Federal Ammo
Federal Ammunition has been manufacturing cartridges in Anoka, Minnesota since 1922 and remains one of the most widely used ammunition brands in American law enforcement, military, and civilian shooting. Federal’s product line covers every application from the most demanding defensive scenarios to Olympic-level precision competition—the HST hollow point is the standard issue load for dozens of federal agencies, Gold Medal Match ammunition is loaded to the tolerances used by competitive shooters at Camp Perry, and American Eagle gives everyday shooters a reliable training round at accessible pricing. Our staff regularly handles customer questions on Federal loads across all of these categories.
Read our Federal Ammunition Buying Guide ↓
Federal HST: The Defensive Load Standard
The Federal HST is one of the most respected defensive hollow point loads available and is the standard issue duty ammunition for numerous U.S. law enforcement agencies including the FBI. The HST’s hollow point design produces consistent, controlled expansion across a wide range of barrel lengths and impact velocities, maintaining reliable performance after passing through FBI protocol barriers including heavy clothing, auto glass, and wallboard. It is available in standard and +P pressures across 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, and .380 ACP. For defensive carry and home defense, Federal HST is consistently among the top recommendations from our staff. See also: 9mm Ammo and .45 ACP Ammo.
Federal Gold Medal Match: Competition-Grade Precision
Federal Gold Medal Match is loaded to match-grade specifications for precision rifle competition and long-range target shooting. Gold Medal uses Sierra MatchKing and Berger hybrid bullets seated to consistent overall lengths, with powder charges measured to ensure minimal velocity variation between rounds—the primary factor in group size at long range. Available in .308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, .223 Remington, .300 Win Mag, and other precision calibers. Gold Medal is the ammunition used by military and law enforcement precision teams and by civilian competitors at the highest levels of precision rifle competition. See also: 6.5 Creedmoor Ammo.
American Eagle: Reliable Range Training
Federal American Eagle is Federal’s value-tier training line, designed to provide reliable feeding, function, and accuracy for high-volume range use at a price point suited for sustained practice. American Eagle uses the same case and primer standards as Federal’s premium lines, with a full metal jacket bullet instead of a specialty defensive or match projectile. For shooters who want to train regularly with a quality, consistent round without spending premium pricing on every round, American Eagle covers the most common pistol and rifle calibers. The American Eagle IRT (Indoor Range Training) line uses a lead-free primer and FEB (Frangible Enclosed Base) bullet for indoor ranges where lead contamination is a concern.
Federal Power-Shok and Terminal Ascent: Hunting Loads
Federal’s hunting ammunition spans from the affordable Power-Shok line to the premium Terminal Ascent. Power-Shok uses conventional soft point bullets for reliable expansion on deer and similar game at standard hunting distances—a practical, cost-effective choice for hunters who shoot a moderate volume of hunting rounds annually. Terminal Ascent is Federal’s premium hunting projectile, using a bonded AccuBond-style design that retains weight through barrier penetration at both close and long ranges—designed for the Western hunter who may take shots from 50 to 400+ yards on the same day. Terminal Ascent is available in most major hunting calibers from .243 Win through .300 Win Mag. See also: Hunting Rifles.
Frequently Asked Questions: Federal Ammunition
What is Federal Ammunition best known for?
Federal Ammunition is an Anoka, Minnesota manufacturer and one of the largest ammunition producers in the world — part of Vista Outdoor alongside Speer, CCI, and other brands. Federal is best known for two defensive products: Federal HST, the most widely recommended law enforcement and civilian defensive hollow point, and Federal HydraShok, the original bonded defensive hollow point that redefined the standard for defensive ammunition in the 1980s. Federal also produces the Gold Medal Match line — the benchmark for precision rifle competition ammunition — and the Power-Shok and Trophy Bonded lines for hunting.
Why is Federal HST so highly recommended?
Federal HST consistently passes the FBI’s ammunition test protocol across all test barriers — bare gelatin, heavy clothing, auto glass, plywood, wallboard, and steel — with reliable expansion to approximately 150% of bullet diameter and 12–18 inches of penetration. Independent gel testing across thousands of rounds confirms consistent, predictable performance. The HST is used by more FBI field agents than any other defensive load and is the default recommendation alongside Speer Gold Dot for any caliber where it’s available.
What is the difference between Federal HST and HydraShok?
HydraShok was Federal’s original premium defensive load — still a solid choice but designed before the modern FBI protocol. HST is the current-generation design that specifically addresses FBI barrier test requirements. In bare gelatin, both perform well. Through auto glass and other barriers, HST consistently outperforms HydraShok. For new purchases, HST is the appropriate choice in any caliber where it’s available.
See Also: Speer • Hornady • 9mm Ammo • Handgun Ammo • All Ammunition