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.50-120 Federal FireStick

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Federal FireStick
TypeBlank cartridge
Place of originUnited States United States
Production history
DesignerFederal Ammunition
Designed2019
ManufacturerFederal Ammunition
Produced2020–present
Variants.50-100, .50-120
Specifications
Case typeRimmed
Bullet diameter.50 conical (recommended)
Primer type209 Shotgun
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy
270 gr (17 g) Federal Trophy Copper PTHP 1,766 feet per second (538 m/s) (extrapolated) 1,870 foot-pounds force (2,540 J) (extrapolated)
Test barrel length: 25 inches (64 cm)
Source(s): [1] [2]

The Federal FireStick is a proprietary polymer-hulled blank cartridge, introduced in 2020 for the Traditions NitroFire rifle. Containing 100 to 120 grains of Hodgdon 888 black-powder substitute and neither a primer nor a bullet, the round and the rifle designed for it were devised as a way of creating a gun that functions as closely to a modern rifle as possible whilst still being legal in muzzleloader hunting season.[3][4]

Being supplied with neither a primer nor a projectile, the Federal FireStick blank round can be used as a live-fire cartridge by first inserting a primer manually into the rimmed base, then placing it into the breech of the Traditions NitroFire, much like a traditional shotshell in a break-action shotgun. Finally, a .50 calibre bullet is pushed down the barrel from the front using a ramrod, coming to rest at a narrowed neck that separates the slug from the charge and prevents the user from attempting to fire incompatible ammunition.[1][3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Federal Premium Trophy Copper Muzzleloading Bullet". American Hunter. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  2. ^ "Hornady Ballistics Calculator". Hornady Ballistics Calculator. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b "[SHOT 2020] Federal Premium FireStick Muzzleloading Rifle Ignition System". The Firearm Blog. 23 January 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  4. ^ "New for 2020: Federal Premium FireStick". American Hunter. Retrieved 31 May 2020.