HRNDY CD 223REM 73GR FTX 20/200

Description

Hornady’s Critical Defense line was built around a straightforward problem: conventional hollow points can plug with fabric, gel, or other material before reaching tissue, stalling expansion exactly when it matters most. The FTX bullet addresses this by seating a flexible polymer tip inside the hollow point cavity. That tip keeps the nose clear during penetration through layered clothing and then deforms inward on impact, initiating consistent expansion even when velocity is lower than ideal — a real consideration in short-barreled rifles where muzzle velocity drops off faster than with a longer tube.

At 73 grains, this projectile sits on the heavier end of the spectrum for .223 Remington defensive loads. That extra mass helps retain energy downrange and contributes to the controlled terminal performance Hornady designed the Critical Defense Rifle series around. The load runs out of brass-cased, Boxer-primed cartridges, which keeps the option open for handloaders who want to recover cases after a range session, and the Boxer primer design works with standard decapping tools without any special handling.

This ammunition is suited to shooters running modern sporting rifles for home defense or close-range predator work where a round that reliably expands through barriers is more useful than a pure varmint or target load. One practical note from Hornady’s own production notes: the Critical Defense line has had nickel plating suspended due to supply constraints, so brass-colored cases are current production — the ballistic performance is unchanged. Packaged 20 rounds per box.