Poll: What .380 JHP ammo do you carry for self-defense

What .380 JHP ammo do you carry for self-defense

  • Remington 102gr Golden Saber

    Votes: 16 17.4%
  • Federal 90gr Hydra-Shok

    Votes: 6 6.5%
  • Hornady 90gr XTP

    Votes: 4 4.3%
  • Hornady 90gr Critical Defense(tm)

    Votes: 13 14.1%
  • Remington 88gr Express

    Votes: 1 1.1%
  • Buffalo Bore 90gr JHP

    Votes: 1 1.1%
  • Speer 90gr Gold Dot

    Votes: 21 22.8%
  • Winchester 85gr Silvertip

    Votes: 1 1.1%
  • I carry another brand of JHP

    Votes: 18 19.6%
  • I prefer ball ammo as my primary defense round

    Votes: 11 12.0%

  • Total voters
    92
  • Poll closed .
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fasttheo

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Feb 22, 2011
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Location
Pennsylvania
There have been a few posts recently on this subject, so I thought I would make a poll to see what the .380 folks are carrying as their primary self-defense round. I'd also like to hear why you carry it (if your decision was based off of tests/data, if you like the reliability of feeding in your gun, etc.). No caliber wars, please.
 
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I tried Golden Saber, but it didn't feel reliably in my Bersa. The tip of the hollow point is too sharp.

Hydra Shok always seems to do well in the tests, so I picked that. I'd sooner take the (slim) chance of it not penetrating enough than to take the chance of it going through more walls and hurting or killing someone I didn't intend to.

Given the choice, I'd probably get Cor-Bon PowerBall or Glaser Blue, for that same reason.

I think rather than a typical round nosed FMJ, I'd probably look for something similar, but with a flat point.
 
I switched from Hornady CD to Speer Gold Dots for now. I'm waiting on some backordered Double Tap Gold Dots (a bit hotter, but not +p). I like the test results of these bonded bullets.
 
Ball ammo for maximum penetration. .380s are slow and light, and if I'm using it I want to get as much penetration out of the little hole as possible. Prefer Winchester flat nose FMJ.
 
I use hornady 90grn. xtp
I roll my own, Winchester brass and primers and 4grns of power pistol.
Comes out of my Kel-Tec right around 870fps.(have crono)
Have thought about using a heavier bullet from a 9mm. I would like to get into the 110grn. range.
 
I used Corbon +P load when I still had my W-German Walther PPKs. The load ballistics were about same as one could expect from 9x18 Makarov pistol cartridge.
 
Can;t beat the preformance of handloads

I for years have used a load published in the Serria Relaoding Manual...

90gr Serria HC with 4756 and a WW std small Pistol Primer... SMOKIN and it is a proven performer...

look it up...try it
 
Cor-Bon DPX

IMHO, it and Remington Golden Sabers are most likely to cause incapacitation the quickest.
 
I carry Gold Dots in my LCP. The soft lead of the hollowpoint crushes when it strikes the feedramp so I haven't seen an noticeable bullet setback. When I shot the Hornady HPs the bullet is much harder and the bullets were set back by the feed ramp when firing. I the Gold Dots also seem to expand moderately, penetrate well enough for me, and have decent velocity.
 
I carry three different loads:

Remington Golden Saber
Buffalo Bore 100gr hardcast
Hornady Critical Defense
 
Golden Saber. Big fan of the heaviest bullet for the caliber and I hope it doesn't expand as the three most important things in bullet performance are: Placement, Placement, and Penetration.

Penetration is where the 380 is marginal.
 
102 gr. Golden Sabers have worked well in the .380s I have carried, though I rarely carry a .380 anymore. Next choice would be the 90 gr. Gold Dot.
 
Winchester Ranger T 95 grain. I like those bullets allot, the recoil is manageable, they fly at about 1000 fps, and there is very little muzzle flash.

I tried Golden Saber, but it didn't feel reliably in my Bersa. The tip of the hollow point is too sharp.

Some Bersa's don't have a perfect transition between the barrel and ramp. You can oh-so-gently fix this with a tiny sanding drum on a Dremel tool. Polish it to a shine when you are finished. I got my Bersa for next to free because it was problematic with HP ammo. It took me ten minutes to fix the problem :)
 
I load my own. 9mm 115 grn Sierra HP's with HP38 powder. Cycle flawlessly and are in the Lee Manual as acceptable loads. I am more concerned about too much penetration and hitting someone on the other side. Having been trained so I always pull the trigger twice anyway.
 
I found some Winchester 95gr Ranger T-Series 50 rounds for $35. at the gun show last wkend bought his last 2 boxes. My LCP ate all 15 rounds I fed her without a burp :p so I'll be using them until I can maybe get some HCFN BB or some other FN rounds for now.
 
I also use the 102 sabers in the LCP and think It feels fine. I don't understand the problem with LCP recoil. It hits sternly, but not painfully to me.
 
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