Federal Ammo For Sale
History of Federal Ammo
Perhaps best known for its Premium brand launched in 1977, Federal Ammunition has its humble beginnings in an ammo and bicycle company founded in 1916 in Anoka, Minnesota. While Federal no longer sells bicycles, they still make ammo in their Anoka headquarters, where a single plant manufactures dozens of calibers. Federal was eventually purchased by Charles L. Horn in 1922, two years after the company shut its doors. Horn is considered the founder of the company, as he built the brand into what it is today.
Horn’s hustle is what made him the father of Federal, aggressively marketing his ammunition across America – in gas stations, grocery stores and barber shops. This approach eventually paid off. In 1941, the U.S. government awarded him an $87 million contract to manufacture ammunition for the war effort. Federal continued fulfilling America’s military needs for decades, supplying ammunition for the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
The Diverse (and Innovative) Federal Ammunition Catalog
Today, the company manufactures thousands of different options. This includes a complete line of centerfire, rimfire and shotshell ammo – a tradition of innovation that has allowed them to maintain a competitive advantage for nearly a century.
Among Horn’s many achievements was being a prime mover behind the 4-H Conservation program in 1934, making Federal the first company to sponsor camps. Since 1979, the company has sponsored the 4-H Shooting Sports Program and partners with 4-H to offer safe shooting and hunting classes, as well as wildlife management.
The Federal Ammunition founder’s contributions to conservation did not end there. Federal Cartridge, the predecessor of Federal Ammunition, was a key player in lobbying the United States Congress to adopt the Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act. Among other provisions, the Act created a self-imposed tax on ammunition manufacturers, which has raised – and continues to raise – billions of dollars to help protect America’s wildlife and countryside.
The Dramatic Expansion of Federal Ammo
Expanding dramatically in the 50s and 60s, Federal began producing centerfire ammunition for rifles and pistols in 1963. They continued to manufacture their high-quality shotgun shells and brought wins for competitive shooters, creating lifelong customers. Charles Horn retired in 1977, and turned management of the company over to his son William – who continued to grow the company with unrelenting marketing efforts, introducing the Premium line of ammunition for rifles and shotguns, and eventually selling in 1985 to a collection of private investors who sold to Alliant Techsystems.
Federal Ammunition still operates a plant in Anoka, Minnesota, where they employ nearly 1,000 people and produce the entire Federal line of ammunition for rifles, pistols, shotguns and rimfire weapons. They continue to make the popular Hydra-Shok pistol ammo here, as well as rifle ammunition topped with Sierra bullets. Sierra MatchKing bullets are well known for their accuracy in the precision shooting community, and Gold Medal Match Federal 308 ammo has made a name for itself as the benchmark by which all other match-grade ammo is measured. The Federal brand is an ongoing innovator, introducing its new Guard Dog ammo for handguns, V-shock ammo for rifles, and Black Cloud shells for shotgun. The American Eagle Syntech, a revolutionary, polymer-coated round introduced in 2015, extends barrel life by significantly reducing metal-on-metal contact. Federal will undoubtedly continue to produce their high-quality ammunition for many years to come, like their new offerings in 6.5 Creedmoor ammo.
Federal Ammunition Stock Developments
Color-coded shells are an industry standard, even though some ammunition manufacturers have deviated from this practice. Everyone who has taken a hunter’s education course has learned this by rote, over and over again. What many don’t know is that Federal began this practice in 1960, another example of how this company has been a pioneer in the world of ammo manufacturing.
Likewise, many turkey hunters take turkey-driven shotshells for granted. Federal was the first ammunition company to offer a shell specifically for this kind of hunting. Until 1992, there was no shotgun shell specifically designed for turkey shoots. Their current turkey-specific shotshell is the 3rd Degree Shotshell.
Federal Ammunition Stock Continues to Expand
One might think that not much has changed in ammunition manufacturing in the 100 years since Federal began, but nothing could be further from the truth. Federal is never content to rest upon past achievements, always innovating its various brands and lines. A great example of this is their primary use of recycled lead, making them one of the greenest ammunition manufacturing enterprises in existence. In late 2017, Federal announced that they would be releasing a new, high-performance Federal .22-caliber cartridge for AR-15s.
This spirit of innovation and commitment to quality have made Federal an award-winning manufacturer of ammunition.
- Vital-Shok Trophy Bonded Tip ammunition won the Game & Fish Readers’ Choice award in both 2013 and 2015. This ammo is specially formulated for large and dangerous game and is often used in guide guns, making Federal 45-70 ammo a great choice for bear country.
- The Personal Defense HST rounds earned the coveted Golden Bullseye Award for 2015 Ammunition Product of the Year from the National Rifle Association's (NRA) Shooting Illustrated.
- Vital-Shok Buckshot received the 2016 Reader's Choice Award from Predator Xtreme.
While Federal has always manufactured within their single Minnesota plant, they’ve expanded the size of this facility by orders of magnitude. What originally took up a relatively scant 9,600 square feet (manufacturing only shotgun shells) is now over 500,000 square feet, sitting on 175 acres, and making ammunition for every variety of firearm: shotgun, rimfire, muzzle loaders and handguns. In fact, the plant is so large that it straddles Anoka and its neighboring town Coon Rapids.
Federal’s ties with the Anoka community are deep. The city hall of Anoka is even shaped a little like a pistol, which is no accident – Federal bankrolled the construction of the building in 1954. The building is still the political center of this small Minneapolis suburb.
Federal Law Enforcement Ammo
In March 2018, Federal received a Department of Homeland Security contract, allowing Federal to produce 180 million rounds of Federal .40 cal Tactical HST duty ammunition for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other DHS and federal agencies over the next five years. This continues a partnership Federal has enjoyed with military and federal law enforcement ammo dating back several decades.
Federal Ammunition is a brand with roots as deep as those of other iconic American manufacturers like General Motors, Harley-Davidson or Levi’s. Whatever your ammunition needs might be – whether it’s target shooting, hunting or self defense – Federal is always there with an innovative answer.
FAQ
Where is Federal ammo made?
Federal ammo is manufactured at a plant located in Anoka, Minnesota, where the ammo brand was started in 1916. This plant makes the entire line of Federal ammunition, including ammo for rifles, pistols, shotguns, and rimfire firearms.
Who owns Federal Ammunition?
What is Federal Green Tip ammo?
If the green tip on Federal ammo is painted on a .223 Remington or 5.56mm NATO cartridge, then it signifies that the ammo is a “penetrator” round and often considered armour piercing due to a solid piece of steel inside the projectile. These rounds are military surplus ammo and are often bought in bulk.
What is Federal Hydra Shok ammo?
Federal Hydra-Shok ammo is the ammunition brand’s self-defense jacketed hollow point cartridge. The Hydra-Shok line uses rigorous testing to ensure accuracy and consistency and is marketed on its low recoil, reduced muzzle rise, and increased target acquisition. The Hydra-Shok line comes in .32 ACP, Federal .380 ACP, 9mm, .38 Special, .327 Federal, Federal .357 Mag, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .45 GAP, .44 Mag, and 10mm. It’s also available in Federal 12 gauge slugs.
What is Federal Power Shok ammo?
Power-Shok is Federal’s line of hunting ammunition and includes various rifle and hunting handgun calibers. Power-Shok rounds are jacketed hollow points that offer accuracy and power strong enough to handle medium to large game. In rifle calibers, the line includes popular configurations in .223, .243, Federal .30-30, and .30-06, among others. It’s also available in shotgun shells, including 10 gauge, Federal 12 gauge,16 gauge, 20 gauge, and .410 bore. In handgun calibers, you can find Power-Shok in .357 Mag, .41 Rem and .44 Mag.
What does the “HST” stand for in Federal Ammo?
The HST line of Federal Premium ammunition was released in 2002. These specialty tactical cartridges were designed specifically for law enforcement. Although there was some speculation that the “HST” stood for “Hi-Shok Two,” Federal denied the claims and stated that HST is simply the name of the ammo and didn’t stand for anything.
Customer Reviews
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Tinacn said:
When I bought a used Mossberg-manufactured12ga fully rifled slug barrel for my Remington 870, I bought several different brands and loadings of slugs to pattern from the bench. These slugs shot the tightest groups of ANY I tried, had manageable recoil and were among the least expensive per round. I had Brenneke-style slugs, plain rifled Foster unsaboted slugs, as well as a couple of the newer saboted, all copper and copper hollow-point types costing $3-$4 or more per round. Some 2 3/4" and some 3". I see no reason to sue any other brand or load in my particular shotgun.
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Froggo said:
I recently purchased 1000 rds of this stuff and have shot half already with ZERO malfunctions. All went bang (w/o a double-strike) . It's lighter, easier to handle and was very affordable when I bought it at $169 for the 1000. And...maybe it's just me... but the recoil from this ammo is almost non-existent. Plus, the box's 100rd capacity makes for great storage & convenience at the range.
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Bob said:
Quality seem to be top notch. I had no problems with the ammo at all. Fired cleanly. A real bargain.
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maur800 said:
no fail to feed no misfires, no nothing very enjoyable to shoot when there no HICCUPS
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Tig said:
Excellent value for the $$
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B said:
Very fast delivery. Great quality. Thank you!
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WildBill said:
Great round, going to buy more, thanks
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Ron said:
First time I used you guys and I'm impressed. Great prices,fast service. Keep up the good work.
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Philip said:
Excellent .357 sig ammo. Accurate range ammo.
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Rob said:
The 357 SIG ammo was great it handled and fired as expected every time. No mishaps and all rounds mostly hit the target every time unless I interfered... LOL Have recommend this product and your delivery to other friends...
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spike said:
Ammo arrived promptly and performed as expected.
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Sam said:
I feel that due to the few numbers per capita of the .357 Sig guns, the demand isn't so high which makes even the practice loads high in comparison to o ther calibers. This ammo shoots very well and is close to my carry load (Gold Dot) in felt recoil. Over all very good and I will buy more later. Cheers, Sam
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Frank said:
Worked like it should it went in the gun. it came out of the gun . so it worked just fine.
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Dean said:
If you need some ammunition for an indoor range, these are the rounds for you.
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John said:
Pretty good overall
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Dett Hubb said:
Very pleased and would order again
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Mike said:
This is great ammo for Self Defense, this will get the job done. Using solid guns like Kimber in 45 & 10mm, I was able to achieve a level of accuracy at 25 yards with this ammo that I haven't been able to do since my Army days. Firing many 3 round groups at 25 yards, All shots could fit inside the circumference of a Quarter, actually the shots on the target touched and overlapped each other, nice mushrooms, 0 malfunctions and seeing some expand to over an inch, I decided to change over and make this my first "go to" ammo. Thank you Ammo.com
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Dj spin said:
41/2 stars
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Mark said:
Serviceable ammo, at least we can get it.
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Buck8320 said:
I have and prefer the HST and Speer Gold Dots as my edc loads. The HST has the most expansion you can find in the gel tests if you pay attention to those. A bit pricey, but.....worth the extra for performance
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Ronald said:
Great ammo for Self-defense
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Wendy said:
Seems to work well for me in my Beretta 92s Italian Police turn-in. A possible alternative if you can't or don't want to use +P ammo in your 9mm However, as with the case with every self-dense loading fire at least a full mag (plus one in the chamber if this is how you would use it for self-defense) through the gun to make sure it feeds and ejects all rounds before relying on it for self-defense.
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TexasTodd44 said:
They had ammo when nobody else did! New customer and I will buy from Ammo.com from here on!!
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Steve said:
Works good. No jams or misfires
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Paperbanger said:
Looking for some .40 cal you can feed your pistol with total confidence? Fill your magazines with the HST JHP from Federal! My Sig and I spent an afternoon punching holes with these, along with three other brands. We know there are some brands okay for range practice, because a misfeed or misfire doesn't matter much. But it was clear from the outset that if you carry, these are the guys you want to take with you. Never a misfeed or misfire, and accurate to a gnat's eyelash. I figure if it's my life and perhaps the lives of my loved ones on the line, I'll have enough to worry about without fighting the bad guys and my ammo problems at the same time.
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R.J. said:
This review isn’t necessarily about the ammo , all I can say is I like to cycle my ammo at least once a year and I’m getting what I feel to be the best and this ammo is it ! What I am writing today is first I don’t do reviews it’s just not my thing , but I’m making an exception because I’m extremely impressed with ammo.com ! I ordered on a Sunday night , not 10 mins after I ordered I had confirmation numbers and the way they did there emails to me are 2nd to know one ,giving you every bit of info you could possibly want and things were in such a professional manner . Excellent deal ( pretty much what I paid pre rona) like I said I ordered Sunday night snd it was at my door on Wednesday shipped in excellent packaging !
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shooterJ said:
Great ammo and it got here in 2 days! Thanks!
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Shawn said:
I've shot a lot of rounds over the years, and Federal is one of the best with any ammunition. These rounds in particular are clean, accurate, effective, and to top it off, won't break the bank. If you're sceptical about ammo.com, you shouldn't be. Good pricing, fast shipping and most importantly I got exactly what I ordered. Couldn't be happier.