Federal Ammunition’s new match-grade centerfire rifle ammunition lineup, called Federal Premium Gold Medal CenterStrike, features a proprietary open-tip match design, sleek profile and extremely tight specifications for the “ultimate long-range accuracy and consistency.”
The company said that Gold Medal CenterStrike 168-grain and 175-grain .308 Win. loads are currently shipping to dealers, with 6.5 mm Creedmoor loads to follow this summer.
In short, Federal Premium Gold Medal CenterStrike loads feature a precision-built open-tip match bullet design, and are held to Federal’s tightest specs for accuracy, pressure and velocity. The primers and brass are Gold Medal. Additionally, the loads use a specially formulated propellant.
According to the Federal website, the Gold Medal Center Strike .308 Win. 168-grain load has 2,650 f.p.s. muzzle velocity and 2,619 foot-pounds of energy, and 1,758 f.p.s. muzzle velocity and 1,152 foot-pounds of energy at 500 yards. The heavier 175-grain .308 Win. load has 2,600 f.p.s. muzzle velocity and 2,627 foot-pounds of energy, dropping to 1,803 f.p.s. velocity and 1,264 foot-pounds of energy at 500 yards.
The BC for the .308 Win. 168-grain bullet is .450, and for the 175-grain it is .505.
“CenterStrike features a new Open Tip Match bullet that will allow us to expand our Gold Medal product lineup with more options and is ideal for any target shooter looking for long-range accuracy and consistent performance,” Federal Centerfire Rifle Ammunition Product Line Manager Eric Miller said. “The new CenterStike product line continues the tradition of Gold Medal standards delivering industry-leading accuracy in factory-loaded ammunition.”
As mentioned, the new Federal Ammunition Gold Medal CenterStrike lineup has two .308 Win. match loads available right now, and coming soon will be 6.5 mm Creedmoor and .223 Rem. loads.
Sold in 20-round boxes, the MSRP for the new Gold Medal CenterStrike match-grade ammunition lineup will range from $37.99 to $48.99. The two .308 Win. loads currently featured on the Federal website and mentioned in this article are both priced at $45.99 per box. Go to federalpremium.com.
