2020 New Guns and Gear: Ammunition
Advancements in manufacturing brings new, high-quality shotgun ammunition to hunters and target shooters
Advancements in manufacturing brings new, high-quality shotgun ammunition to hunters and target shooters
Apex Ammunition, a US Veteran owned and operated company pioneered the Tungsten Super Shot (TSS) design that has dominated the turkey hunting world. Now, Apex is bringing that same ingenuity to its waterfowl lineup, an entire selection of premium, US-made shotshells in steel, TSS/Steel blends and pure TSS. Apex blends material science and field-proven performance to build a high-quality, hard-hitting non-toxic shotshell to customers. apexmunition.com
Loaded with copper-plated shot containing 8 percent antimony and graded for uniformity,
Winchesters new premium Diamond Grade AA target loads are of the highest quality for better patterns and harder breaks. Four 12-gauge loads designed for sporting clays will be offered in 1- and 1 1/8-ounce loads with velocities from 1,250 to 1,350 fps. winchester.com
Boss Shotshells entered the waterfowling ammunition market last year and have proven popular with hunters looking for nontoxic alternatives to steel. Boss offers copper-plated 12-, 16-, 20-, 28-gauge, and .410 bismuth shotshells. The companys patent-pending, plated, high-density, nontoxic loads are available direct to consumers. bossshotshells.com
Apex, the first manufacturer to offer commercial Tungsten Super Shot ammo, adds all-steel loads to its lineup of TSS and TSS/steel blends. Available in 12- and 20-gauge with BB, 2, or 4 shot. The 1 1/4-ounce 12-gauge loads are rated at 1,450 fps, and the 1-ounce 20-gauge loads are rated at 1,250 fps. apexmunition.com
Federals Black Cloud TSS adds Tungsten Super Shot punch to regular steel. Its now available in 3-inch 20-gauge 1-ounce loads of steel 3 shot layered with TSS 9 shot. These loads feature Federals proprietary Flitecontrol Flex wad, which produces tight patterns in ported and unported chokes alike. federalpremium.com
Wicked Wing Waterfowl steel loads employ the BXD wad system, which helps to tighten patterns downrange by containing the shot for a few feet out of the muzzle. The pellets are treated for rust resistance and come in 3-inch 12-gauge 1 1/4-ounce loads of 2 or 4 shot rated at 1,450 fps. browningammo.com
Migra, a small-batch shotshell maker from South Carolina, adds to their line of stacked ammo with combination steel/tungsten loads. The 3-inch 1 1/4-ounce 12-gauge loads travel at 1,450 fps and contain a layered payload of steel 2 shot and tungsten 5 shot. migraammunitions.com
Remington is relaunching its Wingmaster HD waterfowl ammo in time for this season. These hard-hitting duck and goose loads feature nontoxic tungsten pellets that are 6 percent denser than lead and 49 percent denser than steel, delivering outstanding patterning efficiency and more retained energy downrange. This ammo is available in 12 -gauge 2 3/4-, 3-, and 3 1/2-inch loads of BB, 2, 4, and 6 shot and 20-gauge 3-inch loads of 4 shot. remington.com
Hevi-X, a blend of tungsten and iron, has been reformulated to a density of 10.1 grams per cubic centimeter for better downrange performance. Hevi-X is available in 2 3/4-, 3-, and 3 1/2-inch 12-gauge; 3-inch 20-gauge; and
2 3/4-inch 28-gauge loads in shot sizes from BB to 6. hevishot.com
Speed Shok steel now comes in 100-round packs. Each carrier contains four boxes of 3-inch 12-gauge 1 1/4-ounce loads of BB, 2, or 4 shot. Already a favorite of many hunters, Speed Shok recently benefited from a redesign that added cleaner-burning powders and improved cold-weather ignition. federalpremium.com