Loading for 380 Ruger LCP

[Highland Lofts]

My grandson just got a 380 Ruger LCP.
What grain bullets are you guys using.
I need to order some bullets here shortly so I can get some ammo loaded up for him.
TIA

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

I use somewhere around 95 grain.

 

[Hugger-4641]

I've used both of these and they are good. I tend to stay away from HP in .380 . I also like the 90 and 95gr better, but thats a personal preference for getting the velocity I want.

https://www.evergladesammo.com/bullets/handgun-bullets/380-auto-95gr-hp-plated-bullets

https://www.berrysmfg.com/category/preferred-plated-bullets/plated-pistol/380-caliber

 

[murf]

95 gn lrn from bearcreeksipply.com is my practice load. 68 gn extreme defender from wilson combat is my carry ammo.

luck,

murf

 

[1KPerDay]

I’ve loaded berrys 100 grain RN and 100 grain HBRN. Both work well.

 

[Highland Lofts]

I'll get them order later this afternoon.

Thank you for the replies.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I use somewhere around 95 grain.

Ditto. I like XTreme, Speer (when I find them), and in lead the GT Bullets.

 

[SingleActionAndrew]

Hornady XTP easy as can be. I have a different 380 but it's picky with HPs and never had an issue with the XTP. Lehigh controlled chaos feeds well too

 

[Highland Lofts]

I have been buying bullets from Everglades Ammo.

 

[Walkalong]

Coated 95 Gr RN, load easy, shoot well, reasonable cost.

 

[rperyam]

RMR 95 grain

 

[cfullgraf]

I have a Kel-Tec P3-AT, similar to the LCP.

I load for several different 380 Hand guns and use the same ammunition in all of them.

The guns include a Colt Mustang, Beretta M84, Walther PPK, Kimber Micro, Colt 1908, and Sig 238.

I load RN bullets from 90 to 100 grains at a safe velocity level. I’ve found most hollow points do not expand reliably at 380 ACP velocities. RN bullets at least function more reliably in my guns and give a bit better penetration than HP bullets.

I’ve used 700-X, Unique, and W231. A few other powders will work well but remember the charges are small.

As a side note, my S&W PPK feeds only RN bullets reliably while the Beretta M84 accepts about any bullet.

 

[Hugger-4641]

My LCP eats about anything I put in it. My DiamondBack and Spectrum don't like the Everglades 95gr Jhp but will feed XTP's reliably. As already mentioned, I don't trust Hp expansion in .380, so I prefer using RN anyway.

 

[Rick1234]

RMR 95 grain

What's the complete recipe with oal and stuff,I'm just starting, how long are the rmr? I heard they are .470 tall and. 3552 in dia.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

My LCP eats about anything I put in it. My DiamondBack and Spectrum don't like the Everglades 95gr Jhp but will feed XTP's reliably. As already mentioned, I don't trust Hp expansion in .380, so I prefer using RN anyway.

My wife has a Walther PK380 locking breach pistol. I will sometimes load hollow points for her simply because they’re more accurate. It’s not about expansion, HP bullets just tend to fly better than RN. If they weren’t so pricey and hard to find I would load up 90gr Sierra V-Crowns for her. Those print nice clean holes, almost like a SWC, and feed well. The Walther is a capable little pistol and my wife handles it well so I try to keep her in ammo that performs well.

 

[jmorris]

I don’t shoot a lot of 380 for fun, if I mostly shoot just under 62 grains of #12 shot using .223 brass that’s been trimmed and formed from mine.

 

[Hugger-4641]

I don’t shoot a lot of 380 for fun, if I mostly shoot just under 62 grains of #12 shot using .223 brass that’s been trimmed and formed from mine.

View attachment 1147654

Interesting, but wouldn't it be cheaper to just buy factory rat shot?

 

[irishlad]

My grandson just got a 380 Ruger LCP.
What grain bullets are you guys using.
I need to order some bullets here shortly so I can get some ammo loaded up for him.
TIA

Hornady 100 gr FMJ with W231
https://www.hornady.com/bullets/handgun/9mm-355-100-gr-fmj-3500#!/

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I run Accura outdoors bullets in my 380's.
Accura Outdoors Precision Bond Bullets — Accura Outdoors

 

[kcofohio]

These,
https://store.tjconevera.com/newtjco38095.html

And these,
https://www.berrysmfg.com/product/bp-380-356-100gr-hbrn

Are what I have loaded for the most in 380 Auto.

But next time I will order these for FMJ,
https://www.rmrbullets.com/shop/bullets/pistol/9mm-355/380-95-gr-rmr-fmj-round-nose-bullets-new/

I use HP-38 for soft target loads, and CFE-P for SD practice loads.

 

[Rick1234]

Interesting, but wouldn't it be cheaper to just buy factory rat shot?

I thinks it's the fun factor for making cool things like that.imo because I live in Nevada and see snakes weekly on the trails and on the mountains. I would love to make custom ratshot, but I'm to new to all of this to even attempt it...

 

[Rick1234]

I have a Kel-Tec P3-AT, similar to the LCP.

I load for several different 380 Hand guns and use the same ammunition in all of them.

The guns include a Colt Mustang, Beretta M84, Walther PPK, Kimber Micro, Colt 1908, and Sig 238.

I load RN bullets from 90 to 100 grains at a safe velocity level. I’ve found most hollow points do not expand reliably at 380 ACP velocities. RN bullets at least function more reliably in my guns and give a bit better penetration than HP bullets.

I’ve used 700-X, Unique, and W231. A few other powders will work well but remember the charges are small.

As a side note, my S&W PPK feeds only RN bullets reliably while the Beretta M84 accepts about any bullet.

I hear that alot,and watched all the YouTube vids,I live in Las Vegas so everyone has tee shirts on 80% of the time so I do carry hst in my .380 and my g19 , if they have a Carhartt on in winter the hst prolly wont expand, so in essence it's a fmj.im new,but it seem a correct way of thinking from the 100s of video penetration tests I've watched. But I could be 100% wrong.lol

 

[jmorris]

Interesting, but wouldn't it be cheaper to just buy factory rat shot?

I am not aware of anyone that offers shot loads in 380 ACP.

Factory shot loads are generally the most expensive ammunition offered for a given caliber too. For example, 9mm is $2.5 per round! So, I load my own even for the calibers they do offer factory ammunition for.



I use free range pick up .223 brass, my only cost is time chopping them off and running them through the die I machined. I cheated there too, to save time. I just machined an insert that drops into an extra Lee powder die I had in a drawer.

The Lee part is bottom right, I removed it and insert the one on the bottom left that’s machined to form the case, the extra washers take up space so it doesn’t move around inside the die body.



To make cutting the brass to length quick and easy, I made this fixture to hold them. I use a portaband saw in a table I also made to cut them long and sand flat (,to exact length and square) with a belt sander. Screw locks into extractor grove to keep case from moving.



I can also adjust the load to ensure they function 100%.

 

[JCSC]

95 grain berry’s plated and 3.2 gr of HP38. We have put about 3000 of those down range and it’s a performer.

 

[JSneezy]

I typically stick to Hornady 100 grain FMJ and 90 grain JHP. HP-38/W231 is my powder of choice, with CCI SPP. They both function very smoothly in my wife's LCP2. Using Hornady's data, I've never seen any feed issues, and they seem plenty accurate on paper.