HRNDY CD 357MAG 125GR 25/250

Description

Hornady’s Critical Defense line was built around a specific problem: conventional hollow points plug with clothing fibers before they can expand, turning a defensive round into something closer to a solid. The FTX bullet addresses this directly. Its polymer tip occupies the hollow cavity, preventing that plugging, and then collapses inward on impact to initiate reliable, consistent expansion regardless of whether the bullet passes through heavy denim, leather, or layered fabric before reaching tissue.

The 125-grain projectile in .357 Magnum leaves the muzzle at 1,500 feet per second, generating 624 foot-pounds of energy — figures that put it firmly in the upper tier of revolver defensive loads. That velocity also makes bullet behavior through intermediate barriers more predictable than slower, heavier options in the same caliber.

Hornady loads Critical Defense with low-flash propellants, which matters in a low-light defensive situation where muzzle flash can temporarily compromise your vision. The cases are nickel-plated, which makes chambered rounds easier to see in dim conditions during a chamber check and resists corrosion better than bare brass over the long cycles of a carry load sitting in a cylinder.

Each box contains 25 rounds. This is a round designed to be carried, not shot in volume at the range — the per-round cost reflects that purpose. If you run a .357 Magnum revolver for home defense or carry, this load is engineered specifically for that role rather than adapted from a target or hunting design.