Best 380 ammo
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For self defense?
The .380 ACP is a marginal cartridge in terms of meeting the FBI's minimum penetration of 12" with expansion at least 1.5 times the original diameter.
With a 3.7" barrel however you should be able to get about 950-1000 fps with any of a half dozen commercial loads using the Hornady 90 gr XTP (Hornady Custom, Fiocchi, Precision One, HPR, etc). At that velocity the 90 gr XTP will penetrate 12" or a bit more and give reliable expansion in both bare gelatin and 4 layer denim.
Just be sure it's 100% reliable in your pistol.
I do not recommend the polymer tipped Hornady FTX round however as while it expands very reliably, it also expands early and under penetrates.
For range ammo?
Use what ever works in your pistol.
The .380 ACP is a marginal cartridge in terms of meeting the FBI's minimum penetration of 12" with expansion at least 1.5 times the original diameter.
With a 3.7" barrel however you should be able to get about 950-1000 fps with any of a half dozen commercial loads using the Hornady 90 gr XTP (Hornady Custom, Fiocchi, Precision One, HPR, etc). At that velocity the 90 gr XTP will penetrate 12" or a bit more and give reliable expansion in both bare gelatin and 4 layer denim.
Just be sure it's 100% reliable in your pistol.
I do not recommend the polymer tipped Hornady FTX round however as while it expands very reliably, it also expands early and under penetrates.
For range ammo?
Use what ever works in your pistol.
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For self-defense ammo, check out the results of the Shooting The Bull .380 ammo tests here:
Final Results of the .380 ACP Ammo Quest | Shooting The Bull
Final Results of the .380 ACP Ammo Quest | Shooting The Bull
oldiesradio1560
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I carry Hornady Critical Defense 90 grain in my 380EZ. I got mine in February 2018 when they first came out. The Only Upgrade I wanted is Night Sights and TruGlo just came out with them. $69.99 at Florida Gun Exchange here in Daytona Beach and $30. for their gunsmith to install. Green rear with Orange front during the day. Green rear and front at night.
oldiegoldie
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Federal .380 hydra-shok 90 grain. cycles through all of my .380's. Shooting the Bull test shows adequate penetration and expansion.
Jim1392
US Veteran
I carry Speer Gold Dot 90 grain HP's in my Ruger Gen2 LCP. Not my EDC but something I drop in my pocket when I take my dog for a walk in my neighborhood. Otherwise it rests in a table by the front door so I can have it handy if someone rings my doorbell.
Rammer Jammer
Member
I prefer loads that utilize the Hornady XTP bullet. For me that is the Fiocchi load. Good balance of expansion and penetration.
Beware of loads like the Winchester PDX1 and HST. They expand well but barely penetrate 8-10"
Beware of loads like the Winchester PDX1 and HST. They expand well but barely penetrate 8-10"
Pisgah
Member
Unfortunately no one can tell you what the "best" .380 ammo is, much less rate them as 1,2 and 3. In general, for self defense you will want a load with an expanding bullet. In fact, there is never any guarantee the bullet will actually expand, but it's one way of adding a small potential edge in your favor.
Always tops in considering defensive ammunition is reliability -- will your pistol reliably feed and fire a load, every time. Second is accuracy -- it doesn't have to be match grade accuracy, but you should be sure that you will be able to hit your target when it's called for.
Last is bullet terminal performance and, as already mentioned, that's always something of a crapshoot. You can read all sorts of testing reports where folks have fired a particular bullet in to various materials. Such tests may be interesting, they may give you some hint of what performance you can expect, but none of those tests can tell you what the bullet will do in a real self defense encounter. In the end, a full metal jacketed bullet that feeds reliably in your gun and gives good accuracy is better than an expanding bullet that won't do either.
Always tops in considering defensive ammunition is reliability -- will your pistol reliably feed and fire a load, every time. Second is accuracy -- it doesn't have to be match grade accuracy, but you should be sure that you will be able to hit your target when it's called for.
Last is bullet terminal performance and, as already mentioned, that's always something of a crapshoot. You can read all sorts of testing reports where folks have fired a particular bullet in to various materials. Such tests may be interesting, they may give you some hint of what performance you can expect, but none of those tests can tell you what the bullet will do in a real self defense encounter. In the end, a full metal jacketed bullet that feeds reliably in your gun and gives good accuracy is better than an expanding bullet that won't do either.
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Remington 95 gr FMJ chronographs a little faster than other domestic
brands out of my .380s. Also penetrates a little deeper in construction
pine like 2X12s so that's what I carry in my guns.
brands out of my .380s. Also penetrates a little deeper in construction
pine like 2X12s so that's what I carry in my guns.
ameridaddy
US Veteran
When I was carrying a Sig P238, I used Buffalo Bore 380 100gr RNFP lead for my carry load. I chronographed it at 1,073 fps in one session, 1,084 in another, which is almost into 9mm velocity levels. I fired 200 rds of it to check reliability, no malfunctions.
I like that BB names the guns in their velocity charts. My P238 matched their results within a few fps.
I put away the P238 when I got a P938 for EDC.
I like that BB names the guns in their velocity charts. My P238 matched their results within a few fps.
I put away the P238 when I got a P938 for EDC.
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trikerdon
US Veteran
I use Precision One 90 gr HP/XTP in my Performance CTR EZ. Never had any problems using it.
double-dipper
Member
Look here and choose for yourself. I like the Hornaday myself.
https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/#380ACP
https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/#380ACP
If you compare the Lucky Gunner data for the 90 gr FTX and the 90 gr XTP be aware that it was shot in a Glock 42 with a 3.25" barrel and an average muzzle velocity of only 910 fps. That's near perfect for the 90 gr FTX, but it's below the expansion window for the 90 gr XTP.
However, the OP has a pistol with a 3.7" barrel and he'll get around 980 fps. That's enough additional velocity to produce reliable expansion for the XTP with 12-13" of penetration.
Unfortunately, its also enough velocity increase to cause the 90 gr FTX to expand earlier and then under penetrate by a inch or two.
Matching the bullet to the velocity is critical in the .380 ACP as it's on the very margin of what can produce acceptable performance, so short versus longer barrel matters a lot - much more so than in 9mm Para.
Cal44
Member
If what you are saying is you need a long barrel to make 380 effective, that kind of defeats the whole point of carrying a 380.
The only use I see for a 380 pistol is small size and weight for carry as a deep concealment, hide-out gun.
I think if I start carrying my P238, I'll use the various XTP loads based on the Ammo Quest results.
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sigp220.45
US Veteran
I’m in the FMJ for .380 camp. It always feeds and is cheap enough I can actually practice with my carry ammo.
I worked a deal once where a guy with an aggravated burglary (home invasion) warrant shot through the door at the cops that were trying to arrest him. They legged it to the car and called for SWAT. I showed up as the hostage negotiator (most “hostage situations” are actually barricaded subjects) but could never make contact over the phone or with the bullhorn.
The boys finally went in and found him dead. I was there anyway so I helped with the scene. The guy had a hole under his chin and another in the top of his head. There was a cheap .380 (an FIE something) near him. He probably shot himself before SWAT even got there and the cops didn’t hear the shot due to the efficiency of his head-silencer.
There was a dent in a ceiling beam where that FMJ smacked it. I found the bullet sitting on a window sill, rightside up, like somebody had put it there. Other than rifling marks it was pristine. Bullets wind up in strange places sometimes.
If there is a point to this ramble, it is that heads are tough and a .380 FMJ will penetrate.
I don’t expect anything from my .380 other than for it to function properly and penetrate like the dickens - a hole going in and a hole coming out.
I worked a deal once where a guy with an aggravated burglary (home invasion) warrant shot through the door at the cops that were trying to arrest him. They legged it to the car and called for SWAT. I showed up as the hostage negotiator (most “hostage situations” are actually barricaded subjects) but could never make contact over the phone or with the bullhorn.
The boys finally went in and found him dead. I was there anyway so I helped with the scene. The guy had a hole under his chin and another in the top of his head. There was a cheap .380 (an FIE something) near him. He probably shot himself before SWAT even got there and the cops didn’t hear the shot due to the efficiency of his head-silencer.
There was a dent in a ceiling beam where that FMJ smacked it. I found the bullet sitting on a window sill, rightside up, like somebody had put it there. Other than rifling marks it was pristine. Bullets wind up in strange places sometimes.
If there is a point to this ramble, it is that heads are tough and a .380 FMJ will penetrate.
I don’t expect anything from my .380 other than for it to function properly and penetrate like the dickens - a hole going in and a hole coming out.
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This is one of the reasons I like the Federal HST. {in a 380} If it hits denim, then it turns into a full metal jacketed style of penetration with some slight fingers. If it strikes just flesh {animal or other} It expands and does an energy dump. It's not always about just expansion, sometimes it's about penetration. Seems like a dual design for a minimal amount of power.
