jimbo555
Member
Just purchased a sig p238.What is the best penetrating jhp or is fmj the only acceptable choice for adequate penetration?
Just purchased a sig p238.What is the best penetrating jhp or is fmj the only acceptable choice for adequate penetration?
It all depends on barrel length. .380 JHPs will reliably expand from my wife's Beretta 85, with it's 4" barrel. The SIG P238 has a 2.7" barrel and JHP expansion will probably not happen, especially when clothing is encountered.As for 380jhp expansion, most jhp rounds from the better ammo makers absolutely do expand and anyone that says they don't hasn't bothered to research the subject...
This is what I mean about people not doing the research!It all depends on barrel length. .380 JHPs will reliably expand from my wife's Beretta 85, with it's 4" barrel. The SIG P238 has a 2.7" barrel and JHP expansion will probably not happen, especially when clothing is encountered.
When the Diamondback 9mm is $400..
Yes and that's why I choose to carry the Winchester fmj with truncated cone bullet or the Freedom Munitions 100gr truncated bullet round in my 380 pistols as well.In that limited testing on mostly bare gelatin they did expand. The more problematic data from that testing though is that none of the tested JHP's achieved even the minimum recommended penetration depth of 12". In my mind, 12" is a minimum, and if you can achieve that with reliable expansion, that's even better. But, without that minimum depth, expansion (or lack thereof) isn't really meaningful.
How are they a compromise between jhp and fmj?You guys should check out the Buffalo Bore Hard Cast Flat Nose loads.
I think they are the perfect compromise between HP and FMJ loads and all I carry in an SD .380.
My PPK/s eats them up no problem.
In every gelatin test of the Winchester truncated 380 round I have seen penetration was at least 18" and anything over that is just over penetration.
Sorry, I have to call you on this. What bullets are experts "trying to sell you" when they recommend 12-18" of penetration? Is the FBI selling bullets these days? What research can you actually support that says 12" is too much penetration? You'll forgive me if I'm skeptical, but a random guy on the internet who proclaims he's researched a subject for decades and then proceeds to contract nearly every expert in the field tends to raise an eyebrow or two.I have researched it for decades, and I am not trying to sell you anything. the makers are lying, and jello is not flesh and blood, either. I don't want anything to do with a round that penetrates more than 10" of flesh. If it does, it is almost certain to waste too much precious energy on overpenetration of the man. The heart is just 3" deep from the front, the lung just 2", or a bit less. From the side, one lung is less than 2" deep, the heart at most 8", on a very, very big man. If you do hit the arm first, you can't blame the bullet for your failure to hit the intended mark.
The heart is just 3" deep from the front, the lung just 2", or a bit less. From the side, one lung is less than 2" deep, the heart at most 8", on a very, very big man.
If you do hit the arm first, you can't blame the bullet for your failure to hit the intended mark.
18" penetration!?! What are you shooting... Hippos?!?
I'm 6'2" 200lbs center mass on me is 16" wide and less than 10" deep. Clothing isn't that tough and you've got at least 7 or 8 chances with a normal .380.
You know there are no guarantees in life and if you obsess over every possibility you're going to end up not only wearing a belt and suspenders but Super Gluing your underwear on in case of tornadoes.
I live in the real world where the .22 LR has killed more folks than any other round. There's a high enough chance that I can persuade an attacker to stop or flee with 7 rounds of .380 that I don't feel under-gunned.