Hornady Critical Duty vs HARD BARRIERS

This expert guide from Line45 provides a strategic approach to stockpiling ammunition, anticipating potential shortages. It details seven critical calibers (.22 LR, 9mm Luger, .223/5.56 NATO, 12 Gauge slugs/buckshot, 7.62x39mm, .308/7.62 NATO, and niche calibers) that Americans should consider stocking. The advice emphasizes maintaining separate reserves for training and defensive use, considering supply chain vulnerabilities, import restrictions, and geopolitical factors.

This expert analysis explores the evolving firearm caliber landscape, detailing why shooters are increasingly looking beyond the ubiquitous 9mm Luger. It highlights emerging alternatives like .30 Super Carry, 5.7x28mm, 10mm Auto, .357 SIG, and .22 TCM, examining their unique ballistic advantages, capacity benefits, and specific applications. The content emphasizes how advancements in ammunition and firearm design are enabling more specialized choices for concealed carry and self-defense.

This video, presented by Ted from Line45, outlines seven essential ammunition calibers for Americans to stockpile in anticipation of potential future ammo shortages, drawing parallels to past events like 2020. The instructor emphasizes strategic selection based on availability, demand, and utility for self-defense, training, and general preparedness. The advice is geared towards intermediate shooters with existing firearm knowledge.

Ammunition prices have significantly decreased across multiple calibers in 2025, returning to pre-pandemic levels for many. This video highlights 10 calibers that are now exceptionally affordable, including 9mm Luger, .223 Remington/5.56 NATO, .22LR, .40 S&W, 7.62x39mm, .308 Winchester, 12 Gauge birdshot, and 5.45x39mm. The speaker, Ted from Line45, emphasizes that this is an opportune time to stock up due to stabilized supply chains and potential future price increases, especially with upcoming election cycles and possible tariffs.

The Yankee Marshal advises against using '+P+' ammunition due to excessive pressure and potential firearm damage. He suggests sticking to standard or '+P' loads, emphasizing that choosing a capable caliber like .40 S&W, 10mm, or .357 Magnum often negates the need for hotter ammunition. For 9mm, he notes that '+P+' might be considered to boost power.

Gun owners are increasingly moving away from traditional hollow-point ammunition due to real-world performance limitations, especially when encountering barriers. This shift is driven by advancements in bullet technology offering superior weight retention, barrier penetration, and wound channel creation. The video explores several alternatives, including solid copper hollow points, fluted solid projectiles, tumble-on-impact rounds, bonded jacketed hollow points, ballistic tip ammunition, frangible rounds, and hybrid loads, detailing their performance characteristics and suitability for various self-defense scenarios.

This video rigorously tests the self-defense capabilities of various airguns against a realistic human head ballistic target. The expert instructor demonstrates that low-power BB guns like the Daisy Red Rider offer minimal threat, while even full-auto CO2 BB guns fail to penetrate the skull. However, a high-velocity Gamo pellet rifle proves capable of causing significant damage, cracking the skull. The instructor concludes that BB guns are unsuitable for self-defense, and while pellet rifles are dangerous, they lack the immediate stopping power of conventional firearms.

This video tests the BulletSafe VP3 Level IIIA vest against various calibers up to .44 Magnum using a realistic human torso dummy. While the vest stopped all tested rounds, including a .44 Magnum and 12-gauge buckshot, significant backface deformation and blunt force trauma were evident, especially with higher-energy rounds. The dummy's shoulder blade was broken by buckshot, and severe bruising was indicated by the .44 Magnum impact.

This review of the Crosman DPMS SBR full-auto BB gun highlights its realistic AR-15 SBR aesthetics and select-fire capability. The host demonstrates its operation, including loading with a speedloader and the dual CO2 power system. Performance metrics like 1400 RPM and 430 FPS are discussed, along with its accuracy and destructive potential on targets like watermelons. The device is recommended for realistic training or plinking where live firearms are impractical.

This video tests the effectiveness and dangers of using a flare gun for self-defense. While a flare gun can ignite materials and cause internal damage to a ballistic torso, its single-shot capacity, slow reload, and high risk of starting fires make it an irresponsible and dangerous choice for defense. The test highlights the unpredictable nature and significant fire hazard associated with using flare guns in a defensive scenario.