Effective .380 ammo

[Duck L'Orange]

Since .380 is a slightly underpowered round, I think it's really important to be choosy with ammo selection. Seeing as penetration is arguably the most important thing along with reliability, with penetration also desirable, it becomes a delicate balancing act for a round this small.

Of all the reviews I've seen, I am torn between the Speer gold dot or hornady xtp. The former penetrates around 11 inches in bare gel, the latter 12-15 fairly consistently with marginal expansion. I think the hornady is the clear winner, even with its lesser expansion, and is a good compromise between ball and hp. But on Chuck Hawks website, he claims that these bullets often have feeding problems. I know it's advisable to test a round first, but has anyone found this to be the case?

So do you, or would you carry in a pocket .380?

 

[JCW355]

A 380 falls in the category of better than having no gun. I have a 380 and speer gold dots function fine in it. Pocket pistols have limited performance. What gun was Hawks shooting the xtp thru? You have the same gun? He could just have a bad mag in his gun and the xtp might function in yours. You're only going to know by shooting the xtp and gold dots.

 

[Hobbes]

Seeing as penetration is arguably the most important thing along with reliability,

There's your answer, right there.
A gold dot in the pipe and fmj in the magazine.

 

[Profreedomokie]

I used to feel the same way about the .380 being too underpowered until I saw some clips on the net. They had a melon on a bucket behind a car windshield. They fired at various angles to the target and most rounds went through the melon. Also after reading a very long report on here some years back by a coroner from Atlanta, I carry Gold Dots in all my carry handguns.

 

[Wheel Gun]

I think Buffalo Bore makes .380 rounds. I'd talk to them about the pistols that they've tested them in first. But, they make hot rounds that are tops in penetration.

 

[TSQUARE]

What length barrel? shootingthe bull.net did an ammo quest for the perfect .380 round. All of the XTP rounds did well, the best being percision one, HPR, and Fiochi Extrema. I carry the Fiochi Extema in my M&P BG380

 

[saddlebum]

everything you need to know:

https://youtu.be/GNtPHYwcDts

 

[JD8]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PDQcE-1T40

This design is showing some nasty results in gel.

I've got some of this stuff in .380. I've done no tests but it is reliable in my Kahr and my LCP.

 

[dugby]

everything you need to know:

https://youtu.be/GNtPHYwcDts

Great Video. I will be landing me some XTP for the pocket pistol.

 

[n423]

I've used Hornady CD for years w/no probs. Corbon DPX is good. Lot of good videos on youtube also. I always test fire ammo for my CCW.