Federal Premium Launches All-New Hydra-Shok Deep Personal Defense Load
Hydra-Shok Deep
Federal Premium® Hydra-Shok® has proven itself for self-defense since 1989. Hydra-Shok Deep builds off the time-tested platform with design improvements that better meet modern performance measurements. The bullet features a more robust center post and a core design that provides as much as 50 percent deeper penetration than original Hydra-Shok and competitor loads.
Features & Benefits
- Penetrates 15 inches in bare ballistics gel—the optimal depth according to FBI standards
- 50 percent deeper penetration than original Hydra-Shok
- 70 percent improvement in FBI protocol score
- Iconic center post design has been improved for better, more consistent expansion through standard barriers.
- Consistent, specially formulated propellant
- Extremely reliable Federal® primer
Part No. / Description / MSRP
P9HSD1 / 9mm Luger 135-grain Hydra-Shok Deep / $27.95
Hydra-Shok Deep
New for 2018, a proven self-defense handgun load gets a performance boost
Using a handgun for self-defense is never a static discipline, as you must constantly refresh, improve and adapt your skills to new situations. Likewise, even iconic tools of the trade have to evolve.
It’s no surprise that Federal Premium’s Hydra-Shok Deep is at the forefront of that movement. This new round builds off the time-tested Hydra-Shok platform to better meet modern performance measurements. And the improvements will give handgunners a big boost.
“Hydra-Shok Deep offers consumers a round that results in consistent, reliable performance through typical defensive barriers and penetrates to the depth deemed optimum by the leading law-enforcement agency in the United States,” said Larry Head, director and chief engineer of handgun ammunition.
The Proven Design
Hydra-Shok has been a self-defense staple since its debut in 1989. At that time, the FBI had requested a projectile with better terminal ballistics than traditional cup-and-core bullets, and Federal responded with Hydra-Shok, which uses an expanding bullet with a notched jacket, non-bonded lead core and unique center-post hollow-point design. That provided better penetration and more consistent threat-stopping expansion than other bullets at the time.
“Original Hydra-Shok was designed toward the end of the ’80s around the then-current FBI philosophy of how a bullet should perform and protocol testing to evaluate that performance,” Head said. “Over time, the FBI performance requirements has been evolving, and their protocol testing has similarly been evolving to match. One of the most notable changes has been the desire for deeper-penetrating rounds and more consistency in penetration depths though all the intermediate barriers.”
Enter Federal Premium’s engineers, who, in the 28 years since the introduction of original Hydra-Shok, have learned a lot about terminal ballistics and projectile performance. Although original Hydra-Shok remains very effective, designers knew they could make it better. Hydra-Shok Deep achieves that, making remarkable improvements on the groundbreaking original concept.
Performance for Modern Standards
The new Hydra-Shok Deep bullet features a core design that provides up to 50 percent deeper penetration than original Hydra-Shok and similar loads from competitors, and the center post has been improved so it’s more robust, which provides better integrity and performance through barriers. Testing shows that Hydra-Shok Deep penetrates 15 inches in bare ballistics gelatin, which is the optimal depth, according to FBI standards.
“The primary goal of Hydra-Shok Deep was to penetrate to the FBI’s optimum depth of 14 to 16 inches and at the same time provide more consistent performance though the intermediate barriers,” Head said. “We also wanted to develop a round that would score significantly better through the FBI protocol testing than standard Hydra-Shok. Hydra-Shok Deep does all of this with a 70-percent improvement in FBI protocol score.”
Although the bullet’s performance in ballistic gelatin is impressive, many shooters might wonder how Hydra-Shok Deep will boost their real-world performance. Head explained why the remarkable improvements in expansion, penetration and integrity through defensive barriers are especially important to self-defense.
“Ideal bullet performance is a round that stops a threat by expanding to a large diameter to cause the maximum amount of tissue damage and penetrates deep enough to reach vital organs,” he said.
Reliability Redefined
Hydra-Shok Deep also uses an extremely reliable Federal primer and consistent, specially formulated propellant. Head said those are critical to achieving optimum ballistic performance and reliability.
“In a self-defense situation, your ammunition has to be completely reliable in igniting the propellant and providing the correct and consistent energetics. This not only pushes the bullet to its optimum working velocity but also reliably functions the gun,” he said. “A failure in this area could lead to catastrophic results. The propellants also contain flash suppressants to reduce muzzle flash and minimize temporary blindness in low-light shooting situations.”
Hydra-Shok Deep will initially be offered in a 135-grain 9mm Luger, with other loads coming soon. With its improved penetration and superior reliability, it will surely become a favorite of those who rely on ammunition to protect themselves and their families. Those shooters can take solace in knowing a longtime self-defense staple has adapted and enhanced to meet 21st-century challenges.
