I've got a semi-local gun shop going out of business, with some really good discounts. I bought all of their .224 bullets today (Nosler, Hornady and Sierra) except for the Barnes X bullets, which are about 3 times the price of the others. Anyone with first (or second)hand knowledge of these bullets? Better for 2 or 4-legged varmints? Worth spending more money? (I mainly intend to reload for coyotes and prairie dogs, who I suspect will not know the difference). Thanks for any input!

If the Barnes bullets are the X, or Triple-X bullets, they might be better for two legged varmints than four legged.  The X and Triple-X are also suitable for small deer sized game if your state allows that sort of thing.  The X bullets are loaded by Cor-bon in its DPX line of ammo are said to perform similarly to the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullets that Federal loads in its' law enforcement line of ammo.   Regular price is like $.60/bullet for these things...

dvo

I put the hurt on a ~300 to ~350 lbs boar with a 180gr Barnes-X from my 30-06.  Went in behind the front left shoulder and stopped just short of the rear right hip.  It torn everything else in between to shreads.  We recovered the bullet and it looked just like it came from the marketing photo shoot.  The one I used for a sighter the day before punched through a 12" thick solid oak backstop and stuck in the mud about an inch.  It too looked like it would have been a magazine model.

Those are my only two data points on Barnes X performance besides punching paper and the chrony test.

-4jury

The Barnes X bullets are the finest hunting bullets made in my opinion.
If the price is right I would buy them.