Federal Blue Box Bullets?

mmattockx

mmattockx

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
102   0   0
Location
Done with sheeple
This weekend I shot two deer with a 6.5x55, using Federal blue box "Powershock" ammo with 140gr. soft point bullets. 2 of 3 shots were broadside through the lungs at around 100yds. Both shots were through and through, with the exit wound the same size as the entry wound. Both deer dropped quickly, but I was pretty dissapointed that there was no expansion to speak of from these bullets. Has anybody else had this experience with Federal ammo?

Thanks
Mark
 
.308 180g Blue Box brought down a deer just fine for my friend. Expanded alright, nothing spectacular though. I've only ever used Blue Box against the elusive paper-game, so I have no worries about it expanding :D

The brand POWER SHOCK always makes me laugh though. It makes me think of those cheesy '70s TV ads with the announcer talking about some action toy, followed by a power-metal riff.

"What you need to bring down that Deer is FEDERAL POWER SHOCK" *cue to a picture of deer exploding with bad FX* "With POWER SHOCK all you need is 1 true hit and ITS ALL OVER"
Click to expand...
 
I've shot the fed blue box for a few years now, taken lots of deer. They're the best "budget" grade shells I've found. In and out with max damage inside. I shoot .300 win mag and .303 and had no issues. I tried Remington core-lokt in 300 this year, and was unimpressd. I hit both lungs at 'bout 100 yards and the entrance was messy, exit was as big as my fist. There was actually 3 holes where the bullet flew apart inside and passed through. Don't shoot 'em in the shoulder and expect to salvage meat. So, sometimes a bigger exit doesn't mean better weight retension
 
Both deer dropped quickly, but I was pretty dissapointed that there was no expansion to speak of from these bullets
Click to expand...

That plus 'lung soup' and full pass through sounds better than one should expect for basic bullets! No disappointment there.

I shot a buck a few weeks back with .303 150gr Feds. It was a slight up angle, quartering towards me at 150m and the bullet broke his spine. I was expecting the bullet would have come to pieces in that big bone but it actaully looked quite good and still had 2/3 of the shank in tact, no grenade like damage. I was actually impressed.

I wouldn't use those bullets in quick-stepping cartridges (.25-06, .270, magnums etc) as I think meat damage may be severe.
 
Before I handloaded, I used the Federal Classic and then the Powershok extensively, and always had good results on deer. Used them in .308, .270 and .300WM, without any issues...
FWIW they are Speer Hot-Cor bullets...
 
blargon said:
FWIW they are Speer Hot-Cor bullets...
Click to expand...

I did not know that, Now i do lol. Thx Blargon.
I bought a couple boxes of 180gr .308`s from WSS when they were selling them for real cheap. They shot pretty good groups outta my Encore and put some venison in my freezer that fall(2007).
They worked great for me and nothing dissapointing about them IMO.
 
Jmiverson said:
I've shot the fed blue box for a few years now, taken lots of deer. They're the best "budget" grade shells I've found. In and out with max damage inside. I shoot .300 win mag and .303 and had no issues. I tried Remington core-lokt in 300 this year, and was unimpressd. I hit both lungs at 'bout 100 yards and the entrance was messy, exit was as big as my fist. There was actually 3 holes where the bullet flew apart inside and passed through. Don't shoot 'em in the shoulder and expect to salvage meat. So, sometimes a bigger exit doesn't mean better weight retension
Click to expand...

Maybe I will just be happy things worked as well as they did. I definitely had no meat loss and the deer went down well; the doe was a running broadside at about 85 yards and was a bang flop, she piled up immediately and didn't twitch at all.

I used the blue box ammo because I am not yet set to reload and my rifle loves them, with consistent groups around 1MOA and a couple well under. Next year will be reloads with a more premium bullet loaded.

Thanks for the comments and info,
Mark
 
I'm with Blargon, before I hand loaded that's all I used in .243, .270, and .30-06, for deer and moose. They all died and never got away in 2 shots or less. I used winchester fail safes one year on a bull moose and they did not expand and went through like a solid. I think the powershocks are good for rib shots on vitals, not large bones like shoulders or such.
 
I think they work fine on deer. I used them in the past and results were more dependant on my shot placement than anything else. If I hit only ribs and lungs, the deer naturally runs a bit before it drops. I wouldn't turn my nose up at Federal Blue box, they generally seem to shoot quite accurately for me in my 308's and 300WM. They were a real bargain when you could get them for $15-$18 a box and they had a mail in rebate for $5.00 a box (max two boxes).
 
I used the 150 grain .280 load to take several deer. It shoots sub-MOA in my rifle and has performed flawlessly, well beyond what it should. I shot a running deer from 15 feet, bang-flop. The bullet shed much of its core and I found it under the hide on the far shoulder. It weighed about 55 grains. Perfect performance from a cup'n'core bullet.
I also used it to shoot a couple of deer standing at about 75 yards. Lung soup, chunks gone from the heart and an exit wound.
I do handload, but I don't buy virgin brass; I look for a couple boxes of this stuff on sale and use them for sighting in and practice, but they work fine for hunting too.
 
BAITRON said:
Blue box ammunition is brutal. The bullets do not stay together and they have no killing power.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your informative contribution! I must now dispose of all such ammo as it is completely useless for hunting! I wonder though, how I'm going to explain it to all those mosse & caribou steaks currently residing in my freezer that it was all a mistake! How are you with resurrections?;)
 
Hey...just curious how far out you were with your "lung soup" shots...

I love my 6.5x55. Great, fast and, accurate! One thing my own experience has offerd, because it's such a zinger, they CAN pass straight through soft tissues without a whack of deformation. ESP. when I'm less than 100yds away. I'm not even sure it matters which brand you shoot...I've had it happen with feds (personal fav.) and others (win, rem...the Normas I'm saving for a "golden deer" there's a 65$ price tag on the Ammo that came with my rifle...25+ years ago) too. The fact there was soup in there, I beleive, shows what a good shockwave (I did mention zinger) can do.

Must be other 6.5x55 (all calibers maybe) shooters that share this experience?
 
Last edited:
camster said:
Hey...just curious how far out you were with your "lung soup" shots...
Click to expand...

The buck was shot at around 75-80 yards, but I never paced it to be sure. It could have been a bit closer. I actually shot the buck in the hindquarters first on a running shot while he was quartering away from me. That put him down, but he got back up and then he got the lung shot. He made it about 5 more steps, then dropped. The doe was shot at a paced 85 yards and was a bang-flop.

Mark
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom