200 Rounds of 185gr JHP .45 Long-Colt Ammo by Hornady

It’s easy to find 45 Long Colt ammo for target shooting, and no one on earth would deny that a traditional lead round nose couldn’t prove effective for self-defense. But if you’re counting on a forty-five – and we mean the original forty-five – for protection, then your safety deserves purpose-built defensive ammunition.

This is Critical Defense series 45 Colt ammo by Hornady of Nebraska. It features the 185 grain FTX: a jacketed hollow point, with a polymer insert that protects its nose cavity against clogging up as it passes through a fabric barrier. The FTX is effective at lower velocities, and will expand even if it is fired from a shorter barrel (Hornady recorded this round’s 920 fps muzzle velocity with a 3” vented barrel). The FTX’s stopping power is no less effective on small game, and will rest safely in a lever-action rifle’s tubular magazine.

Critical Defense ammo is loaded with propellant that is formulated to reduce felt recoil and limit muzzle flash. Those are both ways of helping you keep your sights trained on the target. Hornady’s Critical Defense ammo previously featured nickel-plated brass cases; this ammo is loaded with non-plated albeit still high-quality brass.