FYI: Difference between Federal Hydra-Shoks and HST's

[K_W]

(This is a common question that I answered on another forum, but it is useful here too, so I'll post it.)

Federal's "Hi-Shock" is sold at retailers. It is Federal's older standard hollow point bullet. I've never looked closely at one, so I can't describe it.

Federal's "Hydra-Shok (Personal Protection)" is sold at retailers. It uses the "Hydra-Shock' bullet. You can tell it apart from HST's because it has a post in the cavity while HST's do not.

Federal's "Tactical Hyrda-Shok" is only sold direct to government and/or law enforcement agencies or their suppliers by Federal's company policy. But can be found and legally purchased (At least in the state of Indiana) at select retailers and gunshows. This bullet is the same or very similar to regular Hydra-Shoks and it also has a post in the cavity.

Federal's "Tactical HST" (Commonly called "Hydra-Shok Two/2" or just "HST") is only sold direct to government and/or law enforcement agencies or their suppliers by Federal's company policy. But it too can be found and legally purchased (At least in the state of Indiana) at select retailers and gunshows. It is the second generation of Federal's "Hydra-Shok" bullet design. This bullet has no post in the cavity and has six grooves running almost the whole length of the side of the jacket.

Here's the different boxes and an HST Round.


Different boxes

The Round

 

[Yosemite Sam]

How timely! I just ran into a box of the HSTs recently. Thanks for the info.

-- Sam

 

[45flattop]

Just a quick question, aren't the Federal HSTs a lead free design using
an all copper bullet? I looked on Federal's website and couldn't find any
mention of the HST line but I think Mas Ayoob in the recent Guns magazine
March 2010 edition mentioned them as lead free but I might well be
very wrong so I'm asking just for clarification not dogmatically stating
that this is true by any means.

 

[K_W]

I have several boxes of HST, and all appear to be made from lead with a copper jacket. I couldn't get a good picture of inside the cavity last night. I'll see if I can get one now.

And the reason you couldn't find them on the regular site is they are not sold to "regular people", like you and me, because of Federal's company policy.

You might be thinking of Corbon DPX. That bullet is all copper.

 

[45flattop]

You are precisely right, I reread Ayoob's article in the March Guns issue
and it is indeed the CorBon DPX load that he identified as an all copper
load, his mention of the HST was in another context.

 

[slippingaway]

www.ammunitiontogo.com stocks HSTs, if you can buy off the internet, you can buy them. I run them in my P345, and they are great. The .45s will expand to the size of a quarter, and retain 95+% of their weight.

 

[mattsbox99]

The HST is a bonded core bullet like the Gold Dot, where the older Hydra Shoks will seperate from the jacket in heavy material.

I carry the 40S&W version in my M&P and Para Ordnance. Its a great round and very accurate in my pistols.

 

[dougader]

Actually, HST is not bonded. Federal does have a Tactical Bonded round, though:

http://le.atk.com/general/federalproduc ... onded.aspx

http://le.atk.com/general/federalproduc ... alhst.aspx

Federal also has an all copper Barnes bullet load:

http://le.atk.com/general/federalproduc ... ander.aspx