Federal Premium Ammunition is of the most well-respected ammo manufacturers in the world. While it is not the oldest ammo manufacturer, it is the world’s largest. Based in Anoka, Minnesota, they churn out millions of rounds each month, including Federal 308 ammo.

We could write a book about Federal Premium’s ammo lineup. From their HammerDown line for revolvers to their iconic Hydra Shok ammo, just about everything that leaves the Federal factory is a hit with shooters. 

However, we are going to focus on their array of .308 ammo. Federal Premium’s line of .308 cartridges is one of the most extensive on the market. Whether you are into target shooting, need a great personal defense cartridge, or want to reliably down big game, they have an option for you. 

Federal Premium’s Ammo Lines

Federal Premium Ammunition has a huge selection of rifle ammunition. In total, they have 10 unique lines of rifle cartridges, including the following:

• Gold Medal
• HammerDown
• Premium Centerfire Rifle
• Premium Safari
• Varmint & Predator
• American Eagle
• Fusion
• Non-Typical
• Power-Shok
• Terminal Ascent 

Each of these lines has several subtypes of cartridges available. For example, Federal Premium offers an American Eagle Varmint and Predator .308 projectile and a standard Varmint & Predator .308 cartridge. The former contains a 130-grain jacketed hollow point whereas the latter boasts a 110-grain Hornady V-Max bullet. 

In total, Federal Premium offers more than a dozen different variants of .308 ammo. All these choices can cause information overload when you are searching for a .308 cartridge for a very specific application. That is why we have identified our top picks for you in the section below. 

Cartridge Comparisons

As the largest ammo manufacturer, Federal Premium has elected to “cast a wide net” when creating its cartridge lines. Instead of catering to a specific segment of gun owners, such as hunters, they offer .308 cartridges for virtually every application imaginable. Professional shooters, law enforcement & military personnel, and everyday gun owners trust Federal Premium .308 ammo when they need a reliable projectile.

You can’t go wrong with any .308 cartridge in the Federal Premium lineup. However, the following are our top picks for target, hunting, self-defense, and match shooting applications. 

Target

Our pick for general target shooting applications is the American Eagle .308 cartridge. This .308 ammo is affordable enough to use for target shooting while still providing consistent performance. It’s easy to find in stock, and buying in bulk will save you time and money at the gun range. 

The American Eagle .308 cartridge features a 150-grain full metal jacket projectile. It has a listed muzzle velocity of 2,820 fps and maintains a velocity above 2,000 fps out to about 300 yards. It has a muzzle energy of 2,648 ft-lbs. The ballistics of this .308 ammo make it well-suited for shooting targets out to about 300 yards. 

Best Uses: Training and plinking at the gun range.

Caliber	Bullet Type	Bullet Weight	Velocity (Muzzle)	Energy (Muzzle)	100 Yards (Velocity/Energy)	200 Yards (Velocity/Energy)	300 Yards (Velocity/Energy)
.308 Win	FMJ	150gr	2,820 FPS	2,648 FT LBS	2,597FPS/2,246 FT LBS	2,385 FPS/1,894 FT LBS	2,183 FPS/1,586 FT LBS

 Hunting: Federal 308 Ammo

Federal Premium manufactures several different .308 hunting cartridges. While it was tough to narrow our focus to just one option, we settled on the Power-Shok .308 cartridge because it is a versatile hunting round that is recommended for medium game. 

Power-Shok has a unique mushrooming tip that is known for creating huge wound cavities. The 150-grain bullet provides solid accuracy and offers consistent expansion shot after shot. 

Like our last pick, this .308 cartridge has a listed muzzle velocity of 2,820 fps. It loses velocity at a slightly higher rate than the American Eagle .308 cartridge. According to Federal, the Power-Shok has a muzzle velocity of approximately 2,007 fps at 300 yards. In terms of energy, the Power-Shok .308 cartridge produces 2,648 ft-lbs. of force at the muzzle.  

Best Uses: Putting meat on the table.

Caliber	Bullet Type	Bullet Weight	Velocity (Muzzle)	Energy (Muzzle)	100 Yards (Velocity/Energy)	200 Yards (Velocity/Energy)	300 Yards (Velocity/Energy)
.308 Win	Jacketed SP	150gr	2,820 FPS	2,648 FT LBS	2,532 FPS/2,134 FT LBS	2,261 FPS/1,702 FT LBS	2,007 FPS/1,341 FT LBS

 Self Defense

In order to help shooters achieve optimal performance in modern sporting rifles like AR-10s with free-floating firing pins, Federal Premium created the Fusion MSR .308 cartridge. Its bullet has a jacket that is fused around the core to improve bullet accuracy and performance on impact. 

The listed muzzle velocity of the Fusion MSR .308 is listed at 2,770 fps. The projectile maintains a muzzle velocity of 2,148 fps out to 300 yards. It has a muzzle velocity of 2,555 ft-lbs. 

Best Uses: Protecting your castle with a semi-auto rifle.

Caliber	Bullet Type	Bullet Weight	Velocity (Muzzle)	Energy (Muzzle)	100 Yards (Velocity/Energy)	200 Yards (Velocity/Energy)	300 Yards (Velocity/Energy)
.308 Win	Fusion Soft Point	150gr	2,770 FPS	2,555 FT LBS	2,553 FPS/2,170 FT LBS	2,345 FPS/1,832 FT LBS	2,148 FPS/1,536 FT LBS

Match

For our match .308 cartridge, we selected the Federal Premium Gold Medal Sierra MatchKing. The Gold Medal line is known for delivering exceptional performance. It’s the go-to choice for champion shooters the world over. 

The Gold Medal Sierra MatchKing .308 cartridge contains a specially formulated propellant, Gold Medal primer, and a boat-tail hollow point. The projectile weighs 168 grains and has a precision match jacket to ensure optimal accuracy at long distances.

The Gold Medal Sierra MatchKing .308 cartridge has a listed muzzle velocity of 2,650fps. Impressively enough, it carries a velocity of 2,103fps at 300 yards. It has a muzzle energy of 2,619 ft-lbs. 

Best Uses: Accuracy and reliability.

Caliber	Bullet Type	Bullet Weight	Velocity (Muzzle)	Energy (Muzzle)	100 Yards (Velocity/Energy)	200 Yards (Velocity/Energy)	300 Yards (Velocity/Energy)
.308 Win	BT-HP	168gr	2,650 FPS	2,619 FT LBS	2,460 FPS/2,257 FT LBS	2,277 FPS/1,935 FT LBS	2,103 FPS/1,650 FT LBS

 Brief 308 Ammo History

As you are likely well aware, the .308 cartridge was invented by Winchester Ammunition and dates back to the 1950s. After being made available to the public, it quickly became a favorite among hunters. Other manufacturers, including Federal, began commercial production of the cartridge soon after. 

However, you may not be aware of why the .308 cartridge was invented. 

By the 1940s, militaries around the globe were becoming increasingly reliant on semi-automatic and automatic small arms. At that time, the .30-06 was the gold standard rifle cartridge. It performed exceptionally well in weapons platforms like the 1903 Springfield and the M1 Garand.

However, the .30-06 is a long-action cartridge. These longer cartridges increased the likelihood of malfunctions when used in semi-automatic weapons platforms. 

In order to resolve this issue, the U.S. military turned to Winchester. Winchester leveraged newly available propellants to create the shorter .308 cartridge while closely mirroring the performance of the .30-06. 

A variant of the .308 cartridge known as the 7.62×51 was adopted by NATO in the 1950s. This variety is still used by governments and militaries around the globe. 

Buying Federal 308 Ammo

The Federal Premium line of .308 ammo has options for all shooters. From affordable practice ammo to performance-quality Gold Medal cartridges, Federal Premium makes it all. Hunters love the Power-Shok soft points, which get the job done when out in the field. Bolt-action enthusiasts look forward to ringing steel at long distances with accurate Premium Centerfire Rifle cartridges. Choose the ammo that’s right for the task at hand and you’ll be happy with the results.

Looking for more suggestions? Be sure to check out our recommendations for “Best 308 Ammo” in the article on our blog.