SHOT Show 2017: Federal Premium Gold Medal Grand Shotshells

by
posted on January 19, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
fp_gm_gmt1158_goldmedal12ga_l.jpg

Product developers at Federal Premium took inspiration from the past to come up with a new shotshell line—the Gold Medal Grand—that promises to deliver an edge in today’s highly competitive clay-target world. By updating a long-discontinued two-piece wad with new Soft-Cell technology, a momentary setback occurs—the wad compresses, slightly—as the shot is fired. Doing so lessens shot deformation, and the result is rounder pellets that produce consistent, dense patterns. The cushioning effect also reduces felt recoil, noticeably so when compared with the company’s traditional paper-hull tournament loads.

Gold Medal Grand loads also benefit from being the first shotshells loaded with Federal’s proprietary Catalyst primer, which contains no lead styphnate, but instead incorporates an aluminum component that produces a hotter firing temperature, which in turns helps to ensure that the powder charge burns more thoroughly and more consistently. Primer performance is also maximized by the new PrimerLock head that holds the 209s rigidly, thus improving sensitivity to the hammer strike.

Available in a total of 10 No. 7½ and No. 8 loadings, the white-hulled Gold Medal Grands promise to become a fixture on trap, skeet and sporting clays winner’s circles.  

Latest

Ithaca Model 66  Super Single Shotgun
Ithaca Model 66  Super Single Shotgun

I Have This Old Gun: Ithaca Model 66 Super Single Shotgun

There was a time when a lever-action, single-shot scattergun was all the rage. Today, it still has some value and practical utility.

Cold-Weather Carry: 5 Great Items for Winter CCW

Don’t let the cold stop you from being prepared should things get hot.

Sighted Fire vs. Point-Shooting

A long-standing argument among handgunners revolves around the concept of sighted fire versus point-shooting. A more productive approach is to understand the problem each is trying to solve.

Derya Expands TM22 Family with Timekeeper & Pump Models

Derya continues the expansion of its rimfire line with two new models for 2026, an update of the original semi-auto TM22 and a new pump-action version.

Gun of the Week: Taurus RPC

The Taurus RPC is a welcome addition to the growing marketplace of PDWs, or personal defense weapons, a concept that pairs pistol-caliber cartridges with larger-format firearms.

The Armed Citizen® Nov. 13, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.