2018 SHOT Show: The Latest Deer Hunting Ammo

J.J. Reich from Federal Premium Ammunition with just the second deer ever taken with the brand-new Fusion .224 Valkyrie. The 90-grain bullet proved to be perfect for deer-size game on this Texas hunt in December 2017.

All of these new shiny, accurate firearms are fun to look at and dream about hunting with, but they don’t add up to much without quality, reliable ammunition. Fortunately, there are plenty of new deer hunting cartridges to be excited about this year as the manufacturers at SHOT Show have delivered the goods with a wide range of new ammo choices. And in no particular order, here they are. 

J.J. Reich recovered the bullet from his Texas buck pictured above.

Federal Premium Ammunition Fusion .224 Valkyrie

The .224 Valkyrie is one of the hottest new rounds to surface in the last few years. It has taken the MSR 15 rifle platform to new levels of long-range, supersonic performance with significantly less recoil than other loads in its class. To round out its impressive capabilities, Federal has added a 90-grain version of it to the Fusion line that is ideal for for medium-size game – white-tailed deer especially. The Fusion MSR bullet is designed for bone-crushing penetration and terminal performance right on par with the .243 Win. The team at Federal Ammunition is very confident that this is most definitely a deer hunting cartridge, without a doubt. Hunters that favor an MSR rifle will have a hot new round to try out this fall.

 

 

 

Remington Premier Expander Sabot Slug

Slug guns may not always get the same amount of coverage as rifles, but they certainly take down their share of deer around the country every season. Remington’s new Premier Expander features a Barnes all-copper expanding sabot. Available in 2-3/4- and 3-inch 12- and 20-gauge variations, the precision slug is designed to reliably expand into six devastating cutting petals for massive terminal damage. Dedicated slug hunters will want to give this accurate sabot a serious look.

For fans of Remington’s proven Core-Lokt cartridges, the hot 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm Rem. Ultra Mag. and .300 Rem. Ultra Mag. will now be available.

Barnes Bullets VOR-TX LR

Barnes has long been known for specialized high-performance ammunition and components for dangerous game. Every year more and more deer hunters are taking advantage of the quality characteristics the Utah-based manufacturer builds into each bullet. The VOR-TX LR is the company’s extreme-distance cartridge assembled with the LRX bullet, that is optimized for pinpoint accuracy and drop-dead terminal performance. The copper bullet peels into four cutting petals for outstanding expansion and energy transfer. New for 2018, the VOR-TX LR can be had in 6mm Creedmoor and .270 Winchester. From in close, to out to 700 yards, it is sure to be a deer-dropper.

 

Winchester Deer Season Slug

Foster-style slugs have been around so long that one might wonder what could possibly be new and exciting about one. The huge number of deer hunters that rely on those slugs every year to put down some venison would certainly like to know about them, especially with the features that Winchester has built into the new Deer Season Slug.

Made for smoothbore barrels, this 1-1/4-oz. slug has a unique stabilizing wad inserted through the slug to form a dome-shaped tip. This combo travels downrange as one projectile to give much improved accuracy over old-fashioned foster-type slugs. The components separate upon impact to transfer the maximum amount of energy for optimum tissue damage to put deer on the ground. 

Browning BXS

The copper-bullet train keeps rolling and gaining more passengers this year with the Browning BXS Solid Expansion Big Game & Deer lineup. This cartridge is features a hollowpoint, polymer-tipped copper bullet built to deliver controlled expansion and deep penetration on deer and other big-game animals. Plus, its nickel-plated case fights the corrosion faced in extreme weather situations. The BXS is available in 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Win., .308 Win., .30-06, 7mm Rem. Mag., .300 WSM and .300 Win. Mag.

Hornady 6.5 PRC

The 6.5 Creedmoor has been one of the most exciting cartridges recently. Now it has a big brother in the 6.5 Precision Rifle Cartridge. Premium accuracy, flat trajectory and extended range are the goals for Hornady’s latest premium rifle cartridge. Its 143-grain ELD-X bullet reaches 2,960 fps, fits in short- and medium-action rifles, with moderate powder charges for repeatable accuracy, low recoil and good barrel life. It pretty much fits the bill for what social media followers would call: #bulletgoals. We’re excited to see how it performs as the year moves on.

Check back tomorrow for more innovative new products from the 2018 SHOT Show in Vegas.

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