Last updated October 2026 · By Nick Hall, who follows new rifle cartridges and factory ammo launches for USA Gun Shop readers
Quick take: Federal has added 22 Creedmoor to its Fusion and American Eagle rifle lines, both with a 75-grain bullet at 3,300 fps. Fusion is the hunting load at $47.99 a box and American Eagle is the range load at $40.99. Both are being delivered to dealers now.
- What it is: Two new 22 Creedmoor loads, the F22CRDFS2 Fusion 75-grain bonded soft point and the AE22CRD1 American Eagle 75-grain Total Metal Jacket.
- Price: Federal lists a $47.99 MSRP for the Fusion and a $40.99 MSRP for the American Eagle, and each box holds 20 rounds.
- Where: Federal says the loads are “currently being delivered to dealers nationwide,” and its own store shows both as available.
- Why it matters: A cartridge gets easier to own when a big maker sells a range load for it, and an 80-grain match option is due next.
Most ammo launches hand you one speed and a promise. Federal printed the full ballistics table for both of these, and it holds a small surprise: the range load beats the hunting load at every distance past the muzzle. We pulled the numbers straight from Federal so you don’t have to.
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Table of Contents
What Federal Put in the 22 Creedmoor Boxes
Federal announced both loads in an October 29 release out of Anoka, Minnesota. They share a bullet weight of 75 grains, a muzzle velocity of 3,300 fps and a 20-round box. Federal’s tables start both at 1,813 foot-pounds at the muzzle.
After that, they split. The Fusion page lists part number F22CRDFS2, a Fusion Soft Point with a .298 ballistic coefficient, a bullet length of 0.936 inches and a usage tag of Big Game. The American Eagle page lists part number AE22CRD1, a Total Metal Jacket with a .400 ballistic coefficient and a usage tag of Target Shooting.
Josh Vickers, Federal’s Centerfire Rifle Ammunition Product Manager, says the cartridge can “push heavier 22-caliber bullets more than 3,000 fps for flat trajectories, long-range accuracy, and hard-hitting power on coyotes and other predators.” His split of the two loads is simple: “a 75-grain American Eagle TMJ that’s perfect for the range and a 75-grain Fusion that gives hunters the terminal performance they need.”
Federal’s release also says these are “coming soon in an 80-grain Sierra Tipped MatchKing for shooters who compete.” It gives no price, part number or date for that one, and the 22 Creedmoor page on Federal’s site lists only the two 75-grain loads today.
The American Eagle TMJ Out-Flies the Fusion on Paper
Same weight, same starting speed, very different ride. At 500 yards, Federal shows the American Eagle still doing 2,160 fps with 777 foot-pounds, while the Fusion is down to 1,833 fps and 559 foot-pounds. That’s a gap of 327 fps and 218 foot-pounds, from two bullets that left the barrel dead even.
Wind tells the same story. In a 10 mph crosswind at 500 yards, Federal prints 19.1 inches of drift for the American Eagle and 27.5 inches for the Fusion, a difference of 8.4 inches. Closer in, with a 100-yard zero, the Fusion falls 9.9 inches at 300 yards against 8.9 for the American Eagle.
And none of that makes the TMJ a hunting bullet. The .400 ballistic coefficient is why it holds speed, while the Fusion carries a .298 on a bullet Federal built to open up on game. If you are practicing past 300 yards, remember that your range ammo and your hunting ammo will not land in the same place, so confirm your drops with the box you plan to hunt with.
Why the Fusion 22 Creedmoor Costs $7 More
The Fusion is $7 more a box, which works out to about $2.40 a round against about $2.05, or 35 cents a shot. What Federal describes on the Fusion is a copper jacket “electro-chemically bonded to the core” and a skived nose for consistent expansion. The line-wide pitch is “the largest expansion and highest weight retention in head-to-head comparisons against the competition.”
That is a claim about Fusion as a family. Federal prints no expansion or penetration figures for this 75-grain load on its product page, so nobody should read that line as test data for this exact bullet until independent testers put it in gel.
Federal’s pitch on game is worth reading closely too. Vickers talks about coyotes and predators, while Federal’s 22 Creedmoor listing says the cartridge has “the power to take game including antelope and deer,” and the Fusion box carries a deer icon. Check your state’s game regulations before you take a 22-caliber bullet after deer.
Federal 22 Creedmoor Is Not the 22 ARC
Two new 75-grain American Eagle TMJ loads in one week is a good way to buy the wrong box. Federal announced the American Eagle 22 ARC on October 27, and it is a different cartridge, so never run one in a gun chambered for the other.
Federal’s tables show what the bigger case gets you. The 22 ARC load starts at 2,975 fps with 1,474 foot-pounds, so the 22 Creedmoor load is 325 fps and 339 foot-pounds ahead at the muzzle, with the same .400 ballistic coefficient. At 500 yards it still leads by 251 fps, and it drifts 19.1 inches against 22.0.
That edge costs $5 a box, $40.99 against $35.99.
When You Can Buy Federal 22 Creedmoor
Now, if your dealer has it. Federal says the loads are on the way to dealers nationwide, and both product pages carry a New tag, an Available status and an Add to Cart button at those same prices.
Federal’s own store has limits, though. Its restrictions note says it does not sell or ship ammunition to Alaska, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island or Washington D.C., so buyers in those places need a local dealer, and you must be 18 to buy rifle ammunition.
Before you order a case, check two things Federal’s pages do not print: the test barrel length behind that 3,300 fps and a recommended twist rate. A barrel shorter than Federal’s test barrel will not match the box, and when we chronographed American Eagle in our American Eagle ammo review, the .223 Remington load ran 251 fps under its box from a 16-inch barrel. That is another cartridge, but the lesson travels.
Need a rifle to feed it? The CVA Cascade XT comes in 22 Creedmoor, and the Savage 110 Trail Blazer XP I’ve shot most, from our best Savage rifles list, is a 22 Creedmoor.
Two boxes. One speed. Buy the TMJ for the bench and the Fusion for the field, and do not expect them to hit the same spot.
Frequently Asked Questions
What 22 Creedmoor loads did Federal add?
Federal added the Fusion 22 Creedmoor, a 75-grain bonded soft point, part number F22CRDFS2, and the American Eagle 22 Creedmoor, a 75-grain Total Metal Jacket, part number AE22CRD1. Both are listed at 3,300 fps and come in 20-round boxes.
How much does Federal 22 Creedmoor ammo cost?
Federal lists a $47.99 MSRP for the Fusion and a $40.99 MSRP for the American Eagle, per box of 20. That works out to about $2.40 and about $2.05 a round, and Federal's own store shows the same prices.
Is Federal American Eagle 22 Creedmoor good for hunting?
It is not a hunting load. Federal tags it Target Shooting and calls American Eagle rifle ammunition ideal for target practice. Federal's hunting option in this cartridge is the Fusion, tagged Big Game.
Which Federal 22 Creedmoor load is flatter at long range?
On Federal's tables, the American Eagle. It has a .400 ballistic coefficient against .298 for the Fusion, and at 500 yards it shows 2,160 fps and 19.1 inches of wind drift against 1,833 fps and 27.5 inches for the Fusion.
Is 22 Creedmoor the same as 22 ARC?
No. They are different cartridges and they do not interchange. Federal also sells a 75-grain American Eagle TMJ in 22 ARC at 2,975 fps and $35.99, so check the box before you buy.
Will Federal make an 80-grain 22 Creedmoor load?
Federal says its 22 Creedmoor lineup is coming soon in an 80-grain Sierra Tipped MatchKing for shooters who compete. It has not published a price, part number or date in its release.
Can I buy Federal 22 Creedmoor from Federal directly?
In most states, yes. Federal's store does not sell or ship ammunition to Alaska, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island or Washington D.C., and rifle ammunition buyers must be at least 18.
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