One thing we can say about Federal Ammunition, if you own a gun, they probably make ammunition for it.
Federal is one of the largest ammunition manufacturers in the world and produces shotshells, rifle, and pistol ammunition for pretty much any purpose you can imagine. From hunting to competition shooting to defensive applications, they make them all. They even make bullets for muzzleloaders.
This post is going to take a look at a specific line of Federal ammo, known as Federal HST.
Here’s pretty much everything you wanted to know about it.
Federal HST Features
The quality of the ammo you shoot, and its suitability to the shooting discipline at hand, makes a substantial impact on training and success, whether your objective is long-range shooting or self defense.
For instance, precision match ammunition for long-range shooting should be loaded to exceptionally tight tolerances. Other features, such as boat-tail bullet design, also help stabilize these bullets in flight over long distances.
The same applies to defensive applications, for which Federal HST is designed.
Federal HST, first released in 2002, is basically an updated version of Federal’s immensely popular Hydra-Shok ammo. Their HST line consists of non-bonded hollow point ammo that is engineered to offer maximum expansion (and, interestingly, the HST in HST ammo stands for “Hydra-Shok Technology”).
Notably, Federal HST ammo is designed to offer consistent expansion on contact with soft targets, even after passing through fabric barriers.
Like Hydra-Shok, HST ammo is loaded with non-bonded hollow-point bullets. Both these lines of Federal ammunition were designed by the same ballistician and projectile engineer, Tom Burczynzki. Both were also designed to meet the needs of law enforcement personnel.
However, there are some key differences between Hydra-Shok and HST.
Notably, Hydra-Shok bullets have a post in the center of the hollow point. The presence of a post in the center of the bullet (just like notching the jacket, which you will also see in some bullets), allows the hollow point to achieve slightly better penetration.
HST does not contain this post in the center of the hollow point. The lack of a center post helps guarantee HST bullets expand more consistently on contact with a soft target, even after passing through several layers of fabric. They are designed not to “plug,” even when passing through a succession of barriers.
Another key difference between Federal Hydra-Shok and HST ammo is that HST bullets are a series of “skives” or deep notches etched into the jackets of their bullets.
These skives help ensure positive expansion on impact with a target. Since the skives constitute a break in the jacket, they create a weak point that “tears” back and away on impact, ensuring maximal, optimal expansion.
All in all, though HST and Hydra-Shok ammo are very similar and achieve roughly equivalent velocity and penetration, HST ammo expands more completely on impact, up to nearly twice the bullet’s diameter.
In What Calibers Is Federal HST Produced?
Federal ammunition produces HST in a wide range of handgun calibers, including:
- .380 Auto
- 9mm Luger
- .357 Sig
- .38 Special
- .40 S&W
- 10mm Auto
- .45 ACP
This is not a complete listing and Federal HST is produced in other calibers as well as in a range of bullet weights, but as you can see they produce this ammo in a wide range of the most popular and prevalent pistol calibers.
Why Is Federal HST Such an Effective Defensive Round?
Federal HST ammo is an excellent choice for defensive applications because it is consistent, accurate, and delivers reliable expansion, even after passing through multiple fabric barriers. The bullet design, which lacks a center post and which has a skived jacket, helps ensure optimal expansion on contact with soft targets, for maximum energy transfer and minimal overpenetration.
Is HST a Good Training Round?
While it is beneficial to train with ammunition that closely replicates the performance of your defensive rounds at the range, it’s not always the best idea to train with the exact same ammunition.
Part of the reason is cost. Instead of training with HST, consider target practice with an ammunition that produces similar recoil and accuracy, but at a lower price, and save the HST for defensive applications.
Is Federal HST Designed for Penetration?
Federal HST is designed for optimal expansion on soft targets, but not for penetration. This makes it suitable for defensive applications but not ideal for competition shooting.
Fight the Ammo Crisis, Get Your Federal HST Here
Can’t find Federal HST on the shelves at your local gun shop? Get in online at Bucking Horse Outpost. We carry this and other popular defensive rounds including Hornady Critical Defense, Speer Gold Dot, Federal Premium Hydra-Shok, and many others. We also carry a wide range of jacketed bullets for target practice and competition, at competitive prices.