It is always shotshell season over at Hevi-Shot, and the 2025 outdoor industry’s SHOT Show in Las Vegas proves there are no exceptions this year.
The Sweet Home, Oregon, brand dominates the specialty shot market and debuted not one or two, but a boatload of ammo options for the new year. In all, with brand-new products and beefy line extensions, Hevi-Shot was showing 35 new loads for hunters.
Here are the highlights.
New Ammo for 2025
While we don’t have time to get into every single launch or expansion, let’s hit a few of the big players. For starters, there are two entirely new product families: Hevi-Hitter and Hevi-Bismuth Turkey.
Hevi-Hitter: This one partners a premium shot in tungsten TSS with more affordable steel. Hevi-Hitter is sure to be welcomed by those who pursue ducks and geese, as they’ll get some of the benefits of tungsten without handing over an arm and a leg at the cash register. Announced in 12, 16, 20, and 28 gauge, these young shotshells use a stacked load.
The blend includes 20 percent TSS layered over 80 percent steel shot, with both shot types being the same size. Tungsten, of course, is touted to “hit 54 percent harder in terms of kinetic energy.” It has been wildly coveted for its terminal performance yet shunned by many cost-conscious hunters.
Hevi-Hitter looks to combine those two camps pretty darn well. It’s especially interesting to see that the company included sub-gauges like 28 and 16 as part of the launch, with both seeing recently renewed interest.
Hevi-Bismuth Turkey: This is a new and interesting product, since the vast majority of specialty turkey loads use tungsten. Not surprisingly, Hevi-Bismuth Turkey packs a blend of #4 and #5 bismuth shot. The shells are available in either 12 or 20 gauge with 3-inch hulls.
According to company advertising, “Turkey hunters get blistering speed and 22 percent more energy compared to steel.” Certainly, steel is not the greatest comparison for gobbler chasers. Bismuth, on the other hand, has impressive metallic properties, not the least of which is that it is both friendly to the environment and older firearms with softer steel barrels.
No test is better than a hunt, so we look forward to having a go with Hevi-Bismuth Turkey during this 2025 gobbler season.
Other Ammo Line Additions
Hevi-Steel Upland: It seems like a majority of the company’s product lines received new selections for 2025. A few that caught our eye include Hevi-Steel Upland. It received four extensions that use #3, #5, #6, and #7 shot sizes. That expands Hevi-Steel Upland’s ability to bring down larger and heartier upland birds. The 25-round boxes list from $19.99.
Magnum Blend: Turkey hunters will appreciate two new Magnum Blend 28-gauge selections. Magnum Blend stuffs multiple shot sizes of tungsten pellets into each hull. The newest 28-gauge Magnum Blend will be available in both 2.75- and 3-inch hulls with #5, #6, and #7 shot.
In years past, most specialty 28-gauge turkey loads focused solely on the magnum-length 3-inch loads, though many shotgun manufacturers still built 2.75-inch chambers. New for 2025, there will be two 28-gauge 2.75-inch options in blended #7 and #9 shot, which we look forward to launching from Mossberg’s healthy list of gobbler-specific 28-gauge shotguns.
Muzzle velocity shows a snappy 1,200 fps on the latest Magnum Blends, but performance doesn’t come cheap. Five-round boxes of Magnum Blend 28-gauge shells retail from $39.99, but that stuff hits like a ton of bricks. It joins existing loads in 10, 12, and 20 gauges.
Hevi-13: Lastly, the pricey but potent Hevi-13 Turkey will return for 2025 with even more choices. The tungsten-filled shotshells are not only nontoxic but are touted to “offer 20 percent more effective range and energy than lead turkey payloads.”
There will be four 12- and 20-gauge offerings in 3-inch shells, each available with 12 g/cc tungsten shot in both #6 and #7. This load’s calling card is an all-range pattern density, high pellet counts, and, ultimately, more lethal hits on vital zones. Like Magnum Blend above, Hevi-13 sells in five-round boxes, with retail prices from $39.99
Final Thoughts
Fans of Hevi-Shot’s specialty loads, namely versions of bismuth and tungsten, will see those quality components make their way into even more products from partner brands Federal and Remington.
That’s not a surprise, given Hevi-Shot’s reputation for quality and its current business position. Hevi-Shot falls under The Kinetic Group umbrella, which is itself owned by CSG, a Czech Republic-based holdings group.
