2nd photo

I was at Sportsman's Warehouse the other day and saw that they had some of the Federal Fusion 200 grain bonded soft point ammo in stock, so picked a few boxes up.  I haven't chronographed it yet but the boxes say 1,200 f.p.s.  I shot it through my Kimber TLE and Ruger Night Watchman a week or so ago and was very impressed at the accuracy off the bench at 20 yards.  It was pretty here yesterday and some of us were out shooting and I decided to do an informal ballistics test.  I had a dozen or so plastic milk jugs filled with water in my truck and lined them up.  Most 9mm, .45, .40 ammo I test either stops in the 3rd water jug or penetrates the 3rd and stops in the fourth. I ran the test twice with new jugs and the Fusion round penetrated the 5th milk jug and stopped in it on one shot and penetrated the fifth jug and stopped in the 6th on the other shot.  The soft point bullet expanded beautifully both times.  I miked the one bullet I brought home.  It started out at .40 diameter and expanded to .724 diameter, petal to petal.  I already knew that accuracy was outstanding but was pleased to see that penetration and expansion were all you could ask of a handgun round.

A very unscientific test, but proved to me that this is a very capable round. Here are a couple photos of the recovered bullet.

I picked up a couple boxes of these last week and got to try them out on Wednesday.  Pleasantly surprised.  The were very accurate at 25 yards out of both my Ruger Nightwatchman and my Kimber TLE.  Less than 2" from the bench out of both guns. Not obnoxious as far as recoil and muzzle blast goes either.

I bought one of the first ones out when they were introduced.  Was actually on the waiting list for them to be delivered.  I have had very few problems with it and have probably shot over 3,000 rounds through it.  I shoot mostly quality ammunition C.C.I. etc.  This past spring I found the yellow box Aquilla for sale on line for a ridiculous price... I think I was ordering it for $14.00 a brick.  I bought a dozen bricks total and it runs flawlessly through the G-44 and is very accurate.  I recently picked up a second G-44 as when I go shooting with the wife and kids there is less down time when I have two guns running.  Although I only have about 500 rounds through the new G-44, it is just as dependable as the first so far.

Well, I hit the jack pot the other day.  I really like this round and it is what I carry when out west bow hunting.  But like stated above, I haven't seen it for sale in any stores or any on line outlets.  Well, one vendor did have it in stock for $47.00 a box of 20. I passed on that and I have been hoarding the couple of boxes I have left.

I walked into my local gun shop the other day and checked out the usually empty ammo shelves and couldn't believe my eyes.  They had five boxes of Federal 180 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw ammo on the shelves for $25.00 each.  That's about what I was paying last year.  I picked up all five.

Nice to have skills.

The Sig V Crown has turned out to be the most accurate factory load that I have shot through my 10mm's...  Ruger SR 1911's, Glock 40 MOS and Kimber Custom II.  I am very happy with that load as all of my 1911's are shooting less than 2" at 20 yards.  I have shot two deer with it, both whitetail does.  One at 55 yards and one at about 30.  Neither went more than about 20 yards after the hit and neither bullet was recovered.

The only downside has been that it has been very hard to find since about the first of the year.  I have searched every on line supplier and they have all be out of stock.  I was worried that it may have been discontinued so I have been hoarding my stock some.  Then I walked into my local gun store the other day and he had five new boxes on the shelf.  I bought them all!

I graduated the police academy in 1983 and my instructors at the time harped on us officers all going armed, all of the time. I bought into that premise and spent the next 31 years working for that agency.  I am in a second career as an administrator at another agency and I can probably count the dozen of times that I have left the house without a gun over all of those years.  It is just like the watch on my arm... I feel naked without it.

My name is Randy and I live in Roanoke Va.  I retired after 31 years on the police force, spending the last 25 as head firearms instructor at the regional police academy.  Obviously been around long guns and handguns most of my life.

I am a big 10mm fan and currently own several.  I have a 1006 that I actually built at the Smith & Wesson factory when I was up for an armorers school back in the mid '90's. I also have Glock 20 and a Glock 40 MOS, a Kimber Custom II, a Ruger stainless SR1911 10mm and my current favorite...  a Ruger 10mm Night Watchman.  I had a couple different Delta Elites over the years and a 610.

I am fortunate in that I get the opportunity to bounce bullets off of steel plates and steel targets on about a weekly basis, so consequently I spend a lot of time reloading, especially for my 10's.