Deer hunters, especially whitetail hunters, make up most of all big game hunters in the United States. Not surprisingly, most big ammo companies focus a lot of their efforts on developing products designed for that market segment. Federal Ammunition is no different, and the Federal Power Shok line is one of a couple of other products the company produces that's geared towards deer hunters.
This is not flashy, fancy, or gimmicky ammo. That's the focus of an intense or clever marketing campaign. The Federal Power Shok line is similar to the Remington Core Lokt and Winchester Super X lines. They've all been around for a long time and have been a "tried and true" hunting ammo choice for many deer hunters. Instead of appealing to hunters who want the latest and most superb rifle ammunition, Federal emphasizes proven performance, good accuracy, consistent muzzle velocities, and an affordable price for Power Shok ammo.
Federal Power Shok ammo is currently manufactured in an incredible array of centerfire rifle cartridges, including:
- .222 Remington, .223 Remington, .22-250 Remington, .243 Winchester, 6mm Remington, 7mm-08 Remington, .280 Remington, .25-06 Remington, .35 Remington & 7mm Remington Magnum,
- 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser, 7mm Mauser & 8mm Mauser
- 6.5 Creedmoor
- .270 Winchester, 30-30 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .300 Winchester Magnum, 32 Winchester Special, 270 WSM, 7mm WSM & 300 WSM
- .30 Carbine, .300 Blackout, .300 Savage, .30-06 Springfield, .303 British, .338 Federal, .350 Legend, .375 H&H Magnum, .450 Bushmaster, 6.5 Creedmoor & .45-70 Government
As you can see, that list includes virtually all of the popular cartridges used by American hunters. Even those who use a less common cartridge like the .222 Remington, 6.5x55 Swede, or .303 British can find factory-loaded deer hunting ammo in the Federal Power Shok line. With just a few exceptions (like the Nosler Ballistic Tip for the .338 Federal), this ammunition is loaded with a traditional lead-core jacketed soft point (JSP) bullet. As I said, there's nothing fancy about those bullets, and they aren't much different from what hunters used a generation ago.
That said, there's nothing wrong with them either: these bullets are excellent for game like blacktail deer, feral hogs, mule deer, pronghorn, and whitetail deer and often deliver devastating terminal performance.
Getty Images: mlharing
Those bullets are also very simple and inexpensive to manufacture, which helps reduce production costs. This is a big part of why Federal Power Shok is one of the most reasonably priced hunting ammo options. Federal quite often offers a rebate on their Power Shok ammo to enhance their appeal and reduce the price even further.
These bullets contain lead, so the primary Federal Power Shok line is not permitted for hunting in California. Fortunately, Federal also produces their Power Shok Copper line in .243 Winchester, .270 Winchester, .300 Blackout, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, 300 WSM, and .300 Win Mag. The hollow copper point (HP) bullets used in those offerings are lead-free and will fit the bill nicely for deer hunting in California.
Federal Power Shok ammo is only available as centerfire rifle ammo, and there are no plans for Federal Premium to offer this line in a handgun or rimfire ammunition. With good shot placement, this ammo can undoubtedly get the job done on big and tough animals like elk and moose. However, this ammo isn't designed for that sort of work, and there are better choices for large, heavy-boned animals like the Barnes VOR-TX or Winchester Expedition Big Game line.
So, if you're looking for reliable deer hunting ammo that won't break the bank to take out for whitetail hunting this fall in your Ruger Hawkeye or Remington 700, consider adding Federal Power Shok ammunition to your wish list.
Like what you see? You can read more great articles by John McAdams on the Big Game Hunting Blog. Follow him on Facebook & YouTube and subscribe to his show: the Big Game Hunting Podcast.
