Federal Premium built on the legendary performance of its time-tested Hydra-Shok platform to create new Hydra-Shok Deep. The new round is made to deliver improved penetration and superior reliability to provide handgun owners with a powerful new option for personal defense. Federal Premium will launch Hydra-Shok Deep at the 2018 SHOT Show (Booth 14551) Jan. 23-26 at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, NV.

"Hydra-Shok Deep offers consumers a round that results in consistent, reliable performance through typical defensive barriers and penetrates to the depth deemed optimum by the leading law-enforcement agency in the United States," said Larry Head, director and chief engineer of handgun ammunition.

Original Hydra-Shok has been a self-defense staple since its creation in 1989 in response to the FBI's request for a projectile with better terminal ballistics than traditional cup-and-core bullets, according to the company. The Hydra-Shok bullet's notched jacket, non-bonded lead core and unique center-post hollow-point design produced better penetration and more consistent threat-stopping expansion than other bullets at the time, the company says.

"FBI performance requirements and protocol testing have evolved over time," said Head. "One of the most notable changes has been the desire for deeper-penetrating rounds and more consistency in penetration depths though all intermediate barriers."

New Hydra-Shok Deep was built to meet these modern standards. Its bullet features a core design that provides up to 50% deeper penetration than original Hydra-Shok, and the center post has been improved so it's more robust to provide better integrity and performance through barriers. Testing shows that Hydra-Shok Deep penetrates 15 inches in bare ballistics gelatin, which is the optimal depth, according to FBI standards.

Federal Premium is a brand of Vista Outdoor Inc., an outdoor sports and recreation company. For more information on Federal Premium, go to www.federalpremium.com .