Going to Extremes
News Briefs - September/October 2023
Federal Ammunition’s latest new shotshell product launch is built to handle the extremes of fast-paced, multi-gun shooting competitions.
Deciding on the name of a new product is always tricky. In fact, it can be the most complicated aspect of launching any new product into the marketplace. But that certainly wasn’t the case for Federal’s latest new product. Action Shotgun shells are specially designed for fast-action competition shooting such as 3-Gun and other race-focused shooting sports.
“Shooting sports in the action shotgun space are all about extremes,” says Scott Turner, Federal’s shotshell product line manager. “Quickly jamming shells into higher-capacity magazines or forcefully hand-stuffing them into tube magazines are just two aspects of the equation. In addition, hitting steel targets in awkward positions at various distances and only having seconds to do it; dealing with the difficulties of inclement weather, varying temperatures, and other natural elements; and maneuvering around the tough terrain and challenging layouts of the courses all add up to the challenge of designing high-performing ammo.”
“We believe the launch of Action Shotgun finally caters to the wants and needs for competitors within this growing sport. First and foremost, this product is designed to address and eliminate hand-loading and magazine-feeding issues these athletes often encounter. Second, it delivers the quantity and power that action shotgun shooters require. And finally, it uses the ideal components for the ultimate in pattern performance and reliability.”
Turner admits the manufacturer faced a challenge going this route in order “to find the right mix and match of our existing components that make up this robust load. It took our teams a while to decide on the combination of head, primer, shot, wad system, and hull to finalize the ideal recipe. But we are extremely pleased with the results, and we know our customers will be happy, too. Every aspect of this new ammo has been designed to help competitors run their shotgun stages more efficiently and effectively.”
Feeding Rigidity
Action shotgunners have been often plagued with reliability issues using segmented crimp-style shotshells. Traditional six- or eight-segment crimps can become loose when bumped and battered when stored on belts during competition or when the shells are being violently fed into a tube magazine.
“That’s not the only issue,” says Joshua Vickers, Federal shotshell research and development engineer. “When using high-capacity, box-fed magazines, the high spring tension inside the mag—in conjunction with fast-paced reloading—can cause weaker hull-crimp design to open slightly. Shot can then leak into the magazine. When split seconds count, the last thing any shooter needs is damaged ammo or shot rolling around in the magazine that can cause a malfunction.”
According to Vickers, the biggest design attribute that helps the ammo overcome loading and reloading issues is the use of an overshot card and a roll crimp. “Roll crimps are nothing new, but the benefit of the roll crimp is that it adds extra hoop rigidity and strength to the mouth end of the cartridge,” he says. “The design works flawlessly in box magazines as well as tube-fed shotguns.”
Bulk Power
Action shotgunners have historically used heavily powered loads, such as those labeled HDCP (Handicap Dram Equivalent). “These powerful loads were found to be the most effective on the variety of steel targets, and at all the various ranges, that are commonly experienced in multi-gun matches,” says Turner. “So, it just made sense to use the same load that they already trust, which is a 2¾-inch, 1 1/8-ounce, No. 7.5 lead shot HDCP load that develops 1,235 feet per second as our starting point.”
Federal then tweaked the loads so they have enough energy to reliably work in piston-driven AK-style shotguns and other popular scatterguns commonly used in multi-gun competitions.
“Yet, these loads still have softer perceived recoil, enabling the shooter to stay on target during follow-up and consecutive shots,” says Vickers. “That way, loads have enough power to knock down tough targets, but still be easily shootable to run a course with good speed and precision.”
Another feature that makes this product stand out at competitions is the 200-round bulk pack, a first for Federal. “Action shotgunners go through shotshells at high volumes, so it made sense to eliminate the 25-round boxes to make the reloading process more convenient and efficient,” says Turner. “It also results in less waste that needs to be cleaned up and thrown away after the match.”
Quality Throughout
The lead shot used in Action Shotgun is the same hard antimony lead used in Federal’s reliable and popular Top Gun target loads. The 10mm low-brass shell cup is made of brass-plated steel for reliable feeding and extraction. The loads also feature Federal’s standard, reliable primers for dependable ignition and temperature-stable powder ideal for any shooting condition.
“We specifically selected an extremely temperature-stable and clean-burning propellant,” says Vickers. “This is important because Action shotgunners shoot year-round, and it is not uncommon to start early in the morning when temperatures are low and finish later in the day when temperatures are higher. This ensures consistent recoil impulse and minimizes fouling in gas-operated shotguns.”
Although this product was developed from the ground up for action shotgun competitions, Turner emphasizes that it patterns extremely well for shooting trap, skeet, small game, or doves as well. SRP: $164.99. (federalpremium.com)
