Federal Fusion - Muzzle Flash

[TriumphRat675]

I took my new 6933 to the range weekend before last to get it zeroed. It was dusk and only getting darker, and the guys around me were lighting up the night with their muzzle flash - they looked like flashbulbs going off. I was also shooting an Arsenal SLR107 (with no muzzle device) and its muzzle flash was huge, too.

My local range allows only SP and HP rifle ammo, so I bought a bunch of 62 gr. Federal Fusion and wanted to zero the rifle with that ammo and check it for function before using it as HD ammo. I loaded it and gingerly shot off one round, expecting a massive fireball out of its 11.5 in barrel. Surprise, surprise, there was no visible muzzle flash, even in semi-darkness and using only an A2 flash hider instead of some whizz-bang AAC gizmo. Very cool.

It grouped pretty well too at 50 yards (as far as the range lights reached), although MOA groups are kind of beside the point for my intended purposes, not to mention beyond my capabilities with irons at night. So, between DocGKR's rec in the terminal ballistics forum and lack of muzzle flash, I'm pretty pleased with this ammo (all except for the price, natch).

[Pain]

That's good to know. I have some old Chinese ammo bought back then for 4 bucks a box. I'm not sure the brand, yellow box, any way that stuff flames up like a blow torch. I tried shooting that stuf this summer with my scoped rifle and I thought I flamed out the Leupould scope, Damn, my eyes hurt after a while.:D

[mike_556]

Pain--the yellow boxes may be Norinco....I had a few cases of it in x39 in the early nineties but shot it all through my PolyTech AK.:(

Triumph--Fusion is kinda pricey isn't it? Good to know about flash though :)

[HuttoAg96]

if the Federal Fusion is GTG as a man stopper/home defense round, it wouldn't hurt to have the first magazine (or more, if you aren't a cheapskate) loaded with it so you don't blind yourself in the dark shooting at a bad guy.

[TriumphRat675]

Pricey, ya, about what other premium bonded rounds cost - I got it at a local gun shop for about $23/box of 20, with tax. It's sure as hell not a plinker, but that's right around Gold Dot prices for a comparable round and the Fusion was actually available in the store and was just asking to be bought :D. I wanted to get a few more boxes after shooting it but it's next to impossible to find on the net.

I just saw a thread on this site that G&R Tactical has .223 LE Gold Dot in stock, which is what I would really like to have. I may order some of that for a side by side comparison of the muzzle flashes.

ETA: Hutto, IIRC according to DocGKR it's an acceptable choice for use in SBR's, which is why I grabbed it.

[Aegis]

I've had great results with the 165gr .308 Fusion. Great hunting round. It is very accurate out of my 700 and pretty close to the accuracy I get from the GMM 168gr BTHP's.

Definitely usable as a HD round, soft point work like a champ on medium sized game / personnel.

[1_click_off]

I have been told/read that most SD ammo has a flash suppressant in the powder for the purpose of helping with low/no light conditions.

[markm]

Yeah... it's strange what different loads do. I put a cav comp on my SBR just for the absurdity of the flash and noise.

XM193 puts out a monster flash. 25 grains of H335 puts out a nice flash to.... but 26.5 grains of W748 gave almost no flash.

[mike_556]

I have been told/read that most SD ammo has a flash suppressant in the powder for the purpose of helping with low/no light conditions.

Unless Federal/ATK added another section to their Fusion line--it's intended as a hunting round, not a self defense round..

[Molon]

Unless Federal/ATK added another section to their Fusion line--it's intended as a hunting round, not a self defense round..

It doesn't matter what Federal intended the round to be used for. The 62 grain Fusion projectile is of the same construction and manufactured on the same machinery as the 64 grain Gold Dot and produces excellent accuracy for a bonded-soft point.

As seen below, the Fusion bullet has a cannelure and the case mouth is crimped. The lot that I evaluated is loaded in Lake City 09 brass cases. The primer pockets are crimped and sealed.

Federal 62 grain FUSION
http://www.box.net/shared/static/t0766kkmx0.jpg


http://www.box.net/shared/static/3fv50h6gke.jpg


The Federal 62 grain Fusion load has the same advertised muzzle velocity as the 64 grain Gold Dot.

http://www.box.net/shared/static/th3tykb5qk.jpg



http://www.box.net/shared/static/ogr87lqyul.jpg


http://www.box.net/shared/static/tmnau2vyq8.jpg




It’s difficult to see with the naked eye, but the Fusion bullet has a “skived” tip.

http://www.box.net/shared/static/yen31m144y.jpg






http://www.box.net/shared/static/rkh9y3vbs1.jpg



The advertised velocity for this load is 3000 fps. From a 20" Colt barrel with a NATO chamber, chrome lining and a 1:7” twist, the 62 grain Federal Fusion bonded soft-point had a muzzle velocity of 2877 fps.

The accuracy of this load was excellent for a soft-point bullet. A 10-shot group fired from my Krieger barreled AR-15, at a distance of 100 yards, had an extreme spread of almost exactly 1 MOA.


http://www.box.net/shared/static/s0h8lcfg2c.jpg




.....

[mike_556]

Thanks Molon--learn something new everyday!

[TriumphRat675]

Molon, thanks for weighing in. Like mark556, what really surprised me was finding that a purported hunting round had such good low-light characteristics. Fusion seems to be money well spent.