February 21, 2013, 09:20 PM | #1 |
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Federal Deer Thugs Ammo
Is this stuff the same thing as Fusion? Same price, looks like same bullet, same trajectories. Before you ask "why not just buy fusion?" I cant find it without ordering it from someone online and paying freight, but Wal Mart has the shelves busting at the seams with "Deer thugs" sitting in the same spots where "Fusion" used to set.
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February 23, 2013, 03:08 PM | #2 |
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its the same identical ammunition. all that changed was the package.
walmart sponsors the "deer thugz" ""hunting"" show. as a result they now sell ammunition that has the show logo on it. just like they sell the atr with deer thugz logo. |
February 23, 2013, 09:29 PM | #3 |
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Thanks,
Ill go buy more. |
February 24, 2013, 12:07 PM | #4 |
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Hilarious you were serious about "deer thugs"! I was sure that was a misspelling!
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February 24, 2013, 12:14 PM | #5 |
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Huh. I came over to this thread to be amused by the misspelling of "deer slugs" as "deer thugs". Evidently it's not an error.
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February 24, 2013, 12:15 PM | #6 |
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Ha, great minds and all that, Nathan. According to google Deer Thugs is a legitimate "thing". Whaddaya know.
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February 24, 2013, 08:08 PM | #7 |
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I looked at it real close and the velocities and trajectories are a little different than fusion. Thee bullets may be fusion, but the powder charges are different.
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March 27, 2013, 06:09 AM | #8 |
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Deer Thugs Ballistics
I contacted Federal to get the ballistics data for their Deer Thugs ammo for my .308. Here is what they sent for the 165 grain bullets. Muzzle velocity is 2659 fps and muzzle energy is 2575. At 100 yards it's 2450 & 2205 and at 200 yards it's 2270 & 1880. THIS IS NOT EQUAL to their Fusion rounds according to their own website. The Thug rounds are not as hot as Fusion rounds of the same caliber and bullet weight.
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March 27, 2013, 05:20 PM | #9 |
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In .243 Win, they are a little hotter than Fusion. I have come to the conclusion they are most likely loaded with the new Deep Curl bullet from Speer.
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May 22, 2013, 10:38 AM | #10 |
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Federal Deer Thug Bullets
Well, I am new to the post, very fun to read and I am looking forward to helping but more, learning from you all as well. I am responding the the Deer Thug talk.
I wrote Federal several times. I finally got an answer. I had asked about the Fusion compared to the Thug. I asked about using this bonded bullet for Elk as well, since the grain of bullets were heavy enough for it. I asked about bullet separation and such, Fusion having that reputation. I have see the damage that Fusion bullet produces, wow, explodes and massive damage. Well here is the most I could get out of them. Now, I will say I tried it in my .300 WSM and my .30 WM and the accuracy was very impressive. SUB MOA out to 300 yards. I was quit surprised. I was shooting Tikka T3's and Zeiss Conquest glass. Never the less, it shot well. Here is Federals note to me. Good afternoon David, The Deer Thug is a special line we have this year. It is a Wal Mart exclusive and it is a bonded bullet with a flat base heel to it. That's what makes it different from the Fusion bullet. It is very accurate and would hold together and not explode. It would make a great Elk bullet. Thanks Federal Ammunition |
May 22, 2013, 10:45 AM | #11 |
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A rather unfortunate product name, methinks.
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May 22, 2013, 07:42 PM | #12 | |
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Quote:
On the other hand, if it's been manufactured especially for Wal-Mart, you may wanna stay away from it
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May 23, 2013, 04:59 AM | #13 |
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It is the "Power Shok" line of ammo that used to come in the blue box. it has just been re-branded with a fancy name.
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May 23, 2013, 06:23 AM | #14 | |
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May 23, 2013, 06:37 AM | #15 |
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You guys need to get out more. Having a cute name for your ammo seems to be the latest marketing gimmick.
"Deer Thugs", "Hog Hammers", etc. I'm going to start naming some of my loads "Paper Pummelers" and "Steel Stompers". |
May 23, 2013, 08:13 AM | #16 | |
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Quote:
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May 23, 2013, 01:41 PM | #17 |
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Whats worse than shooting ammo named "Deer Thugs" would be to own a rifle that bears the name-
http://mossberg.com/products/rifles/...e/mossberg-atr
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May 23, 2013, 07:51 PM | #18 |
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JMR40, its most definitely NOT Powershock.
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May 23, 2013, 08:10 PM | #19 | |
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And on Federal's website. Along with a photo of the old blue box. http://www.federalpremium.com/produc...e_compare.aspx A photo of the old box. Compare the specs on the box and the website. Last edited by jmr40; May 23, 2013 at 08:20 PM. |
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May 24, 2013, 08:35 PM | #20 |
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JMR,
It may say Power Shok on the box, but I think that just means it is Federal's economy line of ammunition. It also says "Bonded Soft Point" on the box, and the original Federal Blue Box Power Shok ammo had standard cup and core bullets. I agree with the other posters that believe the new "Deer Thugs" ammo are loaded with Speer's new Deep Curl bullets. Probably why it is so hard to find the Deep Curls for reloading. Walmart is buying 90% of Speer's production. I guess ATK is trying to outdo Hornady in the awful marketing effort. (Zombie Max vs. Deer Thugs? I don't think anybody wins, unless it would be anti-gunners...)
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May 24, 2013, 09:27 PM | #21 |
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there is so much special edition ammo out there that it's moronic.
troy landry CCI rim fires hog buster 223, deer thugs centerfire.... it's all the same as the standard brand but with celebrity endorsement.
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ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin |
May 24, 2013, 09:30 PM | #22 | |
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ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin |
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May 25, 2013, 03:56 PM | #23 | |
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And I was offering my observations, not arguing. But hey, if you have all the answers, I don't know why you bother reading others posts, unless of course, it is to point out "moronic arguments" when you see them.
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May 25, 2013, 06:46 PM | #24 | |
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ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin |
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May 25, 2013, 08:24 PM | #25 | |
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Quote:
"When hunting the woods and clearings, you need a bullet that handles any situation. Power-Shok provides you with consistent and proven performance without a high-dollar price tag. It’s an great all-around choice for medium to large-game. Find good quality, standard bullets in a variety of calibers, including less popular calibers." Note it states nothing specific about exactly what constitutes Power-Shok ammo other than it provides consistent and proven performance without a high dollar price tag. So Federal is free to load those with the cheapest powder they can find along with their own primers and probably Speer's cheapest bullets, since they are part of the same conglomerate. I still maintain that the Deer Thugs Power-Shok ammo is not the old Power-Shok ammo and in the .243 Winchester is most probably loaded with the Speer 80 gr and 90 gr Deep Curl bullets. The old blue box Power-Shoks were loaded with 80 gr and 100 gr lead tipped pointed spitzer bullets. If anything, these new "Deer Thugs" are the old Power-Shoks loaded with a new and improved bonded bullet. I did notice a fairly significant price increase over the previous red box ammo at the local WalMart. No surprise there, given the current market conditions.
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