Terminal Ascent Bullets?

[IHFarmer07]

I think Federal also doesn't want people to make better bullets than their terminal ascent, don't think anyones ever seen it on the shelves much.

I seen some in I think .243 at bass pro this past weekend…..$60+ a box I believe

 

[Peter Morton]

I seen some in I think .243 at bass pro this past weekend…..$60+ a box I believe

Same, here. Before that, I'd only seen them in loaded ammo.

 

[DRock]

They've never been available as a reloading component although it's advertised. The factory ammo is MIA as well except for sponsored pro hunters and TV shows. I've lost interest.

 

[IHFarmer07]

Same, here. Before that, I'd only seen them in loaded ammo.

No that was loaded ammo….just looked it up, I was wrong, it was 6.5 creed for $65

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/federal-premium-terminal-ascent-big-game-centerfire-rifle-ammo?searchTerm=2874676

 

[DRock]

Federal released the TLR bullet 4 or 5 years back and it was the same thing. Lot of hype, very few bullets hit the market, then they discontinued them. I was able to get quite a few TLRs and the 155 grain shot extremely well in my 280AI and led to the harvest of the buck in my Avatar. I was a huge fan. Then they were discontinued and Federal updated them with the Terminal Ascent bullet with the same marketing hype and minimal release to the reloader as the TLR. I was able to pick up a few boxes of Terminal Ascents but I did not try them as I had quite a few of the TLR's. I hear some guys knocking these bullets because the tolerances are not the same as match bullets. I am not sure there are any bonded bullets that have the tolerances that the match bullets have and dont think its fair to compare them. I was shooting steel to 800 yards and keeping a sub MOA group. My groups at 100 yards we 1/2MOA with Reloder 16 and a velocity of 3050. Plenty good for hunting.
I run a business and I am not sure how you can put the money into R and D and into the marketing of a new product and then not have anything to release to the public? How do you make a return on investment? I am seeing these bullets advertised in magazines as recently as this summer. Makes no sense to me to spend all that money on development and then not be prepared to have the inventory to supply those you are advertising to? I am in a similar boat with the new Ford Bronco-- I ordered one 26 months ago and now I am being told I wont get one until the 2023's are being made but they have been marketing the heck out of them for 3 years.
Fortunately there are lots of good bullet options out there but like one poster said previously- you kind of lose interest when things are handled this way.

 

[lancetkenyon]

I tried some of the 155gr 7mm in a custom 7RM. And they sucked for accuracy. Had one group that was .7", but it did not repeat at all. Scrapped them and went with a 180 Hyb.

 

[Idaho Hunter1]

There are posts on these bullets elsewhere on the forum and I contributed to some of those. Don't want to restate everything so bottom line was I could not get them to shoot better than 1" in any rifle I had. Those were all rifles that shot Nosler, Barnes, Berger and Sierra very well in the sub .5MOA with little effort. I tried the 6.5/.284/.308 variations in multiple platforms and it never worked out. I would always get a flyer in a 5 or 10 shot group. That is basically 5 cold bore shots and a follow up shot over the course of an afternoon. No rime or reason for the flyer. Happened in TLR and TA.

I'm keeping the few boxes I have left as a backup for hunting use only. They will be fine inside 300yds but that was the limit of my trust in them because of groupings.

Maybe the factory offerings work better, maybe in need more neck tension, maybe….but when the other bullets are so easy, why burn a barrel from a great builder chasing an equivalent result? That was where I landed.

Having gotten feedback earlier on the thread of some success, maybe I'll try them again. If I do, I'll let y'all know.

 

[DRock]

Maybe I just got lucky but this is how my rifle shot the 155TLR. My 100 yard group and a 5 shot group at 800 on steel (the shot on the left was from another session). I know these bullets are obsolete so the point is moot but if the Terminal Ascent (TA) is supposed to be an improvement, I am encouraged from what I saw in the TLR. And- its rumored that they are going to make heavier for caliber TA bullets than the original line up so I am still clinging to hope that they will one day be made available.

 

[wasskeet]

FYI, if anyone here likes the previous Federal Trophy Bonded Tip bullets - I know where quite a few .30 cal 180gr. 50ct boxes can be had. PM me if interested.

 

[Heather]

FYI, if anyone here likes the previous Federal Trophy Bonded Tip bullets - I know where quite a few .30 cal 180gr. 50ct boxes can be had. PM me if interested.

I'll leave it for someone who needs it. Would love to have it on hand though

 

[wildwilderness]

Ohh the quandary, match accuracy vs all range terminal performance.

When will the Magic Bullet be made- and available to order

 

[FEENIX]

When will the Magic Bullet be made- and available to order

Good luck with that; no such thing but there are BS marketing claims.

 

[Swamplord]

I tried some of the 155gr 7mm in a custom 7RM. And they sucked for accuracy. Had one group that was .7", but it did not repeat at all. Scrapped them and went with a 180 Hyb.
View attachment 397296

The meplats on your bullets look smashed and all of a different rate, none of my bullets tips look like that, all are sleek with no deformation, even on the factory 7mm Rem Mag ammo all the tips are immaculate , You didn't buy the "pulled" bullets on Gunbroker perchance did ya ? some fella was selling a bunch of them with tips that looked like that

 

[Swamplord]

Was in Sportsmans Warehouse an hour ago and they had a pile of 7mm Rem Mag ammo, picked up 7 more boxes for my 7mm & my dads ... just checked all the bullet tips on the ammo and all are 100% nice & pointy with no deformation