Baytown, Texas is a coastal town about 25 miles east of Houston.
Around 10:00 P.M. one night in Baytown, two men invaded an apartment.
The men forced their way into the apartment wearing masks, and once inside, they attempted to rob the occupants.
But after entering the apartment, the two intruders were met by gunfire from one of the residents.
One of the intruders was shot and collapsed after running out of the apartment.
He died at the scene, but his accomplice ran away and was not injured.
Police knew the identity of the second suspect and were actively looking for him.
One of the neighbors said, “He was crying for help, but very faintly.” He was able to drag himself from the yard to the street and then he succumbed to his wounds.”
During the exchange of gunfire, a stray bullet went through a wall, into another apartment, and hit a neighbor.
The neighbor was a 44-year-old disabled man who was sitting on his couch and was shot in the shoulder from the stray round.
The innocent neighbor was flown to the hospital where he underwent surgery and was expected to survive.
“The only reason they knew he was shot is because he came outside and collapsed and they life-flighted him to Hermann,” said the victim’s sister.
Officials didn’t say whether the victim was shot by the home invaders or the residents who were defending themselves.
Either way, it’s obviously not good that an innocent man was hurt.
This highlights why you must be careful about bullets over penetrating in home defense situations, especially if you live in an apartment.
And it’s one reason many shooters use hollow point rounds for self-defense.
However, there’s another type of ammo that could make sense in a home defense situation: Hydra Shok ammunition.
What is Hydra Shok ammo?:
Hydra Shok is a brand of ammo developed by Thomas Burczynski in the 1980s and made exclusively by Federal Ammunition.
Burczynski is highly respected in the firearms world and has dozens of weapon-related patents.
Initially, Hydra Shok was available only for law enforcement, but in 2018 the ammo was released to the civilian market.
The Hydra Shok bullets are similar to hollow point designs but with a variation.
Like a hollow point, Hydra Shok has a hollowed-out area in the center but adds a post to the center of the hollow point bullet.
The idea for the bullet was born when the FBI was looking for a handgun round with better ballistics.
Advantages of the Hydra Shok round:
According to Federal, the ammunition has optimal penetration for barriers often seen in self-defense shootings (such as windows and doors).
But the design of the Hydra Shok means it is less likely to over-penetrate compared to other bullets.
In other words, it’s designed to get through basic barriers but not over-penetrate.
It’s a good round for close-quarter shootings where innocent bystanders are nearby.
Additionally, another benefit is that when the round hits a target, it causes expansion that leads to a larger wound cavity.
This gives the round better stopping power, and the larger wound helps to more quickly end the fight.
Drawbacks to Hydra Shok ammo:
Hydra Shok ammo has been around for well over 30 years with few changes.
And it was designed for law enforcement who carry larger framed pistols, not small guns with short barrels.
Plus, 30 years ago, pocket 9mm guns weren’t very popular.
But now they are one of the top choices for a lot of concealed permit holders.
So, the ballistics aren’t as good as if you were to use the ammo in a full-size pistol.
One other negative some shooters have reported is that Hydra Shok rounds are slowed down by thicker layers and fabrics such as denim.
Should you buy Hydra Shok?:
There is nothing wrong with using Hydra Shok.
But there are a lot of rounds invented over the last 30 years that could perform better.
However, if you have Hydra Shok ammo and your weapon runs it well there’s not a pressing need to change.
Stick with what you’re comfortable shooting with.
Whatever you choose, it’s important to spend time at the range getting comfortable shooting the ammo and guns you’ll be carrying and relying on.
