Federal Premium Announces Hydra-Shok Deep

by
posted on January 9, 2018
** 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. **
hyrdashok_lede.jpg

Federal Premium Ammunition has announced a new personal-defense option, the Hydra-Shok Deep, which provides up to 50 percent deeper penetration than original Hydra-Shok. 

Original Hydra-Shok has been a self-defense staple since its creation in 1989 in response to the FBI’s request for a projectile with better terminal ballistics than traditional cup-and-core bullets. The Hydra-Shok bullet’s notched jacket, non-bonded lead core and unique center-post hollow-point design produced better penetration and more consistent threat-stopping expansion than other bullets at the time. 

As FBI performance requirements and protocol have evolved, Hydra-Shok Deep was created to meet modern standards. Testing shows that Hydra-Shok Deep penetrates 15" in bare ballistics gelatin, which is the optimal depth, according to FBI standards.

“Hydra-Shok Deep offers consumers a round that results in consistent, reliable performance through typical defensive barriers and penetrates to the depth deemed optimum by the leading law-enforcement agency in the United States,” said Larry Head, director and chief engineer of handgun ammunition.

For more, visit FederalPremium.com.

Latest

attack in a back alley
attack in a back alley

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.

Rifleman Q&A: Understanding a Firearm's Cycle of Operation

The cycle of operation is the mechanical sequence of events that it takes to fire one shot out of a firearm. If one of those steps fails to take place as designed, there is an interruption in the cycle of operation and the gun stops firing.

Review: Sightmark Pinnacle 1-6x24 mm Riflescope

Looking for a performance LPVO without the usual associated cost? The Sightmark Pinnacle 1-6x24 mm might be your answer.

Myths & Misunderstandings About the “Modern Fighting 1911”

The Colt Model 1911 pistol and its derivatives are among the most iconic military handguns ever made. But in 2026, does the M1911 still hold up as a quality defensive arm?

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.