First Look: Federal Gold Medal CenterStrike Rifle Ammunition

A new option for accuracy at long distance.

by
posted on June 2, 2023
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Centerstrike rifle ammo

Federal Ammunition is introducing a new match-grade, centerfire-rifle cartridge product line: the Gold Medal CenterStrike. Federal CenterStrike cartridges are loaded with a specially formulated propellant along with a sleek, proprietary OTM (open-tip match) bullet to stringent specifications for serious long-range accuracy. This new product line kicked off with Federal Ammunition shipping 168- and 175-grain .308 Win. cartridges to its dealers. The extremely popular 6.5 Creedmoor version of CenterStrike will be ship in the summer of 2023. Just like the well-loved and well-known Federal Gold Medal Match rifle cartridges, CenterStrike cartridges are also loaded with Federal Gold Medal Primers and match grade brass casings. 

“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,” said Federal Centerfire Rifle Ammunition Product Line Manager, Eric Miller. “The new CenterStike product line continues the tradition of Gold Medal standards delivering industry-leading accuracy in factory-loaded ammunition.”

The current .308 Win. offerings include bullets of 168 and 175 grains, which are the preferred weights for most precision shooters. At a test barrel’s muzzle, these rounds clock in at 2,650 and 2,600 feet per second respectively. The corresponding ballistic coefficients are .450 for the 168-grain load and .505 for the 175-grain load. Helping these ballistic coefficients are the open tip match bullets used. OTM bullets are  consistent due to the manner in which they are built. The lead-alloy that forms the core is actually poured into the empty-jacket through the front (meplat) of the bullet, allowing for a very consistent setting of the core. 

Federal Premium Gold Medal CenterStrike cartridges ship in boxes of 20 rounds for a retail price of $45.99. For more information, please visit Federal’s website at federalpremium.com.  

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