Hornady Manufacturing, Inc. has been making quality ammunition for decades. From starting the original two-man operation in 1949 to becoming an industry leader in bullet design and development, Hornady has retained a strong commitment to quality and reliability. Its wide variety of ammunition spans from dependable self-defense handgun rounds to accurate hunting rifle cartridges, and everything in between. Here’s everything you need to know about Hornady’s top loads.
Varmint Express Rimfire
Hornady Varmint Express teaches us that small cartridges can still pack a punch. This is accomplished via the specialized V-Max projectile. The Hornady V-Max bullet is designed with a polymer tip and provides rapid and uniform expansion over small game under 50 pounds. Available in .17 HMR and .22 WMR, the Varmint Express Rimfire is great for putting down pests such as prairie dogs, rabbits, and squirrels.
The .17 HMR pushes a 17-grain projectile around 2,550 fps, translating to about 245 ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle. In .22 WMR, the round launches a 30-grain bullet 2,200 fps, creating 322 ft/lbs. These are some of the hardest-hitting rimfire cartridges currently on the market. The Varmint Express is a fast and accurate offering that is incredibly flat shooting.
Critical Defense and Critical Duty
Hornady’s Critical Defense and Critical Duty are some of its most popular rounds. These handgun cartridges are available in all the popular calibers — and even some that are less popular. But what’s the difference between the two?
Hornady Critical Defense is aimed at the concealed carry and personal protection crowd. Critical Defense is also offered in a few rifle and shotgun loadings, but you’ll mainly see this available in calibers popular for everyday carry, such as .380, .38, 9mm, .40, .357, .45, etc.
The FTX bullet will expand reliably and will not clog like standard hollow point bullets when traveling through heavy clothing. The polymer tip also helps improve reliability in semi-automatic firearms. Additionally, Critical Defense ammunition is optimized for short-barreled, concealed carry-style handguns and will not deliver excessive recoil and muzzle flip.
Critical Duty is available in calibers popular for industry use, meaning 9mm, .357 SIG, .357 Mag, .40 S&W, 10mm, and .45 ACP. It is intended for people in law enforcement and other tactical professionals. It’s also perfect for law-abiding citizens who prefer a full-size handgun for personal protection and demand superior barrier penetration and subsequent terminal performance.
The FlexLock bullets loaded in all Critical Duty cartridges are rugged, heavy-jacketed bullets that deliver virtually “barrier blind” performance. This increased penetration is due to the jacket-to-core InterLock band, which works to keep the bullet and core from separating for maximum weight retention. Further, Nickel-coated cases aid in feeding and a low-flash propellant helps preserve your vision in low-light combat scenarios.
Hornady Subsonic
Shhh… Quiet down for our lesson on Hornady Subsonic. This specialized loading is intended for suppressor use. Hornady Subsonic travels slower than the speed of sound, which allows for maximum decibel reduction, making your shots quieter than standard-velocity ammo.
This loading uses the innovative Hornady Sub-X (Subsonic eXpanding) bullet, which features a hollow point design with long grooves in the jacket to produce reliable expansion at lower velocities. Engineered for near-perfect flight travel and extreme accuracy, Hornady Subsonic is an excellent choice for hunting or self-defense in handguns and rifles built to run suppressed.
In calibers such as .45 ACP and .300 Blackout, which already utilize a slower-moving projectile, the effects are even more apparent.
Superformance and Superformance Varmint
Hornady Superformance is designed to travel faster than standard loads without an increase in felt recoil, muzzle blast, fouling, or loss of accuracy. These Superformance cartridges utilize specialized powders at normal charge weights, as well as an advanced Super Shock Tip projectile.
The Super Shock Tip bullet transfers its massive force to produce extreme shock and increase the chance of instantly disabling the target. SST bullets feature a polymer-tipped hollow point that expands quickly and evenly to produce a large, consistent wound channel. Furthermore, they fly flatter with the drag-reducing boattail shape.
Hornady also offers a Superformance Varmint line, so hunters can reap the benefits of the advanced propellant technology in their favorite varmint cartridges. These deliver improved accuracy, increased range, flatter trajectory, less wind drift, and devastating terminal results. On average, Superformance Varmint ammunition delivers muzzle velocities that are 100–200 fps higher than standard loads.
Hornady Match
Hornady Match grade rifle ammunition is well known for providing high-quality loads designed for one purpose — precision target shooting! If you’ve been wondering how accurate your rifle really is, you need a cartridge that can keep up. Hornady match-grade ammunition features specially selected brass cases paired with perfectly matched bullets and is carefully mixed with high-quality powders/primers.
Hornady’s strict quality control methods and tight tolerances combine to present you with a match-grade cartridge that’s second to none. In long-range calibers such as 6.5 Creedmoor or .300 Winchester Magnum, Hornady Match is an absolute competitive edge. Even in .223 Remington, the cartridge works wonders. Whether you’re a precision rifle shooter or just looking to squeeze more accuracy out of your 3-Gun build, Hornady Match is up to the task.
Precision Hunter
Looking for match-grade accuracy while out in the field hunting? Accuracy and consistency are the foundation of Hornady Precision Hunter ammunition. The engineers at Hornady have carefully developed superior match-accurate hunting loads that allow the Extremely Low-Drag eXpanding (ELD-X) projectile to achieve its maximum ballistic potential. The ELD-X bullet is designed to be more aerodynamic than the traditional boattail design, while still producing good expansion and terminal ballistics. This is a great way to give classic hunting calibers, such as .243, .270, and .308 Winchester, a welcomed boost.
The propellants used in the Precision Hunter ammunition line are clean burning and feature consistent capacity. Further, propellant and primer combinations are carefully selected to provide the most consistent results possible, regardless of temperature. This attention to detail provides the highest levels of accuracy and performance uniformity for the most demanding and diverse hunting situations.
Handgun Hunter
Hornady Handgun Hunter ammunition is built around a bullet designed for rough and rugged game. The MonoFlex handgun projectile is manufactured with a tough copper alloy that achieves deep penetration and 95% weight retention. An elastomer material has been added to the bullet’s open cavity to aid expansion across a range of velocities. Upon impact, the elastomer compresses, then pushes out and causes the bullet to expand faster than a standard hollow point design. Whether you’re looking for the perfect load for handgun hunting or just need a good round for defense in the great outdoors, Hornady Handgun Hunter is a solid option. In cartridges such as the 10mm Auto, .45 ACP, .357 Magnum, and .44 Magnum, the round truly excels.
Hornady Cowboy
Cowboy Action Shooters demand total reliability from their ammo and Hornady delivers. Like all Hornady ammo, these Cowboy Action rounds are engineered for near flawless performance. The swaged bullets are squeezed into shape, rather than cast. Because of this, the projectile flattens at the target instead of fragmenting. Also, the diamond knurling means the bullet is lubed along the entire length of the bearing surface, resulting in less leading. Rounding out the cartridge’s features is Hornady’s clean burning propellant. This all adds up to some of the highest-quality cowboy ammo on the market.
Available in .45 Colt and .44-40 Winchester, Hornady Cowboy ammo is loaded to the standard pressures of cartridges from the day. They’re designed to ensure proper function in authentic-style revolvers and Western firearms.
Dangerous Game
Hornady’s Dangerous Game Bonded Series line of ammunition delivers hard-hitting accuracy when hunting large and dangerous game. It’s available in large calibers such as .375 Ruger, .375 H&H Mag., .404 Jeffery, .416 Rem. Mag., .416 Rigby, .458 Lott, .470 Nitro Express, and .500 Nitro Express. Dangerous Game ammo features Hornady’s DGX bonded projectile for outstanding ballistic performance. The bonded projectiles utilize a copper-clad steel jacket that is bonded to a lead core to provide controlled expansion, along with deep penetration and high weight retention.
Additionally, the Hornady Dangerous Game eXpanding bonded projectile is built to expand to 1.5 to 2x the original bullet diameter. The bonding process prevents separation from high-energy impacts on tough material — such as bone — ensuring the projectile stays together. Finally, all powder and primers are carefully selected to provide you with the most consistency, shot after shot.
What’s your favorite Hornady ammo? How do these options compare to your favorite loads? Share your thoughts or experiences in the Comment section.
