.380 FMJ vs JHP

[herkyguy]

I have read that some people prefer to carry a 380 FMJ instead of a JHP due to the ballistics. Supposedly the JHP does not have the penetration power due to it being smaller, so a FMJ is preferred. I am looking for thoughts on this and more explanation about the ballistics.

Thanks.

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

"Supposedly the JHP does not have the penetration power due to it being smaller..." What are you shooting at? I have never seen a soft skinned creature argue with me over a FMJBT vs. HPBT. If you hit a target at 2400 fps or faster, it doesn't even matter if the projectile is going sideways, it's going to do a lot of damage.

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

the hp slugs are usually a few grains lighter but this doesn't amount to much of a bonus in fps.
personally I load the fine Remington Golden Saber 102 gr hp. really shoots good in my BDA AFAIK it's the heaviest hp made for the .380acp. the 'box o' truth' gave it a big thumbs up in their tests of .380 slugs.

 

[TimeIsRunninOut]

I have the short answer for you goldenloki.com penetration is optimal, but 3 inches difference to have some mushrooming? that means more tearing. Cor-bon 90 gr I would have to say gives you good penetration, great expansion, a lot of power for a 380 acp.

 

[Orion8472]

People have been saying good things about the Hornady Critical Defense in .380, so that is another option.

 

[scotthsi]

What are you shooting at? I have never seen a soft skinned creature argue with me over a FMJBT vs. HPBT. If you hit a target at 2400 fps or faster, it doesn't even matter if the projectile is going sideways, it's going to do a lot of damage.

And how in the heck exactly does a boat tail RIFLE round at 2400 fps relate to the original question of .380 ACP out of a presumably very short HANDGUN barrel?

 

[Orion8472]

Maybe he read too quickly and mistook ".380" as ".308". . . .

 

[herkyguy]

Yeah, I wasn't talking .308, I'm interested in the .380. Specifically, I am carrying a Ruger LCP. So yes, it's a short barrel. The 7.56X51 (.308) M1a in my study would be great for penetration no doubt, but the long rifle may be difficult to conceal with it's 20 rd magazine included, so I opt for a small .380 which is currently loaded with FMJs. Please keep the comments coming, I appreciate it.

On the other hand, if you have suggestion as to how to conceal my battle rifle, let me know.

Has anyone even EVER concealed a rifle? Kudos to you if you can.

 

[MICHAEL T]

On the other hand, if you have suggestion as to how to conceal my battle rifle, let me know.

Cut the stock down and the barrel Then wear a rain coat every where


As for 380HP Corbon 90gr or the DPX

 

[theotherwaldo]

I go with the Cor-Bon JHP, primarily because it's the only factory-produced ammo that reliably cycles my AMT Back-up. For practice I use plated RN reloads.

 

[Orion8472]

I was talking about the guy in post #2, actually.

 

[LancerMW]

i always used the corbon, but have also heard a lot of good bout critical defense

 

[rcmodel]

Many people mistake the .380 ACP for one of the guns the FBI testers wanted to shoot through two car doors, a down jacket, and kill the bad guy wearing it, who was standing on the other side of the car!

That's not what it is, and thats not a need you have for a SD belly gun.

A .380 JHP has plenty of penetration to reach the vitals of any bad guy, and a JHP will do more damage if it expands even a little.

http://www.brassfetcher.com/90 grain Federal Personal Defense Hydra-Shok.html

http://www.brassfetcher.com/380DPX.html

http://www.brassfetcher.com/380acp 90gr Federal Hydra-Shok (light clothing).html

A JHP will beat a FMJ-RN every time when it come to tissue damage.

rc

 

[Steve C]

Go to this website and look at the results of .380 JHP vrs FMJ http://www.brassfetcher.com/380ACP.html also linked in RCmodel's post and compare expansion and penetration for the JHP's and FMJ's tested. Also take a look at the .380 Marshall/Sanow statistical information at http://handloads.com/misc/stoppingpower.asp?Caliber=10&Weight=All.

Make up your own mind as to which is more effective for self defense.

 

[weregunner]

Info on why using a JHP is a good idea.
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=23087.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=9253.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=8199.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=6304.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=3316.0

 

[Just One Shot]

This has been hashed over many times on other forums. It seems no one can agree on which is better.

The solution for me was simple, I alternate between FMJ and my Critical Defense hollow points as I load the mags.

 

[Erich]

I've worked on more than a dozen handgun killings with .380s and a couple others in which shootings didn't kill. I've seen three separate shootings (in two cases) in which .380 JHPs failed to adequately penetrate. Putting hollowpoint "brakes" on a low-mass/low-velocity round may be a concern.

OTOH, the .380 FMJ can be amazingly penetrative. I've never seen one fail to adequately penetrate, even in a case in which a tremendously thick aggressor who was shot (5'5", 280 lbs). I've worked on one case in which .380 FMJ overpenetrated and hurt someone who had not been targeted. Overpenetration is clearly an unacceptable result.

Nothing's perfect, I suppose. I personally switched from carrying .380 JHPs to ball based on what I've seen in these cases I've worked, and I know a pathologist who carries .380 ball for defensive purposes. However, I have been thinking lately that .380 (and very similar 9x18 Mak) might just be the perfect storm of being too penetrative in ball form and insufficiently penetrative in JHP form. Since I have a perfectly lovely tiny 9x19 pistol that throws 124-gr +P Gold Dots (which appear to penetrate appropriately and no more) at 1180 fps from its 3" barrel, I just leave the 9x17s and 9x18Ms at home nowadays.

Shot placement is king. Adequate penetration is queen. Everything else is angels dancing on the heads of pins.

 

[m2steven]

I generally load every of my firearms (autos) with FMJ because of the extra reliabiliy that FMJ allows. I know that people test for reliability of
whatever ammo they use and will be told as much.

But in a 380, I sure as heck want the thing to fire a second shot if I need it, and using FMJ ups those odds a bit.

I've shot a few boxes of Powerball thru my LCP and it has been perfect. But as of now I have simple FMJ in the gun.

If we could just shoot a good sample of humans to determine what's what, we could stop "arguing" over these topics. But this is why we
contend back and forth - we can't shoot people without good cause, thank God. So we'll have to keep such talks going. Besides, if the world were
just filled with solid facts and research - we'd have nothing to talk about other than the cold facts. How boring would that be?

 

[makarovnik]

I use fmj in my .380's and .45's. Better reliability and better penetration. Hollow points sometimes work better on skull shots because of the bullet profile and ricochet factor.

Maybe a hollow point in the chamber and fmj in the magazine is a good way to go.

 

[chiggerbyt]

I'm shooting 92 grain Lee cast from straight wheelweights lightly tumble lubed with Alox. The chrony gives 875- 900 fps. This is in a Makarov.
Are there any comparisons showing cast bullet penetration/expansion vs the HP and FMJ for self defense?

 

[herkyguy]

seems like a good compromise to keep a JHP in the pipe and FMJ in the magazine. I hadn't thought of that. Thanks!