For years, the Storm Blue Hot Flame was a great ball for me for all the dry-ish lane conditions I see. It gave me the hitting power of resin with the control and small hook/backend of urethane. My latest BHF is drilled 1:30 with CG at dead center and pin under the ring finger. The pin-to-CG distance is unusually long for a BHF at 2.5". SO it has a good backend for a BHF.

I had to get my hands on a Barrage, as I have loved Dyno-Thane balls since before it was bought by Storm and now by Phil C. Since the Barrage has the same "listed" coverstock as the Vendetta, which has a huge backend, I expected the Barrage to go much longer than the Vendetta dues to the core, but still hook much more than the Blue Hot at the backend. Tells what "assuming" can make you look like!

My Barrage also has about a 2.5" pin-to-CG distance and I drilled exactly the same as the BHF. This is roughly a 4"x5" drilling for me.

Well, I've used it on 3 different occasions on 3 different oil patterns, 2 comparing it to the BHF. On all conditions, both balls went about the same distance, but the BHF had about 2 more boards of backend. Both balls almost seem to ignore the heads completely; these heads were not burnt out, although one had barely what you would call oil on them. (One was a very light Sport shot.)

Since these balls both are pearlized, both retain energy very well. In one practice session, I used the Barrage on what was too much oil so it looked like a wet/dry when I used the Barrage. Hoever, time after time, when I threw the Barrage just inside the oil line, almost down the 6 board, it only hooked very slightly at the backend, YET it carried every time. I was just amazed. They were splash hits, with the 1 pin coming off the side board, but the angle must have been perfect as it carried as if I were Robert Smith, cranking the ball.

I'd like to use the ball in a few more places and a few more times before posting an official review.