The Classic Cup-And-Core

Over the past several decades, bullet design and manufacturing have taken literal quantum leaps. Rifle bullets like Terminal Ascent are not featureless globs of metal, but rather fine-tuned projectiles with space-age features that enhance accuracy, decrease drop and wind drift, ensure expansion at more than 1,000 yards, and hold the bullet together for deep penetration when the animal is nearly close enough to touch.

But scoreboard: Such engineering feats and performance advancements don’t make the countless millions of deer—not to mention antelope, elk, bears, moose and more—killed prior to this surge in bullet technology any less dead. The simple cup-and-core bullet design that dominated hunting ammunition for so long is still a proven game-getter, and it’s better than ever thanks to modern manufacturing.

Let’s take a look at how these bullets are made, what loads are available, and what hunters need to do to get the most from them.

A Simple Plan

As the name suggests, cup-and-core bullets feature a lead core enclosed in a pre-formed copper jacket. The bullet nose can be pointed, rounded or flat, depending on the cartridge and specific load. Those designed for hunting versus target shooting tend to be soft points.

The manufacturing process starts when pieces of gilding metal are impact-formed into jackets. Punches push the metal into a die, and the material flows up around the punch. The resulting jacket is brought to its final weight, and then run through an annealer to reduce the metal’s hardness and provide the optimal expansion characteristics for the finished bullet.

Next, comes the bullet core. A process called swaging is used to form lead wire into shape. The lead wire is cut to length and pushed into a die. Excess lead weeps out until the core reaches the desired weight.

Finally, the lead cores are inserted into the copper jacket cups, and the two are pressed together and pushed through a sizing die to bring the bullets to their desired weight and shape.

Federal Power-Shok is a classic example. Its bullet expands aggressively on impact—up to twice its original diameter—which is ideal for taking down medium-size, relatively lightly built game like deer and antelope inside a few hundred yards. It’s also offered in calibers and bullet weights that are up for larger game like elk and bears, but range and shot placement become critical, as heavy bones and tissue can cause fragmentation of the bullet on impact, which can decrease straight-line penetration. That’s where bonded bullets like Terminal Ascent, Trophy Bonded Tip and Fusion, as well as all-copper bullets like Trophy Copper shine. Their designs hold together through even the toughest tissue, maintaining enough of the bullet’s original weight and momentum to keep driving through the animal and into the vitals.

Classic Calibers & New Favorites

Anyone who’s ever had the privilege of being part of a good hunting camp knows they can blur the lines between new and old. The gun rack will likely have rifles chambered in the latest hot-rod calibers resting next to ones for cartridges that saw service in World War I. For that reason, Federal offers more Power-Shok rifle loads in a wider selection of calibers and bullet weights than any other product in the lineup.

With that variety, and decades of proven on-game performance, Power-Shok continues to be a hunting camp mainstay and the leader among cup-and-core style bullets. Do your part with pre-season practice and precise shot placement with these loads, and you’ll reap the benefits.