"Grandma Gun" .380 load

[DAVIDF]

Chuck,

I get that FMJ>JHP penetration-wise in .380. I'm just wondering if the difference is worth sacrificing the QC levels given to premium lines v. target/plinking lines.

The only XTPs to be found locally is in Hornady's American Gunner line, and that only recently, whereas I can always find Critical Defense at Academy or elsewhere. Standard XTP/GD/HS are normally on-line only, if they can be located in stock. Which for personal use isn't such a big deal, but I'm thinking about recommendations for the average users out there.

I'd appreciate your thoughts.

My wife have been using Freedom Munitions XTP load in our 42's and have found that load to be excellent, inexpensive (about 35-40% of the cost of Hornady's own loads), and exceptional accuracy. We have run well over 1000 rounds with that load and it has been exceptionally consistent and reliable.

I recently purchased a thousand rounds of Speer Lawman 95gr TMJ. I have found that load to be excellent and it is my choice if carrying a non-expanding load. The few chronographs I have seen with it resulted in the narrowest ES of any of the training/FMJ/TMJ loads.

[314159]

I hesitate to spin this thread up again, as the original question I posited has been answered to my satisfaction.

However... Some respected posters here still mention using various high end JHP .380 loads for what perhaps we should call restricted usage ammo. "Grandma Gun" though scans much better and covers all the issues at hand.

Essentially, this is a "point defense against an advancing assailant" load only. For now, I choose the 12 inch minimum (thus hardball), but might it be preferable to accept some lesser number? There is a real benefit to the "cutting" surface that even a partially expanded JHP delivers. Plus the added benefit of reducing over penetration issues. Consider just bare and heavy clothing numbers.

How low can you go? Maybe this should be called the "Limbo Load"?

[valian]

I hesitate to spin this thread up again, as the original question I posited has been answered to my satisfaction.

However... Some respected posters here still mention using various high end JHP .380 loads for what perhaps we should call restricted usage ammo. "Grandma Gun" though scans much better and covers all the issues at hand.

Essentially, this is a "point defense against an advancing assailant" load only. For now, I choose the 12 inch minimum (thus hardball), but might it be preferable to accept some lesser number? There is a real benefit to the "cutting" surface that even a partially expanded JHP delivers. Plus the added benefit of reducing over penetration issues. Consider just bare and heavy clothing numbers.

How low can you go? Maybe this should be called the "Limbo Load"?

Like you I choose ball and don't consider taking the chance of too little penetration in 380. That said, I have seen good testing wherein Hornady Custom 380 XTP did usually penetrate 12 inches or more after expanding and less than 16 inches when not expanded (due to tumbling). Some testing in longer barreled guns showed some expansion through 4 layers of denim while those with shorter bbls seemed to have more trouble with expansion through the 4 layer denim tests but did tumble when not expanding, limiting the penetration to 15 or 16 inches.
This load may be the only load I would consider other than ball based on the testing I have seen online, but I still have not purchased any as I am still not convinced that is the way to go.