Best 380 auto ammo

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brutus51

brutus51

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Just picked up a used Colt Mustang, won't be reloading for it.
Intend to use it for CCW on really hot summer days so I'm wondering what people choose for self defense in this caliber.
 
I always use the one that's the most accurate,,,,I don't care what style bullet it is or what brand it is.
The best bullet money can buy is useless if it doesn't hit the target...……………..
 
I purchased Speer Gold Dot .380 ammo for my .380 CCW.

There are lots of videos and such on Youtube. I watched a number of those as well as looking at info like this at Lucky Gunner.

https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/

Plus our local law enforcement use Speer Gold Dots so it can't be emotionally painted as especially horrendous vs what professionals here use for personal protection. Food for thought.
 
Last edited:
HamSlamma said:
I always use the one that's the most accurate,,,,I don't care what style bullet it is or what brand it is.
The best bullet money can buy is useless if it doesn't hit the target...……………..
Click to expand...
At the ranges appropriate for the .380, I don't believe there's enough difference in accuracy between the best and the worst to make a difference. If you can't hit a man-sized torso at 5-7 yards max, it ain't the ammo's fault.
 
Remington or Federal are solid bets. My experience with .380 is that it isn't hopeful you'll be hitting anything at too far a range. If you're decent at Point & Click with It, then it's fine.
 
For any ammo the first criterion is sufficient penetration and reliability. After I am sure of that then I will worry about expansion. For 380 I chose fmj, but I want to have full velocity and no downloaded ammo that some factories turnout. But I am not going to go for the buffalo bore loadings that seem make a 380 shoot almost as hard as 9x19. Certainly I think they are too much for a keltec 3AT. I want a 95 grain fmj at 850-900 fps in say a 3 inch barrel.
Buffalo Bore load below https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=127
Item 27A/20 is a 100gr. HARD cast bullet with a flat nose. It is traveling over 1,150 fps out of my 3.75 inch BDA (Browning Double Action). We've used a flash suppressed powder for all three of our 380 auto loads so that you won't be blinded by your own gunfire if you have to shoot in the dark and since around 95% of all civilian shootings in America occur in low light, the chances that your gunfire will blind you while you are trying to save your life are good - we've eliminated this variable by using flash suppressed powder. We've also chosen a flat nosed solid bullet. The flat on the nose ensures that the bullet will cut/smash its way through flesh and bone and do much more destruction than typical round nose FMJ bullets. Round nosed bullets tend to slip and slide through matter, doing little damage as opposed to a flat nosed bullet. The flat nose not only wounds much more than a round nosed bullet, but it keeps the penetration straight and thus deeper.

Notice the below velocities recorded from my personal 380 auto pistols. These are real-world guns, and thus the speeds are realistic and not exaggerated speeds produced from laboratory test barrels. What you see with Buffalo Bore Ammo, is truly what you get in the "real world," where it matters. You can expect 20+ inches of straight-line penetration in flesh and bone with this load. If you are worried about over penetration with this load, DON'T! You chose to carry a tiny under-powered 380 auto pistol, and the trade-off is that you are now going to have to stay alive with that pistol and over penetration will be the least of your worries if you end up needing this gun to save yourself or your family.

➤ 1,160 fps -- BDA 3.75-inch barrel
➤ 1,149 fps -- Walther PPK 3.5-inch barrel
➤ 1,072 fps -- Colt Mustang Pocket Lite-2.75 inch barrel
➤ 1,061 fps -- Keltec
Click to expand...
 
I carry the Buffalo Bore HP, after I made sure they worked fine in my LCP. Not a load to practice excessively with with small guns, probably shoot them loose eventually.

Besides, who could afford to. lol
 
I use the Sig Elite performance fmj rounds. I prefer fmj's over hollow points on my .380. I am of the philosophy of the 3 P's. Practice, Placement, and Penetration trumps expansion.
 
The Sig V-crown ammo does pretty well in .380 short barrels as far as penetration and expansion. That’s what I use in a Sig Sauer P238, which is very similar to the Mustang. When it comes to aggressive hollow point profiles it pays to run a few boxes through your own gun to make sure they feed reliably.
 
XTP from Fiocchi, Speer Gold Dots, Hornady Critical Defense. They all seem good enough to me, whatever I have on hand.
 
Another endorsement for the Lucky Gunner test from here.

I would also beg anyone looking at 380 +p to look at buffalo bore with barnes copper solids.

The expansion and penetration is on par with most 9mms given sub compact lengths. The heavier nines outstretch on penetration, but it has plenty to go in the front and out the back even with heavy clothing.
 
Critical defense , ball for reload.
The critical defense may not expand but it has a decent chance, ball reload in case the extra rounds are required due to lack of penetration of the HPs. Don't carry the 380 very often this time of year.
20200126_164510.jpg
Sometimes I don't carry a reload if I'm going for lightweight minimal carry in low risk situations, like pajama parties or swimming.
 
I carry the Federal HST made for the short barrel pistols. It's a 98 or 99 grain bullet that was specifically made to expand out of a 2" barrel.
 
LookAtYou said:
Buffalo Bore .380 auto Standard Pressure 95 Grain Flat Nose FMJ if that's not too much for the small gun. If so, then WWB 95 Grain Flat Nose FMJ.
Click to expand...
I had not realized that they had a standard pressure load.
That load interests me.
For 100 hard cast flat nose.
➤ 1,011 fps -- BDA-3.75-inch barrel
➤ 995 fps -- Walther PPK-3.5-inch barrel
➤ 910 fps -- Colt Mustang Pocket Lite-2.75-inch barrel
➤ 902 fps -- Keltec
Click to expand...
 
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