Good 380 Ammo


junkdrawer5

New member
I am relatively new to this forum, and had a question that (I am sure) can be answered by just about most people on here. I've done a little poking around to see if anyone has already covered this topic, but without spending hours on end staring at the computer screen, I have been unsuccessful so far.

What I am wondering about though, is people's opinions on a decent type of 380 ammunition that I can use while carrying concealed? I carry a Ruger LCP and would like something that's a little more tailored to personal protection than the target rounds I buy when I am just sending rounds down range. I've done a little research, but haven't come to any conclusions as to what I should purchase. I realize that anything is better than nothing, but I am just curious as to what has been used by people on this forum and what they recommend.

I also carry a 9mm when the weather isn't baking the clothes off of my back, and am interested in the same info on those rounds for when I carry that. Any help is greatly appreciated, and I look forward to the responses.
 

380 ammo

I use Hornaday FTX in my 380 Bersa. I use Federal American Eagle or PMC Bronze for range practice.

I use the same rounds in my Glock30SF (45) when carrying in the big city.
 
I use the Critical Defense in my LCP. They feed well and aren't too snappy on the hand. They also have good ballistics for a .380 round.
 
Just a few additions:

Remington Golden Sabre has excellent expansion and both temp/permanent wound cavity production in all the calibers in which I've seen it tested. Unfortunately, I've not seen any tests of it in .380 - but it's what I currently carry in my M&P 45.

Winchester Ranger SXT is basically the same ammunition as the old (much over-hyped) black talon cartridge. Some joke that "SXT" stood for "same exact thing" when the line was re-named! But in any case, also very good ammunition.

Hornady Critical Defense - the difference here is that the hollow point is plugged with a rubber tip. Some tests have shown that conventional hollow points clog up when shot through heavy clothing, and do not expand as designed once inside the body cavity. Critical Defense purports to be the answer to this, and there are some ballistics tests that do bear this out. I actually carry Critical Defense in my .38, and am considering it for my .45 as well.
 
Whatever you do please avoid Tula ammo. It is the nastiest ammo I have ever seen. It took forever to clean my 380 LCP after just a couple of magazines of this junk. Started misfeeding/jamming during first magazine.
 
JHP .380acp gives inadequate penetration, ball ammo is the only choice in .380acp
 
Hornady Critical Defense: 90gr in the 380 / 115gr in the 9mm. The LCP and LC9 normally eat anything you toss in them and most of the time Remington FMJ for target.
 
contrary to the stated OPINION above the right 380 ammo has plenty of penetration and expansion. FMJ may actually over penetrate.


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I was reading on one of the testing sites and they said for the 380 the best ammo is the Corbon DPX. I'm sure there are others that are just as good. This was just their recommendation.
 
contrary to the stated OPINION above the right 380 ammo has plenty of penetration and expansion. FMJ may actually over penetrate.


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While these backyard youtube amateur ballistic test video's are entertaining they're hardly what one should base their decisions on when picking a Self defense load. Penetration is far more important than is expansion. .380 JHP's don't reliable reach the FBI protocol standard of 12" of penetration in properly calibrated Ballistic Gelatin.


BUG's: .380 ACP vs. .38 Sp


Handguns chambered in .380 ACP are small, compact, and generally easy to carry. Unfortunately, testing has shown that they offer inadequate performance for self-defense and for law enforcement use whether on duty as a back-up weapon or for off duty carry. The terminal performance of .380 ACP JHP's is often erratic, with inadequate penetration and inconsistent expansion being common problems, while .380 ACP FMJ's offer adequate penetration, but no expansion. All of the .380 ACP JHP loads we have tested, including CorBon, Hornady, Federal, Remington, Speer, and Winchester exhibited inconsistent, unacceptable terminal performance for law enforcement back-up and off duty self-defense use due to inadequate penetration or inadequate expansion. Stick with FMJ for .380 ACP or better yet, don't use it at all. The use of .380 ACP and smaller caliber weapons is really not recommended for LE use and many savvy agencies prohibit them.
 
I carry a 45 but on the warmer months I carry Winchester PDX1 and the hornady critical defense in the colder
 
While these backyard youtube amateur ballistic test video's are entertaining they're hardly what one should base their decisions on when picking a Self defense load. Penetration is far more important than is expansion. .380 JHP's don't reliable reach the FBI protocol standard of 12" of penetration in properly calibrated Ballistic Gelatin.


BUG's: .380 ACP vs. .38 Sp

The most important sentence in the article you posted is:

"As always, don't get too wrapped in the nuances of ammunition terminal performance. Spend your time and money on developing a warrior mindset, training, practice, and more training."

Plain and simple.
 
The most important sentence in the article you posted is:

"As always, don't get too wrapped in the nuances of ammunition terminal performance. Spend your time and money on developing a warrior mindset, training, practice, and more training."

Plain and simple.


Except he was talking about more substantial calibers and not the .380
 
Except he was talking about more substantial calibers and not the .380

That's not the impression I gathered form his words. He gave no direct connection to any caliber mentioned above in the texts, therefore, as it stands I interpret that the most important factor remains: mindset, training, practice, and more training.

Regardless of caliber choice, one must be proficient with said carry option.

Plain and simple.
 

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