What do you like in your .380? FMJ vs JHP

[bdjansen]

Do you prefer to load your .380 up for defense with hollow point ammo or full metal jacket?

 

[Lee D]

Hornady Critical Defense

 

[481]

If .380 JHPs expand, they penetrate no more than 10-11 inches in soft tissue/calibrated gelatin.

Since I prefer a minimum of at least 12 inches of penetration from any ammunition that I carry for the purpose of SD/CCW, in the .380 it is FMJ for me.

 

[M2 Carbine]

In my .380 defense guns the chambered round is a good JHP.
The top round in the magazine is a good FMJ.
The rest of the magazine is loaded JHP-FMJ-JHP, etc.

I figure if I ever have to use my pocket carry .380 I'll quickly empty most of the magazine into the BG. He can worry which bullet is having the most effect.


.

 

[19-3Ben]

FMJ. Not for penetration issues. I do it simply because in a tiny pocket pistol that is already operating on the edge of the mechanical reliability/size ratio, I figure I'll give the gun all the help I can. This is especially so when the gun is in a pocket and getting full of lint. Running FMJ allows me to rest a little easier because the gun can more easily feed the FMJ rounds.

I also prefer it for the penetration aspect. I'm willing to give up expansion for the reliability and penetration that FMJ provides.

All my other guns are loaded with JHP because they have a little more leeway in terms of reliability and have enough penetration that the tradeoffs are worth going with JHP.

 

[TennJed]

Lead cast RN

 

[Prorock]

FMJ all the way.

 

[Coyote hunter 33]

Hornady Critical Defense

This

 

[firesky101]

Golden sabers. They function fine, so I figure if they don't expand then they are no different than FMJ.

 

[gp911]

I have fmj in it now but I plan on getting some Buffalo Bore standard pressure hardcast soon.

 

[guyfromohio]

I have Golden Sabre HP in my PPK, but I don't know that I really feel strongly one way or the other.

 

[Pilot]

I have two .380's both are relatively full size pistols for the caliber, a Beretta M85FS, and a commercial Russian Makarov chambered from the factory in .380. I carry the Beretta sometimes, and use Cor-Bon hollowpoints.

 

[Loosedhorse]

The .380 is a marginally effective round, made even more marginal by the fact that it is typically these days fired through a 2.8" barrel, with not quite an inch of that being chamber.

It is obvious that it can kill an attacker--just as a .22LR can. The important questions would seem to be how quickly can it stop an attacker, and whether ammo choice affects that.

That's a much harder question to answer. If I did carry .380, I'd probably use Federal PD Hydrashoks.

 

[bannockburn]

Pretty much like M2 Carbine posted; JHP in the chamber ready to go, then FMJ, JHP, FMJ, and so on. Like to think of it as equal opportunity at work if and when the need arises.

 

[wnycollector]

I carry the buffalo bore 100gr hard cast FP in my Beretta 84B. I have chronographed it at 1175fps/307lbs of energy in my pistol.

 

[Ferstlerslim]

Critical defense!

Dave

 

[Pyro]

Two Winchester JHP's followed by Winchester FT-FMJ's.

 

[ssyoumans]

Buffalo Bore 90gr JHP. Chrono'd 1172 fps with 36 fps ES. 275 ft-lbs out of my SIG P238.

I like their hard cast, but it will overpenetrate like FMJ.

 

[showmebob]

I hear some folks complaining about over penetration in some calibers.
My test show 380 JHP penetrate about 2/3 of what 9mm and 357 JHP's do. But 380 in FMJ will penterate almost 3 times further than JHP's in 9&357 and 4 times further than JHP in 380.
These are from my test. YMMV. Choose wisely.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Corbon DPX is in all my 380's It has never fail to chamber in my Bersa's, PPK/S, Mustangs, or KelTec.

 

[roadliner]

Federal FMJ

 

[Tex4426]

Winchester pdx1..same as a black talon only different color

 

[nathan]

I carry my Makarov most of the time. Barnaul 95 Gr JHP load is my favorite. Should be enough to make a bad guy think if he wants to live or go straight to heaven.

 

[Jath]

The 12 inch standard is useless if it zips past the heart and lungs at 3 and 7 inches without doing any damage.

+1 on hornady FTX. It's a very very good caliber for shorter barrels.

The brain is only .5 inches deep.

 

[481]

The 12 inch standard is useless if it zips past the heart and lungs at 3 and 7 inches without doing any damage.

Any ballistic standard fails to apply if the bullet misses the target.

A bullet that fails to achieve at least twelve inches of penetration in soft tissue may also fail to reach the vitals on anything other than a perfect frontal presentation or if a very large/obese person is the assailant.

The brain is only .5 inches deep.

That's a tremendous oversimplification. In order to reach the brain, a bullet must defeat the hard, rounded bone that comprises the cranial vault. Bullets of all calibers and designs (including JHPs) have shown a tendency to skid off the surface of the skull and fail to penetrate past the scalp.