HRNDY 357MAG 158GR JHP/XTP 25/250

Description

Hornady Custom .357 Magnum loaded with the XTP bullet is a straightforward choice for anyone who carries a revolver and wants ammunition that performs predictably under pressure. It is not a range round dressed up with defensive marketing — the XTP bullet was engineered specifically for terminal performance, and the design reflects that priority throughout.

The XTP, which stands for Extreme Terminal Performance, is a jacketed hollow point built around controlled expansion. The jacket is serrated at the nose in a pattern that regulates how the bullet opens as it passes through tissue, slowing the expansion enough to allow deep penetration rather than spending all its energy in the first inch of travel. That balance between expansion diameter and penetration depth is the central engineering trade-off in defensive handgun ammunition, and Hornady’s approach here favors consistent, predictable results over maximum expansion that can compromise penetration through clothing or barriers.

At 158 grains, this loading sits at the heavier end of common .357 Magnum bullet weights. Heavier bullets in this caliber tend to carry momentum well through intermediate materials and produce somewhat more manageable recoil in full-size revolvers compared to lighter, faster loads, though the trade-off is a flatter-shooting, faster option at shorter defensive distances. The muzzle velocity of 1,250 feet per second positions this load firmly in full-power .357 Magnum territory, generating meaningful terminal energy without pushing into the upper range of the cartridge where felt recoil becomes harder to manage for quick follow-up shots.

Brass casings are reloadable for those who reload, and Hornady selects powders and primers matched to the bullet to keep pressure curves consistent across rounds — which matters for velocity uniformity and reliable primer ignition. Made in the USA. Sold in boxes of 25.