Question about .380 ammo

[dbarbee]

I cringe whenever I hear advice like this.

Comments like this without an explanation are not very helpful to those of us trying to learn.

Please explain...

 

[HiredHand]

__Why?

First off we are talking about a caliber which many feel is inadequate as a "primary" self-defense round. So, then why then would you mix and match projectiles that may or may not perform adequately when it will really matter. Will the the combination of one of these and one of those provide superior results? And which projectile do you choose to go first the fmj or the hollow point?

 

[JCW355]

I generally use some kind of self defense ammo in my mouse guns.
There is a solid argument for fmj, especially in the winter when heavy coats come out.

It will be your decision in the end on what to use. I have Gold Dots in mine. Clothing can plug up hollow points and then they don't expand like they were intended. As for how much penetration they have after this, I don't know. I understand some people thinking a 380 is too small for ccw but it is always better than nothing. I know I would feel better with my Glock 19 in a gunfight than a Keltec P3AT.

 

[Go_Ordnance]

+1 on the Gold Dots.

 

[dennishoddy]

The Hornady Critical Defense .380 rounds were the best performer in Ballistics gel tests, even with layers of denim in front. As was stated above they reliably expand as well. Had more penetration than FMJ.
Thats all I needed to see, and thats what I shoot in my P3AT

 

[Old Fart]

The important thing to remember here is that the diminutive little mouse guns real purpose is to get you clear of danger and not be troublesome to carry. There are tons of other options available for SD. Each individual has to make this decision each time they strap something on. For some folks a SD gun is almost not even something they need. For others who find themselves in areas where packing makes an enormous amount of sense then upgrading to a more viable platform is something they should consider.

As for which ammo, well to each his own. Think about what you’re carrying. Why and where you’re going. Whatever you decide on make sure it is dependable and will function in your gun. This means buying more than just one box of ammo and shooting a few to see. It means regular practice for form, function, and dependability.

 

[Remington]

First off we are talking about a caliber which many feel is inadequate as a "primary" self-defense round. So, then why then would you mix and match projectiles that may or may not perform adequately when it will really matter. Will the the combination of one of these and one of those provide superior results? And which projectile do you choose to go first the fmj or the hollow point?

What I'm learning is that caliber size for SD is like everything else a personal opinion, as is what type of bullet to use. One .380 in the gut may not take a guy out, but I'll bet you 3 or 4 will.

My thoughts on carrying the .380 are: 1) the gun being a deterrent to a altercation all together. 2) Using it to cause enough harm at a minimum to even the fight. 3) Cause enough harm to neutralize the threat without even having to touch one another. I think a .380 can handle all of those.

Question: I've read expansion stops, penetration kills. The hollow points are averaging 12 inches. Do you really need more penetration than that? At 12 inches and a properly expanded bullet doesn't that constitute stopping power and penetration? How much penetration do you need?

My original question was how much penetration do you really need?

The down side to hollow points that I've read is that there is a chance they may not expand properly. Even if they don't expand properly there still going to penetrate probably 10 inches +/-. Aren't they?

 

[inactive]

One thing to remember is that you will never, even see 12" of penetration in a human being. No where in our bodies do we (well, most of us) have 12 inches of goo, unimpeded by other objects, bone of course being what I am mentioning here.

If I shoot someone in the chest, and immediately the round finds their sternum, I WANT penetration. I want as much force as I can to splinter that bone and get to the vitals underneath. A good hollow point may well have the penetration to get there. Then again, it may not.

But to answer your question, how much penetration do I need? I want as much penetration AND expansion as I can get. Period.

FWIW, I use Fiocchi ball and Speer Gold Dots in my .380. I have numerous rounds of each through the pistol to determine they function well. If I didn't use the Speer, I would likely go with Corbon (non Pow'rBall), after ensuring it runs fine through the pistol.

 

[HiredHand]

What I'm learning is that caliber size for SD is like everything else a personal opinion, as is what type of bullet to use. One .380 in the gut may not take a guy out, but I'll bet you 3 or 4 will.

My thoughts on carrying the .380 are: 1) the gun being a deterrent to a altercation all together. 2) Using it to cause enough harm at a minimum to even the fight. 3) Cause enough harm to neutralize the threat without even having to touch one another. I think a .380 can handle all of those.

My apologies for getting off the topic of your original question but your statement says as much about your mindset as it does your caliber/projectile choice. Caliber/projectile choice are irrelevant if you don't have the proper mindset in a self-defensive situation.

To answer your original question, you want as much penetration as possible and my recommendation would be to use fmj ammuntion.

 

[doctorjj]

There have been a ton of tests regarding 380 ammo. I think this one was well done and is well presented.

http://www.goldenloki.com/ammo/gel/380acp/gel380acp.htm