Federal Ammunition, which produces lines such as Federal Premium and Federal American Eagle, is 101 years old this year.
In that time, they have produced some of the shooting industry’s highest-quality shotshells, rimfire, and centerfire ammunition.
It is reliable, consistent, accurate, and non-corrosive. Many of the Federal cartridges (shotshells included) can be reloaded several times.
Federal’s ballisticians, engineers, and collaborators also pioneer new bullet designs that go above and beyond in terms of expected performance.
Take Federal HST handgun ammo, for example, which is one of the best options – bar none – for defensive applications. Here’s why.
What Is Federal HST?
First off, if you’re familiar with Federal’s Hydra-Shok ammo, HST shouldn’t be too alien to you.
The “HST” in Federal HST stands for “Hydra-Shok Technology” which is designed for the optimal balance between penetration and energy transfer.
But Federal HST ammo is not loaded with the same bullets as Federal’s Hydra-Shok. They’re better, even though they’re both considered hollow points.
(Categorically) Better Than “Hollow Point”
Nomenclature notwithstanding, Federal HST’s jacketed hollow-point bullets lack the center post of Hydra-Shok bullets.
Another noteworthy difference is that Federal HST is loaded with bullets with jackets that are deeply skived.
Like most hollow-point bullets, these bullets feature striations (the skives) in the jacket that serves as a stress concentrator and weak point where the jacket will peel away as the bullet unfolds and expands.
But, the skives of HST ammo are deep and even. They guarantee rapid, consistent, controlled expansion on impact with a soft target.
This means that while they are both “hollow-point”, that designation does not tell the whole tale. Some hollow-point bullets offer better, more controlled, more reliable expansion than others.
Take this for what it’s worth, but Federal HST ammo was specifically designed to meet the needs of the FBI and other law enforcement organizations.
Will Not Plug – Designed to Pass Through Fabrics and Still Evenly Expand
Another noteworthy attribute of Federal HST ammo is that they have been extensively tested not to plug, even on contact with fabric.
Plugging occurs when the nose of a hollow point fills with, and is obstructed by, intervening layers of fabric between itself and the target. When hollow points plug, they don’t expand as desired and experience a serious degradation in terminal performance.
In the case of HST ammo, these bullets are designed to pass through multiple layers of fabric, without plugging, and while still delivering exceptionally consistent expansion, energy transfer, and stopping power.
In What Calibers Is Federal HST Produced?
Federal HST is produced in a variety of popular handgun calibers, including but not limited to .380 Auto, 9mm Luger, .38 Spl, .40 S&W, 10mm Auto and .45 ACP.
Where Can You Get Federal HST Ammo Online
Can’t get Federal HST at your local gun shop? Get it online at Bucking Horse Outpost via the previous link.
Bucking Horse Outpost carries this and a wide range of other handgun and rifle ammunition from Federal, Winchester, Remington, CCI, Speer, and countless others. Visit their website and beat the ammo shortage today.
