Best 380 auto ammo

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barnetmill said:
I had not realized that they had a standard pressure load.
That load interests me.
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Yup. At first I thought they only had that 100 grain hardcast load. I plan to use the 95 Gr Std. Pressure in my G42, and WWB in my LCP 2.
 
LookAtYou said:
Yup. At first I thought they only had that 100 grain hardcast load. I plan to use the 95 Gr Std. Pressure in my G42, and WWB in my LCP 2.
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They've got a 100 gr standard pressure hardcast load in addition to their +P 100 gr hardcast load.
Hardcast is good.
 
Looking at the Luckygunner test the rounds that expanded didn't penetrate very far and the ones that didn't expand at least dug deep for the weak round that it is. For myself I would just go with the FMJ jacket rounds and try for between the pocket shots. And FMJ is all I have on hand for the short barreled TCP I own. I don't think that short barrel can generate enough speed to reliably expand a hollow point and give the needed penetration at the same time.

Now since I recommended FMJ rounds I am sure someone will come along and accuse me of being a Flat Earther, an anti Vaxxer and a consumer of Tide Pods. But I guess thats just the way it goes.:what:
 
Ratshooter said:
Looking at the Luckygunner test the rounds that expanded didn't penetrate very far and the ones that didn't expand at least dug deep for the weak round that it is. For myself I would just go with the FMJ jacket rounds and try for between the pocket shots. And FMJ is all I have on hand for the short barreled TCP I own. I don't think that short barrel can generate enough speed to reliably expand a hollow point and give the needed penetration at the same time.

Now since I recommended FMJ rounds I am sure someone will come along and accuse me of being a Flat Earther, an anti Vaxxer and a consumer of Tide Pods. But I guess thats just the way it goes.:what:
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Why FMJ instead of a hardcast RNFP lead bullet?
 
Triggernosis said:
Why FMJ instead of a hardcast RNFP lead bullet?
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Thats a very fair question. And I do have some Winchester RNFP loads. And they seem to feed OK but they sort of bump up into the gun and don't feed as smoothly as FMJ rounds. But if I keep shooting the 380 I will have dies and brass and a bullet mold and you can bet it will have a flat nose. I like flat faced bullets no matter if they are SWC or WC bullets in a revolver or a flat faced FMJ in an auto.

So far to its credit the little TCP has fed and worked flawlessly every time. I like it.
 
Ratshooter said:
Thats a very fair question. And I do have some Winchester RNFP loads. And they seem to feed OK but they sort of bump up into the gun and don't feed as smoothly as FMJ rounds. But if I keep shooting the 380 I will have dies and brass and a bullet mold and you can bet it will have a flat nose. I like flat faced bullets no matter if they are SWC or WC bullets in a revolver or a flat faced FMJ in an auto.

So far to its credit the little TCP has fed and worked flawlessly every time. I like it.
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I load the 100 gr "Ranch Dog" RNFP bullets in my Sig P232 and they have always fed flawlessly. I don't cast, but purchase mine from various members on the Castboolits forum.
 
Triggernosis said:
I load the 100 gr "Ranch Dog" RNFP bullets in my Sig P232 and they have always fed flawlessly. I don't cast, but purchase mine from various members on the Castboolits forum.
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Thanks for that. I haven't cast any bullets in a long time. If it cools down a little more I have several new bullet molds I want to try. I love casting bullets but sometimes its just a lot easier to buy them. I have been looking at some of the powder coated 380 bullets from Missouri bullets but I don't remember any flat points being offered. And I am a member on cast boolits but don't post there much. I am known a hatchet jack on that site.

I have around 1400 pounds of lead on hand so casting my own bullets is a thing with me. And its just fun. I remember saying that was a line I would never cross and then I was given about 300 pounds of lead. I started casting and never looked back. And when there was a shortage of bullets back around 2008 I never felt the pinch.
 
Triggernosis said: ↑
I load the 100 gr "Ranch Dog" RNFP bullets in my Sig P232 and they have always fed flawlessly. I don't cast, but purchase mine from various members on the Castboolits forum.
Ratshooter said:
Thanks for that. I haven't cast any bullets in a long time. If it cools down a little more I have several new bullet molds I want to try. I love casting bullets but sometimes its just a lot easier to buy them. I have been looking at some of the powder coated 380 bullets from Missouri bullets but I don't remember any flat points being offered. And I am a member on cast boolits but don't post there much. I am known a hatchet jack on that site.

I have around 1400 pounds of lead on hand so casting my own bullets is a thing with me. And its just fun. I remember saying that was a line I would never cross and then I was given about 300 pounds of lead. I started casting and never looked back. And when there was a shortage of bullets back around 2008 I never felt the pinch.
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before I would buy the expensive buffalo bore flatnose loads I would want to reload 100 rounds or so with a similar bullet at a little less velocity/recoil just to verify feeding.
 
M1key said:
The one with the 90gr XTP. It's the only one I would carry. Fiocchi has that load in a 50rd box.
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The poster 5pins did a test with this ammo and as long as it is shot into bare gel it worked great. When shot into gel with denim in front it didn't expand at all.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...in-clear-ballistics-gel.861218/#post-11340792

C0untZer0 said:
In the Lucky Gunner tests the .380 round that had the best and most consistent penetration was the 88 Grain - Remington HTP. Average penetration was 16.9" The most shallow penetrating bullet penetrated 15.9" and the deepest penetrating bullet was 17.4"

All 5 bullets had the exact same level of expansion. :)

https://www.luckygunner.com/380-auto-88-gr-jhp-remington-htp-500-rounds#geltest.
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Yes and per Lucky Gunner not a single one expanded at all. No better that FMJ as far as I can tell. Maybe you posted the wrong link?
 
Obturation said:
I'm no Bob munden but I can't stay on paper at 5 yards with a friend's tcp, that's a tough gun for me to shoot well
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Yes its a tough gun to shoot. Lots of recoil. I have owned several 380s and the easiest ones to shoot were the Tangfolio 380s with the open slide like a Beretta pistol. There were blow back but I guess had enough weight that they were pleasant to shoot. And the dern things were accurate to boot.

I have wanted one of the Beretta modal 84-85 guns for a long time. Or the Taurus knock off model 58. Sort of big for a 380 when now you can get a 9mm in a same size or smaller gun but they look nice.
 
One of the best 380s that can be bought for a reasonable price are sold by Bersa. They are a little big for a pocket gun but but thet have an excellent reputation. If I stay in the 380 game they would be my first choice for a bigger than pocket pistol gun.
 
C0untZer0 said:
In the Lucky Gunner tests the .380 round that had the best and most consistent penetration was the 88 Grain - Remington HTP. Average penetration was 16.9" The most shallow penetrating bullet penetrated 15.9" and the deepest penetrating bullet was 17.4"

All 5 bullets had the exact same level of expansion. :)

https://www.luckygunner.com/380-auto-88-gr-jhp-remington-htp-500-rounds#geltest




.
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The listed 0.35" spent bullet diameters hardly qualify as "expansion" as compared to their unfired diameters as-manufactured.

As I mentioned, there are many other similar tests available on the internet, including youtube, and not all results are lock-step consistent across such studies. One examplenis the Sig Sauer handgun ammo, it performed better in the Luck Gunner tests than in many similar tests.Some folks may hang their hat one set of tests. Others may not want to look at any test data. It's a free country still in many respects and that's certainly one. As litigious a society we've become, I haven't seen news of successful lawsuits on bullet performance nor shot placement. It's pretty much like a parachute company that offers, at best, a full refund if you're not a satisfied customer.
 
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Several years ago, ShootingTheBull410 did a series of ammo tests for .380 ACP pocket pistols. His summary video is here:


Basically, he liked anything that shot Hornady's XTP bullet. Hydra-Shok was a second choice. The problem with most of the other JHP bullets was that they expanded too easily. With the .380's limited power, they didn't penetrate deeply enough to do the damage required to stop an assailant.
 
Another vote for something loaded with an XTP bullet. Hornady's American Gunner line is what I've been using because that's what I found in stock locally. They function well, and by a wide margin seem to offer the best hollow point performance in 380 out of a short barrel. They don't expand as much as some others but penetrate more reliably.
 
Ratshooter said:
The poster 5pins did a test with this ammo and as long as it is shot into bare gel it worked great. When shot into gel with denim in front it didn't expand at all.
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How valid is a test with 2-4 layers of denim when the pistol is distinctly a summer carry only piece? Not a whole lot, bucko. In the unlikely case it doesn't expand, who cares? If I carried one and I don't, a torso shot would not be my first POA.

M
 
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