling "banded solids" in 1974. I'll check on when Lutz started making his bullets.

Paul

Never made the claim that Barnes banded bullets pre dated Lutz etc, I said that banded projectiles are old news. It would appear that they learned from aforementioned makers to get their offerings to shoot better. Again that is no endorsement. I can spread my dislike over all the bullet makers with equal aplomb...