Best defensive ammo in .380?

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swifter

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Yeah, yeah, I know :( I figure she's better armed with a .380 that's with her than a .45 at home in thw safe... :scrutiny:

So what's most effective, given the limitations of the round?

TIA,

Tom
 
Personaly, I'd stick with FMJs. Overpenetration certainly wouldn't be a problem with the .380. I would think you would want the little bullet to penetrate as far as possible. Expansion would only hinder that. JMHO.
 
Mine is an alternative view, but personally, I switched from .380 to 9mm when I discovered the Kahr PM-9. Now I feel that the best .380 is a 124 gr. +P 9mm Gold Dot in a Kahr MK-9 or PM-9... about the same size gun as a typical .380 and packs a much more effective punch! :rolleyes: Sorry, but I do think this is something you might want to at least consider, if possible... :confused: I will have to defer to others, however, about the best ammo for the .380.
 
Hello, sir. I'm hoping that the batch of Corbon 380 DPX tests out well. I plan to
try it in the morning. IF it performs as well (relatively speaking) as it has for me in 9mm, it might be a round worth taking a hard look at.

Best.
 
The limiting factor in .380 ammo is penetration. Hollow points might expand, and they might penetrate the required (by the FBI) 12 inches in calibrated ballistic gelatin. FMJ always penetrates at least 12 inches. I carry Remington Express FMJ (the stuff in the green and yellow boxes). Winchester Super-X would also be a good choice. I'd stay away from target ammo, especially CCI Blazer, for quality reasons.
 
Hello. I agree on the penetration concerns. DPX is supposed to make the 12" minimum. We'll see.

Best.
 
I carry the earlier Corbons in my Remington 51. The seem to have pretty good expansion and all the penetration a 100 grain bullet is gonna get at 1000fps.
 
I use 90 grain Federal hydra shok but the 102 grain rem golden sabre seems very promising.
 
Wow. The typical recommendation to go for a bigger caliber/different pistol comes about the 7th response. This happened on the second. Admittedly, for these types of questions are asked so often and the responses so predictable, I'm only curious in how long it takes before the thead is hi-jacked. Now, if the initiator had been asking about 9mm Parabellums, the 45 ACP would have reared its head a little later (it being a slower bullet).
 
peoria... so, what is your contribution? ;) :D :D :D

I asked the same question swifter asked, myself, when I considered .380 as a carry gun and I came to the conclusion that I would be better off with 9mm in a PM-9.

Sometimes the suggestion to go from one caliber to another in the same approximate size handgun is one that is appreciated as a suggestion. It's worth considering as an option anyway.
 
If you're gonna go with .380, use Santa Barbara.
Its either sp or fmj, 85-95gr, and about 1200 fps.
Not recommended for alloy-framed guns.
I believe you can find some info on Mr. Camp's website. Also, run a search here on Santa Barbara, you should find some info on it.
-David
 
Golden Sabers in that caliber penetrate only 8-9 inches. Might be adequate penetration for small dogs, foxes, feral cats, or racoons. For humans, 12" is the bare minimum. I recommend flatnosed FMJ (unfortunately, the only ones that I know of are Remington UMC LeadLess, Winchester WB, and Winchester WinClean) or Santa Barbara. SOG still has some, at $2.29 per 25 rd box, or $80 for a case of 1000.
 
90gr Hydra shocks are very destructive little bullets... unless they hit heavy bone in which case you'll get a nasty looking cratering flesh wound, it may or may not break the bone in question.

I'd opt for the fastest heaviest FMJ you can find.
 
For what it's worth today I learned that a 90gr Cor-Bon jhp fired from a Bersa .380 will NOT exit an Armidillo when fired from a tail to head angle, from a range of 5 to 10 yds.:evil:
 
krochus said:
For what it's worth today I learned that a 90gr Cor-Bon jhp fired from a Bersa .380 will NOT exit an Armidillo when fired from a tail to head angle, from a range of 5 to 10 yds.:evil:
Click to expand...

Hmmm.... that's about 12 inches:evil: .

kjeff50cal
 
Just wait until Double Tap's "steamers" (loaded with Remington's 102-grain Golden Saber bullets) hit the market! They will be the best, because:

a) Mike will see to it that they leve the barre at the highest rate of speed that can safely be achieved from the muzzle of a .380, and

b) Mike will always arrange for this to be accomplished at the lowest possible pressures.

I can't wait!

Scott :cool:
 
peoria46 said:
Wow. The typical recommendation to go for a bigger caliber/different pistol comes about the 7th response. This happened on the second. Admittedly, for these types of questions are asked so often and the responses so predictable, I'm only curious in how long it takes before the thead is hi-jacked. Now, if the initiator had been asking about 9mm Parabellums, the 45 ACP would have reared its head a little later (it being a slower bullet).
Click to expand...

I don't worry about 10-12" penetration cause I don't think the hollow points of my Corbon are going to expand much at .380 compact velocities. I do want 'em to impart as much energy transfer as possible once into the thorax. I figure a blunt bullet is a lot better than a round one for energy transfer and tissue damage even if you don't get the mushroom type expansion that a faster bullet gets. The corbons make 200 foot pounds, too, pretty high for the caliber. They're about as effective as standard pressure .38 special.

When I do carry my .380, I try to remember the praise "shot until the perp stops". At least I've got 12 rounds to get that done, more than my snubby .38 that I often carry.
 
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