.380 reloads

380 brass tends to be thinner, so be careful when seating the Bullets.

RONALD MORPHEW said:

Is there any secret to reloading .380 compared to other auto reloads, like 9mm, 38 super, or 45 acp?
I just acquired a 380 and was wondering,

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I know that headstamps are important in the .32ACP because there is a LOT of variance in the various American vs European brass in regards to the caliber. Most of my calibers for handgun is mixed, BUT I still sort to be sure none are "stepped" internally.

Unsure if this would pertain to your case in .380 but worth a thought.

I prefer a powder that meters well in my powder throw for .380 acp as you go from .380 acp to 32 acp and 25 acp this becomes more important. For such rounds I would prefer ball powders for these cartridges.

I haven't found anything that's really different between 9mm and 380 auto as far as process. It's just that the powder charges are smaller, so it requires a bit more attention to get them metered/weighed correctly.

I ended up weighing each charge for 380. Since I don't use a lot of 380, it's not a problem for me to take the extra time.

Yes, the secret is to have tiny fingers! I don't, and yes, I do reload .380.... with much cussing when I drop a case charged with powder. It's a small case so measure your powder carefully. You dont have much room to play with.

WeekendReloader said:

I haven't found anything that's really different between 9mm and 380 auto as far as process. It's just that the powder charges are smaller, so it requires a bit more attention to get them metered/weighed correctly.

I ended up weighing each charge for 380. Since I don't use a lot of 380, it's not a problem for me to take the extra time.

Click to expand...

My spin as well. I normally use Unique to load the .380, and because it doesn't drop well in such small charges, I hand weigh each. If I had a powder that flowed better... something like W231 or TiteGroup, etc... I would probably just drop it, after verifying consistency.

Just like with 9mm, bullet seating depth plays a factor. Make sure of your OAL for the powder and bullet you are using, and appropriately crimped so the bullet doesn't move.

My hands cramp a lot when loading .380s. I use TiteGroup when reloading .380s & know you have to be very careful not to over load the cases because it takes so little it's easy to do.

The only problem I have with them is their size and one numb thumb. The smaller something is the more trouble I have handling it with that thumb. Even with feeling in both thumbs they would be fiddley to reload IMO.

380 Auto is one of my favorites. I've loaded and shot thousands of them in the past 4 years, since I started my handloading adventure. I've loaded from 90gr to 115gr. My favorite powders are HP-38 and VV N320, but after acquiring a jug of 700-X I've been trying to make the switch. VV N320 has been the best for accuracy but it's far too pricey now to continue using it in my 380 Auto loads.
Everyone has provided the best practices for this cartridge...which generally applies to every cartridge. Careful bullet seating is essential as it's really easy to bulge the case wall if not carefully centered. Many use the Lee Factory Crimp Die to set things right again, but getting the job done right in the first palce is the better option.
I was at the range yesterday shooting off a batch of 115gr JHP loads that I made up following Nosler 9th edition data. It was an interesting experiment...but not worth the effort, at least to me. The sweet spot for me has been the 95gr JHP from Everglades Ammo. Makes for some highly accurate rounds.

AK Hunter said:

My hands cramp a lot when loading .380s. I use TiteGroup when reloading .380s & know you have to be very careful not to over load the cases because it takes so little it's easy to do.

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a double charge of w231 will overflow the case, fyi.

murf

RONALD MORPHEW said:

Is there any secret to reloading .380 compared to other auto reloads, like 9mm, 38 super, or 45 acp?
I just acquired a 380 and was wondering,

Click to expand...

if your bullets are seating crooked (roll a loaded round on a table and see if it wobbles), bell the case mouth more.

luck,

murf

RONALD MORPHEW said:

Is there any secret to reloading .380 compared to other auto reloads, like 9mm, 38 super, or 45 acp?
I just acquired a 380 and was wondering,

Click to expand...

Well it is a smaller case, and normally fired in small semi auto handguns. The smaller the case is, the more careful the handloader has to be. I have loaded it for years and shot it in a Ruger LCP and a Star model S. It is a mistake to try to soup it up because of the design of the chamber and, as has been mentioned, the brass it not the most rugged. I use AA2 for these little cases and using a decent chronograph work up slowly 1/10 of a grain at a time just to the point of matching factory velocities and you should have no trouble. I also load for the .32 ACP and the .32 S&W Long and even the .32 S&W. I have not tried to reload for the .25 auto, but with winter coming on, I just might try that little bugger too.

I have found that brass thickness in .380 cases seems to vary more than some other rounds.
You need to make sure you have good neck tension to prevent bullet setback.
What is ok in case brand X might not be ok in brand Y.

For .380 I like powders that meter well.
For most practice stuff I really like AA#2 which meters great.
For full powder stuff I like CFE-P.

I have a little KAHR P380 so short barrel, vels will be higher in anything with a longer barrel which is most everything

Factory Federal from my gun
String: 2
Date: 8/14/2016
Time: 8:44:02 AM
Grains: 95
Hi Vel: 845
Low Vel: 826
Ave Vel: 832
Ext Spread: 19
Std Dev: 7
Federal .380 95 FMJ
Velocity Power Factor Ft/Lbs
845 80.275 150.605
828 78.66 144.606
835 79.325 147.061
829 78.755 144.955
826 78.47 143.908

Mixed range brass, S+B SP, charges as thrown after setting measure, KAHR P380 2.5" barrel

String: 2
Date: 8/14/2016
Time: 9:23:07 AM
Grains: 100
Hi Vel: 862
Low Vel: 843
Ave Vel: 853
Ext Spread: 19
Std Dev: 7
380 100 Xtremer 4.0 CFE-P (Note: 4gr is a listed MAX charge)
Velocity Power Factor Ft/Lbs
862 77.58 148.477
843 75.87 142.004
855 76.95 146.075
850 76.5 144.372
856 77.04 146.417

String: 6
Date: 5/15/2016
Time: 12:47:27 PM
Grains: 90
Hi Vel: 793
Low Vel: 777
Ave Vel: 784
Ext Spread: 16
Std Dev: 7
380 3.1 #2 CMJ 100 RN
Velocity Power Factor Ft/Lbs
793 71.37 125.658
777 69.93 120.639
779 70.11 121.26
788 70.92 124.079

PS: I got a little chuckle that the ES and SD for the CFE-P load were the same as factory Federal.
Guess I picked the right 5 rounds out of each box, couldn't have done that if I was trying.
AA#2 load was a hair better, but one didn't read on the chrono.

i use a rcbs powder hopper to drop my charges for loading the 380acp and hp-38 works great in these powder droppers!

RONALD MORPHEW said:

is the case like 38 super cases? The 38 super for years headspaced on the semi rim.

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The 380 ACP is rimless and headspaces on the case mouth.

But the cases between manufacturers can vary alot which causes some variances in performance.

markr6754 said:

I was at the range yesterday shooting off a batch of 115gr JHP loads that I made up following Nosler 9th edition data. It was an interesting experiment...but not worth the effort, at least to me. The sweet spot for me has been the 95gr JHP from Everglades Ammo. Makes for some highly accurate rounds.

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Several decades ago, I played with 110 gr JHP 38 caliber bullets in 380ACP.

They worked fine but the velocities were too low for the bullet to expand or even be effective by its weight.

I agree 95 gr is probably a sweet spot but I have good success with anything from 90 to 100 grains.

cfullgraf said:

Several decades ago, I played with 110 gr JHP 38 caliber bullets in 380ACP.

They worked fine but the velocities were too low for the bullet to expand or even be effective by its weight.

I agree 95 gr is probably a sweet spot but I have good success with anything from 90 to 100 grains.

Click to expand...

As it turns out, I spoke too soon. I wrote "I was at the range yesterday shooting off a batch of 115gr JHP loads that I made up following Nosler 9th edition data. It was an interesting experiment...but not worth the effort, at least to me."
The exact reason for this comment was that over 50% of the cases split on me. I have plenty of 380 Auto brass, but that doesn't mean I like to waste it.
As it turned out, there were no split cases in my fired brass...or at least I haven't found one as yet. One of the 2 pistols we used to shoot these, a Springfield 911 and a Ruger LCP Max is scratching the cases. On the ground they look like splits. After a wipe and resizing...lo and behold...no splits. So I think I'll continue my experimenting with heavy for caliber 380 Auto loads after all. 2 examples attached

I pretty much use Hodgdon Universal for reloading all of my pistol calibers to include .380 ACP. I have not found 380 to be any harder to reload on my Lee Turret press using Lee dies. Universal meters very well in my Lee Auto Disk.

I will also suggest belling the mouth a little more if the 380 bullets are going in crooked and bulging the case. I seat and crimp in separate operations and haven't had any issues. I shoot my 380 reloads in my Kel-Tec P3AT and my Llama IIIA.

I use Titegroup, AA#5 and Zip for my .380 ACP ammo .... 90/95 grain bullets

I've found certain brands just don't have enough neck tension with jacketed bullets, which I'm fussy about...as found in my 380acp notes;
-Winchester, just throw it away
-Corbon, PMC and W-W are lousy, but sometimes hold tight enough (subjective, of course)

those are the only ones I've found, thus far.

Now, if you're loading cast bullets, which typically have a larger OD, those cases may prove to be ideal