What is your .380acp "Carry Ammo"

[eagle24]

I'm about to pull the trigger and either get a Bersa or Firestorm .380. Probably gonna happen while on my lunch break today. What ammo are you good and knowledgeable folks carrying in your .380? Strictly from a performance perspective, I know it will have to prove functionally reliable in the individual gun.

 

[AirForceShooter]

hydra shocks for me.

You're going to love the Bersa.

AFS

 

[Biker]

Ditto the Hydra Shoks.

Biker

 

[Soybomb]

Anything non expanding.

 

[ID_shooting]

Gold dots

 

[eagle24]

Anything non expanding.

That's the arguement I'm interested in. JHP vs FMJ.

 

[innerpiece9]

with a .22LR or .22Mag, anything smaller than .380Auto I would use FMJ..
But the .380 can effectivly reach vitals with a HP load.

I always, and only, trusted Winchester Supreme 95Gr. SXT JHP.
sold the .380, but still have a few boxes of SXT lying around, as I believe the MFG may be discontinued.. and if I ever pickup a 380 again, SXT will be what she eats.

 

[Alerion]

I carry Hydra-Shoks.

I want to make as big of a hole as possible with an otherwise fairly small round. And while some people think it doesn't have the power to expand properly, I figure if it expands it's better than a non-expanding round. And if it doesn't expand then it's the same as a non-expanding round. It's kind of a win-tie situation.

Tom

 

[Soybomb]

Ahhh well personally I've not seen a jhp that can consistently expand and still get 12+" out of the p3at. To me the rounds that actually expand offer too shallow penetration. Penetration first, then worry about expansion. Unlike Alerion I don't think a round is necessarily better just because it expands. Ymmv.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Hyrda shocks.

But if you hit heavy bone.. like a shoulder or hip expect a cratering wound that looks nasty but doesn't penetrate very far. If you get it through the ribs it can penetrate a lot. Head shots are of course, still effective.

Placement is everything.

 

[Kramer Krazy]

Silver Bear HP

I carry the same ammo that I use to plink with in my Bersa 380.....Silver Bear hollow-points. I paid something like $105 for 1000 rounds through www.aimsurplus.com a while back.....I also carry this ammo in my Colt Mustang. Both guns feed, shoot, and spit it out without any issues....I think I'm down to my last box, though.

 

[Alerion]

Unlike Alerion I don't think a round is necessarily better just because it expands.

Not just because it expands. Because when it expands it will do more internal damage than a clean .38" diameter hole. Most vital organs are pretty close to the surface and if I have to shoot someone with a .380 I want to make them bleed. Even a little rough edge is better than a smooth copper jacket. As a former police officer/EMT and Viet Nam vet I can tell you that a ragged bloody wound, even if it is shallower, is generally more dangerous than a deep clean one. (Notice I said generally. There are going to be exceptions both ways.) And against heavy bone a .380 probably isn't going to do much even in FMJ.

Now if I knew I was going to be attacked by ballistic gelatin I consider a non-expanding round.

Tom

 

[eagle24]

Well, I asked for opinions and got some. Personally, I'm leaning towards fmj ball ammo. I've got concerns with penetration, especially in the winter through heavy clothing, of an expanding bullet. I'm also thinking a fmj ball projectile is more likely to glance off a bone and keep going, although it may be somewhat redirected. A hollow point might grab the bone and stop doing very little damage. The .380 won't be a primary weapon, but I would like to carry the ammo that is the most effective.

 

[1 old 0311]

Hydra Shoks in the summer. S&B FMJ in the winter.

Kevin

 

[Ridgeway]

gold dots @ present

 

[Lonestar.45]

Gold Dots, since they feed the best and are the most accurate out of my 3AT.

 

[ARTiger]

I have a little .380 AMT Backup that I occasionally CCW in a jeans pocket. I use the Cor-Bon DPX. It's an 80 grain Barnes X SHP @ 1050 FPS. Especially designed to be a deeper penetrating round yet expands well. Haven't compared performance data to the Hydra shocks, but have shot both and this feels a bit stronger recoil-wise.

They're expensive ($19.15/20 rnds) but worth it I think.

 

[Lou22]

Remington Golden Sabers. One of the heaviest bullets in .380. Generally good reputation. I figure if any .380 load will drop 'em, the GS will.

Lou

 

[old4x4]

102 Gr Remington Golder Sabers loaded right to the max. At least, when my PPK/S comes in, that's what I'll be carrying

 

[EddieCoyle]

On the rare occasions when I carry a .380, I carry FMJ. I'd like to say it was because I value the penetration aspect in case the bullet has to go through a bicep or forearm but it's really because I don't carry it that much and the only .380 ammo I have is FMJ for plinking.

102 Gr Remington Golder Sabers loaded right to the max. At least, when my PPK/S comes in, that's what I'll be carrying

Nice! I bought one last week. Awesome pistol. Made like a Swiss watch. Superb machining. Watch out for the sharp edges though. You can shave with the edge of the slide.

 

[distra]

+1 on the hydra-shock in my BDA. Don't carry it too much since I've moved on to a 45ACP 1911 carry.

 

[Working Man]

I have a Walther PPK/S that I have been feeding Remington Express & Corbon
+P JHP, they ran just fine through it.

 

[MCgunner]

A hornady 90 grain XTP hollowpoint loaded to 200 ft lbs.

 

[5string_dean]

Both my wife & I carry 102 Gr Remington Golder Sabers in our P3ATs

 

[dcm]

102 grain Golden Sabers

My wife uses 102 grain Golden Sabers in her Beretta and Browning.