380 ACP SD bullet

[hunter24605]

Ok guys, I've watched enough ballistics gel videos and read so many reports on .380 SD bullets, that my heads about to explode! I'm working on my wife's 380, a Walther PK 380 with 3.6" barrel. Most of the tests I've seen are done with micro pistols 2.5" barrels....So I've narrowed it down to these bullets, and would much appreciate any insight..Thanks,
These are in order from best to worst in accuracy from her gun. Although the term "Worst" is an exaggeration, they all performed very well.

Hornady XTP
Gold Dot
Sig V Crown

 

[truck driver]

Well the Hornady XTP is known for it's accuracy in various 9mm offerings so I would go with that one. With a pistol shot placement is everything, even though a different brand may show better terminal results if they don't hit the vital zone they're still no better than a FMJ.

 

[hunter24605]

I agree 100% with you. My wife's job requires her to deal with some "less than savory" individuals to whom she must upset on a fairly regular basis, so I want the best performance from her and the bullet..She has been training w/me and I'm pretty confident in her skills so it comes down to the projectile doing it's job. I found a pretty good read that sums up all the major players in the game..But I still take it with a grain of salt. That being said, I'm leaning toward the V Crown. It seems to fall in the Goldilocks zone of penetration, without over penetrating, and respectable expansion.

http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/#380ACP

 

[truck driver]

In that case I would teach her to handle a larger caliber that i know would stop a perpetrator.
If it has be an automatic I would be looking at something in.40 cal that she can handle and shoot well but a revolver is fool proof and a .38 SPL in a snub nose with 158gr plusP loads are better than any .380 and a 357 is better yet but the decision is yours.

 

[hunter24605]

I'm building her up to a heavier caliber, she tried my .40 and isn't real comfortable with it. She'll get there in time, but for now the .380 will have to suffice.

 

[Guy Miner]

Ya, the .40 can be tough to shoot well. Brisk recoil.

Good cartridge, but too much for some folks to handle well. For me, it's tougher to control than the .45 ACP.

Guy

 

[Vince]

Ya, the .40 can be tough to shoot well. Brisk recoil.

Good cartridge, but too much for some folks to handle well. For me, it's tougher to control than the .45 ACP.

Guy

I concur.
While I can, and have, shot well with the .40 I prefer the .45 ACP or 9mm. For some reason I find the recoil to performance ratio in the
.40 to leave me wanting.

Vince


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rjm158]

FWIW, I would look at the Gold Dot or XTP. I have seen the Gold Crown's shot through barriers into gelatin (in real life) and the other two performed better in my opinion. I carry HST's in virtually everything I have because they expand reliably through barriers although the penetration in the 380 version is less than some are comfortable with. However, my 380 is never my primary gun and is carried on my off side to enable me to use it to get to my primary gun if it's not possible to get the primary first due to circumstances, injury, etc.

I concur with the guys saying the 40 has sharper recoil. It's part of the reason the FBI and many other agencies across the country are going back to 9mm. The projectiles in the 9mm are working so much better than in the past the individual officers don't have to fight recoil (flinching) and shooting scores have improved. For myself, I have pretty much gone to either 9mm or, most often, 45 for my daily carry guns.

Hunter 24605, if it's feasible, maybe have your wife try a small framed 9mm (shooting range rental?) and she if she likes it. Just a thought.

Ron

 

[hunter24605]

Another thing about the 40 that surprises me, it has more of a "snap" recoil with 165's than 180's....Haha, today she said "since you can't make up your mind, why not just load them in the mag: XTP, Gold Dot, V crown, XTP, Gold Dot, V Crown..........Seems one of them will do the job"

 

[Darkhorse]

I've been shooting large handguns for 40+years and I didn't think the .40 would give me any problems. Now I've been shooting a M&Pc in .40 for over 5 years and I'm still trying to learn to shoot it. The first shot is usually fine it's the follow ups that really give me fits. The pistol just seems to twist or something and I don't really like it. Oh, I like the pistol, it's the .40 I don't like.
I've been looking at .380 loads also. I'm starting to get a hankering for a Browning Black Label 1911-380. Seems like a fun gun with the possibility of CCW.

 

[Gunner46]

I'm using the XTP's in 380 and they shoot very well. Not a single FTF, FTE, or FTC. I would really like to get my hands on some Precision One ammo though and see how they run. Ammo Quest ranked them as #1 for CC in the 380.

 

[JD338]

My 380 ACP is loaded up with Winchester Ranger loads.
My 9mm and 45 ACP carry guns are also loaded up with Winchester Ranger.

JD338

 

[Guy Miner]

That's good ammo JD. Widely used by law enforcement. The Winchester Ranger usually performs very well.

Guy

 

[Nannyhammer]

I use gold dots in the .40 and all three 9mm pistols in the safe. If I had a .380 it would be stuffed with Gold Dots as well. When my brother worked for DOC and they shot competition, he asked for my advice on a duty load that they could use to shoot a 4" x 4" post down with their .38 Specials. I had them try the Gold Dots which cut their rounds per event almost in half. Of course they were smart and carried their Gold Dots in some off brand commercial boxes so that the other teams didn't know what they were using. Gold Dots are always the answer in our family.