Federal Premium Fusion

[Guest bow_hunter101]

I got on Cabela's this afternoon to "look around" and wound up ordering 4 boxes of Federal Premium Fusion bullets (and a bunch of other stuff ). As usual I spent way more than I was planning on...

I bought a box of .270 WIN 150 GR., .30-30 150 GR., and .30-06 SPGFLD 165 GR. I also picked up a box of Federal Premium Vital-Shok Nosler Partitions in 160 GR for my 7MM WSM. I think I'm ready to go for rifle season!

I've heard good things about these bullets, I just wanted to hear from some people who have used them for deer hunting.

[beagleboy]

I just got back from sighting in my rifle. I use Federal Fusion in 300 win.mag with extreme success. They pattern extremely well and probably the best pattern I've ever gotten from bullets. I have yet to kill a deer with these bullets because I hunt with a shotgun and I usually shoot my buck with my shotgun but I sight my rifle in every year since I go up north at least once a year to deer hunt.

[Tim Andrus]

I used the Fusions in my Encore (. 280) and was very happy. Killed that big mulie last year and then that whitetail this year.

tim

[Leo]

I've killed a couple deer with Fusions.

At the range the bullets were frankly some of the most accurate factory rounds I've ever shot. I was very excited about using them.

Terminal performance on game on these bullets is adequate at best. One animal I took was a quartering shot. With a 180gr 30-06 I expected an exit wound. With a truly premium bullet I would have gotten one. The fusion did not. Limiting myself to broadside only shots with the rounds got me an exit but it was barely bigger than a nickel and the blood trail was very poor.

Don't expect Fusions to perform like Premium constructed bullets because in my experience they didn't. Even though these bullets are bonded the process used to do this leaves a soft jacket that is pretty thin. This results in a bullet that is more fragile than I'm used to. I absolutely would not use them on anything bigger than deer.

I also believe the softer jacket leaves more metal fouling in the bore than other loads. So I recommend a good copper solvent bore cleaner after you shoot a box of them. Get ready for a big pile of blue patches

In fairness, nothing I shot with them went very far. Under 70yds. But the poor bloodtrail is a serious problem where I hunt. In more open country, these bullets will be very popular.

[mmbernskoetter]

I have not used them myself yet but my uncle loads his own ammo but decided to give these a try and said that they are awesome. The best factory load out there.

[lowcountry boy]

With a 180gr 30-06 I expected an exit wound.

Leo,

That is surprising, how far was the shot? I was planning on trying them this year, but they were out when I went to buy them, lucky for me I guess.

I hunt in Beaufort County too, how has your season been?

[Leo]

Leo,

That is surprising, how far was the shot? I was planning on trying them this year, but they were out when I went to buy them, lucky for me I guess.

I hunt in Beaufort County too, how has your season been?

115yds, not far enough to amount to any significant energy loss.

Since you hunt down here too I would flat agree you'll be glad you didn't get those bullets. Down here if the deer leaves little blood and jumps in a Palmetto thicket or Salt marsh, you better get a dog, or you aren't gonna get that deer.

I've shot nothing yet, this year. The rut is on though. Buck was chasing a doe in front of the stand last night. No shot opportunity.