Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Federal Fusion Ammo...anyone using it?

I as thinking about giving these a try for my deer and hog lease. Upon doing a search on several forums they seem to have a pretty good accuracy record. There was some talk about bullet changes several years ago.


Looking for input by current users of ammunition. I am thinking about using this on the girlfriends .270 and my .308.

I've killed deer and hogs with the 223, 243 and 7-08 versions.

Used the 62 grain 223 version this year on a 7 point buck and watched it used by a nephew on another.

They all worked well. I've never caught one of them.

I'm transitioning from Remington to Federal ammo. I just don't trust Remington any more, sadly to say.

I have Fusion in .243, 6.5 CM, 270 and 30-06.

The Fusion seems to get good reviews in most calibers.

I've heard good things...

I've used Federal Fusions in 243, 6.5 Creedmoor and 308 Winchester. Whitetails and pigs. Good factory ammunition.

243-95 and 30-06-150 are excellent on whitetail deer. Very accurate and effective with good holes and hold together well. They tend to open up pretty wide, so might not always exit but in general they do.

Have killed a pile of deer with fusions in 30-06 150s and 7-08 140s. Primarily with the 7-08 from inside 20yds out to around 275. All either DRT or short easy tracks. Cant match their accuracy out of my Tikka 595 7-08 with several handloads Ive tried so thats all I feed that rifle. Also shoot great out of my Remmy LSS Mountain rifle 7-08. Several other guys i know who use them in various calibers also report excellent results. Excellent choice for deer hunting!

I've had very good success with the Fusion loads in .243. Never lost a deer yet, and very accurate out of my Savage Model 99.

I have had excellent results both on the range and in the woods with Federal Fusion.

That includes several calibers too.

Yes. I use 90 and 115 gr 6.8 SPC, 150 gr.308 and going to try some 123 gr in 7.62x39. From my personal experience, talking to other knowledgable hunters and seeing some of the ballistic gel tests on the Tube, Fusion bullets work very good.

I've found the factory ammo to be pretty accurate in most rifles, maybe not "sub MOA" but almost always hunting accurate.

I personally like buying the bullets as reloading components. I've found Speer provides good information for reloading their bullets.

I've maybe killed an antelope or 2 with the Fusion 95 grain .243 ammo. Also a number of small mule deer bucks, works for me.

The 165 grain Fusions group very well from my Tikka .308. I took 2 deer with them last year in New York. Both were heart shots at less than 50 yards. Both bullets exited. Both deer ran about 35 yards and fell over.

The 95 grain 243 load has been great in my camp.

I have used Federal Fusion in .243 and 7mm-08 both out of Remington Model Seven rifles . In both calibers, the ammo has provided very tight groups and great terminal performance. I have killed maybe 10 deer with the Fusion and all have been pass thru shots and all but one have fallen virtually on the spot. I strongly endorse!

The 165 gr Fusion us all I use in my .308 Kimber Montana these days. They've accounted for about half a dozen deer and one tree branch since switching over. All one shot kills, some drt, others very easy tracking 50 yds or less with good blood trail (except the tree, it was only wounded, but didn’t run off, still there as far as I know). No recovered bullets.

Also switching from 170 gr federal blue box to fusions in my Savage 99 30/30. They shoot to same point of aim with they reciever sight, so an easy conversion.

Yep. Good stuff.

I have shot them in a remington 7600 308. They shoot one ragged hole. Amazing. I haven't shot a deer with them, but mu bil has. No complaints.

thats all i use in my 338 federal. knocks the snot outta whitetail and in my little frontier rifle, they shoot one ragged hole.

I have shot two mule deer bucks with the Federal Fusion ammunition both were broadside, 30-06 150 grain, both shot approx. 70 yards. Both shots were full penetration in one side out the other recovered neither. They are very accurate in my rifle. I wouldn't think twice about hunting hogs with them.

The 95gr .243 Win load shot 7/16" groups right out of the box. I killed hogs with it in Oklahoma years ago. I'm really glad to see the bullets available to reloaders now. The Federal Fusion 120gr 6.5 Grendel load shoot very well in my AR but it's hard to find available anywhere.

Thanks, Dinny

Generally speaking, very accurate, Generally speaking, relatively soft so you get good expansion at low velocities, often a bit of fragmentation, but the majority of the bullet holds together well. Pretty great, overall.

Several Roosevelt cow elk with the 140gr in my 6.5 CM.
All with a single shot and no recovered bullets.
DRT or within a few yards.
I like em......

I don't shoot hogs, so I can't speak to their performance on hog, but they work fine on whitetails.

I've successfully used them in 22-250, 260, and 338 FED. I like them in my 7.62x39s, but I have only shot coyotes with them from the SKS and Zastava 85.

For shooting deer with factory ammo, I prefer the Winchester/Olin Deer Season XP if they are an option. Deer Season XP has been among the most accurate factory ammo that I've ever shot and I've been shooting factory ammo for over 50 years.

Probably my best performing ammo of choice in terms of accuracy and expansion with retention is hands down federal fusion. I highly recommend.

If it shoots well in your rifle, I doubt you will be disappointed with it. I've had no issues using it on deer and hogs. I've had a few not exit but there were no issues with animal recovery. I think they expand pretty wide.

One of the best factory ammo made

I shot the Fusion .308win/165’s and my 700’s all loved it out to 550 yards, that’s a s far as I went. I’ve used the 7-08 ammo on critters in the past with no complaints.

At the price point, I don’t think you will find anything better. I have used them successfully in 308 & 7/08.

Bumping my thread.... ow thinking about using this ammo for a .300 win mag I love for 100- 125 yard shots on deer....thoughts?

I traded for a rifle and it came with 2 boxes of Fusion ammo, I think I will be buying some more

I think they make 150gr, 165gr, and 180gr Fusion ammo in the 300WinMag. Any should be extremely effective on deer. As with any cup/core or bonded bullet at high speed, I’d expect some meat damage with the lighter weight bullets if you get into the shoulders on a deer. We’ve used a good many Fusions on deer and pigs, but most have been at 308 and 7mm-08 velocities. Great performance so far, especially for the money.

The 223 stuff is pure poison.

Think you used enough dynamite Butch?

I've killed critters with Fusion in .243, 30-06, and .270 and they did the job.

My daughter shot a deer with the .243 95 grain at 90 yards and it looked like a grenade exploded in it's chest when I dressed it out. Buck was DRT.

Fusion works great in my 6.8SPC. I've taken several deer and hogs with it no problem.

It’s one of those deals where I bought the rifle for the rifle and not the caliber.

Think you used enough dynamite Butch?[/quote]


Was that Robert Redford or Paul Newman?

Redford (Sundance) asking Newman (Butch).

Was accurate in a. .270 of mine, and the deer didnt like it either.

The 44 Mag Fusions are the most accurate factory loads through my Marlin 1894. Haven't used them on game yet, but have no doubts in their abilities based on friends experiences in other calibers.

Someone will be along soon to tell us how the Speer Gold Dots are the same as the Fusion and how great they are....(tongue in cheek) 😋