INSANE PERFORMANCE!!! 243 Winchester Federal Fusion 95gr PSP Ammo Test
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- čas přidán 8. 10. 2023
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In this video we’re going to do a ballistics gel test and review of the following hunting ammunition fired from the following test rifle:
- 243 Winchester Federal Fusion 95 grain Bonded Soft Point
- Winchester Model 70 Featherweight Compact chambered in 243 Winchester with a 20 inch barrel
All shots are fired from a distance of 100 yards so as to encompass the majority of common real world hunting scenarios.
I will be shooting into 10% ballistics gel from www.clearballistics.com that has been calibrated to meet the FBI ballistics testing protocol.
While ballistics gel isn’t an exact proxy for big game, small game, predators or defensive situations, it does provide a repeatable medium through which to test various bullets and ammunitions against each other.
With each type of ammo tested I collect data on bullet penetration depth, bullet weight retention, bullet expansion and muzzle velocity.
For reference, bullet expansion is measured at the widest expanded point using a calibrated Frankford Arsenal Digital Caliper.
Bullet weight is measured using a calibrated Frankford Arsenal Digital Scale after having removed as much ballistics gel as possible from the expanded bullets.
Bullet velocity is measured using a ProChronoPal chronograph set approximately 7-10’ from the shooting bench, depending on the cartridge and muzzle blast.
I am fully aware that a chronograph measuring bullet velocity from 10’ away from the muzzle is going to register a slower velocity than if velocity were measured directly at the muzzle, but that difference is going to be so small as to be all but irrelevant in regards to comparison of actual measured velocity versus factory stated velocity.
My goal with these ballistics gel tests is to provide hunters like you and I with the most objective information possible to help us make the best choice for our particular hunting situation.
The results of these tests are my own and I cannot guarantee the same or similar performance on your part. The views and opinions expressed in this video are solely my own.
All videos are filmed in a safe and controlled environment on a private range with all applicable safety precautions by a trained professional. - Zábava
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I have been using a .243 since 1976, everything I ever pointed it at, died quickly. Black bear, wild hogs , mule deer, whitetail deer, coyotes, and other vermin.
Picked up another tikka 243, my second, it shoots this fusion the best out of all 6 ammos tested, both guns shot the same, amazing, the others were not grouping like the fusions, got less than i MOA at 200 yds, so confident in this so I bought 500 rounds!
I have hunted with this exact ammo for years and have found that it is one of the most effective cartridges Ive used for deer, out of my Remington 243
I would put this up against just about any other round. massive wound channels and it usually drops deer in their tracks.
I've really been enjoying your .243 series as now I have a far better understanding of why several fellow hunters prefer the caliber over other more popular rounds. The series also explains to my satisfaction why so many of those hunters utilize rifles similar, if not identical, to yours in the often-close cover situations we find here in parts of North and South Carolina.
Glad to be of service! I setup this rifle for elevated stand hunting in the woods of east Texas, very similar to the Carolinas. Typical shots are inside 50 yards if not dang near point blank.
243 is one of the most popular deer rounds out there. I live a bit a few hundred miles north of you but it’s a very popular round for young hunters and older ones. I started using it after shoulder surgery. It’s great for hogs to!
Can backpack for miles carrying a 243
This is THE video I've wanted to see for a long time!!! Fabulous ammo. Fabulous work you're doing! Thank you!!!
Glad to be of service!
Killed 4 Deer with Fusion. 3 with .243, 1 with .223. .243 was 2 broad side shots, and 1 angled chest shot… all 3 exited with about a golf ball sized cavity. No fragments found. .223 was front chest…expanded and penetrated chest, liver, …found under hide…no fragments..even with some bone hit. Perfect expansion…. Fusion is a winner in smaller calibers.
You. Need a sportsman guide table sponsor . And my name is Scott 😊 . Been shooting 243. For over 45 years . 100 Grain all the time Federal has been good to me .
I'm sold to 243 and convinced enough for a fallow deer hunting due to this video. Thank you sir.
I bought two boxes of these and gave them to a friend for deer hunting this fall. Looks like it'll do the job.
Love the detail of the video, and how fast you jam it in so we can get the the real facts......don't change
I took your advice on these .243 Federal Fusion and had my 10 year old son and 12 year old daughter use these on their deer hunts. I'm glad I did as both were well placed shots and passed through the two doe they each shot. Both deer didn't go 10 yards after the shot. Thank you for all the information you share in your testings!
I use fusion 180 grain in my 300wsm
Works amazing harvested 3 moose over the years did the job
Man you have to love the way them fusion bullets look when expanded !
They really do look good!
Thanks for this video! Looks like I am using this for deer in my .243 this year. I can't wait to see how it does.
Excellent offering. Thank you.
Thank you! Gonna find out if my rifle likes that today. Looks like the one to use, I’ve always used Remington.
I used an old box of Federal Fusion in 7.62x39 last November to take my 5x5 whitetail buck. I was lucky and the bullet was stuck between the hide and left shoulder. It didn’t look like what was in the ballistic gel, but it did the job.
Thank you,,, been waitin for this video ,,,, awsome job ,,, now to find some fusion 243 ,,
Glad to be of service!
The Alaska ballistics done a test on that same ammo with a 22 inch barrel. Speed was 2890. It made a perfect flower. 243 95 grain fusion. Real cold day. Yes I went and got me a box.will try it out on a deer with my 40 yr old rugger m77 . Thanks for the tests.
I use the Federal Berger Hybrid 95gr and my Ruger American loves them - extremely accurate- tiny groups. Killed 3 moose with it. All one shot kills.
Thank you!
I wish I could post pictures here I would show you what a 165 federal fusion of a 308 did last year at a little over 100 yards. In short, I shot a buck that was pretty large for South Carolina in the upstate in the front right to the right of his left leg. He was staring at me almost head on and exited behind the rib cage.
Just sighted in my 308win with 165gr Fusion, was glad to hear your input about how it worked on deer thanks
Wow.. That is impressive!
Great video!
Fusion is all I use in all my deer rifles. It is extremely accurate across the board, without fail. I generally use a Rem 600 Mohawk in .243 with an 18.5" barrel. It shoots sub MOA. I've killed my biggest MO bucks with this combo. Doesn't leave much blood but no worries, the deer don't go far.
Kinda hoping you try federal trophy copper, daughter is using a compact 243 and your giving me great ideas to use
Impressive. I’ll have to pick some up
I liked the 95 grn SST from Hornady . It was what my son hunted with when he was young. Killed his first deer at 189 yds with a little NEF Handi Rifle
I have a H&R 270
I love the old NEFs
@@masonleather we have a 243 and 7mm08 barrel. It’s very accurate but it’s so short , I can’t get a good seat and it gives me a little thump lol
I personally know several people who hunt and kill elk with the 95 grain SSTs loaded to about 2850 fps.
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Thanks Mason!
Thank you for your kind words!! I’m glad to be of service!
i used this ammo last year for deer. High shoulder shot a mature doe at 200 yd. It dropped on the spot and didnt get back up. I shot another adult doe at 40 yd just behind the crease broadside . It went about 50 yards and left a blood trail a blind man could follow.
My Browning A Bolt in 280 Remington really liked Federal fusion . I haven't used it in my 6.5 X 55 or my 308. But I'm
confident that it will perform well.
It's nice to see federal making high quality rounds. In years past, it always seemed they put out some rather blah basic ammo, with the exception of hydra-shok pistol ammo.
For the price it’s good stuff … and it would take an elk 😊
Its good to see someone giving props to heavier box ammo loads with chrono results. IMO one of the biggest problems with .243 loads is when people try to drive the 80 grain slugs at max handload velocities. Then they're surprised when the bullet expands too fast and has meh results at closer ranges.
Meanwhile a 2700ish fps 95 grain SST slug will punch a clean hole as will plenty of 100 grain hunting loads with appropriate velocities. Luckily the SST's can be driven hotter but I haven't seen a deer that wouldnt drop to a halfway decent shot.
Beautiful rifle, Fed fusion is great ammo.
Looks like a winner.
You need to hand load those to bump up the speed. I have a 26” VLS with a Hs prescion stock, a 22” and 20” AR10, and a 1967 16” Remington model 600 all chambered in 243.
Great video. My father would reload with 75 grain hollow points. Pushing 3,600 f.p.s. 300% mushroom on lead.
Thank you
The consistency is mind blowing with this load. Im gonna be rocking with it exclusively in 243 and 270. I wonder how it would do with a high shoulder shot on a elk
Love these videos, would like to see the Remington core lokt 243 tested
Another good video and the.243 is a good deer rifle, don’t forget about shot placement ,
I have this ammo for the 6.5 Creedmoor, it does great
Will have to say Fusions are pretty tough across the board
The 243 in my remington model 7 is my deer slayer I have taken some very large deer at l9ng distance with the hornady 95 grain sst super accurate and light
Gonna take mine this year. 85 gr barnes tts
Awesome. That looks like the big brother of the HST. Based on that test I guess the .308 Win 180 grain would be close to perfect for almost any game
Most likely. 180gr Fusion 30-06 is on my channel
@@masonleather thx,I missed that one. The 150 ft/s more won’t make much of a difference
Man thats a cool little rifle i'd like one in 7mm-08 but I've got federal fusion in every caliber I own good off the shelf ammo
I have that rifle in 7-08. It is a nice walking rifle. Love 7-08.
John
Haha, I’d also like one in 7-08! They’re hard to come by these days!
Im just glad some1 posted similar results in eldx as i was experiencing...also had them explode out of 300prc
Glad to be of service
Not the only service, both my boys use the savage axis in 243(1 is a compact) ...u keep doing all the homework, all we do is buy the ammo and see if it groups. I here your about to do the 450, possibly some 400 legend?
I'd love to go on a ballistic gel hunt sometime. Seems like a lot of fun.
😉
Just pour a concrete slab in place of the table. Hahaha
I’ve halfway thought about it 🤣
I think I'll use this.
Yeah .243 is awesome if you have a longer barrel
Have the same winchester compact,,so very interested
After this test i am going to try this load in the 243 i will be picking up soon. Have you tried 100 grain core lockt or some of the copper bullets?
Great overall results for factory ammunition, especially the retention. It’s too bad the velocity isn’t at least 100 fps higher so it would allow better performance past 250 yards.
Federal Fusion has always been an excellent performer for me. Why spend more on fancy tipped bullets when these Fusion loads do a great job for less. Plenty of killing power on both deer and hogs.
I have had good luck out do Fusion in other calibers, and this video as well as a couple others sold me on these. On Thanksgiving my son killed a buck with these, but we did not see that penetration. He was using at 20” barrel M700 the shot was approx 40yds. Center punched the shoulder just below the bone. Ran 25 yards and down. While field dressing the entrance hole was impressive, but it did not even crack the ribs on the other side. Can’t argue with the result, but I was really expecting an exit hole.
Do you think that this test at 40-50 would show these bullets peel all the way back and loose a lot of that penetration? Would love to see that test.
Thank you for your work here I enjoy the videos. Just trying to get more i do to give him the best opportunities.
Can you please try the Winchester Deer Season Copper in .243. That is what we shoot and is very accurate.
Another great video. Is the Federal Fusion the same as the Speer Gold Dot as some are reporting?
I can’t confirm
No. But they are both bonded bullets, so similar. Happy hunting!
I hear a lot of bragging about the accuracy people get from the fusion, might try some in 308
I have a sporterized Swedish Mauser in 6.5x55. I would love to see this same test using Federal 140 Power Shok Soft Points. Thanks for any consideration.
At some point I will
Any plans on testing the 243 100 grain Rem Core-Lokt and Norma Whitetail? Thanks!!!
Absolutely, I’m doing everything as time allows
In the .270 I've had the 130 grain Fusions consistently out penetrate the 150's. My own observations is that the performance progression of these bullets between bullet weights and/or calibers is not necessarily logical. I've had the 130's run deer through from end to end a few times, leaving a fairly small exit wound, while the 150's have completely blown up on me a couple times. The only Fusion I've recovered was a 150 that only struck an elk rib at 150 yards, and the mushroom is pretty ugly.
Did you see Federal is coming out with Tipped fusion? Missing your videos.
It isn't what you shoot, its where you shoot that matters.
Anywhere in the eye with a 243 will kill most anything.
HI ! can you test the hornady sst 95 gr ! would be a awsome match !!
I would like to see the norma oryx tested in .243.
I have a Ruger American 243 with a 22 inch barrel
My 95 grain Federal ballistic tips had less than impressive velocities as well. Not sure why Federal under loads the 243??? My 270 and 7mag Federal loads are pretty spot on.
I went to fusion 150 gr in my 308 have not had a deer go more than 40 yards.
you need to look on primer after shoot.
some of them are move back
thats why federal glue primers i n pocket ,holes are .05mm too big
Would the longer barrel and higher velocity bullet yield the same results? Wouldnt the bullet have a higher chance of breaking apart?
I doubt a Fusion would break apart, and you’re not going to get some massive velocity gain from 2 or 4 more inches of barrel, maybe a 3-4% gain, which is mitigated the further the impact distance. Velocity helps with trajectory at longer ranges, it’s effect on bullet performance at normal ranges isn’t going to be very pronounced, if a bullet held together well at 2,700 fps it’ll probably be just fine at 2,800 fps, etc and vice versa.
Do you have a video of this ammo in 6.5 creedmoor?
Do you think these would still work alright in an 18 inch barrel mohawk? It’s in 243 as well, just was worried about the velocity loss.
Absolutely, it wouldn’t be significantly slower than my 20” barrel, not enough to make a difference at typical ranges.
Can you please do a review of Federal 243 Meat Eater ammo. It's Federal Vital Shock (Red Box). I cannot find a review anywhere. I bought 2 boxes because Scheels had it STUPID CHEAP, but I'd still like to see a review.
I can’t anytime soon but I’d bet it’d be very similar to the Hornady 80gr CX, that video is live.
They make them in 45-70 if find and test
Everyone wants to shoot an elk, so that is what they shoot in their games, which makes them experts.
Alas… 😪
Think I could use a better cartridge for elk. Not saying it won’t work. But it might not.
Unless it’s all you’ve got it’s really kind of silly, like why hamstring yourself to that level? There are a lot of stories out there of people using 243 for elk, none of them are going to tell you about the times it didn’t work out so well.
@@masonleather yep. We have no restrictions on deer in my state on rifle used. Heck a 22lr can work. But who wants to unless it” all you got” 🤣
That’s still pretty slow even for a 20” barrel. Another channel tester got 2808 fps avg with 20” barrel. His previously tested fusion was very slow. 2600-2700. He sent them back to Federal. They send new box’s that were correct velocity. May not have been an isolated case.
Ohhh, forgot tell us the neck....you know how far it punches in before expansion
Have you tried the 140 fusions out of a 6.5 creedmoor?
Yes, video isn’t live yet, they did what Fusions do
I've used them for hunting in the 6.5x55. Good penetration, fast kills, minimal meat damage.. but I could more or less say that about all the 140 grain bullets I've used in the Swede.
Did you kill anything with this cartridge
Just for clarity, the bullet should have a minimum of 1,000 ft.-lbs. of energy at the point of impact with a deer-sized animal to cleanly take game of that general size, not just at the muzzle.
For instance, Strelock app indicates that shooting my 243 WIN load (95 grain Barnes TSX bullet) would have a muzzle energy of 1756 ft-lbf, but a retained energy of 933 ft-lbf at 300 yards. That lets me know my specific round might not be great for deer beyond about 300 yds.
Correct, but keep in mind it’s a somewhat anecdotal guideline and just one factor. Personally, if I were deer hunting and knew I’d potentially have a 300 yard shot, I’m packing a 270 or 30-06 and not a 243.
Centerfire rifles kill by terminal shock as much as blood loss (how a broad head from an arrow kills) or the damage the bullet alone causes. In your example, you’ve lost around a full half of your energy by 300 yards, it’s really not a lot to work with. If it’s all you’ve got, sure, but again IMO, if I’ve got a 270 or something with a bit more gas I’d be using that for longer range.
I might have to switch from Remington to federal ammo
Never understood why they don’t call it an underbore.
I wish they called them “Gassers” 🤣
I wonder how this would perform on a black bear
I’d use it if all I had was a 243
That extreme spread is gross
Yea, unfortunately
300 blk just looks better and better
?
@@masonleather 243 is a certified deer slayer and 300 blk seems to perform right there with it in terms of penetration and permanent wound cavity. At least at 100 yards
Awfully SLOOOW.
It may not be a good elk cartridge. But I would use it for elk inside 150 yards. Much better than a crossbow. You just gotta know your range. But it sounds like a perfect whitetail/mule deer cartridge. With bigger stuff. Make sure you've got a broad side shot.