I've shot Barnes for many years in my 270WIN and 300WSM. I am a huge fan and continue to use them. My 270 140 gr loads have taken many whitetail and 6 elk with shots from 65 to 350 yards. I had never had a "failure" until my Kudu on my first trip to Africa. It did exactly what you described. 85 yard, quartering too shot and I hit right on the point of the shoulder. It appears the nose cavity started to open on the hide them deformed on the bone and stopped expansion. I posted these pictures on the Bullet Performance Database here on AH. It was also pointed out to me then that "failure" is relative. It was a one shot kill- the bull went 40 yards and piled up. The bullet broke the shoulder and penetrated the heart stopping in the off side hide behind the ribcage. I think the term failure came from older bullets that ruptured on the hide or bone and never penetrated the vitals. I've seen "failures" posted on this site form every bullet maker there is from Northfork, AFrame,etc. They are rare in good bullets and still usually penetrate, just don't end up with that pretty mushroom head like the picture on the box.
