Federal Ammunition will expand its Raptor Steel shotgun ammo series for waterfowl hunting, adding six options in 2026, including 12-gauge and 20-gauge loads. Collaborating with Rob Roberts Custom Gunworks, the new loads feature heavy payloads and high pellet counts, ensuring precise patterns and enhanced performance for hunters.
Federal states “Federal Ammunition launched its Rob Roberts Raptor Steel product line for waterfowl hunting in the fall of 2025. To do so, Federal’s shotshell engineers collaborated with experts at the Rob Roberts Custom Gunworks to design these specialized waterfowl loads. New in 2026, Federal is expanding this product line to six total options. These are 3-inch, 12-gauge, 1-3/8-oz., 1400-fps in 2, 3, or 4 shot, and 3-inch, 20-gauge, 1-oz., 1400-fps in 2, 3, or 4 shot.
“Rob Roberts and his team helped us develop these customized loads, which pair heavy payloads and high pellet counts with carefully selected velocities proven to put more pellets on target,” said Federal’s Shotshell Product Director, Dan Compton. “The loads combine Federal’s high-performance primers and clean-burning propellant to deliver lethal shot strings through the advanced Raptor choke design.”
“These new loads are pure poison with looks that kill, and it flat-out crushes ducks and geese,” said Rob Roberts. “Federal’s standard, blue-box, Speed-Shok loads have always been a go-to for me. And with our help, this new load is that standard on steroids. The heavy 1 3/8-ounce set at an ideal speed of 1,400 fps that produces an unbelievable, consistent pattern priced right for its performance level. Precise, killer patterns are what make any hunter successful. This balanced load delivers on that.”
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