Federal's Hydra-Shok Deep +P pushes a 130-grain hollow point at 900 fps for 234 ft-lbs. Hydra-Shok Deep is Federal's center-post hollow point, the current version of the Hydra-Shok design, built for defensive use. The power factor is 117, over the 105 IDPA stock-revolver floor and 3 under the 120 USPSA revolver-minor floor. From a 25-yard zero it drops 2.3 inches at 50 yards, where it still carries 211 ft-lbs, and 16.1 inches at 100. It is a +P load, so make sure your revolver is rated for it. The nickel-plated brass case is reloadable.

It is the mid-speed load among the hollow points here. CCI Blazer +P 125 and Remington UMC +P 125 are 45 fps faster at 945 fps and 248 ft-lbs, 14 ft-lbs ahead, yet their lighter bullets make the same recoil energy in the same revolver, within 1 percent of the Federal. Hornady American Gunner 125 matches the Federal's 900 fps at 225 ft-lbs and drops within 0.1 inch of it at every checkpoint, with about 7 percent less recoil. The standard-pressure Speer Gold Dot 125 is 35 fps and 26 ft-lbs behind, with about 13 percent less recoil, and drops 1.4 inches more at 100 yards. Between the muzzle and 100 yards the Federal loses 43 ft-lbs and the UMC loses 50, so the 14 ft-lb gap at the muzzle narrows to 7.

Buy it if your revolver is rated for +P and you want a 130-grain defensive load that holds its recoil to the level of the 125-grain +P loads. If recoil is the problem, Hornady Critical Defense Lite 90 FTX makes about 22 percent less recoil energy in the same revolver at 1,200 fps, though it is down to 176 ft-lbs at 100 yards to the Federal's 191. For practice at the same bullet weight, Magtech 130 FMJ runs 100 fps slower with about 17 percent less recoil, so it will feel softer than this load, not the same.