The lever-action rifle is having a Renaissance of sorts these days, and Federal Ammunition seems to be shaping up as its Michelangelo with their new purpose-built lever-action ammunition, dubbed HammerDown. When Federal first announced the HammerDown line at this year's Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, we were excited...and now we're excited to hear that it's on the market and available now.
Federal tells us that their ammunition scientists have customized the HammerDown loads to provide the best ballistics and terminal performance available through the (relatively) short barrel of your average lever gun. The bullet is a molecularly bonded soft point that has been adjusted for the best accuracy and expansion at the velocities that you can expect from a lever-action rifle. The geometry ensures perfect (and safe) cycling through a tubular magazine, as well as for the newer side-gate loaders. (In fact, HammerDown was designed in partnership with venerable lever-gun manufacturer Henry Repeating Arms.
Federal's HammerDown ammunition is currently available in .30-30 Win., .357 Magnum, .327 Federal and .44 Rem. Mag. There's more to come, promises Federal, as we move into 2021.
“Our goal for this new line of ammunition was to deliver enhanced performance in any lever-action rifle. HammerDown provides the velocity and terminal performance required to be an effective and ethical hunting round for medium game, especially with traditional handgun cartridges such as 357 Magnum or 44 Rem. Magnum being shot out of a rifle,” said Federal Ammunition Centerfire Rifle Product Manager Eric Miller. “We also ensured feeding performance in all lever-action rifles: tube feed as well as side gate firearms. To do this, we use modified case geometry to eliminate any feeding issues. HammerDown delivers those main benefits and much more.” FederalPremium.com
Available calibers/MSRP:
LG3571 / 357 Magnum 170 grain, 20-count / $24.99
LG327F1 / 327 Federal 127 grain, 20-count / $30.99
LG441 / 44 Rem. Magnum 270 grain, 20-count / $28.99
LG30301 / 30-30 Win. 150 grain, 20-count / $26.99
LG45701 / 45-70 Govt. 300 grain, 20-count / $50.99
