SHOTs come, and SHOTs gone. The biggest firearms tradeshow in the world has shown us new guns, new optics, and new ammo! In fact, we’ve seen a flurry of new defensive ammo and give a rundown of what I think is the very best new defensive ammo at SHOT Show 2025. We’ve got a little something for everyone this year.
.32 H&R Magnum Federal Hydra-Shok Deep Loads Defensive Ammo
I’ve become enamored by the .32 H&R Magnum and the defensive ammo designed for it. It’s a handy little snub-nose revolver round that has low recoil, but great penetration. That penetration has gotten better with the recent announcement and the pending release of the .32 H&R Magnum Federal Hydra-Shok Deep Loads. Federal specifically designed these cartridges to maximize penetration while providing an expansion factor.
Not only that, but they are also designed to penetrate when fired from short barrels. In fact, they built the rounds around short barrel performance. According to the Federal rep I spoke with, the round penetrates up to 14 inches through ballistic gel when fired from an S&W 432UC. The round also provides an expansion factor that landed it between .40 and .47 in size, on average.
I’m quite excited by the prospects of this round and the future of the .32 H&R Magnum round. The .32 H&R Magnum cartridge is gaining some steam and seeing a surprising revival. It’s also worth mentioning that the American Eagle brand is also releasing an affordable .32 H&R Mangum round for training, something the industry is missing.
For more information, please visit FederalPremium.com.
Fiocchi CovertX Defensive Ammo
Fiocchi, a company I will forever mispronounce, has introduced its new CovertX line of handgun cartridges. The CovertX cartridges are specifically designed for concealed carry needs. In fact, they are designed for optimum use out of short barrels. The CovertX cartridges use a copper jacket over a pre-cut lead-alloy core.
The CovertX defensive ammo uses nickel-plated casings, which prevent corrosion. The powders used are designed to reduce muzzle rise, muzzle flash, and recoil. The cartridges are produced in 9mm, .380 ACP, .357 Magnum, .38 Special, and .45 ACP.
For more information, please visit FiocchiUSA.com.
Fiocchi SBR Ammo
Got short barrels? Well, Fiocchi has the defensive ammo for you. The Fiocchi short-barreled rifle lineup is designed to function from barrels between 7.5 to 11.5 inches. It’s perfectly suited for SBRs and large-format pistols. The SBR comes in several calibers, including .300 Black subs and supers, .223 Remington, and even .308 Winchester.
Each round is optimized to provide a 100% burn rate from short barrels. Each projectile is picked for its terminal performance through a short barrel. These firearms are popular home defense tools, and having the right ammo is key in defending your home and your family. Short barrels can be tricky, so being picky can help you get the right round for your cartridge.
For more information, please visit FiocchiUSA.com.
Federal Flitecontrol for the 20 Gauge
Federal Flitecontrol is the gold standard for defensive shotgun ammo in the United States. It’s a tight patterning cartridge, and within home defense ranges, the pellets barely spread, which helps reduce the risk of errant pellets. That technology has finally come to the 20 gauge cartridge.
To be fair, this cartridge premiered last year, but this year, it’s finally getting into the hands of consumers. The Flitecontrol wad will encapsulate a pile of Number 2 buckshot. This cartridge brings us one of the first dedicated defensive loads for the 20-gauge shotgun. It’s an effective cartridge, now backed by a purpose-built tactical round.
For more information, please visit FederalPremium.com.
Hornady Backcountry Defense
Hornady went in another direction this year. Defensive ammo typically revolves around concealed carry and duty ammo, but what happens when you have to stop a four-legged threat? It’s still self-defense, and that guided Hornady’s Backcountry Defense cartridges. They are designed to kill bears when bears try to kill you.
What’s interesting is that Hornady isn’t just making the typical animal threat cartridges. They are producing 9mm options with a 138-grain projectile. There are also 10mm, .44 Mag, 454 Casull, .460 S&W Magnum, and .500 S&W Magnum. Plenty of options. Each cartridge is designed to penetrate extremely deep and shoot without the smoke created by hard-cast lead rounds.
For more information, please visit Hornady.com.
New Defensive Ammo At SHOT
We saw a good variety of defensive ammo released at SHOT Show 2025. There are options for handguns, both big and small, as well as shotguns and rifles. It’s a good year for defensive ammunition. Hopefully, we can get up close and personal with some of these new rounds and let you know how they perform.
