My task was fairly simple: take the new Barnes Harvest Collection ammo, choose a chambering, and test that factory ammo through a value, budget-mided rifle with fitting components, and a more expensive rifle with higher end optics and add-ons to see how it performed. The results were suprising, and might have you rethinking your hunting budget for next season.
Every year, as whitetail firearm seasons open across the country, conversations begins to center heavily on hunter’s rifles of choice. While most of us have already made that decision and are sticking to it, a growing segment of new hunters enters the field each year.
These hunters are typically value-minded but, of course, want to buy the most accurate firearm they can fit into their budget.
The good news is that, today, precision is more of the norm than a special feature, so getting tight groupings doesn’t take a significant investment. I’m not saying that throwing more money into a rifle is a waste; it’s just that those extra dollars are typically going to buy you other features, as long as your ammunition is sound.
Now, I won’t claim that some rifles shoot a given load better than others, as it would negate a lifetime of work I’ve put into that subject. However, if ammunition is designed with a certain class of rifles in mind, and built to tight tolerances, then you can expect it to be precise across the board, especially to hunting standards.
The Barnes Harvest Collection (MSRP $39.99 – $44.99/bx. 20) strives to be just that, as it was created explicitly for pursuit and to be fired through rifles that are slightly over carbine length. Before we get to the Barnes Harvest Collection test, a bit of background:
Inside Barnes Harvest Collection Ammo
At the core of this load is the Sierra Tipped GameKing bullet. Based on the well-regarded MatchKing projectile, this pill features a generous hollow cavity and is topped with a polymer tip.
Working in conjunction, the tip initiates expansion, while the hollow point promotes a classic mushrooming effect that slows the bullet, thus transferring energy into the target.
Jacket thickness is tuned to ensure that this happens quickly, but not so fast that the bullet doesn’t have a chance to poke through thick hide and tissue. Lastly, as it shares the boattail DNA of the MatchKing, you can expect it to retain more velocity at extended ranges, thereby increasing your effective shooting distance.
Powder type and loading practices are critical for ammunition and play a significant role in this compatibility. The propellant for each of the nine loads in this line was carefully studied and selected to balance muzzle velocity with volumetric flow, ensuring a consistent charge weight could be achieved on high-speed loading machines.
Of course, this must be leveraged against the small subset of powders that aren’t firearm-picky and are readily available.
Ignition and envelope also play a supporting role in the equation, as ammo is only as good as its weakest link in many ways. Match-grade primers are employed, even though deer don’t have scoring rings. Why? Well, the real question ought to be “why not?”
Across a box of 20, this additional investment is marginal; however, at 300 yards, the line between a shot in the vitals and a shot in the guts can be as small as the X-ring. These are gently pressed into brass cases, built to equally tight tolerances, providing consistent neck tension, which again affects velocity and accuracy.
Choosing a Barnes Harvest Cartridge for this Test
With plenty to choose from, I settled on the 140-grain 6.5 Creedmoor load for this project. I had a few reasons for this, but it was largely to make this statement: You’re a fool if you’re still calling it “needmoor.” Yes, this cartridge was built for competition, and as such, some game has been lost to non-expanding match loads.
However, as the Barnes Harvest Collection boldly displays, there are plenty of good hunting loads now, and if you can trust a 6mm bullet to get the job done, you shouldn’t have any problem with a 6.5mm.
It’s never been about the hammer, but the skill of the carpenter, which is a nice way of saying learn to shoot, and you can kill a deer with anything.
Barnes Harvest Collection Cartridge Dissection
Pulling a sample of five cartridges apart, I found each load was made with a ball-propellant, which is the easy button for consistent loading. Weighing each charge, I found them to be within 0.2 of a grain of each other, which most will agree isn’t enough of a difference to influence much in a hunting rifle.
Barnes doesn’t reveal what type of powder it is, but at this weight, I wouldn’t be surprised if it were similar to Winchester’s Staball 6.5, which checks all of the boxes connected to this cartridge’s marketing material.
Choosing the Value Rifle: Savage Axis 2 Pro
The epitome of the working man’s rifle is the Savage Axis 2 Pro. Trimming away some of the more luxurious features, Savage leaves this gun with its revered user-adjustable AccuTrigger and a barrel built to the precise specs that you’ve come to expect from this company.
They achieve this through a combination of advanced machining processes and old-world hand tuning. It is paired with a floating bolt head that has a self-correcting aspect, helping it compensate for imperfect ammunition and ensuring better bullet-to-bore alignment during ignition.
An MSRP of just $599 leaves enough room in the budget for a Bronze Cerakote finish and a study polymer stock, making it quite utilitarian.
Savage Axis 2 Pro Specs
Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
Action: Bolt-Action
Barrel: 20 inches
OA Length: 40.5 inches
Weight: 6 pounds, 13 ounces
Stock: Synthetic, Savage Woodland
Sights: Picatinny Rail
Finish: Cerakote
Capacity: 4+1
MSRP: $599
Optic: Sightmark Core HX 2.0
In keeping with the low-cost theme, I topped the rifle with a Sightmark Core HX 2.0 riflescope, featuring a 4-16x magnification range. This optic lists for just $360 but carries an illuminated reticle and a BDC crosshair set into the second focal plane. Savage includes a Picatinny rail with the Axis 2, so slapping it on was as easy as using the included rings.
With suppressors becoming commonplace, it’s hard to sell a rifle without a threaded muzzle these days, which wasn’t lost on Savage when they built this Axis 2. Removing the protector, I elected to finish the test rig with one of the company’s AccuCans.
Taking this opportunity to try the AC30 BOB (back over barrel) option, I enjoyed how it used rearward space to mitigate the added length that comes with a suppressor.
Choosing the Pricey Rifle: NULA Model 20 Kodiak Rogue
So, if it only takes about $600 to make an accurate rifle, what would an additional $2,000 or so add? Well, in many cases, it’s not what you get, but what you lose, as the NULA bolt-action rifles made by Wilson Combat show us. For the test, I chose the NULA Model 20 Kodiak Rogue with a 22-inch barrel, also in 6.5 Creedmoor.
The original NULA rifles (New Ultralight Arms) were created by the late Melvin Forbes, and the brand was recently purchased by Wilson Combat. This rifle platform was created to be as light as possible. Without a scope, it tips the scale at just 4.9 pounds, compared to the Savage Axis at 6.8 pounds, despite having an extra two inches of barrel length.
It achieves this through a proprietary process that was specifically designed for weight reduction and is produced through more expensive, labor-intensive methods. And they also use expensive, high-tech materials.
Wilson also leans heavily on aftermarket companies to finish this piece, including a Timney Elite Hunter 2.75 to 3.25-pound trigger and an AG Composites ultralight carbon-fiber stock.
Wilson Combat NULA Model 20 Kodiak Rogue Specs
Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
Action: Bolt-Action
Barrel Length: 22 inches
OA Length: 39.75 inches
Weight: 5 pounds, 14 ounces
Stock: Carbon fiber, Canyon Rogue
Sights: Drilled and tapped
Finish: Armor-Tuff
Capacity: 4+1
MSRP: $2,995
Optic: EOTECH 2-12x Vudu X
As money was no object with this testing tool, I opted for an EOTECH 2-12x Vudu X for the scope. Although one of the less expensive products from these folks, it still has an illuminated reticle and promotes outstanding low-light transmission—something critical for hunting.
I mounted it using a pair of direct-to-receiver rings from Talley, saving me the weight of the rail. To quiet things down, I capped the muzzle with a Dead Air Nomad Ti XC .30-caliber can, which, like the scope and rifle itself, is built to keep things light.
Learn more about the EOTECH Vudu here.
Barnes Harvest Collection Range Test: NULA vs. Savage
Given my intimate familiarity with the TMK’s terminal performance, testing was relatively straightforward. All I was concerned with were the numbers — group size, velocity, and standard deviation. As long as the barrels of both guns are free of defects, all should be favorable.
After the standard 5x5 testing, I’d also shoot some rounds offhand from each rifle, just to get an idea of the recoil. This comes into play when you need to spot impacts and see which way an animal took its last steps, making it a legitimate test point.
Setting both scopes to 12x and rotating between the two rifles, the groups were predictively similar. Both guns skirted around MOA, which is impressive, as this ammunition doesn’t put this level of performance at the forefront. Instead, it prioritizes lethality, as the vital area of even medium-sized game provides tremendous leeway in this department.
As for recoil, it is characteristically light with this chambering, and I’m happy to report that Barnes’s rendition of this load doesn’t change that. Those concerned with “the kick” of hunting loads need not be afraid of The Harvest Collection.
Shooting final strings of 10 over a Garmin Xero chronograph, I was amazed at the virtually identical standard deviations. Upon closer examination, I also noticed that the velocity was slightly higher in the Savage, although the NULA had a longer barrel.
This speaks to the cartridge’s efficiency, showing us that you don’t need as much length as you might think to pull the most out of it.
Conclusion: Does an Extra $2K of Gun Make a Difference?
In conclusion, I was pleased with what Barnes accomplished with this load. Using its sister company’s bullets to build a devastating hunting cartridge combines the best aspects of both entities to put meat on the table.
Adding them to even a modest hunting setup will ensure success in the coming weeks, and going a more extravagant route will only make the experience that much more comfortable.
If you’re in the market for a gun, focus on what your hunt or personal tastes dictate, and don’t worry, Barnes has you covered with its Harvest Collection ammo.
Barnes Harvest Collection Range Results
Both rifles shot Barnes Harvest Collection 6.5 Creedmoor ammo at 100 yards.
| Rifle | Velocity (fps) | Smallest Group | Average Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson Combat NULA Model 20 Kodiak Rogue, 22-inch barrel | 2,621 Avg. | 1.04 | 1.37 |
| Savage Axis 2 Pro, 20-inch barrel | 2,636 Avg. | 1.12 | 1.51 |
Measured average velocity for 10 shots with a Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph placed 10 inches from the muzzle. Accuracy results for five consecutive, five-shot groups at 100 yards from a front rest and a rear shooting bag. Temperature: 61 degrees, Humidity: 40%.
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