Hornady

Hornady Critical Defense: The Defensive Ammunition Standard

Hornady Critical Defense is engineered for short-barrel defensive pistols — a problem most hollow point ammunition doesn't address. Standard hollow points can clog with clothing fibers, drywall, or other material before reaching tissue, preventing expansion. Critical Defense uses a Flex Tip polymer insert in the hollow point cavity that initiates expansion on contact regardless of what the bullet passed through first. It's designed for the 3–4-inch barrels of compact carry guns where velocity is lower than test-barrel specs. For concealed carry in .380 ACP, 9mm, .38 Special, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP, Critical Defense remains one of the most recommended defensive loads available.

Hornady Critical Duty: The Duty Load Standard

Critical Duty is engineered to FBI Handgun Ammunition Protocol standards — the testing methodology used by law enforcement agencies to evaluate defensive ammunition. Where Critical Defense is optimized for compact carry guns, Critical Duty is designed for full-size duty pistols and barrier penetration through automotive glass, sheet metal, wallboard, plywood, and heavy clothing. Critical Duty uses the FlexLock bullet, loaded to higher pressure than Critical Defense. For full-size duty pistols and anyone who wants ammunition engineered specifically to FBI protocol specifications, Critical Duty is the appropriate choice over Critical Defense.

Hornady ELD-X and ELD Match: Long-Range Performance

The Hornady ELD-X (Extremely Low Drag – eXpanding) uses a Heat Shield tip that resists aerodynamic heating at high velocities — addressing a problem where standard polymer tips melt and deform at the speeds reached by modern long-range cartridges, affecting BC consistency. The ELD-X is a hunting bullet that maintains its ballistic coefficient from muzzle to terminal, available in Hornady's Precision Hunter line in 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win, .300 Win Mag, and other hunting calibers. The ELD Match uses the same Heat Shield concept in a competition-accuracy open-tip design loaded in Hornady Match factory ammunition — one of the most accurate factory loads available for precision rifle competition.

Hornady Superformance: Maximum Velocity from Factory Loads

Hornady Superformance uses a proprietary propellant blend that generates higher muzzle velocity than standard factory loads — typically 100–200 fps faster than comparable hunting loads in the same caliber. This additional velocity flattens trajectory and increases terminal energy, particularly valuable for western hunters who regularly shoot past 300 yards. Superformance is available in a wide range of hunting calibers with SST (Super Shock Tip), GMX (copper), and InterLock bullets. For hunters who want more speed from their existing rifle without handloading, Superformance is the factory load answer.

Hornady Black: Optimized for Modern Platforms

Hornady Black is a line of ammunition specifically optimized for modern sporting rifles, pistol caliber carbines, and suppressed applications. It uses purpose-selected projectiles for each caliber and platform — V-MAX for varmint AR builds, A-MAX for subsonic suppressor loads, FMJ for reliable cycling in military-pattern rifles. Hornady Black .300 Blackout in 208gr A-MAX is one of the most widely used subsonic .300 BLK loads for suppressed SBR builds. The Black line covers common AR-15 calibers (5.56, .300 Blackout, 6.5 Grendel), pistol caliber carbine rounds (9mm, .45 ACP), and specialty calibers (.50 Beowulf).

Hornady American Gunner: Quality Hollow Points at Accessible Prices

American Gunner uses Hornady's proven XTP (eXtreme Terminal Performance) bullet — a hollow point with a long track record in both defensive and hunting applications — at a price point between bulk FMJ and premium Critical Defense. For shooters who want a quality hollow point for home defense and practice at a more accessible cost than Critical Defense, American Gunner is the practical choice. It's also used by competition shooters who want to practice with a hollow point load that closely approximates their carry ammunition.

Hornady LEVERevolution: Flat-Trajectory Lever-Action Loads

LEVERevolution solved a century-old lever-action limitation. Tube magazines require flat or round-nose bullets for safety — pointed bullets can detonate primers under recoil. Flat-nose bullets have poor ballistic coefficients and drop quickly. LEVERevolution's Flex Tip polymer bullets are safe in tube magazines (the soft tip compresses rather than denting primers) while providing pointed-bullet BC advantages — improving trajectory by 40%+ over traditional flat-nose loads in .30-30, .35 Remington, .45-70, .444 Marlin, and other lever-action calibers. For hunters who run lever-action rifles, LEVERevolution is a meaningful performance upgrade over traditional flat-nose loads. See our lever-action rifles page.

Hornady Reloading Components

Hornady is one of the most popular component bullet manufacturers for handloaders. Their lineup covers every popular caliber in a range of bullet styles — XTP for defensive and hunting handgun use, InterLock and SST for hunting rifle applications, ELD-X and ELD Match for long-range precision, and V-MAX for varmint applications. Hornady also produces brass, die sets, and reloading manuals. The Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading is one of the most comprehensive and widely used reloading references available. For reloaders who want matched components and load data from a single trusted source, Hornady's component and tool ecosystem is well-integrated. See our reloading supplies page.

Shop Hornady at Impact Guns

Browse the full Hornady ammunition and reloading selection at Impact Guns. For other premium ammunition brands, see our Federal and Speer pages. For specific caliber ammo pages, see 9mm, .223/5.56, .308 Win, and 6.5 Creedmoor.