U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- The Federal Hydra Shok Deep is the next evolution in the ever popular Hydra Shok line of defensive ammunition. In the release announcement earlier this year, Federal said that the new load was specifically developed for the FBI’s updated testing protocol.
When the original Hydra Shok was released by Federal in 1989 in response to a request from the FBI for a bullet that performed better than the loads available at the time. Hydra Shok ammo saw wide acceptance by law enforcement and self-defense shooters as a result of the ammo’s performance.
How Is Hydra Shok Deep Packaged?
The boxes that I received were the same plastic boxes they have been selling the Federal HST in for the last several years in consumer markets. I only mention the packaging for one reason, because I hate it.
Normally I wouldn’t care about ammo packaging, but when flying somewhere you are required to use factory packaging to transport ammo in checked bags. I found the black plastic trays to be more fragile than I would expect. More than once I opened my bag to find loose ammo and a shattered box forcing me to leave the ammo behind when heading home with a broken box.
Note: I know that you can transport it in magazines in a pouch, but I have run into issues with that and been forced to surrender all of my ammo with the TSA.
While I didn’t have any issues, getting the boxes open can also be a challenge for some. I only mention this because I watched a range officer and an older range goer struggle with getting one open for several minutes. Eventually, I helped them get it open but I suspect that this wasn’t an isolated incident.
A Closer Look At The Cartridge
Federal uses the same nickel-plated case found on the HST loads for several reasons. First would be the ability for you to quickly identify that you have defensive ammo in your chamber during a press check. Yes, you should know what is in your gun, but being doubly sure never hurts.
Other benefits of the nickel-plated cases are corrosion resistance when being carried in magazine pouches or sweaty pockets. The nickel plating also slightly less friction than brass cases, theoretically improving feeding and reliability,
The projectile is an all-new design that focuses on better performance than the original Hydra Shok. They did this with an updated jacket and a core designed to provide reliable expansion as well as 50% deeper penatration than the original Hydra Shok.
Is Hydra Shok Deep Accurate?
I shot the 135-grain Hydra Shok Deep at 10-yards as well as 25-yards in my ATEi milled Glock 19 with a stock barrel, Agency trigger, and my own stipple work. This gun is my every day carry in a PHLster Spotlight for TLR-7 as you see it below. Once the Glock 19 C slide I have at ATEi is back home and I have some time with it, expect a post on what I have found to be the perfect concealed carry setup for me.
Accuracy at 10-yards was superb with two shots straying from the very tight group. I know the one to the low left was a preignition push, something I struggle with constantly and try to fix with Ball & Dummy drill often. The other round to the top right of the group is a result of my support hand thumb doing some wonky stuff.
Realistically though, it is a pretty decent group but I know that the gun and ammo shoots better than this.
The two 25-yard targets that I had the forethought to save showed that the Hydra Shok deep impacts just left of where my HST carry load does. Again, the targets are reasonably solid for shooting at distance with a carry gun but could always be better.
Both targets were scored at 91/100 points, but if you correct for the change in zero the scores go up to 95/100 on the left and 97/100 on the right with that one shot dropped just at the exge of the 10.5″ B8.
Hydra Shok Deep Gel Test
Jacob over at Concealedcarry.com gave me a hand with the ballistics testing. The Hydra Shok Deep had very consistent expansion and penetration as you can see below. He did note that the bullet didn’t expand quite as much as some of the other 9mm loads on the market, but again, they were consistent.
Penetration results averaged at 17.19″ after passing through two layers of denim material in calibrated ballistics gel. Jacob noted that all projectiles retained 100% of their weight but sadly didn’t share what width the bullets expanded to.
While Jacob was on the range he also did some velocity testing from a Sig P365 as well as a P320. The P365 averaged 920 fps with an extreme spread of 7 fps. Switching to the P320, it averaged 998 fps with an extreme spread of 69 fps.
Is Hydra Shok Deep Good?
The testing that Jacob did with the lot of ammo I had tells me that it probably is good to carry. While it won’t replace the tried and true Federal HST 124-grain +p load that I prefer, it would be a good standby should I not be able to source the HST in the future.
At about a buck a round, the Hydra Shok Deep is priced in line with other premium JHP loads on the market. My only hope is that they offer some better packaging for the updated ammo.
There is a hidden benefit to the Hydra Shok Deep being a thing that you might not consider. Those Hydra Shok loyalists (a.k.a. old guys) might get tricked into buying a better load if Federal Premium discontinues the older, outdated Hydra Shok load.
Street price per box seems to hover around $20 even though the MSRP is $27.95. If you want to learn more about Federal’s Hydra Shok Deep, head on over to the Federal Premium website.
About Patrick R.
Patrick is a firearms enthusiast that values the quest for not only the best possible gear setup but also pragmatic ways to improve his shooting skills across a wide range of disciplines. He values truthful, honest information above all else and had committed to cutting through marketing fluff to deliver the truth. You can find the rest of his work on FirearmRack.com as well as on the YouTube channel Firearm Rack or Instagram at @thepatrickroberts.
That has to be one of the sorriest “ammo reviews” I have ever read in the fifty years that I have been reading them. I now know that “firearms enthusiast” means that you own guns but know next to nothing about them. I see a great career ahead of him writing for the “gun rags.”
100% agree. The author is more concerned about telling you what he has and how it is set is up than getting to the point.
Gotta agree…
I’m still trying to figure out how the Federal packaging can be so weak it falls apart inside a properly packed suitcase AND is so tough that people are unable to get the package open.
Also still trying to figure out how he figured “91/100” on both those targets — apparently either my eyes are getting even worse than I thought or his idea of a hole breaking the line between rings is quite a bit more generous than mine.
A line break or a “grease mark” on the line is counted at the higher point value. Tears do not count.
I should mention the packaging as well since that seems to be another point of misunderstanding. Clear plastic like what is used in the packaging has a tendency to shatter when impacted. As for being hard to open, that has to do with the tab and slot style closure they use. Just squeezing the lid to open doesn’t always work due to the flashing left on the mold, sometimes it requires the lid to be pried off.
I must be blessed because 50 r boxes of HST 124 grain +p are available at 29 plus shipping. 124 standard pressure are sold everywhere here in 20 round boxes also. Finding Gold Dot is a nightmare. K! Actually Gold Dot is available at Bass Pro Shops here. Research will find your ammo. Good luck all.
I was finding 50 round boxes of HST 124gr for $17 a box at local gun shows. I haven’t been to one since probably this time last year, but I hope I can still find them from the same vender now. It’s not necessarily just about finding it, now it’s about finding a retailer that will sell it to you if you’re not law enforcement.
@ E6H; Right on about Peace Officers, not enough training to hit the targets, instead of just blowing off rounds down range. Also the way that they carry is a crime as to being accessible, along with to many stops at the Donut Shops, much the same as Over The Road Truckdrivers, been there done that !!!!!!!!!!
Gun Tests Magazine has done articles on self-defense ammo rating various brands.
I find that HST isn’t available locally , well in my county . Academy is hit or miss . I find ordering off of the internet is the best way to get what you want when you want it .
Through my very limited research the HST projectile seems to be a top performer. Hydro shoc in my opinion is old news .
The old Hydra Shok, yes, that is old news. This is a redesigned bullet. The Hydra Shok Deep is all new.
Hydra-Shok was great when it first came out. The only example that I still have of those that I tested in the mid-90’s is a low velocity 180gr. .40 S&W that, if I remember correctly, averaged around 962 fps. from a Glock 22. Performance was superb and the heavy, well-tapered post was upright, slightly bent and intact. Expansion was nearly 200%. The current crop has been a major disappointment. I’ve tested about every version in 9mm, .40 and .45 ACP. The posts are now thinner, less tapered and shorter. (An engineer at Federal, when I asked about the lack of… Read more »
*Sigh*
Again, this is not the same ammo you are talking about. The Hydra Shok Deep is an all new design that only shares the name with the old stuff. I suspect this is so that boomers will associate the wide acceptance of the old stuff with the new. Not a bad way to get good ammo into the hands of people that religiously buy old Hydra Shok “because that is what cops use.”
Since when did “HST” ammo become unavailable except for LE agencies or personnel? I bought some last year, at high prices, at Cabela’s without issue. Did something change this year? They had just released .45ACP standard pressure HST a few years back, after being an LE-only offering for about six years. I think I agree with other respondents regarding equally good ammo without being fleeced. Single shots are not necessarily the answer, not in training or the real world.
I carry the 124gr. HST +P in my 17 or 19X everyday and found it easily online. $26-28 for box of 50. Great ammo as is the +P Speer Gold Dot ammo. Semper Fi.
The 50-round boxes are restricted to LE sales for some reason. You can still buy the 20 or 25 round consumer packaged boxes.
As far as flying with ammunition. When I’ve had similar problems in the past, I’ve repackaged. For example, I took Winchester ammo and repackaged it into S&B bullet tray’s and boxes. S&B packs 50 rounds into smaller boxes and travels well. I’ve never had anyone even look at the cartridge head stamp let alone argue that it doesn’t match the box. I have had TSA try and tell me that I couldn’t even carry ammunition in checked luggage.
I’m probably going to move on from Federal to either Hornady or possibly Winchester Rangers. I strongly dislike how Federal will only sell HSTs to law enforcement now. Apparently it’s always been this way but I’ve been buying and carrying HST for years (never even knowing Federal strongly discourages retailers from selling to non-LEO) and now suddenly I can no longer buy it. Instead I’m sold 20 round boxes of the exact same thing, just renamed and absurdly expensive. That’s 60% less ammo per box and a staggering 300% mark up in price. This is abhorrent and it absolutely ticks… Read more »
The authors statement, “… when flying somewhere you are required to use factory packaging to transport ammo in checked bags.” Is incorrect.
According to Title 49, Subtitle B, Chapter I, Subchapter C, Part 175-10 Paragraph 8:
“8) Small arms ammunition for personal use carried by a crewmember or passenger in checked baggage only, if securely packed in boxes or other packagings specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition. …”
I routinely fly with ammo packed in MTM Case Guard® boxes and have never had a problem.
+1 on MTM boxes. The operative phrase in the regulation is ”specifically designed”. Also it’s not the TSA, rather airline employees who are checking your baggage. So it pays to have the airline’s rules bookmarked on your phone.
Fair point. I never even considered them since they weight more than the cardboard boxes. That 50-pound limit comes up fast when packing camera gear.
Glock triggers suck, if they didn’t your groups would be tighter, especially in 9mm. The uber expensive trigger you use still doesn’t fix it. 1911 guy here 😛 Decent review Pat.
If you think THEY”RE bad, you should try a newer Smith & Wesson some time!
I dunno, recently I have shot some pretty outstanding groups with that pistol hovering around the sub-3” to 3.5” area from 25-yards. Those two targets above were shot while doing a modified Hat Qual drill. 10 shots, 25-yards, less than 18 second par time to account for the inability to draw and the low ready start position.
Wow. No photos and measurements of expanded bullets. WAAAAAY too much penetration (Which would tend to indicate TOO LITTLE expansion and target damage. Another “FBI-spec” bullet that people foam at the mouth over, but will NOT provide the best fight stopping performance. These FBI types that established and insisted on these parameters for ammo are not the geniuses people believe them to be. They shun TRUE high-performance rounds as being “garbage” because they do not meet their minimum penetration standards. (For example, the Remington and Federal 125gr. SJHP .357 Magnum rounds at 8-12″ — the very BEST “man-stoppers” in handgun… Read more »
Wait, you criticize the lack of photos of the expanded bullets, then go on to solicit funds for your own testing? What the hell?
If you would request to see my test results, you WOULD SEE photos of the good ones; soon I will post photos of the lousy ones as well. Real-world, consistent results, not “denim” and easily corrupted (intentional or not) gel. In the case of ammo companies, I STRONGLY suspect that it is definitely intentional. I am presently unable to work and haven’t for more than 7 years. Even so, I have invested $1,000 or more for YOUR benefit, if you wish to avail yourself of it, so yes – I need some help if people desire to see a specific… Read more »
No thanks. When selecting a carry load I differ to Gary Robert’s list. His background and understanding of what the effects of a bullet on the human body have greatly surpasses that of most “experts”. The only issue I have with your original comment was the solicitation of funds. Build an audience of people that want to see your content and solicit them for funding. Using someone else’s hard work building an audience to further your own goals isn’t exactly well received, especially from a content creator’s perspective who understands the amount of hard work and dedication it takes to… Read more »
I too prefer to have more facts and less personal information in any review. I served 32+ years in the Army in both Armor and Infantry branches so I have a lot of practical experience with weapons of all calibers and have completed familiarization fire with almost every weapon used by Soldiers and by Close Protection details. I have several weapons now and have limited my inventory to 5 basic calibers, .22, .380, 9mm, .45 and 45LC/410. My focus is personal protection and home defense. I always carry 9mm and want to be able to shoot intruders through the door… Read more »
HST works well through drywall AND heavy clothing. (BTW, my heavy clothing tests are conducted with actual heavy clothing, not the mythical (unicorn/fairy dust) “4 layers of denim” that no person ever has of ever will wear. I use 4″ squares cut from heavy duck canvas coveralls backed up with a similar patch of heavy insulated flannel shirt. Real-world heavy clothing that people actually wear in most of the country in winter. Drop me an email at [email protected].
If that is your objective why not use a bullet not dependent on expansion for it’s damage like the Underwood Xtreme series which is a solid copper bullet. Furthermore, you would be hard pressed to find any JHP on the market that will at all stop it y show down enough through a single wall. Most would take 5 or more walls before stopping. People seem to overestimate the “safety” of shooting JHP indoors.
Lehigh Defense. No one else is even in the same universe. Your welcome.
AMAZING!
I read the article. Then read most of the comments (there were several comments). Then I posted a reply to one of the comments.
THEN the page comes back up showing “No Comments”
Same exact thing just happened to me. Also my comment is nowhere to by found
This site, like a box of chocolates, will amaze you at times.
It always does that for some reason. Intentional or a glitch? I don’t know, but it’s frustrating!
It is a glitch. The platform Ammoland is built on can be temperamental sometimes.
It looks like you’re using Hydra-Shok and HST interchangeably and they are NOT the same round.
I think you need to read the article again.
I’ve used Federal HST for a long time due to its history of being a good self defense performer. Given the limitations placed on CCW permitees, I doubt seriously that I’ll need or find it legally good to have ammo meeting FBI protocol for shooting through windshields so I’ll stick with the older HST as long as it’s available.
Twenty and twenty-five round boxes of ammo are an abomination that should be outlawed. They make carrying a decent quantity of ammo more difficult by far than a fifty round box and the companies like Federal, Winchester, and Remington, charge for these low capacity boxes, what they would normally charge for a fifty round box.
Absolutely. It’s just a money making gimmick.
You could load your own defensive rounds. I do.
The normal hydra shok 9mm is available in 50 rd boxes for about 25$ all over.
Grigori, K L and Cliffalling; GOOD GRIEF!!! First of all, Cliff, NEVER carry reloaded rounds for self-defense. A prosecutor or attorney for the family of the poor mega-scholar that forced you to shoot them will absolutely HANG you for that and the intentionally ignorant jury that they picked will hypnotically agree! There is a reason that defensive rounds are 20 or 25 to a box. This designates it as their “good stuff.” Defensive ammo will (normally) feature nickel-plated brass, (sometimes) sealed primers and case mouths and – most importantly – flash-suppressed powders, which also may burn more cleanly. This ammo… Read more »
I intended, but forgot, to include the fact that the 50rd. boxes DO NOT contain the same ammo! It is cheaper because it lacks the listed features, therefore, they sell 50 rounds for a price point near that of the 20 or 25rd. boxes. It is normally identical in ballistics, so use it for meaningful practice and carry the good stuff.
And, Massad Ayoob lives on. Going to be pretty hard to carry “factory ammo” when I haven’t purchased any in the last 38 years. I have put at least 200,000 rounds down range in that time. Guess it’s a good thing I live in a gun friendly state. Also good that I don’t generally find myself in the company of thugs in the dark. Pulled my firearm twice in the last five and a half years and both times it was in the bright light of day. One of our members here can vouch that what I say is true.… Read more »
Uh, Charles, I take it you haven’t been in the shooting/defensive game too long. Federal has sold Hi-Shok handgun ammo in the 20 and 50 round boxes. Same exact thing, just that the 50 round boxes are usually sold only to LE. I am a retired cop and find issue with this practice. A citizen’s butt is just as important to him or her as a cop’s butt is to him or her. Why the discrimination? Speer does the same with their Gold Dots, also. 20 rd boxes for the peasants and 50 rd boxes (at about the same price… Read more »
No, you’re absolutely correct. I don’t know anything. 50+ years experience in hunting and all varieties of shooting. 30+ years reloading rifle and handgun ammo. 30+ years chronographing and testing ammo from .22 on up. Retired police officer (destroyed portion of lower back). Voracious reader of recreational and technical publications. Scored 35 on the ACT. Yes, I am ignorant – how about you?
@Chuck and Matt, the prosecutor is always going to try to come up with something to show your actions were unreasonable. If you don’t reload, it will be something else. Even if you did not use a firearm it would be something else. The pivotal issue is “reasonableness, from the defender’s point of view”, sold to a jury.
Please do not reload your own defensive bullets (unless they are for animals). If you ever had to use your gun to defend yourself from a person it is a guarante that they will use that against you in the trial. They will try to convince the jury that you made those bullets just for killing people and you wanted to shoot someone.
I love the Federal HSTs. They really went up in price, and to get the 50 round boxes, many sites want to see law enforcement credentials.
Wells that stupid. I’m a LEO and there shouldn’t be any difference in getting ammo. We all deserve to carry and have the same access.
Many people just run target ammo through their guns because the defensive ammo is more expensive. I found out my G43 didn’t like the HST and had to send it back to get it checked out. I really like to practice with the defensive ammo to make sure I don’t have any hiccups.
See my comments above on 50rd.vs. 20rd. and 25rd. boxes. Also, there is not true ” law enforcement only” ammo that citizens (in MOST states, anyway) cannot buy. The one that is restricted at this time, according to my knowledge, is Speer Gold Dot G2 147gr. and that is only temporary until the supply issue is eased. Don’t bother, though; I’m sure the FBI will make sure it sucks like most FBI-spec rounds I’ve tested do. (Hornady Critical Duty, Browning BXP, newer Hydra-Shoks, Winchester PDX1 and others I’ve tested come immediately to mind.) An early version of the Gold Dot… Read more »
There’s no law or regulation, but Federal is pressuring retailers not to sell HSTs to citizens. Federal insists that retailers only sell to law enforcement which is why retailers are now seeking LEO credentials before they sell any amount of HSTs. Federal will flat our refuse to sell to retailers who decide to sell HSTs to anyone, and that’s the problem now. From what I hear it’s always been this way, or at least for the last few years, but Federal is finally cracking down on retailers who won’t follow their ridiculous rules. The market HSTs as “law enforcement” ammunition.… Read more »
I’ve never had an issue buying LEO ammo. What the hell does that mean anyway. Most Peace officers can’t shoot for shit and don’t train nearly enough. I notice their gear setup every time I see one and most are unsat and severely overweight. Saw one not long ago carrying a Sig without a mag. When told him, he just said he forgot to load up and that was it. WTF.This is why officers are Second responders. You are the first responder so be prepared. Semper Fi.