Hornady's FTX bullet is a hollow point with a soft polymer tip, made for defensive carry. Critical Defense loads it at 165 grains and 900 fps for 297 ft-lbs at the muzzle. That is a power factor of 149, which scores minor but falls short of the 165 major floor. From a 25-yard zero the bullet lands 2.4 inches low at 50 yards and 16.3 inches low at 100, still moving 802 fps at the far mark.

Its nearest match in feel is Federal Personal Defense 180-grain, which starts 85 fps slower and kicks about 1 percent harder in the same revolver. Every other expanding load in the group recoils a good deal more. PMC Bronze 180 runs 80 fps faster with 87 ft-lbs more energy, but produces about 37 percent more recoil energy. Federal Champion 200 LSWCHP adds about 39 percent, Fiocchi 200 SJHP about 47 percent and CCI Blazer 200 about 52 percent. Drop barely separates them at handgun distances: at 50 yards the Champion prints 0.1 inch lower than the Hornady and the PMC 0.4 inch higher. At 100 yards the PMC is 2.2 inches flatter, which matters only for a long, deliberate shot.

This is a carry load for a lightweight revolver, chosen for the softest recoil of the expanding loads here while still firing a 165-grain bullet. It suits shooters who find the 200-grain loads hard to control on fast follow-up shots. Shooters who handle recoil well and want more energy should pick PMC Bronze 180, whose power factor of 176 clears the major floor with 11 to spare. Anyone who needs more power than this whole group offers should look at .44 Magnum instead.