Editor’s Choice: Winchester AA Diamond Grade Elite

posted on April 4, 2020
** 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. **
winchaa.jpg

Winchester Ammunition has a high-performance addition to its a shotshell lineup. Called AA Diamond Grade Elite, these are loads intended for serious clays shooters, and the timing couldn't be better for a premium product like this, as clay-shooting competitions continue to expand across the country.

These clay-shooting shotshells employ the AA wad, but the lead shot has higher antimony content, so it does not deform as much as softer shot upon firing. Also, the shot is copper-plated and sorted for size and concentricity. One of the additional benefits of the AA wad is that it is designed to reduce felt recoil for the shooter by absorbing some of the energy from the shotshell's firing.

Thanks to the sorted shot and its protection from deformation during firing, the Winchester AA Diamond Grade shells are purpose-built to provide a perfect shot pattern that breaks clays in even the most challenging circumstances. The use of hardened shot means that shot patterns stay tighter, allowing shotgunners to break clays at extended distances.

It is available in 12 gauge only in 1-oz. loads at either 1250 or 1350 f.p.s. or in 1 
1⁄8-oz. loads at 1250 or 1300 f.p.s. winchester.com

Latest

Beretta APX Ported 01
Beretta APX Ported 01

New For 2026: Beretta APX A1 Ported

Beretta first entered the polymer-frame, striker-fired pistol market in 2017 with its APX, and nearly 10 years later, the company has added the APX A1 Ported to the lineup.

CDC Restores Basic Armed Citizen Data

As of Aug. 24, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s webpage is again providing defensive-gun-use data.

Rifleman Review: Taurus GX4 Strike Bravo

Since Taurus USA joined the micro-compact market with its GX4 in 2021, the company has expanded the line to include a number of different options, and the latest, the GX4 Strike Bravo, incorporates a unique chassis design.

Old (Un)reliable: Finding a Magazine that Works for Your 1911

There have been more than 100 manufacturers of 1911-style pistols and magazines, some more faithful to the original drawings than others.

3 New Shotgun Suppressors for 2026

Just because you're in the field hunting for upland game or busting clays at your local range doesn't mean you can't protect your hearing.

First Breach Begins Trading on NASDAQ Under "FBDT" Ticker Symbol

In August 2026, First Breach Defense Technologies, a producer of ammunition and unmanned aerial systems based in Hagerstown, Md., announced that its common stock had begun trading on the NASDAQ capital market under the ticker symbol "FBDT."

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.