Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Fusion ammo

Was wondering who uses the Fusion ammo for hunting ? what grain and caliber you use? Whats the good and bad of this ammo? also what game you have taken? I just got 180 grain in 300 WSM cant wait to try it for Pa whitetail

I sighted in my .243 with the 95 gr. loads. Groups really nice, but haven't gotten a shot with it yet.

No cons that I know of. I shoot the 150grn in a 270. This is one that went full length in a 4 point. Entered left side of the chest facing me and exited low in the gut only to enter the hind leg and lodge after breaking the leg bone.





Can't get much better on weight retention or expansion.

Thats about perfect

I've put several guys at my camp onto Fusions in various cartridges for deer, the results have been good all around.

The price is on the low end of the scale, the terminal performance is good, and most rifles seem to shoot it pretty well.

I have shot the 223 with 62 grain Fusion MSR, 22-250 with 55 grain, 243 with 95 grain, 260 with 120 grain, 270WSM with 150 grain, and 30-30 with 150 grain.

I have shot a couple of coyotes with the 22-250 Fusion, but no animals with any of the others.

I like the Federal Fusions, but would go with the Hornady American Whitetail ammo if it was available in the cartridge that I was using and didn't reload for. It is inexpensive, compared to most other brands of factory ammo, and shoots such good groups in my 25-06s and 270s that I don't feel any need to reload for them.

Between my 7MM-08 & .243 I've killed more than a truckload of antelope over the last 7-8 years. I have a custom .243 that shoots it really well.

I was told about the ammo when looking for Factory Loaded 130 Grain 270 Winchester by several members here on the fire.

I haven,t got a chance to use it on deer yet (Our season comes in on the 14th of Nov in the zone I hunt in)so do not know how it will perform But I can tell you it is a very accurate load that will put 3 in .75 at a hundred yards off a rest ,from my Tikka Super Lite and Leupold VX1 3-9x40.
The Hornady 130 grain Whitetail ammo also shoots well at about .85 inch

If the deer cooperate and I am able to get one or two I will relate the Performance here on the fire.

What I've seen strongly siggests you'll have good results with either of those loads assuming a good shot.

The most accurate factory 130 grain 270 load in my CLR and old Remington 760 is the Winchester/Olin Power Max Bonded. Federal makes very good ammunition and around here, it is almost always less expensive than Hornady, Remington, or Winchester/Olin.

I like it. It is quite accurate in my 243. I friend used my rifle and the 95 grainer to take an antelope buck a few years back. Dropped him on the spot but an antelope isn't really much of a test. I certainly wouldn't hesitate to use it on deer. I probably wouldn't hunt elk with it in 243, but I might in a 30 caliber.

I like the stuff, use 165 gr in my .308, 170 gr in my 30/30. Taken a few whitetails with them, haven't recovered a bullet yet (I like the heavier bullets that tend to go right thru).

It works well for factory ammo , pretty good stuff if your confined to factory.

I use 165gr. Fusion in my 30-06 carbine. Shot a handful of deer with them including two big bodied buck. Deer always react like they got hit by a train and never run farther than 20 yards if the run at all.

When I shot factory ammo, I loved em. They seem to shoot well out of most rifles, and they're deadly on game. Retain most of their weight to.

I use them in my .280 Ren and 30-06 7600 carbine.

140's on the .280 and 165 in the 06.

Can't say enough good about them.

I've used them in 260 Rem with 120 gr bullet, 7mm/08 with 140 gr bullet, and 30/30 with 170 gr.

In the 260 they are as accurate and shoot to the same point of impact as the 120 gr Ballistic Tip load by Federal. I shot a doe whitetail of about 120 pounds which did not exit from about 15 yards. A nephew shot an 8 pt buck (Eastern count) with the Fusion at about 80 yards. The bullet exited this time so I don't know what to say regarding them. For a "bonded" bullet I was not happy with my results but it did as expected when the range increased a little.

I've shot a handful of whitetails and a couple of pronghorns with the 7mm/08 and Fusions. All the bullets exited which is what I would expect from such a bullet. Ranges on the deer ranged from 20 yards to 150 and none were really big- maybe 180 pounds live weight for the one buck and 120-140 for the others which were does. The antelope were a bit further, maybe 160 and 220, and the bullets went through. All died quickly. These were the first fusions I used.

I shot one deer with Fusions in 30/30. It was a doe at maybe 15 yards and the bullet exited. This was a pretty broadside shot so there was a lot of difficulty.

I would use the Fusions on game with no hesitation in 7mm and larger based on my experience. Smaller diameter and I am hesitant from the mixed results I have experienced. With a sample of two I would have to shoot them some more before I make a final decision as it could have been a "bad bullet" with the deer I shot and the rest will act more like my nephew's.

Simply because a bullet is bonded does not make it an exit every time bullet.

The Fusion has good weight retention due to the bonding, but it also expands quickly and broadly which works against penetration.

Don't know about now, but, when the 338 federal was new and I wasn't set up to reload it I bought a few boxs. After getting the tikka zeroed with a handful of rounds I was impressed with its accuracy.
Then when I moved to the second box I couldn't get 8;20 to chamber. Bolt wouldn't close all the was.
I complained to federal and they sent me a free sleeve of 10 boxs.
I killed a few deer, if I recall . nothing spectacular in terms of performance over Hornady cup and core/ interlocks or corelocks for that matter.
If your have it avail and your happy with the price and accuracy, it'll kill deer.
I wouldn't step up on account of a cool box. Yellow and green seem to be a fromnt runner for factory fodder.

From a WSM?
close up I think your going to have a good bit of trauma and bloodshot meat. I'd keep the shots low in the chest so as not to ruin the tenderloins and off the shoulders if you don't like purple roasts.

It shoots lights out in my 7wsm semi custom, like less than half inch if i do my part. Kills good as well, have killed a few large bodied white tails with it from 80-330 yards