Federal Premium Customer Service

[Dragoon 45]

I apologize if this is a little off topic. But I recently ran into a problem with a box of .25-06 Federal Premium Ammo. Long and short of it, a shotgun would produce a tighter pattern at 200 yards then this stuff would. Hornady ammo, same bullet weight and same published velocity, would produce a 1" group at 200yards out of the same rifle at the same range session. I can't understand how a rifle can shoot sub MOA groups with one ammo type and then open up to a 2 foot group with another. The rifle is a Ruger M77KMVT.

I don't shoot cast in this rifle, I use it as a long range varmiter and target rifle. Now I am a little concerned about this. I don't know if there is a problem with the rifle or the ammo. Right now I think it is an ammo problem, but without any feedback from Federal Premium I can't be sure.

I have emailed, phoned, and even written letters to try to find out if I got a bad lot of ammo with exactly zero responses from Federal Premium. I have noticed that Federal Premium has recalled a lot of pistol ammo lately, but have not seen any recalls for rifle ammo. Has anyone else had problems with Federal Premium and/or their customer service?

Thank You.

[thx997303]

Simply, your gun doesn't like the federal ammo. Don't buy federal for it anymore.

[Dragoon 45]

I could understand the groups opening up somewhat. But going from sub-MOA to a 2 foot group with rounds off the paper seems more than just the rifle not liking the ammo.


Simply, your gun doesn't like the federal ammo. Don't buy federal for it anymore.

[starnbar]

Did you go back and shoot the hornady to make sure its this ammunition? one of my sons did the same thing and it was his scope that had gotten loose just a turn on the screw on the scope ring and he was back in service.

[troy_mclure]

ive had similar if not so extreme group change with a savage 111 in 7mm mag from 1.5" at 100 with federal fusion, to 3.75" with the yellow/green boxed remington's.

[Harter66]

+1 I've had several cases like that .

I changed lots of bullets once and had work up from the start.

[44man]

Long ago a friend would buy Fed Premium for his 06. He bought a bunch at a time, shot some and every year he did the same until he had a pile of boxes of every lot made.
His niece dumped them all on the floor so he put them in a box. Nothing would shoot so he had me pull the bullets and re-load with Nosler.
I found sierra and Hornady bullets of every configuration plus at least 6 different powders.
You have to stay with the same lot that shoots. Another lot might not shoot at all from your gun.

[Dragoon 45]

I went back and shoot two 5 round groups with the Hornady ammo after shooting the Federal Premium. These punched a 1" group at 6 o'clock low on the V Ring.

I guess what really bothers me about this is that Federal seems to be totally unconcerned about their ammo after it leaves their factory. I sent 6 emails, left at least 4 phone messages, and wrote two letters over a 4 month period and got absolutely zero replies.

I don't want anything more than some type of answer from Federal on if this ammo was from a bad lot. Then I can get the nagging doubt out of my mind that something might be wrong with my rifle. I could understand the groups opening up somewhat, but going from a tight sub-MOA group to flyers off the paper with a 2 foot group and then back to the sub-moa group just does not seem to me that my rifle doesn't like that ammo. There is something more going on here.


Did you go back and shoot the hornady to make sure its this ammunition? one of my sons did the same thing and it was his scope that had gotten loose just a turn on the screw on the scope ring and he was back in service.

[Dennis Eugene]

Well you could try the ammo in a different rifle, or you could by another box of the same type but different lot and try that in your rifle. Or you could just shoot what works in your rifle and not worry about the simple and small things in life that often go unexplained. Also if your Gripe is with Federal then simply don't give them anymore of your money and if that's not enough to make you happy send them another E-Mail explaining to them why there no longer getting any of your hard earned dollars. Either way I, myself would no longer fret over it,I'd just let it go. Dennis

[ga41]

Years ago, I purchased some Speer (IIRC) 180gr 357 IIRC and they spec'd out at about 354

[thx997303]

Seems you have found out that your rifle doesn't like that lot of federal premium.

Now maybe you ought to buy a different lot number of the same federal premium to see whether it was bad ammo, or if your rifle just didn't like the ammo.

[firefly1957]

Odd conversation on this with my son in Washington a person he was talking with complained that Federal Premium in 25-06 in no good? and shoots terrible.