Bad news: Federal possibly discontinuing 8 pellet Flite Control

[Hambo]

There are lots of boutique reloaders, some with rare offerings that probably don't have high sales. Is it reasonable to anticipate some guy will retire to his garage after dinner and and start making the 8-pellet loads?

Federal doesn't sell the FC wads to anyone. I tried almost everything to see if I could load anything that performed similarly to FC. Even using a variety of standard and specialty buckshot chokes, nothing came close. Without FC wads, it's not possible.

Federal killed the two best patterning buckshot loads (8 pellet 00 and the #1 buck), which shows you how the industry works today. Even though some are re-learning how well shotguns perform, Federal doesn't see enough potential sales to keep making them.

I'll keep what I've got, and use my reloads for practice. If worse comes to worse and I want one hole patterns at whatever range, I'll just use slugs.

[RevolverRob]

Well crap, that's horrible news.
Do we start a petition?

Yes. It should say,

"Dear Hornady,

We appreciate your continued commitment to building an 8-pellet, low recoil, 12-gauge buckshot load using your Versatite Wad technology. We recognize at present such a load is limited solely to the Law Enforcement Market as part of your TAP Line of products. Today, we're requesting that you make available this same load to the general (non-LE) market. If you were to do so, you would be the sole manufacturing of a low recoil, 8-pellet, buckshot load using a controlled release-type wad. For the same reasons that Hornady continues to manufacture this load for Law Enforcement is why it is viewed favorably by the general public. The decision of your rival, Federal Premium, to discontinue it's 8-pellet offering from its Law Enforcement and Personal Defense lines presents a unique opportunity for Hornady to fill that hole with an existing product line."

[LHS]

There are lots of boutique reloaders, some with rare offerings that probably don't have high sales. Is it reasonable to anticipate some guy will retire to his garage after dinner and and start making the 8-pellet loads?

Unless that guy gets a license to use the FliteControl/Versatite wad design, and has the kind of QC we generally see from Federal, it won't be anywhere near the same stuff.

[167]

Yes. It should say,

"Dear Hornady,

We appreciate your continued commitment to building an 8-pellet, low recoil, 12-gauge buckshot load using your Versatite Wad technology. We recognize at present such a load is limited solely to the Law Enforcement Market as part of your TAP Line of products. Today, we're requesting that you make available this same load to the general (non-LE) market. If you were to do so, you would be the sole manufacturing of a low recoil, 8-pellet, buckshot load using a controlled release-type wad. For the same reasons that Hornady continues to manufacture this load for Law Enforcement is why it is viewed favorably by the general public. The decision of your rival, Federal Premium, to discontinue it's 8-pellet offering from its Law Enforcement and Personal Defense lines presents a unique opportunity for Hornady to fill that hole with an existing product line."

Hornady’s American Gunner 00 is a lower recoil version of their Critical Defense load. The low recoil TAP load is like an ultra low recoil load. Allegedly clocks less than 1,000 fps out of the typical barrel lengths on defensive shotguns.

[03RN]

Fwiw I prefer the 9 pellet load. Even when there is a 9th pellet flier I have found in all my guns that it is still a tighter pattern than anything else.

[Chuck Whitlock]

The problem is sourcing the Flight Control wads. The other option is Hornady 00 buck… it is loaded with 8 pellets and their VersaTite wad, but it’s loaded to 1600 fps and doesn’t have a buffer compound like Federal

"Dear Hornady,

We appreciate your continued commitment to building an 8-pellet, low recoil, 12-gauge buckshot load using your Versatite Wad technology. We recognize at present such a load is limited solely to the Law Enforcement Market as part of your TAP Line of products. Today, we're requesting that you make available this same load to the general (non-LE) market. If you were to do so, you would be the sole manufacturing of a low recoil, 8-pellet, buckshot load using a controlled release-type wad. For the same reasons that Hornady continues to manufacture this load for Law Enforcement is why it is viewed favorably by the general public. The decision of your rival, Federal Premium, to discontinue it's 8-pellet offering from its Law Enforcement and Personal Defense lines presents a unique opportunity for Hornady to fill that hole with an existing product line."

Hornady’s American Gunner 00 is a lower recoil version of their Critical Defense load. The low recoil TAP load is like an ultra low recoil load. Allegedly clocks less than 1,000 fps out of the typical barrel lengths on defensive shotguns.

https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/s...ican-gunner#!/


Unfortunately, I'm not seeing any velocity numbers for any of their 00B on the site.

[Chuck Whitlock]

https://palmettostatearmory.com/horn...tm_campaign=cl

PSA says velocity is 1350. So it ain't 1100, but it ain't 1600, either.

The one review says the brass is soft, so there is that to look out for.

[167]

https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/s...ican-gunner#!/


Unfortunately, I'm not seeing any velocity numbers for any of their 00B on the site.

The on the box velocity for the AG load is 1350fps, but that is out of a 30” test barrel. IIRC, it feels like a little less velocity than the typical 1325fps load.

https://thatshotgunblog.wordpress.co...ys-versa-tite/

[RevolverRob]

https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/s...ican-gunner#!/


Unfortunately, I'm not seeing any velocity numbers for any of their 00B on the site.

TAP Low Recoil says 1150fps on the box, Crit Defense, BLACK, and Tap Light Magnum are (I think) the same shell different branding, 1600fps. The American Gunner is as 167 said advertised at 1325fps.

All from 30" test barrels. I don't know what length Federal tests it's velocities from.

[jetfire]

Lol I should have read through the replies before digging up the Hornady load.

Anyway I got some info from Federal yesterday that the 8 pellet isn't being discontinued so who knows?