New Guns and Gear for 2025: Ammunition
This season’s ammo guide has what you need to shoot smarter, no matter how—or what—you hunt
July 01, 2025 •
2
min read
1. Federal Ultra Steel Double Stack
Federal extends its lineup of Double Stack Ultra Steel loads to include 10-gauge and 3 1/2-inch 12-gauge loads. The 10-gauge loads contain 1 5/8 ounces of BBB/1 or BB/2 steel shot rated at 1,400 fps, while the 3 1/2-inch 12-gauge drives 1 1/2 ounces of BB/2 or 2/4 shot at 1,500 fps. federalpremium.com
2. Hevi-Shot Hevi-Hitter
New Hevi-Hitter loads combine steel and tungsten pellets of the same size to give the stacked-load concept a serious energy boost. Hevi-Hitter shells are available for 12-, 16-, 20-, and 28-gauges. Shot sizes vary among gauges and include BB/BB, 2/2, 3/3, and 4/4. hevishot.com
3. Remington Duck Club Steel
Duck Club Steel takes the place of Remington’s old value-priced Sportsman steel shot loads. Loaded in 2 3/4-, 3-, and 3 1/2-inch 12-gauge, as well as in 3-inch 20-gauge, the loads run at velocities up to 1,500 fps. They come in BB, 2, 3, and 4 shot in 12-gauge and 3 and 4 shot in 20-gauge. remington.com
4. Boss Steel Target
Just in time for late-summer clays shoots or opening day of dove season, Boss has rolled out new target loads filled with American-made steel pellets. The 2 3/4-inch 12-gauge loads contain 1 ounce of steel 7 or 8 shot at 1,235 fps. The 20-gauge shells are loaded with 3/4 ounce of 7 or 8 shot at 1,210 fps. bossshotshells.com
5. Browning Golden Clays
Browning Golden Clays target loads feature antimony-alloyed lead for improved patterns. Loaded in every gauge including 16, they’re available with 7 1/2 and 8 shot. The four-petal, one-piece, competition-grade wad provides uniform velocities and consistent shot release. browningammo.com
6. APEX Ammunition Shadow Grass Habitat Blend
APEX offers a new duck load in partnership with Mossy Oak. It combines size 3 steel shot with TSS 8 shot in a 1 1/8-ounce duplex 20-gauge load, joining the 12-gauge Shadow Grass Habitat Blend already in the lineup. The steel 3/TSS 8 combination delivers dense patterns that are perfect for shooting ducks over decoys and in the woods. The 20-gauge loads have a velocity of 1,250 fps. apexmunition.com
7. Kent Bismuth Smallbore Loads
Kent introduces 3-inch 28-gauge and, for the first time, .410 loads to its waterfowl and upland bismuth lines. The 28-gauge loads contain 1 1/16 ounces of shot at 1,350 fps, while the .410 has a 9/16-ounce payload at 1,150 fps. kentcartridge.com
8. Migra Stack Load Steel
Migra combines two sizes of steel in its Stack loads, which increases the amount of energy in every pattern. The shells come in a variety of gauges and shot sizes, including 3-inch 20-gauge, 3-inch 12-gauge, and 3 1/2-inch 12-gauge. migraammunitions.com
9. Winchester Final Pass
Winchester’s new Final Pass ammo combines two different sizes of premium steel in one load. The 3-inch 12-gauge loads blend 2 1/2 and 4 shot or 2 1/2 and BB shot. The 3-inch 20-gauge comes with 2 1/2 and 4 shot. winchesterammunition.com
10. Winchester Last Call Double Shot
Released in 2024, Winchester’s Last Call is a 100 percent TSS load. The new Last Call Double Shot is a less expensive, blended load that combines TSS with steel shot. Loads are available in 20- and 12-gauge with a variety of shot combinations. winchesterammunition.com
