Preview: Hornady Backcountry Defense

by
posted on March 30, 2025
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Hornady Backcountry Defense
Photo courtesy of Hornady.com.

Understanding the target medium is critical in designing ammunition with terminal performance that can be relied upon—something Hornady ballisticians know all too well—and the company’s new Backcountry Defense line is designed specifically for personal protection in the backcountry.

Capped with Hornady’s new, heavy-for-caliber Dangerous Game Handgun (DGH) bullet featuring a unique cup-and-core interlock, this new ammunition is crafted to deliver maximum straight-line penetration with limited deflection, driving deep through bone and stopping the threat of charging predators.

Loadings for 9 mm Luger and .357 Mag. come in 25-count packages, while 10 mm Auto, .44 Mag., .454 Casull, .460 S&W Mag. and .500 S&W Mag. come in 20-count boxes.

Suggested retail price range for aforementioned loads is from $38 to $98.

For more information, visit hornady.com.

Latest

Icarry Springfield Sa35 Polished 1
Icarry Springfield Sa35 Polished 1

I Carry: Springfield Armory SA-35 Polished in a Falco C631 Gorham Holster

In our latest episode of "I Carry" above, we're taking a closer look at the details of the new Springfield Armory SA-35 Polished, and we're packaging it with a high-quality leather holster from Falco Holsters, along with a new EDC knife from Work Sharp.

ATF Suffers Major Cybersecurity Incident

On Aug. 27, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced that an outside group had breached its systems in what it termed a "major incident."

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 28, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

A Conversation About Gun-Making in America

Recently, a paper titled “The American Tradition of Self-Made Arms" written by Joe Greenlee, director of NRA-ILA's Office of Litigation Counsel,was cited by a court in an important ruling on frame-or-receiver litigation.

The Model 87 Ultra Special: A Rare Survivor of Ithaca's Final Gamble

In the spring of 1990, an 18-year-old received a shotgun he didn't order. The Ithaca Model 87 Ultra Special he got instead was the last gasp of one of America's most iconic shotgun makers.

As Gun Sales Stay High, Violent Crime Hits a Historic Low

According to a recent report from the FBI on national crime statistics, violent crime has decreased 9.3 percent from 2024, marking the largest year-to-year drop since the 1930s.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.