| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Ammunition |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Founder(s) | Joyce Hornady |
| Headquarters | Grand Island, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Ammunition, handloading equipment and supplies. |
| Owner(s) | Steve Hornady |
| Employees | 200+ (April 2009) |
| Website | www.hornady.com |
| References: Largest independent producer of bullets in the world | |
Hornady Manufacturing Company is an American manufacturer of ammunition and handloading components, based in Grand Island, Nebraska.
The company was founded by Joyce Hornady in 1949 and is currently run by his son Steve Hornady who took over after his father's death in a plane crash in 1981.
Hornady makes target shooting and hunting rounds as well as high quality self-defense loads. In 1990, the Hornady XTP (which stands for Extreme Terminal Performance) won the industry's Product Award of Merit 1990 from the National Association of Federal Licensed Dealers. The company was notable as the developer of the .17 HMR and .17 HM2 rimfire cartridges, increasingly popular for small game and varmint hunting. Hornady has also worked with firearms maker Sturm, Ruger on the development of the new line of Ruger cartridges including the .480 Ruger, .204 Ruger, and .375 Ruger.
The company developed the innovative LEVERevolution ammunition, which uses a spitzer bullet with a soft elastomer tip to give better aerodynamic performance than flatter bullets, while eliminating the risk of a shock driving the pointed metal tip of a bullet in a lever action rifle's tube magazine into the primer of the cartridge in front, causing an explosion.[1]
Hornady also manufactures a range of handloading components including cartridge cases, bullets, and shotgun shell components, as well as handloading equipment and data.
| Preceded by .50 BMG |
Longest confirmed combat sniper-shot kill Hornady .50 A-MAX 2002–2009 2,430 m (2,657 yd / 1.509 mi) using Canadian Long Range Sniper Weapon (LRSW) .50 by Rob Furlong |
Succeeded by .338 Lapua Magnum |