Federal Fusions in action?

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LoonWulf

LoonWulf

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So these have been out for a while, and are usually some of the cheapest rounds available.
I've shot both the raw bullets and loaded ammo in a number of rifles. So far I've had nothing but excellent accuracy from them, but as of yet, had not shot anything besides targets.

I just took my first animal with one, and I'd just see if others are using them and how they have faired so
shot was about 150yds missed the shoulders but broke ribs in and out.
IMG_20190910_101643.jpg IMG_20190910_101652.jpg IMG_20190910_101649.jpg IMG_20190910_065938.jpg
 
That's about the size of wound cavity I like to see on animals that size. How fast you think that 7mm was going when it hit. Great photo with the ridgeline. Looks like good eating to.
 
Sooooooooo, I don't have a huge sample, BUT I find them to be harder, online reviews that I read before I bought my first box almost 5ish years ago warned me that at my expected velocities I would not be happy after 300 yds with impact velocity not opening them up enough, i like good penetration, can't beat the price, but i think that if they (like Sierra and swift) adopted a polymer tip to activate a touch faster I'd never touch my press again. I found that throwing a shoulder bone in makes for much better (for me) results but still what you discovered above is not my norm unless at fairly close range. I'm VERY confident in my Blackhawk skills so keep that in mind when I say that if I were only using fusions, I'd barely extend range over my .41 to get what I see you sharing. On the other hand, they shoot phenomenally, and are tough beyond their size! I have no data to support this, but after my discussion with swift, I believe that fusion must be using a harder lead composition (higher bhn) and more of a mixed copper antimony.
 
troy fairweather said:
That's about the size of wound cavity I like to see on animals that size. How fast you think that 7mm was going when it hit. Great photo with the ridgeline. Looks like good eating to.
Click to expand...
Federal list 2990 as launch velocity, and I got 3k average for one full box with surprisingly tight spreads. That suggest their published numbers should be close, sooo....2700ish.
 
horsey300 said:
Sooooooooo, I don't have a huge sample, BUT I find them to be harder, online reviews that I read before I bought my first box almost 5ish years ago warned me that at my expected velocities I would not be happy after 300 yds with impact velocity not opening them up enough, i like good penetration, can't beat the price, but i think that if they (like Sierra and swift) adopted a polymer tip to activate a touch faster I'd never touch my press again. I found that throwing a shoulder bone in makes for much better (for me) results but still what you discovered above is not my norm unless at fairly close range. I'm VERY confident in my Blackhawk skills so keep that in mind when I say that if I were only using fusions, I'd barely extend range over my .41 to get what I see you sharing. On the other hand, they shoot phenomenally, and are tough beyond their size! I have no data to support this, but after my discussion with swift, I believe that fusion must be using a harder lead composition (higher bhn) and more of a mixed copper antimony.
Click to expand...
good info, and that's what I've read and been told as well. I'd actually forgotten about it (how I don't know we just talked about it) but I shot a feral sheep with one and got a pencil hole.
 
Second hand information but....

My old man shot a 175 poundish buck from stem to stern at 40 yds with a Fusion in 450 Bushy. Didn’t recover the slug. It may not have expanded but the damage was significant to a lung and the entire liver. The exit wound was unimpressive. As it should have been with such depleted energy.

He has shot several other deer broadside under 100 yds with Fusions with significant internal damage which indicates expansion occurred. He tells me they were all bang flops.

My knee jerk conclusion is they are not expanding and the 450 is a big enough hammer by itself to send them to the dirt in point 2.

I know the 450 is kind of in a different class than a higher speed smaller caliber bottleneck cartridge as it pertains to bullet performance but there you go.
 
LoonWulf said:
Federal list 2990 as launch velocity, and I got 3k average for one full box with surprisingly tight spreads. That suggest their published numbers should be close, sooo....2700ish.
Click to expand...
The numbers match very closely in 35 Whelen also. Accuracy was very good. Didn't get a chance to hunt game with them.
BTW I usually try not killing deer before the spots are gone;)
JK
 
Fusions were the best patterning round for my 7mm-08, as much as I wanted the gun to like Federal Premiums like my 7 mag does. I can still cloverleaf four rounds at 100, and the last group i shot I could cover any 3 with a quarter. On game, last fall, I had one MN whitetail go 60 yards, I lunged him and would have preferred to take out a shoulder. Everything else I've shot with that gun has been somewhere between DRT to a 20 yard sprint and a flop.
 
When I got my 700 in 243 I bought a book of fusions to get me through the season until I could work up a handload. They shot well and the first 2 deer that I shot with them dropped on the spot. I don't know how many I took with that box but to this day I have never failed to drop what I have shot with this little round. Some went a little ways, but they do that with my 300 WSM too.
 
Enfielder said:
It's a small deer but those Axis deer keep their spots.
Click to expand...
Texas whitetail are small dog...errr I mean deer. Axis are, just right!

Their sizing can actually cover a big range. The button bucks my father in-law and buddy got yesterday were only about 70lbs, this Doe was probably 80, and I've seen bucks into the 200+ range.
Largest I've heard of (seen the head) stuck out the back of a Datson pickup with his ass against the cab
 
Captcurt said:
When I got my 700 in 243 I bought a book of fusions to get me through the season until I could work up a handload. They shot well and the first 2 deer that I shot with them dropped on the spot. I don't know how many I took with that box but to this day I have never failed to drop what I have shot with this little round. Some went a little ways, but they do that with my 300 WSM too.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info.
If you don't mind a couple questions, were you hitting heavier bones or just ribs, and at about what distance?
 
LoonWulf said:
Thanks for the info.
If you don't mind a couple questions, were you hitting heavier bones or just ribs, and at about what distance?
Click to expand...
The first deer was facing me at about 40 yards. I had to offhand it, putting it in her brisket. The heart was mush. The second one was 65-70 yards. broadside. The bullet hit high shoulder but was shot at a downward angle. The exit hole was the size of a golf ball. I took one in the white spot under the chin. Had another golf ball sized exit. The bullets seem to open up but still stay together well. I have to admit that most of the shots were under 100 yards. How well they work at long range is a mystery.
 
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