280 Fusion bulets on game?

[MichelD]

Finally got my reconditioned scope back from warranty repair and sighted in the 280 yesterday.

I had had half a box of Federal Fusion 140 grain cartridges left and used them up. The rifle shoots them pretty well including a 2.5-inch group at 200 metres, which is about as good as I can shoot not being Lyudmila Pavlichenko .

Anyway, I'm wondering what real world performance on game with these is.

I shot one deer with them last year before I realized my scope was pooched. The bullet exploded on bone. It was the neck so it was very effective though. Don't know what would have happened to a shoulder.

Besides deer, would they be okay for black bear and immature bull moose for example?

[BgBlkDg]

The .280 is my favourite *standard* cartridge, both in original Rem. and now in my Kimber MA AI version. I do not bother with cup and core bullets as it is a LOT simpler to just handload 150-160 NPs to 2800-2900 fps-mv and they work well on anything.

IMR-7828 is good, RE-22 excellent and H-4831 as well, Reliable has some 4831 and NPs are out there.

[604redneck]

The .280 is my favourite *standard* cartridge, both in original Rem. and now in my Kimber MA AI version. I do not bother with cup and core bullets as it is a LOT simpler to just handload 150-160 NPs to 2800-2900 fps-mv and they work well on anything.

IMR-7828 is good, RE-22 excellent and H-4831 as well, Reliable has some 4831 and NPs are out there.

I wouldnt even bother with rl22 the other 2 or 4350 sure and i say accubond over partitions

[416]

Finally got my reconditioned scope back from warranty repair and sighted in the 280 yesterday.

I had had half a box of Federal Fusion 140 grain cartridges left and used them up. The rifle shoots them pretty well including a 2.5-inch group at 200 metres, which is about as good as I can shoot not being Lyudmila Pavlichenko .

Anyway, I'm wondering what real world performance on game with these is.

I shot one deer with them last year before I realized my scope was pooched. The bullet exploded on bone. It was the neck so it was very effective though. Don't know what would have happened to a shoulder.

Besides deer, would they be okay for black bear and immature bull moose for example?


Found the same thing, they do tend to be accurate in the rifles l've tried them with, in fact they are my go to factory round to check out my new toys and how they preform. As far as real world results, if you do your part they will do theirs, same as most bullets will. That said, l used fusion or been in on hunts where they were used for moose, deer and bear, they worked but the bullet retention was very poor. Recall shooting a deer about 75 yards away through the boiler room that clipped a rib on the way in, bullet didn't exit and there was less then 1/2 its original wt. retained, but it did the job. Personally, l wouldn't think twice about deer sized critters, but as size and wt increases l believe there are better constructed bullets for hunting. Hard to beat any of the premium ammo being offered on the market which won't leave you thinking twice of whether your ammo will leave you with a wounded animal because it wasn't up to the task.

[BgBlkDg]

RE-22 has worked very well in four of the five custom .280s I have had since 1981, probably best with 150s and even the AI should do well with it if I bothered with lighter bullets, ie, 140s in such rounds.

The major reason, tho', is I always seem to have 20-35 big game rifles at any given time and I try to use powders that work well in several cartridges so I can stock fewer types of powder. In 1991, I bought 30 lbs. of Re-22, mostly for 250 loads in my .338WM rifles and found it excellent in my .270Wins, as well.

I then tried it in the various .280s and it has been stellar with 150NPs, especially. I actually tend to dislike handloading and so try to stock large amounts of a given lot of as few powders as possible.

Works for me, going with Magpro, now, but, too slow in .338WM. YMMV, of course.

[604redneck]

RE-22 has worked very well in four of the five custom .280s I have had since 1981, probably best with 150s and even the AI should do well with it if I bothered with lighter bullets, ie, 140s in such rounds.

The major reason, tho', is I always seem to have 20-35 big game rifles at any given time and I try to use powders that work well in several cartridges so I can stock fewer types of powder. In 1991, I bought 30 lbs. of Re-22, mostly for 250 loads in my .338WM rifles and found it excellent in my .270Wins, as well.

I then tried it in the various .280s and it has been stellar with 150NPs, especially. I actually tend to dislike handloading and so try to stock large amounts of a given lot of as few powders as possible.

Works for me, going with Magpro, now, but, too slow in .338WM. YMMV, of course.

Sorry bgblkdg only reason i said no to the re 22 is temp sensitivity i like same poi spring summer fall and winter i did shoot it through a .300 mag and was the most accurate powder tested and good velocity

[jtred]

Both 130 and 150gr Federal Fusion worked very well through my 270win. The two bullets I did recover had pretty good retention, one from a medium sized whitetail buck retained 86% and the other from a large cow elk retained 79%. Both mushroomed perfectly and neither animal went very far. The buck ran maybe 20m and the cow went 40-50m. Both bullets where double lung shots on animals quartering slightly away and the bullets where under the hide on the off side shoulder.

[longwalk]

Shot 140 grain Fusions for one season out of my .270 WSM Found them to be accurate but very fragile. Had a couple blow up with very little penetration on deer. Did not use them again.

[warnniklz]

.284 fusions I pulled out of a black bear... no they weren't on "marginal" shots. Quite the opposite really...

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/249710_10150610639585387_6738622_n.jpg?oh=957630f0 2669b3e545a02c65837ddc81&oe=564549C2

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/246808_10150610639920387_5184072_n.jpg?oh=d8235322 597618e9d86e8475ee48aed4&oe=56807DA6

[magnumjeff]

they would be better at longer ranges,

[leaky boots]

I shoot 180 fusions out my 300 win mag.
I get 3040 hot to 3070 cold fps. a clean double lung shot (hit one rib) on my last moose 8-900 lb dispatched him where he stood. found the bullet under the hide on the opposite side and was still 118 gn.

[.264winmag]

.284 fusions I pulled out of a black bear... no they weren't on "marginal" shots. Quite the opposite really...

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/249710_10150610639585387_6738622_n.jpg?oh=957630f0 2669b3e545a02c65837ddc81&oe=564549C2

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/246808_10150610639920387_5184072_n.jpg?oh=d8235322 597618e9d86e8475ee48aed4&oe=56807DA6
Wow! Looks like two completely different bullets. Top one doesn't show any signs of 'bonding'. Always had good luck with the 150 fusions out the .270win, hit deer in the hind socket once about 150 yds away, retained 100grains:

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h325/Doubleheader2/Bullet%20performance/FCF29652-3D92-4A49-A802-472410E92CFF.jpg (http://s1104.photobucket.com/user/Doubleheader2/media/Bullet%20performance/FCF29652-3D92-4A49-A802-472410E92CFF.jpg.html)

[Fisher-Dude]

I always smile when I see "failed" bullets pulled from DEAD animals. I think the job of the bullet was to make the animal DEAD, right?

Shot placement is always key. Bullet construction is always secondary to shot placement, IMO.

Of course, for no meat loss, just fire a Barnes in the air and any animal in the vicinity will fall over dead. At least that's what they tell me... :razz:

[BRvalley]

I put a 180 grain fusion through moose ribs and deflected to offside shoulder, 170 yards, it worked...bang, flop...fair bit of meat loss though

and they don't look as cool as a recovered barnes lol

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o784/BRvalley/IMG_1558.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/BRvalley/media/IMG_1558.jpg.html)

[sniper58]

My avatar is a .270 Fusion recovered from a Sask. Mule Deer shot at about 250 yds

[Junorr500]

165gr fusions out of my .300wm shoot great and have yet to recover out of a deer as they are usually through and through with a big exit hole. Very flat shooting as well. Hit a mulie in the spine at 390yards and nearly cut it half last year, looked very odd when dragging it with the hind quarter dragging twisted 180 from the front quarter.