Black Hills loads the lightest bullet in this comparison set: a 50-grain fluted solid copper HoneyBadger with no hollow point cavity, built for defensive use. It leaves the muzzle at 1,050 fps with 122 ft-lbs of energy, the fastest load in the set and the lowest in muzzle energy. From a 25-yard zero it is 1.8 inches low at 50 yards and 13.1 inches low at 100; a close-range pistol load like every .32 ACP. Recoil energy is the lowest of the group, about 25 percent less than either Hornady 60-grain load in the same pistol.

The trade is energy for speed. Hornady Critical Defense 60 and Hornady Custom 60 XTP both run 1,000 fps, 50 fps slower, but their heavier bullets carry 133 ft-lbs, 11 ft-lbs more than the HoneyBadger. Silvertip 60 at 970 fps and Speer Gold Dot 60 at 960 fps give up 80 and 90 fps to the Black Hills while landing within 3 ft-lbs of its energy. PMC Bronze 60-grain JHP sits between them at 980 fps and 128 ft-lbs. The light bullet shows most in recoil: Gold Dot produces about 25 percent more recoil energy than the HoneyBadger in the same pistol, and the two Hornady loads about 34 percent more.

This is the load for a shooter who wants the softest-recoiling defensive .32 ACP in the set and a bullet that does not use a hollow point. If you would rather have a heavier bullet at the same energy, Federal Hydra-Shok 65-grain runs 925 fps for 123 ft-lbs, 1 ft-lb more than the HoneyBadger from 15 grains more bullet, but produces about 37 percent more recoil energy in the same pistol. For practice, PMC Bronze 71-grain FMJ at 900 fps kicks about 55 percent harder than the HoneyBadger in the same pistol.