Hornady Critical Defense .44 Special 165gr FTX Ammo Ballistics
Nickel-Plated Brass Case • FTX • MPN: 90700
Hornady Critical Defense .44 Special 165gr FTX Ammo Ballistics
Nickel-Plated Brass Case • FTX • MPN: 90700
Solved from this product's advertised 900 fps, 165gr bullet and G1 BC 0.125, with the sight 0.5" over the bore at standard conditions. Compare every zero for .44 Special.
How to read it: filled circles are the near and far zero, where the bullet's path crosses the line of sight;the triangle is the peak (max ordinate). The shaded band is the 4" vital zone, ±2" either side of the line of sight. The dashed line marks the edge of the hold-dead-on window. The chart is zoomed to where the zero matters; the tables below run to 100 yards.
.44 Special 165gr with a 10-yard zero
Zeroed at 10 yards with a 0.5" sight height, this load touches the line of sight at 10 yards and never rises more than 0.1" above it (effectively a tangent zero), and is -2.6" at 50 and -16.8" at 100 yards.
| Range (yd) | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) | Drop (MIL) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Wind drift, 10 mph (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | -0.5" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 900 | 297 | 0.1 |
| 5 | -0.2" | -3.54 | -1.03 | 894 | 293 | 0.1 |
| 10 | 0.0" | -0.04 | -0.01 | 889 | 289 | 0.1 |
| 15 | +0.1" | +0.47 | +0.14 | 883 | 286 | 0.2 |
| 20 | 0.0" | +0.19 | +0.06 | 878 | 282 | 0.3 |
| 25 | -0.1" | -0.40 | -0.12 | 873 | 279 | 0.3 |
| 30 | -0.4" | -1.16 | -0.34 | 867 | 276 | 0.4 |
| 35 | -0.7" | -2.01 | -0.59 | 862 | 272 | 0.6 |
| 40 | -1.2" | -2.93 | -0.85 | 857 | 269 | 0.7 |
| 45 | -1.9" | -3.90 | -1.13 | 852 | 266 | 0.9 |
| 50 | -2.6" | -4.90 | -1.43 | 847 | 263 | 1.0 |
| 55 | -3.4" | -5.93 | -1.73 | 843 | 260 | 1.2 |
| 60 | -4.4" | -6.99 | -2.03 | 838 | 257 | 1.4 |
| 65 | -5.5" | -8.06 | -2.34 | 833 | 254 | 1.7 |
| 70 | -6.7" | -9.15 | -2.66 | 828 | 251 | 1.9 |
| 75 | -8.1" | -10.25 | -2.98 | 824 | 249 | 2.2 |
| 80 | -9.6" | -11.37 | -3.31 | 819 | 246 | 2.4 |
| 85 | -11.2" | -12.51 | -3.64 | 815 | 243 | 2.7 |
| 90 | -12.9" | -13.65 | -3.97 | 810 | 241 | 3.1 |
| 95 | -14.8" | -14.81 | -4.31 | 806 | 238 | 3.4 |
| 100 | -16.8" | -15.98 | -4.65 | 802 | 236 | 3.7 |
165gr G1 .125 at 900 fps, 0.5" sight height over bore, standard conditions (59°F, sea level), 10 mph full-value crosswind. Positive drop is above the line of sight. This load is subsonic from the muzzle, so there is no transonic zone to cross. Source: Manufacturer's advertised velocity and BC.
.44 Special 165gr with a 15-yard zero
Zeroed at 15 yards with a 0.5" sight height, this load touches the line of sight at 15 yards without ever climbing above it (a tangent zero), and is -2.8" at 50 and -17.3" at 100 yards.
| Range (yd) | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) | Drop (MIL) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Wind drift, 10 mph (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | -0.5" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 900 | 297 | 0.1 |
| 5 | -0.2" | -4.01 | -1.17 | 894 | 293 | 0.1 |
| 10 | -0.1" | -0.50 | -0.14 | 889 | 289 | 0.1 |
| 15 | 0.0" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 883 | 286 | 0.2 |
| 20 | -0.1" | -0.27 | -0.08 | 878 | 282 | 0.3 |
| 25 | -0.2" | -0.86 | -0.25 | 873 | 279 | 0.3 |
| 30 | -0.5" | -1.62 | -0.47 | 867 | 276 | 0.4 |
| 35 | -0.9" | -2.48 | -0.72 | 862 | 272 | 0.6 |
| 40 | -1.4" | -3.40 | -0.99 | 857 | 269 | 0.7 |
| 45 | -2.1" | -4.36 | -1.27 | 852 | 266 | 0.9 |
| 50 | -2.8" | -5.36 | -1.56 | 847 | 263 | 1.0 |
| 55 | -3.7" | -6.39 | -1.86 | 843 | 260 | 1.2 |
| 60 | -4.7" | -7.45 | -2.17 | 838 | 257 | 1.4 |
| 65 | -5.8" | -8.52 | -2.48 | 833 | 254 | 1.7 |
| 70 | -7.1" | -9.61 | -2.80 | 828 | 251 | 1.9 |
| 75 | -8.4" | -10.71 | -3.12 | 824 | 249 | 2.2 |
| 80 | -9.9" | -11.84 | -3.44 | 819 | 246 | 2.4 |
| 85 | -11.6" | -12.97 | -3.77 | 815 | 243 | 2.7 |
| 90 | -13.3" | -14.12 | -4.11 | 810 | 241 | 3.1 |
| 95 | -15.2" | -15.27 | -4.44 | 806 | 238 | 3.4 |
| 100 | -17.3" | -16.45 | -4.78 | 802 | 236 | 3.7 |
165gr G1 .125 at 900 fps, 0.5" sight height over bore, standard conditions (59°F, sea level), 10 mph full-value crosswind. Positive drop is above the line of sight. This load is subsonic from the muzzle, so there is no transonic zone to cross. Source: Manufacturer's advertised velocity and BC.
.44 Special 165gr with a 25-yard zero
Zeroed at 25 yards with a 0.5" sight height, this load first crosses the line of sight at 9 yards, peaks +0.2" at 17 yards, returns to zero at 25, and is -2.4" at 50 and -16.3" at 100 yards.
| Range (yd) | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) | Drop (MIL) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Wind drift, 10 mph (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | -0.5" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 900 | 297 | 0.1 |
| 5 | -0.2" | -3.12 | -0.91 | 894 | 293 | 0.1 |
| 10 | 0.0" | +0.39 | +0.11 | 889 | 289 | 0.1 |
| 15 | +0.1" | +0.89 | +0.26 | 883 | 286 | 0.2 |
| 20 | +0.1" | +0.62 | +0.18 | 878 | 282 | 0.3 |
| 25 | 0.0" | +0.02 | +0.01 | 873 | 279 | 0.3 |
| 30 | -0.2" | -0.74 | -0.21 | 867 | 276 | 0.4 |
| 35 | -0.6" | -1.59 | -0.46 | 862 | 272 | 0.6 |
| 40 | -1.1" | -2.51 | -0.73 | 857 | 269 | 0.7 |
| 45 | -1.7" | -3.48 | -1.01 | 852 | 266 | 0.9 |
| 50 | -2.4" | -4.48 | -1.30 | 847 | 263 | 1.0 |
| 55 | -3.2" | -5.51 | -1.60 | 843 | 260 | 1.2 |
| 60 | -4.1" | -6.56 | -1.91 | 838 | 257 | 1.4 |
| 65 | -5.2" | -7.63 | -2.22 | 833 | 254 | 1.7 |
| 70 | -6.4" | -8.72 | -2.54 | 828 | 251 | 1.9 |
| 75 | -7.7" | -9.83 | -2.86 | 824 | 249 | 2.2 |
| 80 | -9.2" | -10.95 | -3.19 | 819 | 246 | 2.4 |
| 85 | -10.8" | -12.08 | -3.52 | 815 | 243 | 2.7 |
| 90 | -12.5" | -13.23 | -3.85 | 810 | 241 | 3.1 |
| 95 | -14.3" | -14.39 | -4.19 | 806 | 238 | 3.4 |
| 100 | -16.3" | -15.56 | -4.53 | 802 | 236 | 3.7 |
165gr G1 .125 at 900 fps, 0.5" sight height over bore, standard conditions (59°F, sea level), 10 mph full-value crosswind. Positive drop is above the line of sight. This load is subsonic from the muzzle, so there is no transonic zone to cross. Source: Manufacturer's advertised velocity and BC.
Product Overview
Hornady Critical Defense 165-grain FTX is a polymer-tipped hollow point .44 Special load made for personal protection. The FTX bullet carries a soft polymer plug seated in its nose cavity. It leaves the muzzle at 900 fps with 297 ft-lbs.
Zeroed at 25 yards, it lands 2.4 inches low at 50. Its estimated recoil of 5.5 ft-lbs in the same revolver is the lowest of the loads compared, with Federal Personal Defense Punch 180-grain sitting within a tenth of a foot-pound of it.
If you're cross-shopping, Federal Champion 200-grain LSWCHP starts 30 fps slower but carries 39 ft-lbs more at the muzzle from a bullet 35 grains heavier. PMC Bronze 180-grain runs 80 fps faster with 384 ft-lbs, and about 37 percent more estimated recoil in the same revolver.
- The softest-shooting of the expanding .44 Special loads compared, which helps on fast follow-up shots
- Brass under a nickel plating, where CCI Blazer 200-grain JHP is single-use aluminum
- Still carrying 263 ft-lbs at 50 yards
- The lightest bullet of the loads compared, so the 200-grain hollow points carry more energy at every distance
- PMC Bronze 180-grain is the one for more energy at a similar bullet weight
Similar Products Compared
| PRODUCT | WEIGHT | TYPE | VELOCITY | ENERGY | BC | PRICE/RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 165 gr | FTX | 900 fps | 297 ft-lbs | 0.125 |
$1.30
500 Rounds
|
|
| 180 gr | JHP | 815 fps | 265 ft-lbs | 0.145 |
$1.43
500 Rounds
|
|
| 180 gr | JHP | 980 fps | 384 ft-lbs | 0.105 |
$0.88
500 Rounds
|
|
| 200 gr | LSWCHP | 870 fps | 336 ft-lbs | 0.14 | N/A | |
| 200 gr | SJHP | 900 fps | 360 ft-lbs | 0.15 |
$1.15
500 Rounds
|
|
| 200 gr | JHP | 920 fps | 376 ft-lbs | 0.145 | N/A |
All Hornady Critical Defense .44 Special 165gr FTX Ammo Prices
| DEALER | QTY | PRICE | SHIPPING | TOTAL | PRICE/RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Basin Outdoors | 500 | $650.44 | $0.00 | $650.44 | $1.30 |
| Black Basin Outdoors | 200 | $276.34 | $0.00 | $276.34 | $1.38 |
| Black Basin Outdoors | 20 | $31.35 | $10.99 | $42.34 | $2.12 |
| Lucky Gunner | 20 | $30.00 | $18.43 | $48.43 | $2.42 |
Dealer links open the dealer's site. Some are affiliate links, and AmmoSight may earn a commission at no cost to you.
Firearms Chambered in .44 Special
Looking for a firearm that shoots this ammo? Browse our selection of .44 Special firearms.
Browse .44 Special Handguns →