Hornady's American Gunner 180-grain is the mildest .40 S&W hollow point in this set, at 950 fps and 361 ft-lbs. The bullet is Hornady's XTP, a jacketed hollow point made to open in a controlled way rather than all at once. Power factor is 171, only 6 over the 165 USPSA major floor. From a 25-yard zero it drops 2.0 inches at 50 yards and 14.3 inches at 100, arriving at 902 fps and 861 fps.

Every other 180-grain hollow point here is faster. Sellier & Bellot at 974 fps is 24 fps and 18 ft-lbs ahead with about 4 percent more recoil energy in the same pistol. Magtech at 990 fps is 40 fps and 31 ft-lbs ahead with about 7 percent more. Remington Golden Saber and Blazer Brass, both 1,015 fps and 412 ft-lbs, are 65 fps and 51 ft-lbs ahead and kick about 12 percent harder. Speer Gold Dot at 1,025 fps and 420 ft-lbs tops it by 75 fps and 59 ft-lbs with about 14 percent more recoil. Downrange the gap holds: at 100 yards the American Gunner drops 14.3 inches against 12.5 for Blazer Brass and Gold Dot, and arrives at 861 fps against 907 and 902, 46 and 41 fps slower. Magtech splits the difference at 13.1 inches and 895 fps.

Buy this if recoil is the deciding factor and you still want a 180-grain hollow point; nothing else in the class is softer, and it is the closest hollow-point match to a 180-grain ball practice load. That match is nearly exact: Ammo Inc Signature 180-grain TMJ runs 958 fps, 8 fps faster, with about 1 percent more recoil energy. Buy something else if you need a margin over major from a compact: 6 points over the floor is about 33 fps, and Magtech at 990 fps gives you a wider cushion.