Image courtesy of Federal Ammunition
January 29, 2024
By Federal Ammunition Press Release
Federal Ammunition introduced its popular Fusion line of hunting ammo in 2005 . The development of Fusion was driven by a desire to create a rifle cartridge that combined the best qualities of traditional hunting bullets with the advantages of modern projectile design. The result was a full line of ammunition featuring bonded bullets specifically engineered for deer hunting, offering excellent weight retention, expansion, and accuracy. Starting in 2024, these time-tested, hunting loads will now see a new evolution with the addition of a polymer tip.
Product Line Defined One of the defining features of Federal Fusion ammunition is its exceptional performance at a budget-friendly price point. This combination of affordability and effectiveness has contributed to its widespread adoption among hunters. The fundamental concept behind Federal Fusion ammunition is the use of a specialized bullet with an electrochemically bonded core. The plated bullet design has an extremely concentric layer of copper around the lead core, which makes Fusion one of the more accurate hunting bullets on the market.
Fusion’s specialized bonding process ensures that the bullet’s jacket and core remain secured together, delivering superior weight retention for deeper penetration upon impact. This innovation is a significant upgrade from traditional cup-and-core bullets—projectiles manufactured by mechanically pressing a cupped metal jacket on to a lead core—which tend to experience core separation upon impact. Separation of a bullet’s jacket and core can reduce terminal performance and penetration depth, resulting in less chance of pass-through.
“Following its initial release, Federal Fusion ammunition quickly gained a reputation for its exceptional performance and reliability,” said Eric Miller, Federal’s Centerfire Product Line Manager. “Over the past 18 years, we have expanded Fusion into a large list of calibers and bullet weights, now totaling more than 50 product offerings across three different product families. This has allowed hunters and shooters to experience the benefits of bonded-core technology across a broad spectrum of firearms and game species.”
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In addition to its expansions in terms of calibers, bullet weights and intended uses, Federal Fusion ammunition also saw advancements in bullet design and manufacturing processes. Over the years, Federal continued to refine the Fusion bullet, optimizing its ballistic coefficients and terminal performance to ensure consistent accuracy and reliable expansion at various distances and velocities. Fast-forward to 2024, Federal continues to innovate and expand products loaded with Fusion bullets with the addition of a polymer ballistic tip. With this continued evolution, Federal’s Fusion, Fusion MSR, and the new Fusion Tipped product lines are poised to remain a leading choice for those who demand excellence in their ammunition.
Poly-Tipped Performance “Rifle ammunition featuring polymer tips is nothing new. Yet it has revolutionized the shooting industry with its innovative design and exceptional performance,” said Jake Burns, Federal’s Centerfire Rifle Engineering Manager. “Polymer ballistic tipped ammunition has become a popular choice among hunters, competitive target shooters, and law enforcement professionals.”
One of the key features of polymer-tipped rifle ammunition is its ability to deliver enhanced ballistic performance. The streamlined design of the polymer tip reduces drag and improves the ballistic coefficient of the bullet, resulting in flatter trajectories, increased accuracy, and retained energy over longer distances. This feature is particularly advantageous for hunters and precision shooters who require consistent accuracy and reliable performance at extended ranges.
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“The aerodynamic properties of polymer-tipped rifle ammunition contribute to improved flight characteristics and stability. The sleek profile of the bullet, combined with the polymer tip, reduces air resistance, and minimizes the effects of crosswinds, resulting in more predictable and stable trajectories,” explained Burns. “This feature is especially valuable for long-range shooting, where maintaining stability and accuracy over varying environmental conditions is essential.”
A Legend in the Deer Woods Federal Fusion Rifle ammunition has a rich history that spans nearly two decades and has left a significant mark in the world of big-game hunting. Fusion’s pressure-formed lead core is electro-chemically bonded to a consistent, uniform copper jacket, resulting in the highest weight retention, deepest penetration, and best expansion in its class. According to Miller and Burns, the all-new Fusion Tipped design offers the same great terminal performance as the original, but with a polymer tip that reduces wind drift and drop, as well as deliver more energy downrange. Paired with a skived nose cavity, the polymer tip also helps initiate consistent, lethal expansion. All this increases ballistic coefficient, flattens trajectories, and boosts energy for better accuracy and extended effective range.
The quantity of load options for the original Fusion bonded soft-point product line is almost unbelievable. It currently has 37 different load offerings. Federal’s Fusion MSR product line—designed for use in semi-auto modern sporting rifles—has 8 product offerings. This means the amount of products using the original Fusion bonded soft-point totals 45 options. Additionally, the new Fusion bonded poly-tipped product line will be initially released in nine cartridge options. This will bring the grand total of products bearing the Fusion name to 54.
The all-new Fusion Tipped initial offerings will include 300 BLK 190-grain, 6.5 PRC 140-grain, 6.5 Creedmoor 140-grain, 270 Win. 150-grain, 7MM Rem. Mag. 175-grain, 7MM PRC 175-grain, 308 Win. 180-grain, 30-06 Sprg. 180-grain, and 300 Win. Mag. 180-grain. Its 20-count boxes range in price from $44.99 to $81.99 depending on cartridge choice.
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