Memorial Day Range Report - Fusion Hunter (pic heavy)
 

Date: Monday, May 30th, 2011
Location: SW Missouri, Table Rock Lake, our little corner of Mark Twain National Forest
Weather: Sunny, 81F, Heat Index 86F, Humidity 50%, Pressure 30.09, Altitude ~500ft, Time: 10:00am
Chronograph: Shooting Chrony Beta
Pistol: Fusion Traditional Hunter 1911, ramped 6" barrel, 10mm

While visiting family over this past Memorial weekend, I got a chance to run several loads over my chrono as part of my ongoing load workups to find the perfect whitetail, general field, target and defense loads. I tested a variety of handloads, reloads, bullet styles and powder types, as well as a few factory loads.

Chrono setup
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/2301/img1945v.jpg

My home workbench
http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/9725/img1714i.jpg

My hunting-load factory
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/361...thfusionan.jpg

My woods "work bench"
http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/6278/img1949fp.jpg

Below are the results of my chrono tests. I actually skipped a couple of the loads since they were so close to a similar load already on the sheet, or simply due to time. The format of the data is: Weight/Bullet, Charge/Powder, Lowest Velocity, Highest Velocity, Average Velocity, Extreme Spread, Standard Deviation, Comments All tests are from five-shot strings.

Bullets: Hornady XTP, Remington Golden Saber (GS), Speer Gold Dot (GD), Suter's Lead Semi-Wadcutter (LSWC), Berry's plated hollowpoint, (Buffalo Bore Factory) Hardcast (HC), Winchester (SXT) Supreme Expansion Talon, (Doubletap's factory) Wide Flat Nosed (with Gas Check) WFNGC

Powders: Power Pistol, Accurate Arms #7, IMR-800X

155 XTP - 9.2 PP - n/a
155 XTP - 10.0 PP - 1338, 1375, 1353, :7.24, 15.29 - nice coyote / armadillo / varmint load
165 GS - 8.5 PP - 1209, 1239, 1219, 29.97, 14.17 - nice defense load
165 GD - 11.6gr AA7 - 1252, 1310, 1292, 57.80, 23.02 - my chosen defense load - slightly exceeds the .40SW ver / ~98% one shot-stops?
175 LSWC - 6.9 PP - 1089, 1247, 1171, 158, 72.69 - nice target load, albeit takes a while to clean up, even at 1100fps
175 STHP - Winchester - 1166, 1199, 1188, ES 33.19, - again, I'm not impressed with the Silvertip's boxflap vs. actual velocity
180 Berry HP - 10.1 AA7 - n/a - i'm not that crazy about Berry's for accuracy, but they are cheap and clean
180 XTP - 10.9 AA7 - 1219, 1247, 1238, 28.41, 13.19 - first warmish 10mm handload I ever made, extremely accurate and pretty hard-kicking
180 XTP - 8.5 PP - n/a
180 XTP - 8.6 PP - 1193, 1239, 1214, 46.06, 14.52 - my chosen field load, near or under book max so I can use in multple-fired cases but still warm
180 XTP - 9.0 800X - 1281, 1311, 1294, 30.11, 10.81 - nice load, however, 10.0gr load is better since I'm hand-weighing anyways
180 XTP - 10.0 800X - 1355, 1392, 1379, 36.32, 14.03 - AWESOME load, feels very snappy, can "feel" the power, I'd bet its a deer SLAYER, will play with some more
220 HC - Buffalo Bore - 1151, 1182, 1165, 31.18, 11.09 - typical BB ammo, accurate and powerful, bit of smoke, too
180 SXT Bonded - 9.3 800X - 1358, 1393, 1373, 35.67, 17.88 - FAST! wow! need to download this per results of water jug test
200 XTP - 7.4 PP - 1049, 1103, 1079, 54.28, 22.38 - not much to say, slower 200gr loading
200 XTP - 9.3 800X - 1263, 1285, 1275, 22.67, 8.1 - my CURRENT deer load, although I will probably increase charges slightly... we'll see
200 XTP - DoubleTap - 1107, 1175, 1146, 68.42, 27.96 - not impressed regarding actual vs boxflap, however, it HAS done its job on two different deer so it does work
200 WFN - DoubleTap - 1196, 1216, 1206, 20.09, 9.11 - good solid load, not as good as mine, though ;)
200 WFN - 7.4 PP - 1089, 1105, 1098, 16.03, 6.78 - not too much to say here, either, but would work in a pinch
200 WFN - 9.0 800X - 1218, 1262, 1251, 44.61, 22 - work up part 1
200 WFN - 9.4 800X - 1292, 1334, 1310, 41.61, 21.77 - work up part 2
200 WFN - 9.7 800X - 1341, 1381, 1359, 39.5, 18.54 - work up part 3, awesome load

* NO PRESSURE SIGNS ON ANY OF THESE LOADS... except that the WFN handloads at bottom, primers are VERY slightly starting to flatten. DT load (not sure which one) had a SLIGHT increase in diameter above case web but not a bulge or smile. No bulges or splits at all on my handloads or reloads.

** DISCLAIMER: PLEASE DO NOT ASSUME ANY OF THESE LOADS ARE SAFE IN YOUR PISTOL. PLEASE USE PUBLISHED DATA AND DO YOUR OWN WORKUPS, CHECKING FOR PRESSURE SIGNS ALONG THE WAY.

I was pretty disappointed in the DoubleTap Velocities, honestly. Keep in mind, these were from a 6" barrel and were almost exactly 100fps slow on BOTH the 200gr XTP AND the 200gr WFNGC load. My own 200gr loadings outclass the DT in ALL regards and i'm not even done working those loads up. Plus, I only pay a fraction of what DT charges. :) (Don't get me wrong, I like DT, their products, their service and all they've done for the 10mm industry... but my handloading will surpass their loadings)

I also did a couple water jug tests, one on a 200gr XTP and another on a 180gr bonded SXT, both of which were handloads. The SXT bullet was actually one I pulled from a .40SW factory defense load and loaded into a 10mm case with a bunch of 800X under it.

CONTD....

contd
 

SXT Handload
http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/2549/img1867y.jpg

The SXT basically fragged in this test. I found all of the pieces EXCEPT the lead core in the third jug and the lead core was stuck in the front wall of the fourth jug like a button on a snowman. When I go back and look at the velocity of this particular handload (1373fps avg), it kinda makes sense considering this bullet was probably designed for a nice, slow 1000fps .40SW defense load.

SXT, 'post' water-jug, top
http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/6678/img1955s.jpg
SXT, 'post' water-jug, bottom
http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/5595/img1956o.jpg

The XTP.... ahhhh that XTP.... passed this test with flying colors. Gotta love a bullet that is inexpensive, extremely accurate, holds together and penetrates AND expands at extremely high velocity. Gotta give props to Hornady on this one. I found the XTP at the bottom of the 4th jug in one piece, fully expanded, weighing 179.8 grains. VERY nice. NOTE: I killed both of my handgun deer with Doubletap's 200gr XTP. I'm guessing my own handloaded XTP will only do better on Mr Whitetail this season. They definately FEEL stouter!

XTP, 'post' water-jug, top
http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/3793/img1958a.jpg

XTP, 'post' water-jug, bottom
http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/4104/img1959p.jpg

contd
 

Fusion and XTP, a match made in heaven
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/2357/img1961vs.jpg

With both rounds fired into jugs, I got soaked each time. Not only were my face, hands and shirt soaked but my Fusion was soaked, too. No worries, I toweled her off and went back to shooting. I don't want any huge, nasty GASHES in my finish due to negligent drops and such but I won't baby my longslide, either.

Fusion Hunter, drenched
http://img807.imageshack.us/img807/5948/img1953z.jpg

In addition to the load data above, I wanted to make a few comments about my Fusion. I've fired close to 600 rounds through my Fusion Hunter and I've not had ONE SINGLE MALFUNCTION with all the bullet styles, varying case quality, different power levels, different outside temperatures or any of the six different magazines I have (three stock Mec-Gars and three Metalforms). I've fired a few factory loadings but mostly reloads and handloads. The only bauble I've had was in the first 100 rounds I had the slide come back so fast (hot load) that it beat the cartridge going up into the chamber and caught on the case about halfway down. That might have happened due to a different grip or hold... It hasn't happened since and although I could put one of the included 22 or 24lb springs into the pistol and fine-tune it more, I see no need. The 20lb spring seems right for almost all loads. The flat=bottomed factory FPS and slide mass keeps the slide speed down and the full barrel to slide lug-engagement keeps the gun accurate and tight.

Speaking of lug engagement, I've noticed a very EVEN wear pattern on my barrel's hood. Kinda neat... you can almost SEE the full engagement area.

Barrel hood, very symmetrical, even wear
http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/366/img1826i.jpg

Also, when I received this pistol from Fusion, I noticed that my recoil plug hadn't been Ion-Bonded like the rest of my small parts as per my order. I gave Bob Serva an email and let me know about the issue. A week or two later, he responded back saying that he needed my address to send me an ion-bonded plug in the mail. AWESOME SERVICE! I'm including a pic of both plugs side-by-side. I sure love the new plug. (I'm kind of a stickler regarding finish inconsistencies...) On top of the plug, he also included a Fusion ballcap. Nice touch!! Thanks Bob @ Fusion!!!

Non ion-bonded plug vs ion-bonded plug
http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/4520/img1855q.jpg

New and improved plug, barrel end-view
http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/2876/img1856r.jpg

Hopefully you all enjoyed my little post here. I'll try to include a few pics of the shooting area and the things I see on my usual trip to the lake.

Last but not least, for this Memorial Holiday, let us thank all the members of our armed services, alive and passed, for all their sacrifices. They go meet the face of danger so that we do not have to and make our country the safe place that it is to live. Thank you all for your service to the greatest country in the world, the United States of America.

Shootin' Tree Road
http://img806.imageshack.us/img806/4665/img1944z.jpg

Last range trip's 25 yard group...
http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/4...glockfusio.jpg

Hungry for more bullets!!
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/8973/img1951x.jpg

Constant companion in the woods
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/4914/img1973e.jpg

10mm is a little big for these guys so I just stay away from 'em :)
http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/3476/img1941kc.jpg

contd
 

He hates food! He sure hates that food! lol
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/7236/img1894e.jpg

What have YOU done for your country lately?
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/958/img1982ry.jpg


Stay safe.

Great stuff Nick. Thanks for bringing us along. That is a sweet pistol you have there.

Awesome report Nick, you've really been loading up a storm!

Nick,

Great write-up/report and pictures! That XTP bullet expanded very nicely! I'm guessing .85 plus? I think a number of us here on the Glock Talk "10" forum have come to the same conclusion as you have regarding Double Tap, in that it's definitely a quality, full power load that can be easily beat by good reloading. Double Tap is my CC ammunition and a good benchmark ammo for load development like you and others are doing here.

On that note, I'll say goodnight and will dream about taking my new S&W 610 6 1/2" out to the range.

Thanks guys!

I believe the XTP expanded to around .63" ... or so. Not huge, but it DID stay together and felt like it was a fantastic load.

BOOM!! lol :)

How many ticks did you come home with? :supergrin:


800x is showing its charm already. When you run this load through the jugs, does it just look like a 200 only with a shorter shank left? That is a good load. I may consider loading some 180s.

What does the box flap suggest on this load?
Did you pull these out of some .40 ammo? - It does not appear to be a loading component - looking at the pics, I guess I'm sorta glad it's not. :supergrin:For 10 shot groups, I noted getting 1229 avg. using 9.2 and 1250 avg. (another 10 shot group showed 1242 avg.) out of 9.4 out of my 4.45" bbl. - Every 0.2gr = 15-20 fps gain. I have recently been reloading these at 9.0 grains (just about 1200 fps avg.), which I feel is a good balance for a 2nd or 3rd time loaded brass. I just noted your 180 loads above that 1 gr. difference was good for 80 fps difference - but 3 shots is a very small sample. I wonder if more samples would have confirmed 80 fps per grain on that bullet weight. There are some short range ballistic advantages with 180gr. compared to the 200gr., and it certainly may have adequate penetration for an all-around cartridge for hunting and self defense - I wonder if you can tell any difference in the recoil with 200 vs. 180?
I think I got similar results on the "200gr. controlled expansion", but in the case of my testing, they were using Montana Gold bullets, which did not hold together like the xtps.So this means you are going to have to push that sucker over 10 gr...Suggestion: work that up in 0.2gr. increments or you may be sorry. I found 9.8 to be the absolute max on the xtp 200gr. - 10.0gr. started pushing out primers - and that was new brass. Now, I haven't tried it with regular primers (lpp - I used #350s - now I am using lpps for everything) - but still I would advise caution on that!

Yep - watch that! Good idea. Some of these loads may just result in a case rupture on a stock glock barrel with it's typical whore-like chamber.

No doubt about it. Buffalo bore was more realistic in my testing - not sure about Swamp Fox, but since he's on glock talk, and we have anecdotes (include youtube videos) it's probably the real deal.

Aha - I thought you might have pulled those. 1k fps is all they will handle apparently, so the crown still goes to Hornady. :wavey:

Thanks for the write - up. If I lived closer to Misery, oops I mean Missouri, I would like to collaborate.

Good stuff...I wish we could get someone with pressure testing equipment to run some of these 800x loads.

Hogdon? Mudrush?

1350 fps with a 200 gr. WFN is smokin! I second Keg's recommendation for caution.

Maybe I need a 6" 10mm rather then a 4" .44?

Surprisingly, none! None that I know about yet, at least LOL. Last year I got one every time I stepped out the door. I will say, the cicada's are on their 13 year cycle this year, though. .. it surrrrre was noisy in them woods!

I didn't run any 180XTP's through jugs ... although, in retrospect, I should have. I only had a few of the 180XTP's made up...strictly for chrono mapping. I will be playing a lot more with 180's though. Loved the feel of them. Once I get the velocities right, I'll be doing extensive accuracy testing to determine each load's use for in the field. FWIW, I think the 180's are probably going to come apart at this velocity. I don't know for SURE, just a feeling. Mainly based on the fact that its really a .40SW bullet. I could be wrong... I could be VERY wrong. Time will tell. I would assume that, if, they stay together, they would look a lot like the 200's but with a shorter shank, yes. That would be nice. :)

Boxflap was "1200fps, 703fpe" I believe

Yep, pulled them from Winchester factory defense loads...

Yep... short range advantages for sure. The 180gr is RIGHT at the 10mm power curve so you can drive the 180's faster, relatively speaking, than the 200's, as the 180 weight sits in the sweet spot for 10mm. Good for a bit shorter range or if penetration doesn't have to be QUITE as deep. Still, that 180gr XTP would be a bit too much penetration for SD, but of course, YMMV.

I wasn't sure if you were referring to the 180gr XTP or 200gr XTP. I won't go over 9.6-9.7gr on the 200XTP... but I might go up a tiny smidgin on the 180XTP ... maybe 10.2. Maybe not. Depends on the jug test result. As for the 200gr WFN loads, I will probably move my 9.7gr load up to 10.0 grains slowly. Remember, the bullet you're using has a good bearing on how high you can go. The XTP is longer and causes more drag. The WFN loads can be pushed with a TINY bit more powder than the XTP's.

Still, I have loads right now that will work... and that will work better than DT, BB or any others. I will not be in any HUGE hurry to work any of the loads up. I'm gonna concentrate a bit more on accuracy at longer range... and I'm gonna also focus on making a boatload of target stuff. Need to get to the range to do some fun shootin' :)

The slightly larger pressure ring was ONLY seen on DT's stuff. NONE of my handloads showed any signs of pressure on ANY of the loads... but yes. I will definitely watch closely and work up slowly. Lots of data to compare in the 800X thread here in the 10mm Reloading Forum.

Yep
I hear ya and I agree!

I agree about testing equipment. I'd love that.

1400+ has been done a number of times by people in the 10mm Reloading forum and a few other places. No substitute for my OWN careful workups but its not out of the question with that bullet.

The 6" 10mm is a mighty beast, yes.... plus, it carries better, is lighter and isn't as loud as a .44. That's the main reason I carry a 10mm over a .44...

Nick

If I remember correctly you have a 5" Razorback to?

Just wondering if you've chrono'd the 200 WFN/800x through it?

Jitterbug, I no longer have my Razorback. I didn't want to sell it but I basically had to. $$ issues earlier on in the year. The good news is, I really got the Razorback to hold me over until I got my longslide.... so I'm okay about it. (I have to be, anyways)

I would imagine that load would run around 30-40fps slower in a 5" gun.

Sorry you had to sell it...I know the pain.

I was just looking on Gunbroker, there is a couple of the new models in the $1500 range, the velocity your getting off the 200 gr. H.C. has me re-thinking the .44.

Listen man... I LOVE the .44 mag... but I had to make a choice between it and another toy a while back and even had to sell my .44 revolver... but here's the deal: I don't currently hunt anything larger than deer. I hunt deer, hogs and occasionally do some varminting (coyotes, armadillo, crow and other targets of opportunity). I target shoot a lot and need a home defense pistol. I do a lot of fishing, as well, but I don't do it in bear country... :) If I were go go into SERIOUS bear country, I'd probably bring my 870 with short barrel and extended mag tube... full of slugs. I've had to narrow down my choices a lot. 10mm in a 6" gun is versatile enough to be a significant medium game cartridge in my favorite form factor that just happens to also fill the varmint, target, HD, carry comfort, weight and other needs. I would really like to get another .44 mag someday... but I honestly don't know what niche it will fill for me other than LARGE game, which, at this point, I have no plans to ever have the opportunity to hunt, at least until my daughter gets a little older.

If I only had a DW CBOB 10mm, a Glock 20, a DW Razorback or a Glock 29... I'd MAKE whatever I had "work" for deer and hogs. Through handloading, I think the 10mm provides PLENTY of power for medium game. It took me YEARS of wanting a 6" longslide, over a year to pay for it and over 20 weeks of build-time but I finally got it. I finally got what I consider to be the most efficient tool for what I need.... but it doesn't mean that I couldn't or wouldn't make a different 10mm work for me, as I've done before.

Ask yourself, what do you need your 10mm pistol for?

Awesome write-up, data, and pics, Nick!!! Thanks for all the work and sharing of load data. Once again we see Double Tap failing to perform, and with a 6" barrel. Their loads didn't hit specified velocity with an extra 1.4" of barrel length. Pitiful.

10mm Rules! IMHO
 

Here here Nick! Like you, the 10mm fits my needs across the spectrum: personal defense, target shooting, varmint hunting and medium to medium large size game hunting (Here in Florida it's hogs and deer). I keep a few 9mm's and .40's around for plinking, but the 10 is pretty much always my go to guns.

Yep... totally agreed. DT is good, and honestly, its full power. Book max power, but not nuclear. Good stuff but the issue I have is that they ADVERTISE one thing and you GET something else.

True. I have found Buffalo Bore fairly close to advertized stats and have heard good things about Swamp Fox. But, in reality, if you want REALLY good, full-power loads, you gotta pump it yourself!

I agree with your issue. I would have no problem with them posting REAL specs, and being a tad slower than others. You still know you are going to get quality ammo with popular bullets, at or near book max loads. I just have a real problem with paying for a product that does not perform as advertised. My one question is WHY do they obviously lie about the numbers? I see two likely answers. First, they lie because they want people to buy THEIR ammo, and not other brands. Second, they lie to boost the image of the 10mm. The first seriously pisses me off, the second, I'm actually kind of cool with.

I certainly think it's cool that we have a number of very knowledgeable 10mm handloaders here on Glock Talk to share numbers and data with!

I'm thinking that they earned a lot of their customers in the beginning and probably initially met their own claims .. but over time, due to either the economy or maybe a lawsuit or insurance claim, started slowly lowering their charges to make their ammo a bit safer. Maybe?

YEP! Btw, I've chrono'd the BB 180gr GD from my 5" Razorback and got 1380fps max and average was around 1350. Pretty damn close in my eyes.