Hornady - FTX - 73 Grain 223 Remington Ammo - 20 Rounds

Hornady Critical Defense. You’ll hope you’ll never need it, but you’ll always be glad you have it. This ammo is exclusively designed for personal protection. Sure – you could use it to tag and bag a whitetail, if you felt so inclined, but you’ll be best off keeping this 223 Rem ammo in your home defense AR.

The FTX is a polymer tipped bullet with an unconventional polymer tip. The aptly named Flex Tip is quite supple, which helps it trigger quicker expansion at lower velocities in addition to keeping the nose cavity free and clear of debris like fabric and drywall. The FTX is additionally armed with an InterLock ring, which promotes superior weight retention by staving off core/jacket separation and resultant momentum loss.

No denying the obvious: 73 grains is heavy for the 223 Rem. Its 2,790 fps muzzle velocity (24” barrel) is low because of it, although 971 ft lbs striking energy at 100 yards is hardly inadequate for defensive applications. Its large mass permits the FTX to reach its target with greater momentum – precisely what it needs to burrow deep.

This round’s bullet isn’t its only feature that’s optimized for self-defense. Its case is plated in nickel to guard against corrosion and feeding jams, and its propellant is engineered to emit less light when it combusts. Dimmer muzzle flashes help keep your eyes better acclimated to the dark!