.380 P238 Ammo

[coop2564]

Any one tried the academy monarch HP in their p238? It has very small hollow point hole and exposed lead. Thinking it may act more like a SP which might be good for this round, some expansion but still penetrate deeply. My concerns are with winter clothing looks like most HP's penetration is very marginal or they plug.

 

[rcmodel]

Hornady's Critical Defense ammo has pretty well fixed the HP plugging issue once & for all.

http://www.hornady.com/store/critical_defense

rc

 

[coop2564]

But penetration is very marginal with CD. A lot of test show 7-10"

 

[R.W.Dale]

In my opinion 380 and 32 are fmj only propositions.

Neither caliber has the horsepower to drive a jhp to speeds to either make it penatrate if it opens or create much of a wound cavity if it does.

Stick with ball. Get the penatration you want and the practice and smooth feeding you NEED. Because a jhp that stops just short of or slightly misses the vitals is going to be no less and no more effective than the same round in ball flavor.

posted via tapatalk using android.

 

[wnycollector]

I carry Buffalo Bore 100gr Hardcast flat point ammo in my Beretta 84b. I recently chronographed it and posted the data here http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=627651

 

[Super Sneaky Steve]

I carry Buffalo Bore 100gr Hardcast flat point ammo in my Beretta 84b

That's what I carry in my PK380. BB always makes the best stuff.

 

[kokapelli]

I don't see the point in BB's expensive non hollow point rounds when any 380 fmj round will most likely go completely through a BG.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

I suggest Winchester Q4206. It penetrates adequately and its flat nose crushes more tissue than a round nose bullet.

 

[coop2564]

Winchester is what I'm currently using. JUST wondering why more ammo manufactures do not make a round SP like some of the slower moving rifle ammo uses? Seems its all FMJ or HP. RNSP will give some expansion but not dump all its energy in doing so, thus more penetration. Seem a no brainer to me for some of these less powerful/penetrating rds...but what do I know.

 

[kokapelli]

Winchester is what I'm currently using. JUST wondering why more ammo manufactures do not make a round SP like some of the slower moving rifle ammo uses? Seems its all FMJ or HP. RNSP will give some expansion but not dump all its energy in doing so, thus more penetration. Seem a no brainer to me for some of these less powerful/penetrating rds...but what do I know.

Do you have any actual JSP gelatin tests I might refer to?

I have seen 22 cal lead bullets fired into ballistic gel from rifles and at much higher velocities than any 380 would attain and there was no expansion.

Is it possible that JSP bullets use softer lead?

By the way Buffalo Bore's hot 380 Hard Cast bullet has a Flat Nose. 380 Auto +P Ammo - 100 gr. Hardcast F.N. (1150fps/ M.E. 294 ft. lbs.)

I called BB a couple of years ago and they said all their 380 tests were fired from a P3AT.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

You have to achieve .357 Magnum velocities (1300-1400 fps) to produce "bulk deformation" of lead bullets, which is why we don't see any soft point handgun bullets perform well in terminal ballistics tests.

 

[bikerdoc]

Horady critical defense or Aquila 90 gr JHP or WWB white box BEB have my vote.

Based upon my experience and unscientific home range testing. YMMV

That said, 380 is my bug/ church/dress up/ hot weather choice. Primary = 357 or 1911,or some 9mm of the CZ flavor.

 

[kokapelli]

You have to achieve .357 Magnum velocities (1300-1400 fps) to produce "bulk deformation" of lead bullets, which is why we don't see any soft point handgun bullets perform well in terminal ballistics tests.

I have some Austrian police 9mm surplus ammo with lead flat nose bullets.

The ammo is 100 gr +P+ and was chorno'd at well over 1500 fps from my K9. I wonder if it would expand?

 

[Shawn Dodson]

Shoot it into water and see.

 

[Stricky]

You can almost find any ammo test on youtube these days:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATgOuZl1lPQ

 

[Nakanokalronin]

Can't find the video but I think the same guys who did the above test got 16" of penetration after going through 4 layers of denim with the Hornady ammo using a P238. It's what I currently use in my P238.

 

[kokapelli]

I have seen bullets expand in water that will not expand in ballistic gelatin.
Also how do we know how deep a bullet will penetrate tissue when it's shot into water?

I know some people claim to have figured out how to translate water jug depth into tissue depth, but I'm personally not satisfied with these un-scientific water jug test.