Federal’s new Federal Master Class line dropped earlier this year with some bold claims about bridging the gap between their budget Top Gun loads and premium High Over All shells. They sent me several boxes to test, and after putting them through their paces on actual sporting clays courses, I can tell you where they land.
Federal Coverage on AllOutdoor
Specifications: Federal Master Class 12GA
The Master Class lineup includes six different 12-gauge 2¾-inch offerings, all built around the same core concept: competition-grade components in a cost-effective package. Federal’s pitch centers on that Podium wad and harder shot delivering better patterns and more consistent target breaks on challenging sporting clays presentations.
Current 12-gauge Loads:
- 1 oz at 1250 fps (7.5 or 8 shot)
- 1⅛ oz at 1235 fps (7.5 or 8 shot)
- 1 oz at 1300 fps (7.5 or 8 shot)
Key Highlights:
- One-piece Podium wad (same as their premium High Over All line)
- High-antimony lead shot for harder pellets
- Two-piece straight-wall hull with inserted plastic base wad
- Striated tube design
- Blue hull
- 25 rounds per box
- MSRP: $15.99 per box
Range Time: Putting Federal Master Class to Work
I tested these shells across two sporting clays sessions using my Stevens 555 over/under. Put four boxes downrange total – two each of the 7.5 and 8 shot loads. Federal designed these specifically for sporting clays, and that focus shows in every component choice. These aren’t general-purpose target loads – they’re built for the demands of sporting clays courses where targets come from every angle at varying speeds and distances.
Performance was solid across the board. Zero failures to fire or extraction issues through the Stevens. The blue hulls look sharp but don’t affect anything beyond aesthetics. Recoil felt typical for target loads – the Stevens is a light gun, so everything kicks a bit, but nothing stood out as particularly soft or harsh.
Target breaks were consistent and clean, though without controlled testing conditions, it’s tough to definitively say they hit harder than quality budget loads. They seemed to break clays reliably, but so do most decent target shells when you put them where they need to go.
Here’s where things get real. At $15.99 per box, Master Class shells cost significantly more than the cheap target loads I normally shoot. I typically grab whatever reliable brand target load is on sale – usually $8-12 per box.
Are the Master Class shells better? Probably. The harder shot and premium wad will likely provide more consistent patterns and energy transfer. But for a recreational shooter like me, that improvement isn’t worth nearly doubling my ammo cost.
The target audience becomes obvious pretty quickly. These aren’t for weekend clay shooters or casual hunters. Federal designed Master Class for serious sporting clays competitors who want an edge but don’t need reloadable hulls. If you’re shooting registered competitions or trying to extract every bit of performance from your setup, the extra cost per box might make sense.
Note on Reloading: The Master Class uses a two-piece straight-wall hull with brass-plated steel heads. While they look decent, from what I can tell, these aren’t designed with reloaders in mind – Federal clearly intended these as shoot-and-go shells for competitors who don’t reload their own ammunition.
Final Thoughts: Federal Master Class 12GA
Federal hit their target with Master Class – it’s a legitimate step up from basic target loads without the premium pricing of their top-tier ammunition. The components are quality, performance is solid, and they’ll definitely appeal to competitive shooters. If you’re like me and grab whatever target load is cheap for recreational shooting, stick with your budget shells. These won’t magically improve your shooting, and the performance gain typically isn’t worth the cost increase for casual use.
However, if you’re serious about sporting clays competition and currently shooting basic target loads, Master Class could be worth the upgrade. The improved components should provide more consistent performance when those difficult targets really count.
Federal positioned these perfectly between their budget Top Gun and premium High Over All offerings. They just cost too much for my taste, but competitive shooters will likely find the price point reasonable for the performance they deliver. Quality competition shells that deliver what they promise, but know what you’re paying for before you make the jump from budget target loads.
In closing, I want to say thank you to Federal for allowing AllOutdoor and myself the opportunity to try out their Master Class sporting clays loads. That is greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to know what all of you guys and gals think? Do you believe these competition-grade shells are worth spending your money on? Would you take these out to the sporting clays course? Would this be your go-to competition load? Let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
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