quick test of the Hornady Critical Defense .410 rounds

[Jayne]

Picked up some of the Hornady Critical Defense .410 rounds for my snake killin' S&W Governor and tested them out today. The rounds are a .41 cal FTX slug followed by two 35 cal round balls. We fired at a USPSA target at 10 yards.

For both shooters at 10 yards the gun hits about 3" high with 45LC and 45ACP and sure enough the 41 cal slug hit right in where the 45 cal slugs land, about 3" high. Each time we had one of the 35 cal balls hit inside the A zone and one hit just outside in the C zone.

Far from scientific, but the results were better than either of us expected giving 2 solid and 1 ancillary hit with each pull of the trigger.

From the picture on their web site, it looks like one of the round balls is inside the base of the slug and the other is stacked below. I wouldn't be at all shocked to learn that the near round ball hit is from the one tucked up with the slug.



I tried running a plate rack at 16 yards with it... yea, not my best showing. My 45ACP handloads were so weak that some didn't even drop the plates, just kinda knocked them back a little. Commercial 45LC rounds though, those have some serious plate knocking thump.

 

[Friday]

I run the Winchester PDX defender rounds in the Judge. Three slugs surrounded by 8 bb's.
At 30 feet the slugs will group about the size of a softball at point of aim. The bb's scatter but still hit a USPSA cardboard silhouette.
Target grade 45lc will group baseball-ish size from the same distance at point of aim. Hornady Critical Defense a bit better.
The 410 pdx rounds will explode water filled milk jugs from 15 feet or so.

I'm actually surprised the gun performs this well. Full size model 4510 stainless magnum 3" cylinder/3" barrel.
I haven't experimented with a lot of different ammo. Maybe I just got lucky and found what the gun likes.

 

[Jayne]

We were surprised by the accuracy of the 45ACP and 45LC more than anything. Especially the 45ACP, it has to travel down 2" of unrifled cylinder and then slam into the forcing cone and then down a short barrel. That doesn't sound like a recipe for accuracy but it seems to do OK. I just wonder how long the forcing cone will survive if you actually start using it like a real revolver and not so much of a shotgun pistol.

I'm hoping they sell a taller front site, having it group nicely 3" high isn't nearly as nice as having it group nicely at POA.

 

[Joker18]

For self defense work, the Governor does a good job despite the naysayers' comments. I use 2 1/2" Federal Premium .410 buckshot loads with four, 000 buck pellets. That is twenty-four, .36 caliber round balls in a cylinder. At ten yards, they group well in a silhouette target. I haven't tried the Hornady Critical Defense ammo yet, but I will. Thanks for the heads up.