New for 2020: Federal Premium HammerDown Ammo

by
posted on January 26, 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. **
federalhammerdownammo_lead.jpg

Federal has partnered with Henry Repeating Arms to introduce a new line of lever-action ammunition for 2020: HammerDown. Designed to cycle effortlessly through tubular-magazine rifles, Federal’s HammerDown uses nickel-plated cases, which have been chamfered to reduce any drag or snags when being cycled in common lever-action rifles.

If you’ve ever had a lever gun which gave you a hard time with certain brands of ammunition, you know exactly what I mean; my Winchester 94AE would feed one particular brand of ammunition very poorly, and would require much more force than others.

Federal has chosen the two most popular rimmed cartridges for lever-action rifles—the .30-30 Winchester and the .45-70 Government—as well as a quartet of pistol cartridges closely associated with the lever action rifles, including the .327 Federal, .357 Magnum, .44 Remington Magnum and .45 Colt. The bullet weight and velocity has been specially chosen to give the optimum performance from a rifle-length barrel, and the bonded bullets are completely safe to use in a tubular magazine. The pistol cartridges have an enhanced velocity for use in longer barrels.

There is a definite resurgence of the lever-action rifles as of late—even with all the fantastic bolt-action designs, capable of unprecedented accuracy at unheard of distances—and it seems that technology and changing times simply won’t replace the experience of hunting with a good lever gun. With bullet geometry designed for the optimum weight retention and expansion, Federal’s HammerDown will certainly help keep the tradition of hunting with a lever-action alive for years to come.

Available in 20-round boxes in the following offerings:
• .357 Magnum, 170-grain | MSRP: $19.99
• .327 Federal, 127-grain | MSRP:  $23.99
• .44 Rem. Mag., 270-grain | MSRP: $19.99
• .45 Colt, 250-grain | MSRP: $21.99
• .30-30 Win., 150-grain | MSRP: $22.99
• .45-70 Govt., 300-grain | MSRP: $43.99

For more information, visit federalpremium.com.

Latest

LEDE
LEDE

Trust Your Gut: Deer Hunting Tips from the Stand

Field Editor Bryce Towsley gets a little help in “his” Mississippi stand.

Remembering Former NRA President Robert Corbin

Robert Corbin, a former NRA president and Arizona attorney general, died of natural causes on Sept. 9, 2025, at 97 years old.

Hardware Review: Stealth Vision Tactical SVT 3-18x44mm

Jeff Johnston dives into the Stealth Vision Tactical SVT 3-18x44mm. Check out his thorough review below.

Top 10 New Hunting Rifles for 2025

As the year draws to its inevitable close, we asked Philip Massaro to select his top 10 favorite rifles that debuted in 2025. Without any further adieu, let’s dive into the list.

The 4 Classic Hunting Platforms

Andi Bogard takes a look at the classic actions and platforms that laid the foundation for today’s hunting rifles.

Conservation Partners Launch Novel Turkey Nesting Research

Predator populations—nest raiders and full-feathered turkey killers alike—are growing across the United States. To determine if their increasing numbers are a leading cause of wild turkey population declines, Turkeys For Tomorrow (TFT) has announced a groundbreaking study on predator impacts on nesting and poult-rearing success.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.