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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Mr. Jimmy said:
Five deer taken on my ranch with this ammo: two neck shots, two head shots, and one shoulder shot ( 106 yds) . All dropped in their tracks! The shoulder shot hit a rib but still exited the body with a one inch exit wound that would have facilitated tracking, had it been necessary.
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Jimmy said:
My friends and family have taken five deer from my ranch this season, all taken with this ammo. All dropped in their tracks! Two were heart/lung shots, two were neck shots, and one head shot. Both chest area shots penetrated completely with minimal meat damage and left a quarter size exit which would have left a good blood trail if tracking had been necessary. Tremendous performance!
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randy said:
like this for ammo
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BMan said:
Went through 150 rounds of this to try it out. No misfires or jams, accurate, and no ricochets that I could tell
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Russell B said:
I ordered 2000 rounds and two ammo boxes the 50 caliber larger ones. The ammo boxes were brand new as promised and no signs of rust, sand etc. simply new. The 1000 rounds of 556 filled it almost to the rim. We pleased and will be back.
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Shooter McGee said:
I searched many places for this product. You had the best price around, and the product arrived on schedule. Thanks for your great product and service.
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Gerry said:
All one shot bullet placement, federal performance bullits
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MARK said:
Been shooting a 7mm mag for over 30 years . Luv it
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Brian62 said:
I have used this product for years and the product work perfectly. One shot 85 yards put the deer down on opening day!
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Bob said:
Easy order, great delivery and reliable ammo. Have used close to 1,000 rounds of this ammo in my Block 17 and never had a misfire or jam. Clean ammo also
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bigbottom said:
thank you. the product performed as spec'd. i will purchase again. the ease of the overall transaction and shipping was also easy and flawless. thanks.
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Chris said:
Not only is the price fantastic, but my shipment arrived in pristine condition. I was a new customer, and didn't know what to expect. I had a very bad experience buying ammunition on line from another place that claims to be 'cheaper than...ahem.. anything'. My experience with Ammo.com could not have been better. The trusted brand and quality of my order goes without saying. But the handling, packaging, and service from the people at Ammo.com was phenomenal, even surprising given the world we live in where poor service is pretty much expected. I will not shop anywhere else. Ammo.com is my go to supplier.
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Tim said:
Good price for ammo, not shinny but who cares its ment to shoot not to look at
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ws said:
Pretty decent ammo for the price.
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Cole said:
Good ammo. Feeds well in AR-15 and have had no misfires.
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boo said:
Bullets is good for ammo price.
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4545 said:
very dependable and accurate in my colt and springfield 45's. no failures of any kind.
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tcbloodgood4 said:
Totally performed 100% as expected.
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Marcus said:
Great price and shipped on time
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This is my Glock said:
My Glock eats this stuff up. I like it so much I don't want to shoot the remaining 700 rounds I have left. I just stash it with 300 rounds of 9BPLE and take it out to drool over it before I head to the range with PMC for plinking.
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Terry said:
I find it a great value and excellent quality and fine performance ammo and would happily recommend it to anybody else to use. I have used it in both my 9mm pistols, SCCY CPX-2 & Kel-Tec P-11.
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Highdesertrat said:
This ammo has always worked well in my S&W M&P and Ruger P-95. I have never had a problems with misfires and accuracy is good. Great price also.
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Orion1958 said:
I find it a great value and excellent quality and fine performance ammo and would happily recommend it to anybody else to use.
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JW102282 said:
I purchased a small amount (100 rounds) of this ammo strictly to use for personal defense. I wanted a heavier hollow point round in order to get the most stopping power and expansion I can from a 9 mm. I only fired fifty of the one hundred rounds because I wanted to make sure that they feed into my weapon and fire without any problems. Again, I feel that I would want to run at least 200 - 300 of these rounds in order to give a better review. However,the fifty that I did test fire operated from my Glock 26 Gen 4 without any issues. I did notice that with the magazine fully loaded with these rounds opposed to the 124 grain and some of the 115 grain that I was running, the magazine was a little more tough to get it to lock in while loading. Just had to push/hit the mag in a little harder. Operationally though, they ran well.
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korba said:
Great ammo, no failures, no problems at all.. Great!
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Rich said:
Ran a box of this ammo through a Springfield XDM .40 at the range today with no problems. Nice price for when you want to send something down range other than a .22LR. I'll be buying more. Thanks Ammo.com!!
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bcharles66 said:
I bought .223 and .22 and 30-30 shells and it has always been fast shipping and no problems with the ammo at all
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Alexander Sabino said:
Good quality
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DB said:
Good ammo. Much cheaper than FN. Ran either or in a magazine and could not detect any differences. I encounter a lot of negative comments on this ammo. Mostly they looked to be repeats of the same comments. Some of the claims were downright preposterous, such as slugs falling out of casings. I don't believe any of those claims. I expect they are people trolling for FN, which is almost a buck a round.
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Denny said:
Good
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Benjamin said:
Just purchased the FiveseveN and took it to the range with this ammo. Didn’t have any issues with the first (and only, unfortunately) 150 rounds I ran through it. The accuracy was nowhere near what I’ve heard reviewed...which was the reason I purchased the gun. However the gun isn’t broken in yet so this is a premature review on the ammo The American Eagle 5.7 is the cheapest ammo you can get for the gun so in comparison it’s pretty good. However if the accuracy doesn’t improve after 500 rounds I’m going to trade in the gun
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PAUL said:
ILL STAY WITH FEDERAL AMMO NO PROBLEM THANKS
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nunya said:
The rounds were a good fit and performed well.. I will surely be getting more !