7mm Backcountry
Experience the world’s most advanced 7mm rifle cartridge.
30 Super Carry
Hits like a 9mm Luger. Carries like a 380 Auto. Designed exclusively for defense.
Raptor Steel
Built in collaboration with Rob Roberts Custom Gunworks, these loads put more pellets on target through Raptor Series chokes.
FireStick
There’s never been a muzzleloading system like this. See all the benefits that set FireStick apart to provide the most convenient, safe and consistent performance ever.
Hydra-Shok® Component Bullets
The bullet that’s defined self-defense for a generation is now available as a component.
Federal X Duluth Pack
Check out the all-new lineup of Federal-branded Duluth Pack apparel and gear.
Model 2020 Waypoint Special Edition
We worked with engineers from Springfield Armory to create Custom Shop loads specifically designed for the utmost performance from the new Model 2020 Waypoint rifle.
Not all bullets are created equal. It’s not just a matter of quality, either. Some hold together and pass directly through the target, others mushroom, and some fragment. Each has a place and Federal builds them all. Use this guide to choose the right bullet for your hunt.
Soft point bullets that consist of a lead core wrapped in a copper jacket have been the bread-and-butter of big game hunters for most of modern ammunition history. The design works. It’s accurate, consistent, less expensive to build (and buy), and provides all the terminal performance most situations demand, for the species and distances most hunters shoot.
This broader category is further divided into cup-and-core and bonded bullets. Like their name implies, cup-and-core bullets feature a lead core enclosed in a pre-formed copper jacket. Federal Power-Shok is a classic example. Its bullet expands aggressively on impact, which is ideal for taking down medium-size, relatively lightly built game like deer and antelope.
Federal Premium's Berger Hybrid Hunter loads are another example. The bullet design blends the low drag of a match-grade target projectile with that of a traditional hunting bullet capable of filling the freezer. A nose shape referred to as a hybrid tangent-secant ogive means exceptional accuracy across a range of cartridges and rifles.
Although they’ve taken countless larger animals like elk, moose and bears, all cup-and-core bullets can start to break apart on contact with heavy bone and other tissue, making shot placement critical. That’s where bonded projectiles come in. Unlike cup-and-cores, the copper jacket is electrochemically fused to the lead core at the molecular level. This largely prevents the bullet from breaking apart on impact with tough tissues. It’s important because a bullet that sheds mass loses energy much faster than one that stays intact. So, a bullet that retains weight will penetrate deeper than a bullet of the same size that breaks off bits of jacket and core.
That's the case with Terminal Ascent. These match-grade bullets promise remarkable accuracy, and the bonded construction ensures deep penetration on close targets and the toughest game. Trophy Bonded Tip is another powerhouse that offers extremely high weight retention.
For the whitetail crowd, Federal Fusion is the leading bonded bullet. It’s molecularly bonded copper jacket and pressure-formed core ensure maximum weight retention and deep penetration. Since the jacket and core don't separate on impact, the bullet performs better when it contacts heavy bone.
Although they were largely created in response to areas that require the use of lead-free ammo, copper bullets carry benefits beyond simple legality. Unlike traditional projectiles that consist of at least two components—the jacket and the core—copper projectiles like Federal Premium Trophy Copper, Barnes TSX and Federal Power-Shok Copper are a single piece. That fact, coupled with the copper-alloy material’s metallic properties, results in almost 100 percent weight retention. This can be a huge benefit for hunting large game.
Hunters should know, however, that copper bullets don’t expand as easily as their lead counterparts. This isn’t an issue at most distances, but it can lead to terminal performance shortcomings if you anticipate extremely long shots, where the bullets have slowed to a point that doesn’t produce adequate expansion.
If you’re targeting varmints and predators, you want a bullet that’s nearly a polar opposite from what you’d use on big game. Since the animals are small and shots are long, accurate, flat-shooting bullets are best, and there’s no need for tough, powerful bullets that penetrate deep. The best bullets for the job feature thin jackets that fragment violently on impact. Not only does this quickly take down the animal, but it minimizes penetration and damage to the pelt if you’re hunting for hides.
Federal's Varmint & Predator lineup is offered in an array of cartridges in multiple bullet styles that are all up to the job.
If you’re wondering where polymer tips come in, that’s a good question. You’ll find them in use across all of the bullet categories we’ve discussed thus far. Polymer-tipped bullets are great for various reasons, one being better aerodynamics and a higher ballistic coefficient. The better the bullet penetrates the air, the more velocity and energy it retains. This means the bullet drops less and gets pushed off course less by wind—both of which makes it easier to place shots at long range.
The tip also initiates expansion, pushing back into the bullet’s nose on impact and forcing open the petals. Terminal Ascent uses the proprietary hollow-core Slipstream tip to start expansion even at low velocities.
Before we wrap up, let’s make something clear: Full metal jackets have no business being used for big game hunting. Built with a soft lead core surrounded by a heavy-duty metal outer shell that prevents expansion on impact, FMJs pass straight through without expanding, which likely means a wounded animal.
But they’re great options for sighting in, honing your shooting skills or competing. Federal's American Eagle lineup is where to look if you're searching for a quality full metal jacket. The bullets are great for high-volume shooting due to their inexpensive nature, which is a result of how easy they are for the manufacturer to load.