Hornady, a world-renowned leader in ballistic technology, will receive a National Rifle Association (NRA) Publications Golden Bullseye Award during a special ceremony at the 2011 NRA Annual Meetings, April 29-May 1, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Hornady is receiving the award for Critical Defense 12-Gauge 00 Buckshot ammunition, which has been chosen as the 2011 Ammunition Product of the Year by "Shooting Illustrated."

"The Golden Bullseye Award honors winners for bringing to market products remarkable in their utility to shooters and hunters," said Joe H. Graham, Executive Director of NRA Publications. "The award is a symbol of excellence and innovation in firearms, accessories and related equipment."

Highly prestigious within the shooting industry, the Golden Bullseye Awards honor the finest products available in the shooting sports. Winners are chosen by a committee of NRA Publication editors and staff with more than a century of collective experience in the firearms industry. Winning criteria includes: products must be recent introductions and available to consumers; feature innovative design and function; meet or exceed field reliability expectations; and demonstrate style befitting the firearm industry as well as good purchase value.

"At Hornady, we strive to deliver the most innovative products to hunters and shooting enthusiasts, said Steve Hornady, President. "It's an honor to be recognized by an organization as prestigious as NRA Publications and we are very pleased to have been selected to receive this award."

Critical Defense 12-Gauge 00 Buckshot is specially loaded to ensure proper functioning in semi-auto and pump shotguns. This load delivers eight pellets with a muzzle velocity of 1600 fps, and incorporates Hornady Versatite™ wad technology that delivers extremely consistent, tight patterns without modifying the gun.