Federal Top Gun Sporting is a 1 oz, 2 3/4-inch 12-gauge target load made for sporting clays. Its hard lead #8 runs 1,330 fps, under the wad column and eight-segment crimp of the rest of the line. A full ounce driven that hard is a light payload at speed, where a handicap trap shell carries an eighth of an ounce more and goes slower.

An ounce of #8 comes to about 410 pellets. Free recoil is about 23 ft-lbs in a 7.5 lb gun, about 5 over the 1,180 fps loading of the same payload and shot size.

If you're cross-shopping, Rio Star Team Target holds the same ounce of #8 at 1,250 fps on a brass-plated head, about 3 ft-lbs less recoil in the same gun. Remington Premier STS sends that same ounce of #8 out 145 fps slower, at 1,185 fps, on a reloadable unibody hull with a wad Remington says cushions the shot column.