Federal Ammunition has widened its Master Class sporting clays lineup to include 20 gauge, and both new loads are on their way to retailers now.
Each is a 2¾-inch shell carrying 7/8 ounce of shot at 1,250 fps, one in No. 7.5 and one in No. 8. A 25-count box carries a suggested retail price of $16.99, matching what Federal now lists for the six 12-gauge Master Class loads.
Master Class debuted at SHOT Show 2025 as a 12-gauge proposition for sporting clays and FITASC competitors, positioned between Federal’s Top Gun target loads and the higher-end High Over All line. Adding 20-gauge fills the most obvious hole in it. Sub-gauge events sit on the schedule at NSCA regionals and at the National Sporting Clays Championship, where 20-gauge, 28-gauge and .410 titles are contested alongside the main 12-gauge event, and plenty of shooters run a 20 for the recoil savings across a long day of registered targets.
Internally, the 20-gauge shells use the same recipe that has carried the rest of the line. A version of Federal’s one-piece Podium wad is matched to a straight-wall hull with an inserted plastic base wad and a striated tube, and the payload is high-antimony lead shot chosen to split the difference between hardness and density. Harder pellets deform less on their way down the barrel, which is what keeps patterns tight and consistent at the 40-plus-yard presentations that decide sporting clays cards.
“Master Class gives shooters competitively priced loads with top-quality internal components needed to break the most challenging targets in sporting clays and FITASC, and it’s now available in 20-gauge,” Sam Oftdahl, Federal’s shotshell product line manager said.
Federal also points to a shot sorting step used in loading Master Class, added to weed out irregular pellets before they reach the hull.
Complete specifications for both 20-gauge loads and the six 12-gauge options are available at federalpremium.com.
