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There is no overwhelming trend in shotshells other than that we have more and better choices now than we did a year ago. While smallbores command a lot of the attention in the shotgun market these days, there are some good loads for all gauges this year. Turkey hunters have more choices in TSS. Waterfowlers have new loads, too, from the “budget” to the “splurge” categories.
Even as everyone seems to be switching to smallbores, Federal remembers the big gun shooters and extends its Ultra Steel stacked line to include some 10-gauge loads. At the same time, Kent offers its first-ever .410 ammo. It’s fairly safe to say that whatever your gun, gauge, and game, there is ammunition for it in 2025. Here are all the new loads to keep an eye out for.
Federal Upland Paper
For those who love the smell of smoke curling out of a fresh-fired paper hull (and that’s all of us), and for those who prefer to leave less plastic on the ground, Federal offers these new lead hunting loads. Loaded in sizes popular among hunters of pheasants and other upland birds, these 2 ¾-inch paper hulls contain 1 ¼-ounces of shot at 1330 fps in 12-gauge or an ounce at 1250 fps in 20-gauge. Both gauges offer the choice of hard, copper-plated lead in 4, 5, or 6 shot. Federal Upland Paper retails for $44.99/25.
HeviShot HeviHitter
HeviHitter is a new take on the stacked load. Rather than combine different shot sizes, it matches two different materials: steel and 12-gram/CC HeviShot in the same pellet sizes. The loads should carry much more energy than an all-steel shell. The HeviHitters are available for 12-, 16-, 20- and 28-gauges. Shot sizes vary among gauges and include BB/BB, 2/2, 3/3, and 4/4 steel/tungsten. HeviHitter starts at $48.99/25.
HeviShot Hevi13
Before TSS, Hevi13 was the last word in turkey ammo. It was named for the 13-gram per cubic centimeter density of its pellets, which got any turkey’s attention. “Hevi13” is back, but this time loaded with 12 g/cc pellets. While the name may be misleading, 12 g/cc pellets are nothing to sneeze at, and will still impress any turkey you shoot with them. The silver lining of lower density is that you get a few more pellets per ounce, so while you lose in pellet density, you gain a little pattern density. They come in 3-inch, 2-ounce 12-gauge or 3-inch, 1 ¼-ounce 20-gauge, both in 6 or 7 shot. Hevi13 retails at $39.99/10 in 20-gauge and $50.99 in 12-gauge.
Remington Duck Club Steel
Duck Club Steel takes the place of Remington’s old, value-priced Sportsman steel shot loads. Loaded in 2 ¾-, 3- and 3 ½-inch 12-gauge and in 3-inch 20-gauge, the loads run at velocities up to 1500 fps in 3 ½-inch 12-gauge. They come in BB, 2, 3, and 4 shot in 12-gauge and 3 and 4 shot in 20-gauge. Prices start at just $22.99/25.
Winchester Last Call
Pure TSS is expensive stuff for waterfowling, but it’s the pellet you want for a once-in-lifetime trophy duck hunt. Winchester Last Call is loaded with 18 gr/cc tungsten-iron shot. I had a chance to pattern some of the 12-gauge, 9 shot loads last fall and they performed extremely well. Field & Stream Senior Editor Ryan Chelius just took his king eider in Alaska with Last Call 5s. Last Call comes in 3-inch loads of 12-, 20-, 28-gauge and .410. In 12-gauge, you can choose from 5, 7, or 9 shot; 20-gauge comes in 7 or 9, and 28-gauge and .410 are 9 only.
Winchester AA 60th Anniversary
Back in 1965 Winchester introduced a target load featuring one of those then new-fangled plastic hulls. Reliable and reloadable, AAs went on to become an icon in the clay target sports. For the 60th anniversary Winchester offers three 12-gauge AA loads—light target, handicap, and a 1300 fps Super Sport—in retro boxes like the originals.
Winchester Long Beard TSS
Winchester adds TSS to its turkey load lineup for the first time this year. The new Long Beard TSS shells will be buffered to help the hard pellets flow through chokes and will come in both 8 and 9 shot, including a gargantuan 3 ½-inch 12-gauge 2 ¾-ounce load of 8s. Long Beard TSS comes in 3- and 3 ½-inch 12-, 3-inch 20-, 2 ¾- and 3-inch 28-gauge and 3-inch .410.
Federal Ultra Steel Double Stack
Big gun fans get some love this year as Federal extends its lineup of “Double Stack” Ultra Steel loads to include 10-gauge and 3 ½-inch loads. The 10-gauge loads contain 1 5/8-ounce of 1/BBB or 2/BB steel at 1400 fps, while the 3 ½-inch 12-gauge drives 1 ½ ounces of BB/2 or 2/4 shot at 1500 fps.
Browning Golden Clays
The Golden Clays line replaces the BPT lineup of target ammunition. Besides a much better name than BPT, Golden Clays also boasts antimony-alloyed lead for improved patterns. And, there is a Golden Clays load for every gauge, including the 16. Available in 7 ½ and 8 shot, they will be priced in between the Winchester’s bargain Super Sport and the premium AA loads.
Apex Greenleaf .410
Apex adds a .410 load to its popular Greenleaf line, which is packaged and marketed in association with Mossy Oak. Inside each MO Greenleaf box are ten 3-inch, 7/8 oz loads containing a lethal mix of 9 and 10 TSS, for a total payload of 364 pellets. A box of ten shells retails for $84.99.
Kent Bismuth Smallbore Loads
Kent has new smallbore offerings for 2025, including the first .410 ammo the company has ever loaded. Kent introduces 3-inch 28-gauge and .410 loads in its Waterfowl and Upland bismuth lines. The 28s contain 1 1/16 ounces of shot at 1350 fps, while the .410 shoots a 9/16-ounce payload at 1150 fps. Both bismuth loads are available in 4 or 5 shot. The bismuth shells sell for $62.99/25 in .410 and $66.95/25 in 28-gauge.
There’s also a pair of FastLead offerings: a 2 ¾-inch, 7/8-ounce, 1300 fps 28-gauge shell loaded with 6 or 7 ½-shot, and an 11/16-ounce, 1150 fps .410 shell also containing 6 or 7 ½ shot. FastLead ammo comes packed in 25-round boxes for $24.99 in .410 and $25.99 in 28-gauge.
