First Impressions: Federal Ammunition's New Practice & Defend Packs

Train for less, but carry the best.

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posted on April 17, 2020
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Federal Ammunition has the solution for every defensive shooter's dilemma: How to train with the same ammunition we intend to use for defense without breaking the bank. It's called the Federal Practice & Defend Pack, and the company is now introducing a new pack that includes 50 HST Personal Defense loads as well as 50 Syntech training match rounds. Here's why this is such great news for those of us interested in concealed carry.

Most defensive experts recommend that you practice your marksmanship using the same pistol and ammunition combination that you'll be carrying off the range as part of your everyday carry (EDC) rig. That's because most ammunition designed for "plinking" tends to have a different bullet weight and generally less powder (e.g., power) behind that bullet...and that will change the tactile sensation of shooting as well as potentially altering your point of impact. The problem is that the kind of premium ammunition you want in your defensive handgun can be rather pricey. So what's a budget-conscious home defender to do?

Well, Federal's Practice & Defend Pack features the two types of rounds detailed above, with a twist: They're ballistically matched. They produce identical velocities, trajectories and points of impact. This allows the shooter the most realistic training experience possible without making him or her pay the premium price for every round send downrange. Just practice with the Syntech Training Match and carry the HST. Both of them are optimized to provide flawless function and reliability in semi-auto pistols. 

These packs are currently available in the following calibers:

9mm Luger 147-grain 100 Round HST/Syntech Training Match, 1000 fps / $60.99

9mm Luger 124-grain 100 Round HST/Syntech Training Match, 1150 fps / $60.99

.40 S&W 180-grain 100 Round HST/Syntech Training Match, 1010 fps / $68.99

.45 Auto 230-grain 100 Round HST/Syntech Training Match, 890 fps / $73.99

These packs are available at dealers everywhere, or you can buy them directly from Federal. Click here for more information.

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