Federal Personal Defense .32 ACP Hydro Shock Wins NRA Golden Bullseye for Ammo of the Year

NRA Women awarded Federal Premium the 2025 NRA Golden Bullseye for Ammo of the Year, presented to Federal at an invitation-only breakfast during the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, April 25, 2025.

I spend a lot of time shooting with women, talking to women and training with women. If there’s one thing I know, if a gun’s recoil is too punishing, women will not participate in long or frequent range sessions, so vital for firearm familiarity and competency. Some women put the gun down altogether, possibly at the cost of being able to one day defend herself or her family in a real-life situation. Fortunately, today there are much-welcomed alternatives in defensive ammo—including some old ones that are new again, like the .32 ACP, which could prove to be a good option for the recoil-sensitive. In 2024 we published, “Is the .32 ACP Cartridge Making a Comeback?” While only time will tell, all we can say is that we hope so. After testing, we declared that Federal Premium’s 60-gr. .32 ACP Hydro Shock cartridge, a load specifically designed for defensive use, is a viable solution for women who, for personal reasons, can’t rise above the challenges of shooting .45 ACP, 9 mm or even .380 Auto. —NRAWomen.com Editor-in-Chief Ann Y. Smith