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Shotguns are known for their versatility, and what makes them versatile is their wide variety of ever-expanding loads. The smooth bore of a shotgun allows the gun to fire a wide variety of ammo types, and we are bringing you the best new shotgun loads of 2026.
Lastest & Greatest Shotgun Ammo
Federal Rob Roberts Raptor Steel
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Federal has teamed up with Rob Roberts Custom Gun Works to produce a specially engineered load for Rob Roberts Raptor Series chokes. The new Raptor Steel line ensures incredibly uniform patterns and increased energy transfer at long ranges when used with Raptor Series chokes. Designed for the most demanding waterfowl hunters, Raptor Steel delivers the precision, range, and power needed to drop birds.
Federal All American
Federal All American shotshells are designed for high-volume clay target sport shooters. These shells feature the new Podium wad, which protects the pellet, delivers fantastic patterns, and offers a longer range with less recoil. The Federal All American rounds are designed for shooting all manner of clay pigeons across multiple disciplines. These loads deliver balanced performance and reduced felt recoil for all-day shooting and less bruised shoulders.
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Federal Master Class 20 Gauge
Master Class 20-gauge shells bring high performance to a smaller frame. These loads feature extra-hard lead shot and the Podium wad design to ensure tight, pellet-filled patterns that are perfect for clay shooting. The Podium wad is modified to work with the straight-wall hull. This new wad design minimizes flyers and maximizes break power. The Master Class comes in 2.5 and 8 shot options.
Federal Action Shotgun Slugs
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Federal’s new 1-ounce, rifled slug is specifically for the rigors of 3-Gun competitions. Federal Action Shotgun Slugs are optimized to function in both box- and tube-magazine-fed semi-auto shotguns, featuring a rigid hull that resists deformation and ensures smooth feeding. Recoil is reduced for rapid follow-up shots, and the Tru Ball system ensures consistent and excellent accuracy.
Federal Upland Steel 4 & 5 Shot
Federal’s Upland Steel has graduated to 4-shot and 5-shot loads. These high-velocity steel loads are the perfect solution for hunters traversing public lands with non-toxic shot requirements. They provide the necessary reach and energy to take down pheasants, grouse, and quail. High-quality shells, wads, and pellets ensure consistent performance in various weather conditions.
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Federal 20 Gauge Flitecontrol
By incorporating the vaunted Flitecontrol wad, these 20-gauge shells provide the tightest patterns available in a smaller bore. The wad stays with the shot column longer, preventing spread and ensuring more pellets stay on target at any distance. This technology makes the 20-gauge a much more effective tool for defensive use, providing tight patterns and a hard-hitting load of copper-plated #2 Buckshot.
Federal Power-Shok 3-inch Slugs
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Federal Power-Shok 3-inch slugs deliver a 547-grain slug at 1,600 feet per second. The Foster slug is moving fast and hitting hard, capable of penetrating deeply into big game, smashing through bone, and ripping through muscle. These massive slugs hit hard, fly straight, and provide excellent terminal performance on all manner of big game animals.
Federal 40th Anniversary Realtree Grand Slam
Federal and Realtree have worked together for four decades. To celebrate this 40-year collaboration, they have released a special-edition, turkey-hunting rounds for 12-gauge, 20-gauge, and .410-bore platforms. Featuring lead or tungsten shot partnered with the Flitecontrol wad, they deliver excellent patterns at a variety of ranges. The rounds are available in 5 and 9-shot, depending on caliber.
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Barnes Defense 3 & 4 Buckshot
Barnes Defense has taken a new route for defensive buckshot. Rather than utilizing 00 buckshot, they are releasing two loads in No. 3 and No. 4 buckshot. These have a reduced pellet count compared to a hunting round, but offer low recoil and patterns optimized for in-home use. The No. 3 load holds 17 pellets, and the No. 4 holds 21 pellets.
Remington Final Strut
Remington produced Final Strut with Turkey hunters in mind. The Final Strut load uses tungsten shot and is designed for long-range shots on gobblers. This load is designed to put the maximum number of pellets into the kill zone at various ranges. Its buffered shot prevents deformation, which prevents flyers. Final Strut is available in both 12 and 20 gauge loadings.
Remington Royal Flush
Remington Royal Flush gives upland bird hunters a new gold standard round. This premium load features magnum-grade copper-plated payloads for reduced deformation and extended range. Royal Flush offers the velocity and hitting power required for long-distance shots. It is the ideal choice for upland bird hunters. Royal Flush will be available in both 12 and 20-gauge variants.
Aguila 20-Gauge Minishells
Aguila rules the minishell world with their famed 12-gauge. This year, they’ve expanded into 20 gauge with a no. 4 buckshot load containing 12 pellets. These new 1.75-inch mini-shell loads offer 20-gauge shotgunners more rounds in the tube and reduced recoil. With the advent of more tactical 20-gauges these new minishells seem promising.
Fiocchi Arkansas Steel
Fiocchi is taking their budget ammo reputation to new markets with the Arkansas Steel Bulk. This load provides a cost-effective way to stay in the blind all season. These shells are built with high-quality steel shot to keep them legal in American wetlands. These will be 12-gauge loads holding 1 1/5 of an ounce of either 2, 3, or 4-sized birdshot.
Fiocchi Texas White Wing
Fiocchi’s latest budget bulk load is the Texas White Wing. Designed with dove hunting in mind, this 12-gauge 1 1/8 ounce of 7.5 shot is designed to fly far and hit hard. With a velocity of 1,250 feet per second, it remains soft on the shoulder without sacrificing performance. The new box even comes with a field handle for easy transportation.
Winchester Final Pass
The Winchester Final Pass is a blend of different shot sizes aimed to create dense patterns while maximizing pellet count on target. The combined shot sizes are either 1.5 and BB or 2.5 and 4 shot. The rounds are available for both 12 and 20 gauge platforms in 3 and 3.5-inch shells. Winchester specifically designed these rounds to work in wet environments with their double-seal wad system.
Winchester Super X Low Recoil Slug
The Super X Low Recoil Slug gives a combination of Winchester’s hollow-point slugs with a significant reduction in recoil. Less recoil means more control and less bruised shoulders. A one-ounce slug moving at 1,300 feet per second grants shooters plenty of power and can function reliably in semi-auto platforms. It’s an excellent option for hunting and defensive use. The low-recoil round still delivers excellent range and ballistic performance.
Winchester Last Call Double Shot
Winchester Last Call Double Shot features a duplex payload, combining two different shot sizes and shot materials in a single shell. We have a mix of steel and tungsten shot that mixes either BB and No. 7 Shot or No. 2.5 and 9 shot. Loads are available for 12 and 20-gauge shotguns. The design ensures dense and capable patterns on moving targets at a variety of ranges. The Last Call Double Shot loads are a worthy hybrid of different shot types and materials.
New Republic Buckshot
The New Republic has become well known for producing high-quality training ammunition at affordable prices. They’ve expanded into buckshot this year, offering an economical option for training and home defense. The classic 00 buckshot configuration delivers predictable patterns and low recoil for fast follow-up shots. This makes for an excellent training load for both pump-action and semi-auto shotguns.
Norma AD-LER Shells
AD-LER stands for Anti-Drone – Long Effective Range. These shells are purpose-built for anti-drone use for law enforcement and military use. They are firing a No. 6 shot pellets made from tungsten with an effective range of 100 meters. With 350 pellets packed into a single shell, the AD-LER rounds are designed to cripple FPV drones in a variety of environments. These were designed specifically for the Benelli M4 Drone Guardian shotgun.
Maverick Tactical SkyNet Rounds
Maverick Tactical SkyNet Rounds are a low-tech solution to a high-tech problem. Drones are becoming a nuisance and danger to police and military forces around the world. The SkyNet is an anti-drone solution designed to be safe to use in any environment. When fired, these rounds propel a tethered net intended to damage rotors and bring down UAVs. The net is five feet in diameter and will take a drone down with minimal damage. In the event of a miss, the net and slug will parachute to the ground safely to avoid on-the-ground casualties.
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The post Boom! Best New Shotgun Ammo From SHOT Show 2026 appeared first on Athlon Outdoors Exclusive Firearm Updates, Reviews & News.
