Barnes national ammo launch
Our Briefing
In April 2025, Barnes Bullets launched the Barnes Harvest Collection, a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Barnes and Sierra Bullets, featuring the trusted Tipped GameKing projectile and Barnes’ legendary loading standards. This innovative ammunition was purpose-built for whitetail and thin-skinned game hunters, combining terminal performance, precision accuracy, and competitive pricing—all under one new product line.
Murray Road was tasked with designing and executing a public relations campaign to bring attention to this new category of ammo, highlight the unique collaboration, and create widespread consumer interest ahead of and during the launch window.
Campaign Objectives
The Barnes Harvest PR strategy was developed to meet several core objectives:
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Establish the Harvest Collection as the most reliable and competitively priced whitetail hunting ammunition on the market
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Amplify public awareness of the Barnes x Sierra collaboration, positioning it as a trusted partnership in the hunting community
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Drive early media coverage and affiliate content to coincide with product availability
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Generate excitement through hands-on media experiences and influencer events
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Direct traffic to the Barnes website and retailers to fuel consumer demand and purchase intent
The core campaign message emphasized reliability—in both performance and price—and how the blend of Barnes’ trusted loading with Sierra’s proven accuracy exceeded expectations among both loyal and new hunters.
Campaign Execution
Murray Road led a streamlined public relations push focused on earned media, affiliate coverage, and real-world events. We pitched the product under embargo to key writers and influencers, ensuring launch-day coverage across top-tier outlets. Two press releases were deployed: one announcing the product and another ahead of the 2025 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, where the ammo was featured prominently.
To build buzz, we sent curated care packages with product and branded gear to select media and affiliates. We also activated the product in the field at the Texas Axis Hunt with high-profile editors from Petersen’s Hunting, Hook & Barrel, and Field Ethos. The team followed up with in-person meetings at NRA 2025 and teed up further opportunities at the upcoming NRA Editorial Summit.
To cap it off, Barnes VP Andrew Sparks joined GunTalk Radio for a live interview, reinforcing campaign messaging and driving credibility with core hunting audiences.
The Results
In the first 60 days, the Barnes Harvest Collection PR campaign produced tangible, high-impact results across earned media channels:
•Digital Reach: 2.5+ million
• Ad Value Equivalency: $100,000+
The conclusion
The Barnes Harvest Collection launch marked a pivotal moment in the hunting ammo space, and the strategic PR campaign led by Murray Road ensured it debuted with credibility, reach, and impact.
By combining advanced outreach, real-world event integration, and targeted media placement, the campaign successfully introduced the Harvest Collection to millions of hunters, positioning Barnes as a trusted innovator and Sierra as a precision performance partner.