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

target with holes
target with holes

Resisting the Temptation of "Good Enough" for Firearm Performance

No matter what firearm you're using for whatever purpose, even if it's simply a trip to the range, always resist the temptation to accept “good enough” if there is the possibility of better performance.

Armed Citizens Stop a Lot More Criminals Than Most in the Media Will Admit

Since January 2025, the Crime Prevention Research Center has documented 16 defensive gun uses in which police say armed citizens stopped mass public killings.

Federal & Mossberg Collaborate on Autonomous Airborne Drone Defense

Federal and Mossberg are working with Palladyne AI in the creation of SwarmShot, a kinetic defense system that employs swarms of armed drones to shield troops from unmanned aircraft system threats.

Cold Performance: How to Prepare for the Uncertainty of Self-Defense

Defensive gun use is defined by uncertainty. You don’t know when it will happen, how far away the threat will be, how many threats you will face or what position you will be in when it begins.

Derya Goes Silent: The OBone Suppressor

In 2025, Turkish manufacturer Derya Arms opened a new facility in Florida, enabling the company to produce a number of new products domestically, such as its new OBone suppressor.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 26, 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.