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.
Decades ago, no one who hunted geese or gobblers would have dared toting anything less than a 12 gauge into the field. Some might have even snickered if you hadn’t pulled a 10 gauge from your case. And it wasn’t just for those tough birds—there was an overarching attitude running through the shotgun sports that bigger was simply better.
Today, however, the tide is turning. Fueled by overall improvements to shotshell design, wads and pellet materials, and championed by a new generation of shooters who don’t feel like getting walloped with every trigger pull, shotguns chambered in 20-, 28-gauge and even .410 are filling more game vests, tags and scorecards than ever before.
There was a time that hardly a hunting household in America didn’t have a .410 leaning in a well-worn corner of a gun cabinet. Back when most hunters—especially youngsters—targeted small game, the .410 made perfect sense. It didn’t abuse your shoulder or tear bunnies to bits, and those attributes still make it a great choice for anyone who loves to chase grouse, doves, squirrels and rabbits. Some even choose it as a close-range slug gun for whitetails or for snake and pest control.
Despite its abilities, .410s had largely faded from the scene until the introduction of heavier-than-lead loads like Federal Premium HEAVYWEIGHT TSS. With the pellet counts, pattern density and power of conventional 12-gauge lead loads inside of 40 yards, the .410 changed the game. Suddenly, many die-hard run-and-gun turkey hunters made the switch, opting for light, easy-to-carry scatterguns that didn’t kick like a mule. And although not every hunter followed suit, the .410’s emergence as a legitimate turkey gun opened the world’s eyes to what new loads could do in sub-gauges. Head to a turkey camp with a 12 gauge these days, and you might be the only one.
Another increasingly popular small-gauge option is the 28. Like the .410, 28 gauge is worth its salt for the full range of small game, but it really earns its keep crushing clash and wingshooting doves, pheasants and waterfowl. Why? Control, mostly. A semi-auto 28 or over-under will be lighter in weight, which means a smooth, controlled swing as well as faster handling. Many 12- and 16-gauge shooters who make the switch to a 28 often find their accuracy increases, and their freezer fills at a more rapid rate.
And like the .410, the 28 gauge has seen a boost thanks to advances in shotshell construction. With technologies like the FLITECONTROL FLEX was and FLITESTOPPER pellets, Prairie Storm 28-gauge loads squeeze the full potential from the platform, giving them more power and better pattern efficiency and them even more effective in the field.
The sub-gauge trend couldn’t have hit at a more opportune time. With millions of newcomers picking up a firearm for the first time in recent years, along with a boom in high school clay target leagues, there’s never been a better time to shoot a sub-gauge. They are great for trap, skeet and sporting clays, and are a light, easy-to-handle, mild-kicking option for women, youth and anyone who’s new to the shooting sports.