The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Handguns: General Handgun Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old March 26, 2014, 08:12 AM   #1
damionkeller
Member
 
Join Date: December 10, 2013
Location: Gainesville, FL
Posts: 27
Hornady Ammo

Anyone have any experience with Honady's Critical Defense FTX ammo? I bought a box for my 9mm Ruger, but haven't shot any yet.
damionkeller is offline  
Old March 26, 2014, 08:25 AM   #2
Xfire68
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 31, 2010
Location: Communist State of IL.
Posts: 1,562
Hornady ammo is good stuff!
__________________
NRA Life Member, SAF Member
Xfire68 is offline  
Old March 26, 2014, 08:32 AM   #3
kcub
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 24, 2010
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 3,318
They rag me that they sell certain loads only to law enforcement.
kcub is offline  
Old March 26, 2014, 08:36 AM   #4
pilpens
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 24, 2008
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,696
I shot some of the Critical Defense 9mm ammo. Functions well in my 9mm pistols (Xdm, Kahr k9, Sig P6, and Walther P99). Seems the felt recoil is less with the Critical Defense than the Federal hydra shocks. I think the Critical defense I have are lighter bullets than the Hydra Shocks it replaced.
pilpens is offline  
Old March 26, 2014, 08:40 AM   #5
marine6680
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 24, 2012
Location: Parker, CO
Posts: 4,594
There are two important factors with HP ammo for defense use...

Does it perform well as a defensive round...

Does it function 100% in the pistol it's to be used in...


The first question can be answered on a basic level by looking at gel tests. So long as they are done properly. One with several shots is nice, as that gives a good average. Having several different people with tests is better, as lot numbers will be different usually. So if they all are consistent, you can reasonably assume the ammo will perform similarly for you.

Hornady critical defense has been shown to perform well. I can not remember the projectile size, but it is at least 124gr or more.

A note: Lighter than 124gr projectiles tend to be less consistent in their performance. So avoid those rounds... Some manufacturers offer several weights in their HP ammo, so know what you are picking up.


The second question can only be determined by test firing the ammo in the pistol you wish to use.

How much testing you need to be comfortable and confident in its performance in your pistol is up to you.


Some may say one 20rd box is enough for them... Cost may be a factor there... Others say a hundred rounds... Or two hundred.

Me, cost is a factor, but I need more than one box. I use at least 50 rounds as a minimum. More if I can, a hundred and I am pretty confident, but I do periodically test a mag or two as well, to ensure it remains viable ammo for me.
marine6680 is offline  
Old March 26, 2014, 09:14 AM   #6
biohazard313
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 16, 2013
Posts: 128
ive used crit def before, i tend to like the crit duty line better.

i scrapped both hornaday lines for winchester ranger t series for my EDC .40 cal
biohazard313 is offline  
Old March 26, 2014, 03:28 PM   #7
Goodguy14
Member
 
Join Date: January 28, 2014
Location: Orange, CA
Posts: 49
I have it in my px4 storm as we speak. 2nd MSG is full of federal premium HST. Good stuff IMO...
Goodguy14 is offline  
Old March 26, 2014, 11:03 PM   #8
ClydeFrog
Junior member
 
Join Date: May 1, 2010
Posts: 5,797
Hornady Critical Duty; Winchester Ranger T/T Series....

Id feel very safe & confident with the "Critical Duty" line of handgun rounds.
I got a 50rd box of Hornady Critical Duty .45acp from www.Policehq.com in 2013.
I looked into the highly rated Ranger T/T Series bonded line but couldn't find any open sources for it under 500rd lots.
SGammo.com of Stillwater OK was a decent source for Ranger-T in .40/9x19mm/.45acp prior to Sandy Hook 2012. I purchased 2 boxes of 127gr +P+ 9x19mm JHP in 2010.
Now, they never seem to have any Ranger T/T series calibers in stock.

A few online reviews & video clips document + results with the Critical Duty rounds & they seem to have more vendors/retail sources.
I no longer buy or shoot any Golden Saber defense rounds. The QC is really sub-standard. Corbon, www.ShopCorbon.com , has merit. The PowRball line & DPX are fine for most carry-duty-protection roles.
Speer Gold Dot has been purchased & used by 100s of US law enforcement agencies for many years with + results. I'd buy the 135gr +P JHP .38spl round for a snub or J frame S&W revolver.

Clyde
ClydeFrog is offline  
Old March 26, 2014, 11:31 PM   #9
Water-Man
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 23, 2008
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 2,126
In the Critical Defense tests I've seen and read about, it appears that they come up short in barrier penetration. Critical Duty tested better in that regard.
Water-Man is offline  
Old March 26, 2014, 11:51 PM   #10
FrankenMauser
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 25, 2008
Location: In the valley above the plain
Posts: 13,401
I have tried Critical Defense .380 Auto, 9mm, and .38 Special.
The .380 Auto ran well and didn't cause any problems.
The 9mm didn't run well at all in a Ruger P95 that has never had problems with anything else.
And, the .38 Special was ridiculously hot. I had to support the cylinder and take a rubber mallet to the ejector rod to extract the cases from a revolver that doesn't have extraction problems with anything else. -And that was with Hornady's 'slippery' nickel-plated cases.


Overall, I prefer Federal Hydra-Shoks or something from the Winchester Ranger line. I do run some 115 gr Gold Dots in .327 Federal, and 125 gr Remington HPs in .38 Special; but they're the oddities.
__________________
Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.
FrankenMauser is offline  
Old March 27, 2014, 08:20 AM   #11
damionkeller
Member
 
Join Date: December 10, 2013
Location: Gainesville, FL
Posts: 27
Thanks for all the feedback. Nice to hear from people with firsthand experience. Think I'll hit the range and give them a run this weekend.
damionkeller is offline  
Old March 27, 2014, 12:32 PM   #12
Vireye
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 21, 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 202
It's a quality round.

The sort of "dumbed down" version is that Critical Defense is formulated for shorter barrels, while Critical Duty is formulated for full-size firearms. I haven't run the numbers myself so take all of this for what it is, a guy who read statements on the internet. I carry accordingly, although I'll be testing some Federal Light Recoil 135gr 40 S&W in my Glock 22 next range trip...
Vireye is offline  
Old March 27, 2014, 02:11 PM   #13
Derbel McDillet
Junior member
 
Join Date: September 6, 2013
Location: Kitsap County, Washington
Posts: 316
Critical DEFENSE is for concealed carry-sized pistols.

Critical DUTY is for duty-sized (full size) handguns. It does not perform well when fired from the shorter barrels of smaller concealed carry handguns because the lead core is harder.

If you want to be prepared to shoot through auto glass or sheetmetal then Critical DEFENSE is a poor choice. More info here.

In addition Critical DEFENSE cannot be relied upon to penetrate deeply enough to reach vitals.

Whereas the terminal performance of Critical DUTY is inconsistent.

There are better JHP loads available - Gold Dot, HST.
Derbel McDillet is offline  
Old March 27, 2014, 02:52 PM   #14
Marty8613
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 13, 2014
Location: Grapevine TX
Posts: 378
Thunder 380

I shot both Critical Defense and Critical Duty in my Thunder 380 today. I am dropping Critical Defense as my SD ammo, it was very noticeably weaker. I like to have some recoil.
Marty8613 is offline  
Old March 27, 2014, 03:07 PM   #15
biohazard313
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 16, 2013
Posts: 128
yep i was same way, crit def > crit duty > win ranger t/fed HST/gold dot

only 3 loads i carry now depending on availability. i do also have a older 50 round box pre ban black talons havent decided to carry or what to with them yet. they are just sitting in the closet safe
biohazard313 is offline  
Old March 27, 2014, 07:43 PM   #16
Hunter0924
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 12, 2007
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 472
I have used Critical Defense in a few calibers and it performed well enough through soft barriers such as cloth and had good penetration, expansion, and weight retention in the ballistic gel.
__________________
My firearms review site. http://rangehot.com/
Hunter0924 is offline  
Old March 29, 2014, 09:35 PM   #17
subhuman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 21, 2013
Location: Alabama
Posts: 383
I find it amazing when people say the FTX critical defense round will not penatrate deep enough to reach the vital organs a 165 grain hollow point running at 1185fps is going to punch a big nasty hole into your chest cavity, the heart is about 3" into the chest with the lungs sittin on either side of it, that .40 caliber bullet is going to blow at least 6-10" into the body and expand out close to .60", a good center mass shot will probably hit and break the spine, a round coming in from the sides will tear through the lungs and probably reach the heart or major arteries leaving it.What about barrier penatration? The FTX has collapsed inward and punched clean holes through heavy cast iron skillets and continued on through wet phonebooks while still doing an inverted expansion. Anyone who thinks its not effective let see you volunteer to stand in front of it
subhuman is offline  
Old March 29, 2014, 11:16 PM   #18
KyJim
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 26, 2005
Location: The Bluegrass
Posts: 9,137
Quote:
that .40 caliber bullet is going to blow at least 6-10" into the body and expand out close to .60", a good center mass shot will probably hit and break the spine, a round coming in from the sides will tear through the lungs and probably reach the heart or major arteries leaving it.
But you present the best case scenario. As far as possible, you should plan for the worst case scenario. That's the whole reason for the FBI protocols -- 12 to 18 inches of penetration. Is ten inches enough? Maybe. Is six inches enough? Not in my book.

BTW, very few good center mass shots break spines. Lots of folks survive center mass shots without being crippled.
KyJim is offline  
Old March 30, 2014, 07:28 AM   #19
Tomac
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 15, 2001
Location: Caldwell, Idaho
Posts: 511
I've tested std pressure Critical Duty in bbls from 3" to 5" in water jugs (sorry, can't afford ballistic gel) and except for modest differences in expansion, penetration is sufficient and very similar (in every instance penetration was right at 4 jugs each time, either barely penetrating into the 5th jug or dimpling the back of the 4th which is appx 14"-16" of gel, right in the middle of the FBI's suggested 12"-18").

Shot placement and sufficient penetration are paramount, all else is secondary. We want expansion but we *need* sufficient penetration in a SD round.
Critical Defense deliberately sacrifices penetration (too much, IMHO, except for their .380 load) whereas Critical Duty sacrifices expansion for deeper penetration.

Since all handguns are relatively poor "stoppers" regardless of caliber or bullet used, I don't think a BG could tell the difference if shot w/any of the quality JHP's currently available. However, I choose to err on the side of penetration over expansion which is why I carry std pressure Critical Duty (std pressure over +P for faster followup shots) but YMMV.
Tomac
__________________
"His Universe, His rules." - Tomac
Tomac is offline  
Old March 31, 2014, 01:05 PM   #20
hubris
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 3, 2013
Location: SE Tn
Posts: 122
Hornady

I've fired both the Duty and Defense in 135gr. In both my Cougar Compact and Shield the Duty was a softer felt recoil; thus back on target more quickly. Similar to Gold Dot 124gr (non +P). I like both (GD 124 & Hornady Duty 135) better than any 115gr or 147gr I've tried in my two pistols. I've carried the Gold Dot over the winter with the Hornady in a spare mag.
hubris is offline  
Old March 31, 2014, 08:45 PM   #21
bn12gg
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 19, 2011
Location: Winter Park, Florida
Posts: 470
fwiw, I shoot nothing but Hornady 44 cal, 45 cal and 50 cal round ball out of my black powder rifles and revolvers. Good stuff !

.02

David
bn12gg is offline  
Old April 1, 2014, 04:33 PM   #22
Derbel McDillet
Junior member
 
Join Date: September 6, 2013
Location: Kitsap County, Washington
Posts: 316
Gelatin tests of Critical Duty 9mm, 40 S&W and .45 ACP (with photos of recovered projectiles): http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.p...+critical+duty
Derbel McDillet is offline  
Old April 1, 2014, 04:58 PM   #23
snolden
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 25, 2006
Location: N. E. AZ
Posts: 387
The critical duty and defense loadings have the best flash suppressant powder I have used. That is why I plunk down the cash for them. I run .45 230 gr from a 4" barrel. Works for me in both flavors. I do not test barrier penetration on my pistol ammo.
snolden is offline  
Old April 1, 2014, 09:07 PM   #24
Derbel McDillet
Junior member
 
Join Date: September 6, 2013
Location: Kitsap County, Washington
Posts: 316
Quote:
The critical duty and defense loadings have the best flash suppressant powder I have used. That is why I plunk down the cash for them. I run .45 230 gr from a 4" barrel.
.45 ACP 230gr Critical Defense/Critical Duty? That's interesting as it appears neither brand is offered in 230gr.
Derbel McDillet is offline  
Old April 2, 2014, 12:11 AM   #25
Brotherbadger
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 10, 2010
Posts: 1,149
I've heard good things about Hornady Critical Duty, but i haven't used it yet.
__________________
Once Fired Brass, Top quality, Fast shipping, Best prices.

http://300AacBrass.com/ -10% Coupon use code " badger "
Brotherbadger is offline  
Reply

Tags
ammunition , hornady

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:38 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.07574 seconds with 8 queries