The newest products continue to debut as manufacturers compete for market share

Shooting Industry, Jan, 2004 by Russ Thurman

Barnes

Barnes has added six bullets to its XPB handgun line for 2004. Featuring Barnes' patented X-Bullet technology, the all-copper, hollowpoint XPB bullets offer increased penetration, superior expansion and weight retention. The 2004 addition are:

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   9mm           .355" 115 gr. XPB
 .40 S & W       .400" 155 gr. XPB
 .45 ACP         .451" 185 gr. XPB
.500 S & W Mag.  .500" 275 gr. XPB
.500 S & W Mag.  .500" 325 gr. XPB
.500 S & W Mag.  .500" 375 gr. XPB

For 2004, Barnes is offering the Triple-Shock X-Bullet, introduced last year, in three new calibers and five added bullet weights.

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Multiple rings cut into its all-copper body allow the Triple-Shock X-Bullet to deliver lower pressures and higher velocities, along with significantly less copper fouling. The new bullet creates a triple impact.

The Triple-Shock X-Bullet provides all the benefits of the XLC-coated X-Bullet without the need for an external coating.

The new 2004 bullets are:

 .22 Caliber       .223" 53 gr. TSX Flat Base
   6.5mm Caliber   .264" 130 gr. TSX Flat Base
 .30 Caliber       .308" 200 gr. TSX Flat Base
.338 Caliber       .338" 185 gr. TSX Boattail
.338 Caliber       .338" 225 gr. TSX Flat Base

Federal Cartridge Co.

Federal's Power-Shok Low Recoil ammunition will be available in .308 Win. and .30-06 Springfield calibers in spring 2004. It will function in autoloaders and is designed for medium-size game hunting up to 200 yards.

The ammunition, featuring Speer's 170-grain, flat-nose, soft-point bullet, produces 2,000 feet-per-second of muzzle velocity and 1.510 foot-pounds of energy. It's designed to reduce recoil by at least 50 percent while providing effective downrange energy and terminal performance without sacrificing bullet mass.

Federal's line of Low Recoil ammunition includes nearly 20 offerings from Premium Tungsten-Iron, Lead Field Load, slug, buckshot and target loads in shot-shell to multiple Personal Defense handgun calibers.

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Leupold and Stevens

Leupold's new line of Golden Ring VX-III riflescopes replaces the Vari-X III line, and offer new lens coatings and reticle options. The riflescopes feature Leupold's Index Matched Lens System, and a new coating system designed to optimizes light management and maximizes light transmission. According to Leupold, in some VX-III scopes, total light transmission can reach as high as 98 percent.

VX-III models are available in magnification levels: 1.5-5X20mm, 1.75-6X32mm, 2.5-8X36mm, 3.5-10X40mm, 3.5-10X50mm, 4.5-14X40mm, 4.5-14X50mm, 6.5-20X40mm, 6.5-20X50mm and 8.5-25X50mm.

Available in select VX-III models, Leupold's new Boone and Crockett Club Big Game and Varmint Hunter's Ballistic Reticle Systems can be adjusted to work with a particular cartridge by changing the magnification for more precise shooting. Other reticle options, depending on model, include the Duplex, Wide Duplex, Fine Duplex, Heavy Duplex, German #4, Leupold Dot and Target Dot, Illuminated Duplex, Illuminated German #4 Dot and Illuminated Circle Dot.