I have a 338WM that I got this summer. It shoots the 225gr federal fusion ammo really gwell. I was wondering about adequate expansion on deer sized game with ribcage lung shots not involving the shoulder. What are others experiences on whitetails and hopefully someone has used the fusion load.

thanks
224TTH

Good question. The Fusion is supposedly a bonded core bullet, which prevents fragmentation. If it is coupled with a rather heavy jacket, they you have some reason for concern on game as light as whitetails with a shot that hits only soft tissue. I'd also like to hear from someone who has actualy used this bullet. More whitetails are lost each year from underexpanding bullets than from overexpanding bullets.

Alternatively, the regular 200 grain WW factory Power Point shoots amazingly well in one of my .338's and I would guess it to be reasonably quick on expansion, thus appropriate for whitetails. The only thing I have shot with this bullet is a couple of medium-large hogs many years ago and it did nicely on the porcine pests.

A great all-around bullet in this caliber is a Nosler Partition. At first blush it would seem too "much" bullet for whitetails, but its front portion is rather frangible and provide the relatively quick and broad expansion you need on the smaller species of big game.

It will work fine on deer sized game. Fusions are a quick expanding bonded bullet. Federal says they are designed to open quickly but hold together for good penatration. A friend put them through a moose and several deer. Behind the shoulder shots and all destroyed the lungs.

Wasn't the fusion marketed as a "deer bullet"?
Stonecreek is right again. The NP works very well in the 338WM for deer, pigs, nilgai, elk and really everything!

I KNOW the NP will work on elk, mulies, and antelope. That pretty well brackets a WT.

I shoot the Hornady Interlock 225's at 2800 and have killed a bunch of deer with them. No expansion probs on ribcage shots and the meat damage is minimal. DRT. I imagine the Fusion would do the same. If you handload, look at the Interlocks. Premium performance at 27$ per 100.

Just shoot the Fusions, the Deer will die.

I can't imagine any deer not dying quickly from a well placed 338 mag no matter what the bullet. Like others have said, the Fusion opens fast and supposedly mimics the performance of bonded tipped bullets like the Accubond, Scirocco and Interbond.