Target shooters, hunters and those who conceal carry for their own personal protection often seek out and use specialty ammo; ammunition that is created by manufacturers for specific applications. To that same extent, law enforcement can have specific needs based on their intended use in the field. To fill that need, a category of Hornady Law Enforcement ammunition exists. Ammo that supports tactical applications in a wide array of calibers. Some new offerings Hornady will be presenting to law enforcement in 2018 will come through their TAP (Tactical Application Police) and Critical Duty series.

This first new offering for law enforcement only is in Hornady TAP .300 Blackout 190 Grain Sub-X. For those unacquainted with the new Sub-X (Subsonic eXpanding) bullet from Hornady, it is built to expand at subsonic velocities, has a flat Flex Tip inserted inside and surprisingly meets FBI protocols.

This ammo does not have an openly stated MSRP on the Hornady Law Enforcement website. That information is withheld for LE only. Some other traits about this ammo are:

• Clean Burning, Low Flash Powder
• Match-Grade Brass
• Traditional Small Rifle, Staked Primer Pocket
• Subsonic in 8″ – 16″ Barrels Tested
• 87% Weight Retention
• Expanded Bullet Diameter of 0.65″

Another new Hornady Law Enforcement offering comes in the way of TAP ammunition for shotguns. Now unveiled is a 12 Gauge 3/4 Oz. TAP Entry load. This has a hoist of applications from training to breaching because of the frangible, sintered slug. The frangible trait of this load allows for close-quarters shooting and potential wound channels similarly seen from .308 Win rounds.

Like all the ammo we will outline in this article, there is no publicly stated MSRP for this ammo engineered for LE only.

• 3/4 Oz. Slug (328 Grains)
• 3 Loaded Offerings – Reduced Recoil (Blue Shells), Light Magnum (Red Shells) & TAP Entry (Black Shells)
• Muzzle Velocity – 1,575 FPS
• Frangible, Sintered Slug nearly eliminates Concern of Ricochets while Training

Critical Duty has found a niche following in not only law enforcement, but also civilian backgrounds as well. This newest flavor they are adding to the category is only for law enforcement initially. It may trickle over to civilian hands as well. You just never know. It is a Hornady Critical Duty 9mm +P 124 Grain Flexlock.

It features an InterLock Flex Tip housed in a more durable Nickel plated casing. The bright nickel casing helps eliminate tarnish, distinguishes itself from training rounds and can be more easily seen while inspecting/verifying a loaded chamber.

All of the Critical Duty flavors of ammo have been known to perform superbly in the FBI urban barrier testing.

• Temperature Stable & Flash Retardant Powder
• Sealed Primer & Case Mouth
• 1,000+ FPS beyond 100 Yards

Last, but not least are two new grain weight offerings in 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Winchester through their TAP Precision line of ammunition.

If you have not noticed, the 6.5 Creedmoor is all the rage these days, but there is a lot of merit and usefulness to the caliber; it is not purely hype. Hornady goes on to explain their 6.5 Creedmoor load out:

Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor TAP Precision is specifically designed to meet FBI protocol and provide superior external ballistics when compared to standard 308 WIN offerings. The 147 gr. ELD Match bullet with Heat Shield tip delivers excellent terminal performance and results in higher retained velocities, less drop, less wind drift, and more energy on target.

If you are thinking to yourself, this would be an awesome load to shoot as a civilian, well, you are in luck. Hornady does make a nearly identical flavor through their “Match” line of ammunition aside from the LE only TAP Precision.

The new flavor of Hornady TAP Precision .308 Win 155 Grain ELD Match is a subtle, but beneficial improvement from the former 155 Grain A-MAX load. By introducing the ELD Match tip, which is impervious to heat in flight and produces higher BCs (ballistic coefficients), you have an even better load for law enforcement in a grain weight favorable for multiple twist rates.