Federal Premium Ammunition is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Czechoslovak Group, located in Anoka, Minnesota.

The original Federal Cartridge and Machine Company was founded during the period of increased ammo demand during the First World War, when brothers Harry and Louis Sherman, experienced in the industry, found investors to establish a small plant on the eastern outskirts of Anoka, Minnesota to make shotgun shells.

[2] Horn launched a distribution plan that involved merchandising Federal products in grocery stores, barbershops, and filling stations.

In 1985, Federal was sold to a group of private investors including Kelso & Company, BancBoston Capital, and members of the management team.

Hydra-Shok was introduced in 1988 after the FBI requested a bullet with better terminal ballistics than traditional cup and core projectiles.

[11] Hydra-Shok ammunition has a patented center-post design and notched jacket with a non-bonded lead core.

Federal Premium claims that the scored jacket and center post design provide a "programmed" expansion.

[12][better source needed] Federal Premium announced a .30-30 Winchester version of its Vital-Shok Trophy Copper ammunition for medium-sized game in August 2015.

These bullets are tipped with polymer inserts to affect rapid expansion and retain 99 percent of their mass after expanding.

Federal says the Shortys work just as well as full-sized shotshells, although some pump-action and semi-auto shotguns may cycle them improperly without conversion parts.

The 78-grain Barnes TSX copper hollow point is a hunting round for large game such as deer.

Cartridges using Syntech bullets also use special primers and clean-burning propellants to further minimize carbon fouling.

In addition to being cleaner than conventional ammunition, Federal Premium claims that Syntech is also safer due to decreased splash and fragmenting when hitting hard targets.