Barnes Varmint Grenade: The Ultimate Solution for Precision Varmint Hunting and Ethical Predator Control

For serious varmint hunters and precision shooters, the choice of ammunition is paramount. When it comes to achieving reliable, humane, and incredibly effective results on everything from ground squirrels to coyotes, the Barnes Bullets 30 gr Varmint Grenade stands out as a revolutionary projectile. Specifically engineered for cartridges like the versatile .22 Hornet, this bullet delivers a unique combination of extreme accuracy, devastating terminal performance, and an innovative design that minimizes collateral damage, particularly to valuable pelts.

Are you searching for a lead-free bullet that offers unparalleled accuracy for long-range varmint eradication? Do you need a projectile that fragments violently on impact to ensure quick, clean kills, yet won't over-penetrate and damage valuable furbearer hides? Or perhaps you're a reloader looking for a high-performance component that excels in fast-twist barrels and at ultra-high velocities? The Barnes Varmint Grenade is designed to answer these precise needs, setting a new standard for varmint ammunition.

The Engineering Behind Unrivaled Varmint Performance

At the heart of the Barnes Varmint Grenade's exceptional performance is its meticulously crafted design. Unlike traditional lead-core bullets, this projectile features a lead-free copper-tin powdered metal core encased within a robust gilding metal jacket. This innovative composition is what allows the Varmint Grenade to achieve its paradoxical yet highly effective ballistic properties: maintaining structural integrity at blistering velocities through the barrel while exhibiting explosive fragmentation upon impact.

What makes this bullet so effective for varmint hunting?

• Ultra-High Velocity Stability: The Barnes Varmint Grenade is engineered to remain perfectly stable even when pushed to extreme velocities, making it ideal for the high-performance demands of cartridges like the .22 Hornet. Its flat base design contributes to excellent aerodynamic stability, ensuring a true flight path to the target. This stability is crucial for maintaining sub-MOA accuracy, even at extended ranges where external factors like wind can significantly influence bullet trajectory.
• Highly Frangible Core: The core, composed of copper and tin powdered metal, is designed for rapid and violent energy transfer. Upon striking a target, the bullet's hollow cavity acts as an initiator, causing the core to instantly expand and fragment. This immediate energy expenditure translates into a "vaporizing" effect on small varmints like ground squirrels and prairie dogs, ensuring a humane, instantaneous kill. This rapid energy dump means very little energy is carried through the target, minimizing the risk of ricochets, an important safety consideration in open fields.
• Minimal Pelt Damage: For hunters targeting larger predators such as coyotes and bobcats, preserving the integrity of the pelt is often a primary concern. The Varmint Grenade excels in this area. Because its energy is almost entirely expended within the animal, the bullet rarely exits, leaving valuable pelts virtually undamaged. This "no-exit" characteristic is a significant advantage over conventional bullets that might create large exit wounds, diminishing the value or usability of the hide.
• Lead-Free Composition: In an era of increasing environmental consciousness and evolving hunting regulations, the lead-free nature of the Varmint Grenade is a major benefit. It eliminates concerns about lead contamination in the environment or in game meat, making it a responsible choice for hunters operating in areas with lead-free ammunition mandates or those who simply prefer an environmentally friendly option.

Optimizing Your Shots: Reloading with the Barnes Varmint Grenade

Reloading enthusiasts will find the Barnes Varmint Grenade to be a highly rewarding component, offering exceptional precision when properly loaded. Barnes Bullets, renowned for their exacting standards, provides specific guidance to unlock the Varmint Grenade's full potential.

One critical detail for achieving optimal accuracy with the Barnes Varmint Grenade is its recommended seating depth. Barnes advises seating the bullet .020" off the lands and grooves. This specific seating arrangement ensures that the bullet engages the rifling correctly, promoting consistent pressure curves and minimizing any potential for bullet deformation during the chambering process. For reloaders, this means carefully measuring your rifle's chamber dimensions and adjusting your seating die accordingly. A minor adjustment in seating depth can dramatically influence group sizes, especially with bullets designed for such high levels of precision.

When working with the 30-grain Varmint Grenade in a .22 Hornet, reloaders should prioritize propellants that provide consistent burn rates at the extreme pressures associated with achieving ultra-high velocities. Small rifle primers are typically recommended for this cartridge. As with all reloading, always consult a reliable, up-to-date reloading manual for specific powder charges and safety guidelines. Attention to detail in powder selection, charge weight, case preparation, and crimp (or lack thereof, as often recommended for precision rifle loads) will significantly impact the terminal performance and accuracy of your Varmint Grenade loads.

The .22 Hornet: A Perfect Partner for the 30-grain Varmint Grenade

The .22 Hornet cartridge, with its storied history dating back to the 1930s, remains a beloved choice for varmint hunters and small game enthusiasts. Known for its mild recoil, relatively quiet report, and flat trajectory out to moderate ranges, it’s an ideal platform for pursuing small predators and pests.

Why is the 30-grain Barnes Varmint Grenade an exceptional choice for the .22 Hornet?

• Optimized Weight for Velocity: The 30-grain weight of the Varmint Grenade is perfectly suited for the .22 Hornet's case capacity and ballistic profile. It allows for the achievement of incredibly high velocities, pushing the boundaries of what's possible from this compact cartridge. This high velocity is essential for the Varmint Grenade's design to function optimally, ensuring the explosive fragmentation on impact that it's famous for.
• Enhanced Terminal Performance: While the .22 Hornet is effective with many bullet types, the frangible nature of the Varmint Grenade significantly enhances its terminal performance on small varmints. Unlike some conventional bullets that might pass through, causing less immediate energy transfer, the Varmint Grenade's violent fragmentation ensures an almost instantaneous incapacitation, which is critical for humane hunting.
• Versatility for Different Varmints: Whether you're targeting small rodents like ground squirrels and gophers where minimal ricochet is desired, or larger varmints like foxes and coyotes where pelt preservation is key, the Varmint Grenade in a .22 Hornet offers remarkable versatility. Its ability to "vaporize" smaller targets while minimizing exit wounds on larger ones makes it a truly multi-purpose varmint round.
• Accuracy Potential: The inherent accuracy of the .22 Hornet, combined with the precision engineering of the Barnes Varmint Grenade, creates a formidable combination for hitting small targets at range. Shooters can expect tight groups, making those challenging long-distance shots on wary varmints a real possibility.

Real-World Applications: Where the Varmint Grenade Excels

The Barnes Varmint Grenade truly shines in a variety of real-world hunting scenarios. Its design solves specific challenges faced by varmint hunters:

• Prairie Dog and Ground Squirrel Extermination: For large-scale eradication efforts, the Varmint Grenade's explosive fragmentation is peerless. It ensures that targets are eliminated quickly and cleanly, reducing the risk of wounded animals and the need for follow-up shots. The rapid energy dump also minimizes the chance of ricochet on hard ground, enhancing safety in multi-shooter environments.
• Coyote and Bobcat Hunting for Fur: When hunting furbearers, the economic value of the pelt is often paramount. Traditional bullets can cause significant damage, requiring extensive repair or devaluing the fur. The Varmint Grenade's "seldom exiting" characteristic means that vital organs are disrupted, but the bullet's energy is contained within the animal, leaving a pristine hide. This makes it a preferred choice for trappers and hunters who sell or process their pelts.
• Long-Range Accuracy Demands: Whether for competition or just personal satisfaction, hitting small targets at extended distances requires a bullet with a consistent ballistic coefficient and predictable flight. The Varmint Grenade's quality control and design ensure it delivers on this front, providing the confidence needed for those challenging shots.
• Environmentally Sensitive Areas: In regions where lead ammunition is restricted or where hunters wish to minimize their environmental footprint, the Varmint Grenade offers a high-performance, lead-free alternative without compromising on lethality or accuracy.

Why Choose Barnes Varmint Grenade Bullets?

When evaluating your options for varmint ammunition components, the Barnes Varmint Grenade presents a compelling case based on its unique advantages and proven performance:

• Unmatched Precision: Engineered for "sniper-like accuracy," ensuring your shots go where you aim, even at long range.
• Devastating Terminal Performance: The copper-tin powdered metal core guarantees violent, rapid fragmentation for instant, humane kills on small varmints.
• Pelt Preservation: Its unique design means energy is expended within the animal, minimizing or eliminating exit wounds on larger predators, safeguarding valuable pelts.
• Ultra-High Velocity Capability: Built to remain intact and accurate even in fast-twist barrels pushing extreme velocities.
• Lead-Free Innovation: A responsible, high-performance choice for hunters seeking to minimize environmental impact.
• Reliable for Reloaders: Consistent quality and specific reloading recommendations (like the .020" seating off lands) ensure repeatable, top-tier results for handloaders.

The Barnes Bullets 30 gr Varmint Grenade is more than just a bullet; it's a precision instrument designed to elevate your varmint hunting experience. Its blend of cutting-edge materials, meticulous engineering, and tailored performance characteristics make it an indispensable component for anyone serious about effective, ethical, and accurate varmint control. For those who demand the best in performance and responsible hunting, this bullet delivers.

These precision bullets are widely regarded as a top-tier choice for varmint applications and are available at reputable firearms component suppliers like DEGuns.com.

Product Specifications Summary

Feature	Detail
Brand	Barnes Bullets
Model	Varmint Grenade
Bullet Type	Flat Base Hollow Point
Caliber	.22 Hornet
Bullet Diameter	.224
Weight	30 gr
Core Material	Frangible Copper / Tin
Jacket Material	Copper
OAL (Overall Length)	.557"
Coefficient	.101
Sectional Density	.085
Quantity	100 Per Box
Recommended Usage	Varmint
SKU	30170
UPC	716876224302