Gear of PDTV: Hornady Steel Match

Using Hornady Steel Match ammo for personal defense?  Well, not exactly. As George says at the close of every show, "remember to train hard, train smart and train safe." All that training requires a lot of ammunition, and at PDTV we recognize ammo isn't cheap.

That's one reason we're glad to see Hornady come out with its new line of Steel Match handgun and rifle ammunition. We'll still choose a premium load like Hornady's Critical Defense to protect ourselves, but this season a good deal of George's range work was with Steel Match ammo. It just made sense, and didn't disappoint.

Steel Match loads approximate the bullet weight and velocity of Hornady's XTP and Critical Defense lines, but run about half the price. Because Steel Match so closely approximates Hornady's dedicated defensive loads, you can expect shot placement and gun function to be similar.

Loads feature Hornady Action Pistol or Match rifle bullets for uncompromised accuracy, and meet "power factor" criteria if you shoot in action pistol sports.

Throughout the entire season, Steel Match never gave us a single malfunction regardless of what gun George was using, or how many rounds were fired between cleaning. There's a super slick coating on the steel cases and Hornady loads Steel Match at their factory with a propellant optimized for each load.

That optimization minimizes fouling, and maximizes reliability and accuracy to a level that made even precise head shots possible.

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Practicing is perhaps the most important tool in preparing for personal defense. Loads such as Hornady's Steel Match offer non-handloaders an excellent factory alternative that lets you shoot twice as much for the same price as premium ammo.