Hornady Critical Defense .45 ACP 185gr FTX Ammo Ballistics
Nickel-Plated Brass Case • FTX • MPN: 90900
Hornady Critical Defense .45 ACP 185gr FTX Ammo Ballistics
Nickel-Plated Brass Case • FTX • MPN: 90900
Solved from this product's advertised 900 fps, 185gr bullet and G1 BC 0.140, with the sight 0.5" over the bore at standard conditions. Compare every zero for .45 ACP.
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.
.45 ACP 185gr 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 -16.6" 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 | 333 | 0.1 |
| 5 | -0.2" | -3.56 | -1.03 | 895 | 329 | 0.1 |
| 10 | 0.0" | -0.05 | -0.01 | 890 | 325 | 0.1 |
| 15 | +0.1" | +0.46 | +0.13 | 885 | 322 | 0.2 |
| 20 | 0.0" | +0.19 | +0.05 | 880 | 318 | 0.2 |
| 25 | -0.1" | -0.40 | -0.12 | 875 | 315 | 0.3 |
| 30 | -0.4" | -1.15 | -0.34 | 871 | 311 | 0.4 |
| 35 | -0.7" | -2.00 | -0.58 | 866 | 308 | 0.5 |
| 40 | -1.2" | -2.92 | -0.85 | 862 | 305 | 0.6 |
| 45 | -1.8" | -3.88 | -1.13 | 857 | 302 | 0.8 |
| 50 | -2.6" | -4.87 | -1.42 | 853 | 299 | 0.9 |
| 55 | -3.4" | -5.89 | -1.71 | 848 | 296 | 1.1 |
| 60 | -4.4" | -6.93 | -2.02 | 844 | 293 | 1.3 |
| 65 | -5.5" | -7.99 | -2.32 | 840 | 290 | 1.5 |
| 70 | -6.7" | -9.07 | -2.64 | 835 | 287 | 1.7 |
| 75 | -8.0" | -10.16 | -2.96 | 831 | 284 | 1.9 |
| 80 | -9.5" | -11.27 | -3.28 | 827 | 281 | 2.2 |
| 85 | -11.0" | -12.38 | -3.60 | 823 | 278 | 2.5 |
| 90 | -12.8" | -13.51 | -3.93 | 819 | 276 | 2.7 |
| 95 | -14.6" | -14.65 | -4.26 | 815 | 273 | 3.0 |
| 100 | -16.6" | -15.81 | -4.60 | 811 | 270 | 3.4 |
185gr G1 .140 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.
.45 ACP 185gr 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 -17.1" 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 | 333 | 0.1 |
| 5 | -0.2" | -4.02 | -1.17 | 895 | 329 | 0.1 |
| 10 | -0.1" | -0.51 | -0.15 | 890 | 325 | 0.1 |
| 15 | 0.0" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 885 | 322 | 0.2 |
| 20 | -0.1" | -0.27 | -0.08 | 880 | 318 | 0.2 |
| 25 | -0.2" | -0.86 | -0.25 | 875 | 315 | 0.3 |
| 30 | -0.5" | -1.62 | -0.47 | 871 | 311 | 0.4 |
| 35 | -0.9" | -2.47 | -0.72 | 866 | 308 | 0.5 |
| 40 | -1.4" | -3.38 | -0.98 | 862 | 305 | 0.6 |
| 45 | -2.1" | -4.34 | -1.26 | 857 | 302 | 0.8 |
| 50 | -2.8" | -5.33 | -1.55 | 853 | 299 | 0.9 |
| 55 | -3.7" | -6.35 | -1.85 | 848 | 296 | 1.1 |
| 60 | -4.7" | -7.39 | -2.15 | 844 | 293 | 1.3 |
| 65 | -5.8" | -8.45 | -2.46 | 840 | 290 | 1.5 |
| 70 | -7.0" | -9.53 | -2.77 | 835 | 287 | 1.7 |
| 75 | -8.4" | -10.62 | -3.09 | 831 | 284 | 1.9 |
| 80 | -9.8" | -11.73 | -3.41 | 827 | 281 | 2.2 |
| 85 | -11.5" | -12.85 | -3.74 | 823 | 278 | 2.5 |
| 90 | -13.2" | -13.98 | -4.07 | 819 | 276 | 2.7 |
| 95 | -15.1" | -15.12 | -4.40 | 815 | 273 | 3.0 |
| 100 | -17.1" | -16.27 | -4.73 | 811 | 270 | 3.4 |
185gr G1 .140 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.
.45 ACP 185gr 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 -2.3" at 50 and -16.1" 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 | 333 | 0.1 |
| 5 | -0.2" | -3.13 | -0.91 | 895 | 329 | 0.1 |
| 10 | 0.0" | +0.38 | +0.11 | 890 | 325 | 0.1 |
| 15 | +0.1" | +0.88 | +0.26 | 885 | 322 | 0.2 |
| 20 | +0.1" | +0.61 | +0.18 | 880 | 318 | 0.2 |
| 25 | 0.0" | +0.02 | +0.01 | 875 | 315 | 0.3 |
| 30 | -0.2" | -0.73 | -0.21 | 871 | 311 | 0.4 |
| 35 | -0.6" | -1.58 | -0.46 | 866 | 308 | 0.5 |
| 40 | -1.1" | -2.49 | -0.73 | 862 | 305 | 0.6 |
| 45 | -1.6" | -3.45 | -1.00 | 857 | 302 | 0.8 |
| 50 | -2.3" | -4.45 | -1.29 | 853 | 299 | 0.9 |
| 55 | -3.2" | -5.47 | -1.59 | 848 | 296 | 1.1 |
| 60 | -4.1" | -6.51 | -1.89 | 844 | 293 | 1.3 |
| 65 | -5.2" | -7.57 | -2.20 | 840 | 290 | 1.5 |
| 70 | -6.4" | -8.65 | -2.51 | 835 | 287 | 1.7 |
| 75 | -7.7" | -9.74 | -2.83 | 831 | 284 | 1.9 |
| 80 | -9.1" | -10.84 | -3.15 | 827 | 281 | 2.2 |
| 85 | -10.7" | -11.96 | -3.48 | 823 | 278 | 2.5 |
| 90 | -12.4" | -13.09 | -3.81 | 819 | 276 | 2.7 |
| 95 | -14.2" | -14.23 | -4.14 | 815 | 273 | 3.0 |
| 100 | -16.1" | -15.38 | -4.47 | 811 | 270 | 3.4 |
185gr G1 .140 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 185-grain FTX is a polymer-tipped hollow point .45 ACP load made for concealed carry. The FTX carries a soft polymer tip seated in its hollow cavity. It leaves the muzzle at 900 fps with 333 ft-lbs of energy.
Zeroed at 25 yards, it sits 2.3 inches low at 50 yards, within a tenth of an inch of Hornady Custom 200-grain XTP. Estimated recoil in a compact pistol is 6.9 ft-lbs, the lightest of the .45 ACP loads compared and 3.6 below Federal HST 230-grain JHP.
If you're cross-shopping, Hornady Custom 200-grain XTP leaves at the same 900 fps with 27 ft-lbs more from its heavier bullet. Speer Gold Dot 185-grain JHP shares this bullet weight and adds 120 ft-lbs at the muzzle.
- Keeps 299 of its 333 ft-lbs at 50 yards, 90 percent of the muzzle figure
- Standard pressure, so it carries in a pistol with no +P rating
- Its figures come from a three-inch test barrel, where the rest of the caliber is measured over five inches
- 131 ft-lbs behind Hornady Critical Duty +P 220-grain FlexLock at the muzzle
- Tied with Speer Gold Dot 185-grain JHP for the lightest bullet of the defensive loads compared
Similar Products Compared
| PRODUCT | WEIGHT | TYPE | VELOCITY | ENERGY | BC | PRICE/RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 185 gr | FTX | 900 fps | 333 ft-lbs | 0.14 |
$1.36
500 Rounds
|
|
| 185 gr | JHP | 1050 fps | 453 ft-lbs | 0.109 |
$1.43
200 Rounds
|
|
| 200 gr | JHP | 1080 fps | 518 ft-lbs | 0.138 |
$2.76
20 Rounds
|
|
| 200 gr | XTP | 900 fps | 360 ft-lbs | 0.151 | N/A | |
| 220 gr | FlexLock | 975 fps | 464 ft-lbs | 0.18 |
$1.45
500 Rounds
|
|
| 230 gr | JHP | 890 fps | 404 ft-lbs | 0.19 |
$0.64
1000 Rounds
|
All Hornady Critical Defense .45 ACP 185gr FTX Ammo Prices
| DEALER | QTY | PRICE | SHIPPING | TOTAL | PRICE/RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Basin Outdoors | 500 | $681.41 | $0.00 | $681.41 | $1.36 |
| Black Basin Outdoors | 200 | $278.01 | $0.00 | $278.01 | $1.39 |
| Black Basin Outdoors | 20 | $35.44 | $10.99 | $46.43 | $2.32 |
| Lucky Gunner | 20 | $33.00 | $18.43 | $51.43 | $2.57 |
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