Info on Winchester Fail Safe Ammo

[Dakota Hunter]

I’ve used them in a 338 Win Mag on a 6 ft plus Alaska coastal black bear. I shot it facing me in the shoulder and it came out the opposite ham.

 

[Mountaineer]

I have used them for elk, moose, caribou, deer. Excellent bullet.

 

[crs]

Since this thread has come back to life, a correction - The .338 bullets were 230 grains and performed well on plains game in South Africa. One shot kill on all , including a big bull Eland. On a 150 yard shot at a trotting Gemsbok, the bullet shot through both shoulders and was recovered under the off side hide - only bullet recovered on the hunt. I still have it because it became oval - no longer round.

 

[raamw]

The FS was designed for deep penetration while causing damage on the way through. It is a hollow point, at high velocity the hollow point will peel back and get ripped off on their own path causing additional trauma. the remainder of the bullet is essentialy a flat nose solid since the forward part of the bullet has a steel cup to retain the lead core which is inside of the brass casing, to perfect the the rear of the lower half there is a steel cap to ensre the bullet will retain its weight. I took a moose at 150 yards with a 375/300fs and it dropped it on the spot including flipping it backwards causing the bull to fall with it antlers stuck in the ground nose up. The only problem with the failsafe the entrance and exit wound on a high velocity load will be the same. I was on bison hunt with a friend and he used a 30-06 with 180FS and each of 3 shots showed little effect other than 3 exit looked like a garden hose squirting blood.

 

[Capt_Oscar]

I shoot the 300gr Fail Safe in my 375H&H. Took a large moose in Northern B.C. Lasered range was 274yds. 3 bullets passed through both shoulder and exited. 1 bullet lodged just under the hide on the off-side. Perfect expansion, perfect performance. For the record, the moose was dead on his feet with the first shot. My guide was very concerned about the moose going over the field edge and down into the swamp, making for a brutal haul out. He kept saying, "Hit'em Again!" (Until the bull fell over) Clean your rifle and all is well... My experience.

 

[John McLaughlin]

The black coating is a copper oxide (Lubolox) not moly. I've used them in my 270 Roy (140 gr@3300 fps) for several mule deer, and two Rocky Mountain bighorns with obvious great sucess. I've used the 230 gr in my 340 Roy @3100 fps on paper but not on game. Win quit making them (Nosler Combined Tech) because of the cost. Nosler still sells combined tech bullets with the the lubolox coating. I've never had any problems with it building up in the throat. I bought a good supply when Win discontinued them. FWIW JM

 

[Wade J VanGinkel]

I bought 2 boxes for my 30-06 back when they were new. 180gr.
My records show I killed 3 mule deer 1 coyote and 1 bull elk. But no shots were further than 200 yards. Worked perfectly.
I still have 17 rounds left. Just looked last night.
Doubt they'll ever be used now

 

[Shootist43]

Dittos on the Fail Safe being renamed from the Black Talon. Winchester got some really "bad press" about the Black Talon being too lethal.

 

[RLL]

Just picked up 3 boxes of 300WSM 180gr failsafes today for a bargain! “Vintage”ammo was cheaper than new brass to reload.