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Best .380 Self Defense Ammo

7K views 41 replies 20 participants last post by  swedesrus 
#1 ·
With it being Summer time, one of the best pocket pistols in my small collection is the Ruger LCP. It doesn't leave an imprint in my shorts, and the holster makes it look like an iPhone. One thing that I lack, my preference in .380 self defense rounds. Should I carry what I normally shoot at paper targets? Any suggestions or recommendations would be awesome guys!
 
#2 ·
A while back, there was a post about self defense rounds . Some outfit had done a large study on the subject and it was quite complete in different brands and calibers. Hopefully someone will remember the post. Until then I will try to find it.
Here you go! http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/
This comes courtesy of Dwfan and his post !
 
#3 ·
A while back, there was a post about self defense rounds . Some outfit had done a large study on the subject and it was quite complete in different brands and calibers. Hopefully someone will remember the post. Until then I will try to find it.
Lucky Gunner did a great survey of several calibers.

Shootingthebull did a good one on .380.

Both sources are well thought of, generally.
 
#9 ·
These are indeed very impressive. They seem to have the penetration and permanent wound cavity creation to be the real deal.

The Sig V-Crown hp has performed well, too.

I still wonder if a flat nosed fmj wouldn't be best, though, in winter.

In any case, if what TACAV posted in another thread happens (multiple assailants), I'll be praying the ARX and/or V-Crown going bang will scatter the roaches.
 
#6 ·
I've heard good things about hornady critical defense. That being said the ammo selection itself isn't as important when compared to how well the ammo functions in your specific firearm.
 
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#12 ·
Being Summer, your chance of having to penetrate a lot of fabric is prettt low.

That said, there used to be a school of thought that FMJ was a suitable round for 380, mainly due to penetration issues. Fast forward- Ammo companies have stepped up the game considerably, with more selections than ever.

Here are a few things to consider in a selection for summer use. My opinion only, haven't had a chance to look at the links yet.

1. A JHP from a reputable company. This is for the safety of others around you as well as performance.
2. Nickel cases. They don't corrode as bad or as quickly, stay slick for good feeding. Can see them in lower light for a chamber check.
3. Sealed primers. Pretty common with premium ammo. If the ammo is exposed to sweat etc it's another level of protection.
4. Availability. Make sure you can get a good supply of it.
5. Reliability. Shoot a box or 2 to make sure it works well in your gun and mag combinations(s)
 
#14 · (Edited)
Beige Brass Bronze


Based on my own highly unscientific research, these are the SD rounds I have complete confidence in:

Top- Sig V-Crown

Best combination of expansion and penetration through water jugs and wet pack.

Second- Ruger ARX

Great penetration but tends to veer upwards or downwards. Devastating to water jugs, fwiw. The wound channel is brutal in wet pack.

Third- American Gunner XTP

Good penetration and ok expansion, but both less than the V-Crown. Still better than the others I tried.

Fourth- Sig Elite Ball

Flat-nosed FMJ that mimics the shape of the V-Crown bullet. Excellent penetration, but weak wound channel.

Not pictured is Liberty Civil Defense. It's a light, frangible round designed for home defense. No offense intended, but it just didn't pass muster at all. It blew the bejeebees out of water jugs, but only the first one. After that, the damage was nothing like the four above. YMMV.

Right now, one mag is loaded with 4 rounds of V-Crown and 3 ARX. The spare has 6 Elite Ball. I figure if I'm going for the spare, then it's a gun fight. Bets are off. I just want penetration and time to get gone.
 
#18 ·
View attachment 82556

Based on my own highly unscientific research, these are the SD rounds I have complete confidence in:

Top- Sig V-Crown

Best combination of expansion and penetration through water jugs and wet pack.

Second- Ruger ARX

Great penetration but tends to veer upwards or downwards. Devastating to water jugs, fwiw. The wound channel is brutal in wet pack.

Third- American Gunner XTP

Good penetration and ok expansion, but both less than the V-Crown. Still better than the others I tried.

Fourth- Sig Elite Ball

Flat-nosed FMJ that mimics the shape of the V-Crown bullet. Excellent penetration, but weak wound channel.

Not pictured is Liberty Civil Defense. It's a light, frangible round designed for home defense. No offense intended, but it just didn't pass muster at all. It blew the bejeebees out of water jugs, but only the first one. After that, the damage was nothing like the four above. YMMV.

Right now, one mag is loaded with 4 rounds of V-Crown and 3 ARX. The spare has 6 Elite Ball. I figure if I'm going for the spare, then it's a gun fight. Bets are off. I just want penetration and time to get gone.

Have you tried the Fiocchi XTP? I had my last mag of American gunner and my other mag was the Fiocchi - it may be my imagination, but I think the Fiocchi hit harder, and it had slightly better penetration in wet phone book.

I pretty much agree with your entire list in .380 - even the order, but I might add the Fiocchi right next to the American as an alternate due to a very limited, highly unscientific, test.

I've become a big fan of the ARX not only for the wicked ballistics and surprising accuracy, but also because I have a fascination with tiny German and Italian .380s and I swear the ARX reduces recoil and increases controlability. Some of those guns will just about jump out of your hand with just regular hardball, and they are fine with the ARX.
 
#26 ·
I don't believe I've ever heard of a Hi Point having trouble digesting anything. They're ugly and clunky, but by golly they are dependable and tough.

Years ago a buddy of mine had a warehouse behind his gun store where he had set up a little test range. A lot of times people will bring in ammo with a gun they are trading and selling. We spent half a day running one of those little Hi Point carbines and one of the pistols with mix-n-match ammo out of a coffee can without a single hiccup - everything from some idiots' screaming handloads to moldy leftovers of the Wehrmacht and everything in between.

I wish I had bought that carbine from him, but at the time I had my pet store. While I was able to keep it running in the black I was so personally poor that I got excited when Ferret Yogis and "My pet and me" cookies went off because it meant I'd be able to eat lunch that day without stealing peanuts and cashews from the bucket of tropical bird mix. Even the 70 bucks I could have bought that thing for was well beyond my means.
 
#29 ·
One of the best bang for the buck rounds that I've found is the Monarch brass cased jacketed hollow-points from Academy Sports. I just wait until it goes on sale or it's offered as a hot deal price and then I place an order and stuck up because orders over $25 ship for free w/ Academy.

http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/mon...-grain-pistol-ammunition#repChildCatid=153420

I also like to order the Monarch 45 rounds in both FMJ and jhp and I have no problem carrying either monarch jhp round in my edc's
 
#38 ·
Trade your .380 in on a Ruger GP 100 in .44 special.
Seriously- there is you tube footage of more than one .380 auto shooting online. The typical one is the old geezer who chased two robbers out of a gambling area AFTER he shot them with his picket pistol!
As they were armed, it was a good thing for him they were cowards because the story might have had an unhappy ending.
With a .44 special the load realy does not matter- but I was always fond of the 210 grain Winchester Silvertips for dealin' with two legged werewolves...
 
#39 ·
Best .380 Self Defense Ammo

The title of this thread is borderline oxymoron.

I have never been a fan of "pocket pistols" and I am not a fan of .380 AUTO, either. I guess it can be justified as better than having no gun at all, but if I am carrying a gun, I carry one that is capable of STOPPING an attacker.

Any bullet will kill with proper placement, BUT, proper placement is rarely a sure thing in an emergency situation. A "bad guy" dying from your shot, after he/she has destroyed you, is very little consolation.

If the caliber is not large enough and powerful enough to STOP them in their tracks, I suggest getting one that will.

That "test" killing of the pig was just plain irresponsible, and mean spirited.
 
#40 ·
Best .380 Self Defense Ammo

The title of this thread is borderline oxymoron.

I have never been a fan of "pocket pistols" and I am not a fan of .380 AUTO, either. I guess it can be justified as better than having no gun at all, but if I am carrying a gun, I carry one that is capable of STOPPING an attacker.

Any bullet will kill with proper placement, BUT, proper placement is rarely a sure thing in an emergency situation. A "bad guy" dying from your shot, after he/she has destroyed you, is very little consolation.

If the caliber is not large enough and powerful enough to STOP them in their tracks, I suggest getting one that will.

That "test" killing of the pig was just plain irresponsible, and mean spirited.
Hey !......If you have to test a round & harvest a hog, what better way ?...........I watched that video time & time again, 6 or 7 sec. that hog was DEAD !............
 
#41 ·
Regardless of the demise of the hog, the video is exactly what the anti-gunners just love. They want the world to see hunters/target shooters/defense gun owners, in a negative way. This guy's video helps that biased narrative.
Brown Amber Maroon Macro photography Metal
Brown Amber Maroon Macro photography Metal
Anyway, Chris - I have probably shot more .380 gold dot that anything else. Gold dot is a good bullet and I have never had a fail to feed or fire through my PK 380.
 
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