Barnes Bullets & Ammo

Barnes' Origins

Barnes Bullets was founded in 1934 by Fred Barnes, who sold bullets that he made in his basement workshop in Bayfield, Colorado. The company was soon sold to the Buford Corporation, although Mr. Barnes stayed on as a leader with the company. The early success of Barnes Bullets was due in large part to the “Barnes Original,” one of the top bullets for African game hunting.

Randy and Coni Brooks reenergized the company when they purchased it in 1974. Although Randy and Coni were making subtle changes, they recognized the vital wisdom and insight of Mr. Barnes, who consulted with the new owners for several months after the purchase.

One of the major advancements introduced after the Brooks family took over was the “Barnes Brass Solids,” which was introduced in 1974.

While on a brown bear hunt in 1979, Randy Brooks conceived of an all-copper bullet, an idea that would eventually become the “X-Bullet.” It would first be used to harvest an Alaskan brown bear by Randy in 1985 before becoming available to the public a year later.

By the nineties, the company had found a home in Lindon, Utah and eventually moved to the 75,000 square-foot facility in Mona, Utah that they now call home.

Throughout its history, Barnes Bullets has been a leader in reloading information and innovative bullet advancement. By 1989, Barnes Bullets published their first reloading manual, a resource that has become essential to many reloading enthusiasts. They have also designed and developed numerous hunting and self-defense bullets, including the XPB Pistol bullet, LRX bullets, and VARMIN-A-TOR bullets.

Barnes Bullets maintains a loyal customer base through outreach, interaction, and education. One of their top offerings is the “Club-X,” a program that gives members access to prizes and gift boxes, as well as the “Bullet-n” newsletter, which contains reloading information, hunting stories, game recipes, and shooting tips.

Popular Barnes Products