First Look: Federal Fusion Component Bullets

Over a decade ago, Federal released what was to become one of the best deer bullets on the market: the Fusion. Accurate, affordable and more than effective, the Fusion employs a rather unique construction method in which a pressure-formed lead core has a copper jacket molecularly fused to it, and then the overall shape is formed.

The ogive is skived, to initiate expansion—which is consistent, and usually at least twice caliber—and the construction method results in high weight retention, even on close shots from fast cartridges. Though the tip is ever so slightly flattened, the boattail design will offer attractive trajectories at sane hunting ranges. And while the Fusion ammunition was—and still is—well-made and accurate stuff, not all rifles like the same powder charge and set of harmonics produced by a single load.

Federal has listened to the masses, and appeases handloaders by offering the Fusion bullet in component form for 2019; finally we can tailor the load to make the rifle happy, and employ the Fusion projectiles in the less-common cartridges for which Federal didn’t provide factory ammunition.

The Fusion is available in five very common and highly-useable calibers: 6.5mm (140 grains), .277-inch (130 and 150 grains), 7mm (140, 160 and 175 grains), .308-inch (150 and 180 grains) and .338-inch (200 and 225 grains). The 6.5mm, .277-inch and 7mm bullets are available in 100-count boxes, while the .308-inch and .388-inch come in 50-count boxes.

I know my 6.5-284 Norma is going to be pleased with the 140-grain Fusion, and I definitely want to try the 160-grain Fusion in my little Tikka T3X in 7mm-08 Remington; that should make excellent black bear medicine for the Catskill Mountains, where a lightweight rifle is very much appreciated. If you shoot a deer rifle in any of the five bore diameters listed above and enjoy shooting your own handloaded ammunition, give the Fusion a try; I think you’ll be happy you did.

For more information, visit federalpremium.com.