Less than one percent of all companies make it to their 100th year of operation. Federal Ammunition joins this notable group in 2022 — celebrating a full century in business. The official date of incorporation was April 27, 1922, but the festivities will start now.
Federal kicked off the year by lighting up a 100th Anniversary sign in Anoka, Minnesota. Federal will celebrate its accomplishment with “throwback” (vintage-style) packaging, special merchandise on its website, commemorative publications, and an exhibit at the Anoka County Historical Society Museum.
Today, the Federal Ammunition factory in Anoka, MN is a modern 700,000 square-foot facility where 1500+ employees work. The plant runs around the clock, 7 days a week, producing millions of rounds of centerfire, rimfire, and shotshell ammunition.
The original Federal Cartridge company was started in 1916, closed in 1920, but then was purchased and re-opened in 1922. Shooting Illustrated reports: “In 1922, the new Federal Cartridge Corporation formed and was soon producing shotshells. What began as a small company grew to a staff of 500 by 1930. The United States entered World War II in 1941 and Federal secured an $87 million contract to build and operate the Twin Cities Ordnance Plant (TCOP) in New Brighton, Minnesota. [P]roducing … ammunition for the military proved to be a valuable asset as the company entered commercial cartridge production.”
Federal’s President Jason Vanderbrink notes: “The entire staff of 1,500 hard-working Americans in Anoka, Minnesota is extremely proud to celebrate a full century of continuous and successful operation. We appreciate those who came before us… and look forward to taking Federal into its next century.”
A special edition Federal 100th Anniversary magazine, available at newstands, and a coffee table book are also planned. Also accounts of Federal’s history will be posted on social media websites.
Federal Ammunition is now part of Vista Outdoor, a large sports/recreation corporation that also owns Remington Ammunition, Hevi-Shot, CCI, Speer, RCBS, Alliant Powder and more. All of the ammo brands are run by Ammunition operations President Jason Vanderbrink who noted: “We don’t just buy parts and put them together, or have other companies load stuff for us. We do it all on site.” Federal ammunition can be purchased online direct from Federal, as well as third party vendors. For more information on Federal’s products and online services visit FederalPremium.com.
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Benchrest and F-Class shooters know that you need a very good rear bag to achieve optimal (and repeatable) accuracy with your rifle. The rear sandbag does more than just support the weight of the rifle in the rear. It also aligns the stock with the front rest, absorbs vibration/shock, and perhaps most importantly, guides the rearward travel of the stock during the recoil cycle.
A premium bag will be stable from shot to shot, not move on recoil, and also be a good match to the angles and width of the keel (bottom) of your stock. Modern rear sandbags also employ various types of synthetics on the contact surfaces. The idea is to reduce friction which still providing a stable “grip” on the stock.
We’ve learned that our friend Sebastian Lambang, inventor of SEB coaxial rests, has come up with an improved, second-generation Bigfoot Rear bag. The design looks very well thought-out and the craftsmanship is excellent. Seb welcomes comments on his Facebook Page. These will be available soon from SEB dealers worldwide.
Seb explains: “Here is the new/premium SEB Bigfoot Rear Bag. The photos show our Prototype bag model shown with nylon seat belt material on the ears.” Note that the bags sit perfectly flat — there is no bulge on the bottom even though the bags are “packed to the brim with sand”.
Dimensions: Standard spacings between ears: 3/8″, 1/2″, 5/8″, 3/4″, and 1″; standard height: 4″.
Customizing: Other spacing, bag height, for right- or left-handed available on request.
Accessories: The SEB doughnut (bag base/surround unit) is also available (sold separately).
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Don’t have time to hand-load your own ammo, or don’t have all the equipment and dies needed? There’s a new option — something that’s actually quite revolutionary in the ammo industry. Federal is now offering custom-loaded ammunition. You choose the cartridge type and bullet type and Federal technicians put the ammo together. Think about it — this could be an interesting option for hunters who only need a few rounds a year, or if you want to try out a bullet/cartridge combo for the first time.
“Each round is painstakingly handloaded to order by our team of expert engineers in our state-of-the-art reloading workshop. Veteran craftsmen combine the best components with extra quality checks at every stage for the most consistent velocity, accuracy, and overall performance. Loads are then hand-checked for final inspection and cleaned before being custom-packed in durable, personalized packaging.”
10 Centerfire Cartridge Types and Many Bullet Options
Currently, you can choose from 10+ rifle cartridge types and a wide selection of quality bullets from Berger, Sierra, Nosler, Federal, Barnes, Swift, and more. Along with rifle ammo, Federal will offer custom TSS Shotshells. NOTE: Federal Custom Shop ammo will be sold direct-to-consumer only.
Right now, centerfire rifle shooters can choose more than 10 different cartridges including 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5-284 Norma, 257 Weatherby, 243 Winchester, 257 Roberts +P, and more. Shotshell customers can custom order a large variety of 10-gauge and 28-gauge loads.
“If it’s not in Federal’s vast catalog as factory-loaded ammo, we may have it listed on our website as a load we will custom hand-load for you,” notes Federal Ammunition President Jason Vanderbrink. “For example, Barnes 120-grain Tipped TSX in 6.5-284 Norma and 28-gauge TSS turkey loads aren’t products we list in our catalog, but you can certainly order them through our Custom Shop.”
The Custom Shop handloading center is located at Federal’s main factory in Anoka, Minnesota. For more information, including how to order, what specific load options are available, and shipping details, visit: FederalPremium.com/custom-shop.html.
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Do we really need a new, high-performance .22-caliber cartridge for the AR15 platform (aka MSR 15). Federal thinks so. Federal has introduced a .22-Caliber Hot Rod cartridge — the .224 Valkyrie. Designed to out-perform the .223 Rem and .22 Nosler while still running well in ARs, the new .224 Valkyrie offers excellent long-range performance when loaded with heavy, high-BC bullets.
The performance is impressive. Federal says that, when loaded with a 90-grain Sierra MatchKing bullet, the .224 Valkyrie will stay supersonic all the way to 1300 yards, while offering substantially less recoil than other AR-friendly cartridges such as the 6.5 Grendel.
Here are three videos that give insight into the .224 Valkyrie cartridge and rifle options. We think the two applications that make most sense for this new cartridge are: 1) PRS Gas Gun matches (Open Class) — you get 6mm Creedmoor ballistic performance with much less recoil for faster shot transitions; and 2) Long-Range (400+ yards) varminting — you get performance similar to a 22-250 in a cartridge that works with your existing AR15 lower. That will really help with those long shots on P-dogs.
.224 Valkyrie PRS Gas Gun Demo Run
The new .224 Valkyrie is basically a 6.8 SPC case necked down to .22-caliber. You can use your existing AR15 lower, but you will need a dedicated .224-Valkyrie upper, or at the minimum a new barrel, modified bolt with proper bolt face, and 6.8-compliant mags. In this video, a shooter runs a tactical course using a rig chambered for the .224 Valkyrie. You can see how it functions 100%. This video also provides ballistic comparisons with other “enhanced performance” AR15 cartridges.
.224 Valkyrie vs. .22-250 Remington
The Social Regressive explains: “There are two key reasons why the 224 Valkyrie is unique and desirable. First, it is specifically designed to fit the limitations of the AR-15 platform. It does so even when loaded with gigantic bullets, like the 90-grain SMK that Federal announced. .22-250 Rem is too long and too fat to work in the AR-15 platform; it needs an AR-10 bolt and magazine.”
Image from .224 Valkyrie Video from The Social Regressive, linked below.
“Does this mean that the 22-250 is now outmoded? Not even close. Varminters depend upon its flat trajectory and inherent accuracy. It’s a handloader’s dream cartridge, and the factory ammunition out there works well, too. If, however, you want a semiauto platform or you want to shoot longer distances, .224 Valkyrie looks like it will be the logical choice [with fast twist-rate barrels and high-BC bullets].”
New Savage MSR 15 in .224 Valkyrie
Savage Arms has a new AR15-platform rifle chambered in .224 Valkyrie. This will debut at SHOT Show 2018. The new Savage MSR 15 Valkyrie has some nice features: crisp two-stage trigger, adjustable gas system, and tough Cerakote finish on lower and upper. The 5R-rifled, 18″-long barrel comes from the factory with an effective muzzle brake. MSRP is $1499.00. We wish the barrel was a bit longer (at least 22″), but the adjustable gas system is a nice feature that lets you tune the cycling for your ammo and shooting discipline.
Savage has high hopes for this rifle. With 90gr Federal factory ammo, it produces only half the recoil of larger cartridges with similar long-range performance. Here is a video showing a prototype Savage with a 22-inch barrel. The Ammo was Federal Premium pushing a 90gr SMK at 2680 fps. Note how “calm” the rifle stays on the bags. There is no muzzle lift and rearward recoil is minimal (see 0:10). You could work a varmint field very effectively with this rifle.
Savage MSR 15 Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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Seems like new cartridges are being introduced every few months, particularly for the AR15 platform. This past January, Nosler gave us the .22 Nosler, a potent cartridge with better ballistics than the “plain vanilla” .223 Remington. American Rifleman reported: “Nosler is claiming its new [.22 Nosler] cartridge … can get 300 FPS and 25% more energy out of the AR platform” compared to the .223 Rem.
New .224 Valkyrie from Federal
Now Federal has introduced a .22-Caliber Hot Rod cartridge — the .224 Valkyrie. Designed to rival the .22 Nosler while still running well in ARs, the new .224 Valkyrie offers excellent long-range performance when loaded with modern, high-BC bullets.
Federal claims its .224 Valkyrie ammo loaded with the Sierra 90 MatchKing stays supersonic all the way out to 1300 yards. Watch the video above for details. Design-wise, the .224 Valkyrie has a medium-length neck, 30° shoulder. Unofficially, we are told this new cartridge is “based on on the .30 Remington/6.8 SPC case, necked down to .22 caliber”. (Source: TheFireArmBlog). It’s similar in appearance to a 6.5 Grendel necked to .22-Caliber, but the body is longer. Case capacity has been measured at 34.5 grs H2O, about 1.3 grains less than the .22 Nosler.
Federal currently offers four types of .224 Valkyrie Ammunition: 75gr TMJ “American Eagle”, 60gr Nosler Ballistic Tip “Varmint”, 90gr SP “Fusion MSR”, and 90gr HP SMK “Premium”.
COMMENTARY — Do We Need Another .22-Caliber Cartridge?
Is the .224 Valkyrie really needed? Bolt-gunners can just shoot a 22-250 (or a 22 Dasher if you want a more efficient cartridge). But for guys who want a hot-performing .22-Caliber round that feeds and functions 100% in AR-Platform rifles, this .22 Valkyrie may make sense. Just as the .22 Nosler has found favor with some shooters, there may be a market for the .224 Valkyrie — both among varmint hunters and PRS Gas Gun Series competitors.
Conceivably some bolt-action PRS shooters might adopt the .224 Valkyrie. Why? Reduced recoil. With the 90gr SMK, the .224 Valkyrie offers ballistics similar to the 6.5 Creedmoor but with significantly less felt recoil. Check out this a chart from Federal showing comparative recoil levels (highlights added).
Even with the heavy-for-caliber 90gr SMK, the .224 Valkyrie delivers significantly less felt recoil than a 6.5 Creedmoor shooting 130gr or 140gr bullets. You get a similar trajectory and good wind-bucking ability, with less push. The reduced recoil CAN make a difference, particularly during rapid-fire strings. Since PRS is shot “on the clock”, less recoil could provide a competitive advantage.
Cheaper to Shoot? Maybe, But Consider Barrel Life…
Cost considerations might also drive some PRS shooters to the .224 Valkyrie. Quality .22-Cal bullets definitely cost less than match-grade 6.5 mm projectiles. Therefore, high-volume shooters may find the .224 Valkyrie more affordable to shoot. On the other hand, barrel life for the .224 Valkyrie will likely be shorter than with the 6.5 Creedmoor, so you may end up paying more in the long run. What you save on the cost of bullets you may have to invest in new barrels.
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If you need handgun ammunition, here’s a great offer from Federal Premium Ammunition. Now through August 31st, you can get 25% OFF the cost of Federal American Eagle brass-cased pistol ammo. We’ve used this ammo in .380 ACP, 9mm Luger, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP and we can say it’s good stuff. It’s very reliable and the brass is reloadable.
Midsouth Shooters Supply has qualifying American Eagle Ammo in a variety of calibers: .25 ACP, .380 ACP, 9mm Luger, .38 SPL, .357 SIG, .357 Magnum, 40 S&W, .44 Rem Magnum, .45 ACP. Midsouth’s American Eagle Ammo starts at $13.03 for 50 rounds of 9mm Luger. With your 25% OFF Rebate, that reduces the price to just $9.77 per 50-ct box. That’s cheaper than imported bulk box ammo!
Ever wonder how shotshells are manufactured? Here’s a step-by-step trip through the shotshell production process, courtesy Federal Premium. Hulls are created from plastic pellets, of various colors, depending on shotshell type and gauge. Starting with pellets, here’s how shotshells are made:
Step 1: Plastic pellets are melted down into a plastic tube.
Step 2: In the extruding process the tube is heated, stretched, and cooled to form the hull. The machine that does this is called the “Riefenhauser” after the German engineer who built the first model.
Step 3: Hulls are cut to length as they come off the Riefenhauser. They then move along to the next stage in the process.
Step 4: The case head is stamped out of sheets of metal (brass or steel depending on shell type). A series of strikes of the stamp produces a fully-formed case head with flash-hole.
Step 5: The hulls move to the primer insert and heading machine to get primers and case heads.
Step 6: Still untouched by human hands, the shell moves on to the loader where it gets its powder charge, shot wad, and pellets.
Step 7: The hulls are then crimped, labeled, and readied for inspection and packing.
Story tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
Federal Premium has a new online Ballistics Calculator. This free program can determine the trajectory for any rifle or handgun load, and even save your ballistics solutions for future reference. This is handy if you shoot Federal ammunition, because all Federal ammo types are included in the built-in database, with BCs and velocities. That makes it very easy to get a ballistics solution for Federal factory ammo — simply enter the caliber and bullet type/weight and the solver fills in the BC and velocity for you.
Federal’s Ballistics Calculator can also be used for handloaded ammo with non-Federal components. However, you can only use a G1 BC and Federal’s solver is not as sophisticated as some others. We still recommend JBM Ballistics or the new Applied Ballistics Online Solver. These both offer both G1 and G7 and extensive databases of field-derived BCs for hundreds of bullets. The Federal Ballistics Calculator only has BC numbers for factory-made Federal ammunition.
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Here’s good news for folks looking for another domestic source of cartridge brass. Federal Premium, the folks who make Federal Gold Medal match ammo, is now offering new, virgin, unprimed cartridge brass for a variety of rifle and pistol cartridge types. The new Federal Premium brass will be sold by Sinclair International, Grafs.com and other popular retailers. Sinclair has Federal brass in stock now for the most popular rifle cartridges, including .223 Rem, .243 Win, .270 Win, .308 Win, .30-06 Springfield, .300 WSM and seven more cartridge types (13 rifle brass types total — see chart below).
Federal’s new brass for reloaders starts at $25.99 for fifty (50) cases of .308 Win Brass. The equivalent of $51.98 per hundred cases, that’s pretty affordable. However, note that some types of Federal brass are much more expensive. For example, Federal’s .300 WSM brass costs $43.99 for fifty (50) cases at Sinclair. Click Here for Federal Premium Brass at Sinclair.
Sinclair Int’l notes: “Federal ammunition has long been prized for its reliability, consistency, and quality. But the only way to get Federal brass for reloads was to save your spent shells or scrounge them off the range – until now. Pristine, unfired, properly head-stamped Federal brass for popular rifle cartridges is now available from the manufacturer, and we’re pleased to offer it.”
Product Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome submissions from readers.
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Federal Premium is offering a rebate on three types of Federal Premium Rifle Ammunition as well as shotgun slugs. With this Big Bucks rebate offer, you can get up to $20.00 off Federal Premium Vital-Shok, Power-Shok, and Fusion rifle ammo, or Vital-Shok Slugs. Purchases must be made before December 31, 2012, and you need to return a Rebate Coupon along with box UPCs and original sales receipt. The max rebate is $40.00, with rebates of $2.50 or $5.00 per box, depending on ammo type.
Promo Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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Federal kicked off the year by lighting up a 100th Anniversary sign in Anoka, Minnesota. Federal will celebrate its accomplishment with “throwback” (vintage-style) packaging, special merchandise on its website, commemorative publications, and an exhibit at the Anoka County Historical Society Museum.
Federal Premium has a new 
Here’s good news for folks looking for another domestic source of cartridge brass. Federal Premium, the folks who make Federal Gold Medal match ammo, is now offering new, virgin, unprimed cartridge brass for a variety of rifle and pistol cartridge types. The new 
