Hornady Critical Defense .22 WMR 45 Grain FTX – 140 Rounds (LOOSE in Ammo Can) 83200

The Hornady Critical 22 WMR load takes a cartridge most people think of as a varmint round and builds it into a genuine personal defense option. A 45 grain FTX bullet at 1700 feet per second, carrying 289 foot pounds of energy, with 140 rounds supplied loose in an ammo can. For anyone who carries a rimfire because a centerfire is not practical, this changes the calculation.

Who the Hornady Critical 22 WMR Load Is For

Small, light revolvers chambered in .22 WMR exist because some people cannot manage the recoil, weight, or grip size of a centerfire handgun. Arthritis, hand injuries, and simple physics all put shooters in that category, and they deserve better than a hunting load pressed into defensive service. This ammunition was designed for exactly that gap.

The .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire offers higher velocity and greater energy than a standard .22 Long Rifle, which is what makes a defensive rimfire load possible in the first place. The FTX bullet then provides reliable, controlled expansion at those velocities rather than pencil through penetration. A Hornady Critical 22 WMR round is engineered around performance from short barrels rather than rifle length ones.

Features That Make It Defensive Ammunition

• 45 grain FTX bullet engineered for reliable, controlled expansion at rimfire velocities.
• Hornady Critical 22 WMR rounds leave the muzzle at 1700 fps carrying 289 ft/lbs of energy.
• Nickel plated brass casings for corrosion resistance and easier visual inspection in low light.
• Reliable feeding and extraction, which matters more in a defensive gun than anywhere else.
• 140 rounds packed loose in an ammo can, from Hornady, a leader in ballistic innovation.

Hornady Critical 22 WMR Specifications and Handguns

Caliber is .22 WMR, bullet weight is 45 grains, bullet type is FTX, muzzle velocity is 1700 fps, and muzzle energy is 289 ft/lbs. The can holds 140 rounds. Note that published rimfire velocities generally reflect rifle barrels, so a short revolver will produce lower numbers, which is precisely why the bullet was designed to expand at reduced speed.

The nickel plated cases are not cosmetic. Nickel resists corrosion from skin contact and humidity, which matters when ammunition sits in a carried firearm for months, and the bright finish makes a loaded chamber easier to verify. If you want practice ammunition to train with, our ammunition selection carries standard rimfire in quantity.

Carry Use, Practice, and Storage

Test the load thoroughly in your own gun before trusting it. Rimfire ignition is inherently more variable than centerfire, so fire enough rounds to satisfy yourself that your revolver or pistol runs this ammunition every single time. A can of 140 rounds gives you the volume to do that properly rather than firing five and hoping.

Then practice with it, or at least with something close to it. Point of impact between defensive and practice rimfire can differ noticeably, so know where the Hornady Critical 22 WMR rounds land at across the room distances. Shooting at a torso target from five yards tells you everything you need.

Rotate carried ammunition periodically. Rimfire priming sits in the case rim, and rounds that ride in a pocket or a purse for years pick up lint, oil, and abuse that centerfire cartridges shrug off. Fresh rounds in the gun and older ones on the practice target is the sensible cycle.

Keep the can sealed, cool, and dry between sessions, and the remaining rounds will stay reliable for a very long time. Ammo cans exist for exactly this reason and cost very little for the protection they offer. Label it clearly so nobody confuses it with a plinking supply.

If a rimfire is what you can shoot well, Hornady Critical 22 WMR ammunition is what makes that choice a serious one. This ammunition ships straight to your door wherever state and local law allows.