380 acp ammo?

[lawnguy]

In regards to 380 acp ammo, who makes the best,and the cheapest?

[VT1032]

First and foremost don't go cheap on your ammo.

In .380 the common logic around here seems to be to stick to a good fmj bullet like speer lawmen, because .380 jhp's don't get enough penetration generally. If I was to do a jhp, it would probably be the hornady xtp as that's the only one that seems to come close on penetration.

That said, you'd really be better off with a 9mm or .38 special if you can stomach a slightly larger gun.

[lawnguy]

First and foremost don't go cheap on your ammo.

In .380 the common logic around here seems to be to stick to a good fmj bullet like speer lawmen, because .380 jhp's don't get enough penetration generally. If I was to do a jhp, it would probably be the hornady xtp as that's the only one that seems to come close on penetration.

That said, you'd really be better off with a 9mm or .38 special if you can stomach a slightly larger gun.

Forgive me for not being more specific,but this would be target ammo I'm referring too. I would never go cheap on personal protection ammo.

[Hauptmann]

If it is for target shooting, pretty much anything with a brass case will get the job done. Avoid steel cased ammo as is harder in extractors and the bimetal bullets wear down the barrel faster. Aluminum cased ammo is okay, like CCI Blazer, but I've noticed that sometimes the case rims are out of spec and they will not always feed in some guns. If you want a good idea on pricing, just look online at any major store and compare the pricing. Winchester White Box is probably the most common brass cased target ammo you will find and it is going to be one of the cheapest.

[Leroy Suggs]

For practice .380 ammo stop by your nearest Wal- Mart and get some Winchester or Remington ball.
Go shooting.

[41magfan]

Pretty much all of the domestic stuff (CCI, Federal , Winchester, Remington, etc) is OK but I'd stay away from the steel cased ammo like TULA, WOLF, etc.

I've shot over a thousand rounds of this stuff and will continue to use it exclusively as long as I can get it at reasonable prices. I've bought it from both of these vendors without issue:

http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=ARU380FMJ95&name=Geco+.380+AUTO+FMJ+95grn+50rd+Box&groupid=83

http://www.targetsportsusa.com/geco-380-acp-auto-ammo-95-grain-fmj-270540050-p-4058.aspx

[UNK]

Here is a recent thread about 380 defensive ammo
https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?21064-380-defensive-ammo

Sticky in the Ammunition Thread by one of the foremost experts on ammunition and wounding, He recommends ball ammo.
https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?4336-BUG-s-380-ACP-vs-38-Sp

A search engine I have used to find best pricing on ammo. Typically its cheaper to buy it by the case and get free shipping.
http://ammoseek.com/

[GJM]

I thought the Black Hills load with the XTP bullet was the least bad choice, when the Glock 42 intro had us looking for .380 ammo?

[UNK]

This thread? https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?16269-380-ACP-FMJ-vs-XTP




I thought the Black Hills load with the XTP bullet was the least bad choice, when the Glock 42 intro had us looking for .380 ammo?

[Kyle Reese]

I've had good luck with GECO ball. Sellier & Bellot (http://www.sgammo.com/product/380-auto-ammo/50-round-box-380-auto-acp-sellier-bellot-92-grain-fmj-ammo-sb380a) is also a good buy.

[lawnguy]

I've had good luck with GECO ball. Sellier & Bellot (http://www.sgammo.com/product/380-auto-ammo/50-round-box-380-auto-acp-sellier-bellot-92-grain-fmj-ammo-sb380a) is also a good buy.

The thing about buying ammo online I'm not familiar with is in regards to the shipping fee? I have 2 walmarts within 15 minutes of my house,and buying through walmart is prob. my best bet in regards to price....but what do I know....because I've never bought ammo online before.

[GJM]

A really good place to buy ammo on-line is SGammo.com.

[Duelist]

Buying online is a good way to save money when you buy in bulk, or to get something that you can't find locally.

For now, I would just go get a box or two of every kind they have at WalMart and go shoot. If they are like my WalMart and you get there on the right day, you will be able to get two to four brands of ball, and one to two brands/styles of hollow points. Get some of each kind of ball, and if you're feeling sporty or flush, a box or two of hollow points.

Go shoot all of them, except a magazine or two worth of the ball that is 100% reliable. If all of the ball is 100%, great! When you can afford it, go buy more of that. When you have fired several hundred rounds of ammo through it, then start to look for Hornady XTP. Buy three or more boxes of it. Shoot at least two boxes of it. If it is 100% reliable, then and only then decide if you want to carry them or continue with ball.

This may take time, because putting hundreds of rounds through the LCP is going to cost money. At the end of it, though, you'll know what runs in your gun, know how to run your gun, and hopefully be able to hit any eye ball you want to within five yards of you.

After that, practice regularly - at least once a month. Look at bulk ammo purchases then.

[lawnguy]

Buying online is a good way to save money when you buy in bulk, or to get something that you can't find locally.

For now, I would just go get a box or two of every kind they have at WalMart and go shoot. If they are like my WalMart and you get there on the right day, you will be able to get two to four brands of ball, and one to two brands/styles of hollow points. Get some of each kind of ball, and if you're feeling sporty or flush, a box or two of hollow points.

Go shoot all of them, except a magazine or two worth of the ball that is 100% reliable. If all of the ball is 100%, great! When you can afford it, go buy more of that. When you have fired several hundred rounds of ammo through it, then start to look for Hornady XTP. Buy three or more boxes of it. Shoot at least two boxes of it. If it is 100% reliable, then and only then decide if you want to carry them or continue with ball.

This may take time, because putting hundreds of rounds through the LCP is going to cost money. At the end of it, though, you'll know what runs in your gun, know how to run your gun, and hopefully be able to hit any eye ball you want to within five yards of you.

After that, practice regularly - at least once a month. Look at bulk ammo purchases then.

10-4. Thanks!

[lawnguy]

Duelist, Yes...I wish I had lots of extra money to spend because I would love to have a 22 cal. semi atuo pistol to practice with. I know the 380 acp will be costly regarding regular target practice.

[Kyle Reese]

Lawnguy, buying online from a reputable vendor (SG Ammo is superb) allows you to either buy in bulk or purchase a box or two of different .380 loads, without leaving your living room. This way you can buy a box or two of GECO, Prvi Partisan, S&B, etc and this allows you to see which one your individual pistol likes the best. Next time, order ------- amount.

SG is a family owned business located in Oklahoma, and they have been fantastic to deal with. No muss, no fuss, no bs and no drama.

[scjbash]

SG Ammo is my go-to for everything but handgun training ammo. My guns run Federal Aluminum fine and Walmart carries it as cheap as I can find anything online, even when buying bulk.

[lawnguy]

Is this any good for shooting at the range?
Magtech .380 ACP 95 Grain FMJ

[Kyle Reese]

Is this any good for shooting at the range?
Magtech .380 ACP 95 Grain FMJ

I've never shot their .380 loads, but I have shot thousands of their 9x19 FMJ offerings, and have been very pleased with the quality, consistency and accuracy.

[Velo Dog]

If FMJ is all you can find or afford, go with whatever seems to function reliably in your pistol and don't worry any further.

Buy a few different boxes if possible and shoot up all but 6-7 rounds from each box. If your gun shows a preference for one brand/loading over another, then carry that until you can buy more of the same for further testing.

Avoid the expensive "gimmick" ammo such as the G2 R.I.P. and Glaser Safety Slug. In fact, you may want to avoid hollow-points all together in order in ensure reliability and/or adequate penetration. The 90 grain Hornady XTP is probably the best bet in jacketed hollow points and is loaded by several ammo companies since the bullet is available as a reloading component. The Federal Hydra-Shok and Speer Gold Dot are possibly the closest runners-up.

[OlongJohnson]

I've shot over a thousand rounds of this stuff and will continue to use it exclusively as long as I can get it at reasonable prices. I've bought it from both of these vendors without issue:

http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=ARU380FMJ95&name=Geco+.380+AUTO+FMJ+95grn+50rd+Box&groupid=83

http://www.targetsportsusa.com/geco-380-acp-auto-ammo-95-grain-fmj-270540050-p-4058.aspx

I picked up a case of it because I thought German should be good and it was cheap, almost 9mm pricing. Now I'm wondering if the Germans dumped a bunch of it into American distribution at discounted prices because they knew they had a problem.

Took my new-to-me P250 .380 to the range with all my partial boxes of other stuff and a couple of the Geco. It ran 100 percent with everything else, but had multiple different chokes on the Geco. One thing I noticed was it appeared cases in the extraction process may have been getting caught on the mouth of the incoming case.

Inspected some of the unfired stuff when I got home, and noticed the case mouths didn't look and feel quite right. Bought a Wilson case gauge, which is machined to the maximum SAAMI case dimensions. Three out of the first ten cases stopped about halfway in, three stopped with about 1/8" protruding, and four went, some with a slight push. I ran a bunch of it through a Redding taper crimp die to clean up the case mouths, and 80 out of 80 cases plunked in the gauge perfectly. I'll finish the manufacturing process for a few more boxes and get back to the range. Once this is shot up, I'll definitely be checking out other options, even if reworking it makes it functional. I have better stuff to do with that time, like planning what to do when I win the Mega Millions.

This is the third caliber of Geco pistol ammo I've seen with obvious issues due to lack of crimp. (https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?32017-Geco-158-grain-truncated-cone-FP-FMJ-38-amp-357&p=769167&viewfull=1#post769167)

[41magfan]

I picked up a case of it because I thought German should be good and it was cheap, almost 9mm pricing. Now I'm wondering if the Germans dumped a bunch of it into American distribution at discounted prices because they knew they had a problem.

Took my new-to-me P250 .380 to the range with all my partial boxes of other stuff and a couple of the Geco. It ran 100 percent with everything else, but had multiple different chokes on the Geco. One thing I noticed was it appeared cases in the extraction process may have been getting caught on the mouth of the incoming case.

Inspected some of the unfired stuff when I got home, and noticed the case mouths didn't look and feel quite right. Bought a Wilson case gauge, which is machined to the maximum SAAMI case dimensions. Three out of the first ten cases stopped about halfway in, three stopped with about 1/8" protruding, and four went, some with a slight push. I ran a bunch of it through a Redding taper crimp die to clean up the case mouths, and 80 out of 80 cases plunked in the gauge perfectly. I'll finish the manufacturing process for a few more boxes and get back to the range. Once this is shot up, I'll definitely be checking out other options, even if reworking it makes it functional. I have better stuff to do with that time, like planning what to do when I win the Mega Millions.

This is the third caliber of Geco pistol ammo I've seen with obvious issues due to lack of crimp. (https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?32017-Geco-158-grain-truncated-cone-FP-FMJ-38-amp-357&p=769167&viewfull=1#post769167)

That's interesting as my LCP's just gobble it up. I initially bought a case of the GECO stuff because it was cheap, but I ended up buying another case because it works in my guns .... but then again, my LCP's have gobbled up every round I've ever fed them which includes all manner of brass case loads from Federal, CCI/Speer, PMC, Winchester and Remington.

[OlongJohnson]

That's interesting as my LCP's just gobble it up. I initially bought a case of the GECO stuff because it was cheap, but I ended up buying another case because it works in my guns .... but then again, my LCP's have gobbled up every round I've ever fed them which includes all manner of brass case loads from Federal, CCI/Speer, PMC, Winchester and Remington.

My LCP wouldn't run, so I sent it back to Ruger. They returned it with a new barrel and slide.

[OlongJohnson]

I'll finish the manufacturing process for a few more boxes and get back to the range.

Went to the range with 200 rounds of the Geco ammo reworked with the Redding crimp die, that then plunked in the Wilson case gauge.

200 rounds of perfect function in the Sig P250. So only 700-750 more rounds to rework to salvage this case purchase...

Will be keeping an eye open for .380 deals on BF.