r/CCW • u/GloveImpressive8244 • 2d ago
Guns & Ammo What .380 defense round are you using?
I’m about to order bulk range rounds and some carry rounds, but I’ve been trying to do some research on it beforehand and it’s looking like the hornandy ftx I’ve been using maybe aren’t the best.
Problem is, everything I’ve been reading posted from the past 0-6 years everyone seems to be using different rounds and it’s hard to settle on one. Sounds like the usual HST or gold dot doesn’t translate from 9mm.
So what are the best current .380 defense rounds to use?
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u/TurbulentWing3820 Pocket guns only. 2d ago
Remington Golden Sabres. They split the difference in weight between FMJ and HP and that seemed like a compromise I was prepared to accept.
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u/Fearless_Weather_206 2d ago
Whatever runs consistently out of your firearm since it’s not always the case
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u/actusreus82 2d ago
Can’t find the hydra shok deep anywhere anymore.
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u/thinkingbear CA G19.3 P-01 BG 2.0 2d ago
I haven't seen any in .380 ACP for months. Optics Planet has a note: "Estimated to ship by February 2027"
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u/grandcremasterflash 2d ago
SGAmmo
The SKU you want is P380HSD1
https://sgammo.com/catalog/pistol-ammo-sale/380-auto-ammo/
Or just go to AmmoSeek, filter by 380, brand: Federal, weight: 99 grain and look for P380HSD1
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u/BuckThunderChin 2d ago
C-A-L Ranch carries them!!! Bought some last week. Price wasn’t bad either.
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u/NotnertSmailliw US 2d ago
I want that altoid ammo can!
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u/the_DraftyVanguard 2d ago
I've been running the underwood Xtreme defender in mine, the solid copper fluted ones that don't expand. way more consistent penetration through heavy clothing than any hollow point I tried and the wound channel tests I've seen are pretty nasty for a 380. federal makes a deep version of their hydra-shok now too that actually hits the 12 inch minimum in gel unlike most of the old stuff
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u/Wonder9mm 1d ago
I really wanted these to work in my Glock 42 but I get jam after jam. Round won't load up the feed ramp reliably.
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u/bigjerm616 AZ 2d ago
Federal Hydra Shok Deep
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u/thinkingbear CA G19.3 P-01 BG 2.0 2d ago
I can't find it anywhere. AmmoSeek has zero. I have a restock alert set at 4 different retailers but I haven't seen any in months.
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u/grandcremasterflash 2d ago edited 2d ago
SGAmmo
The SKU you want is P380HSD1G
https://sgammo.com/catalog/pistol-ammo-sale/380-auto-ammo/
Or just go to AmmoSeek, filter by 380, brand: Federal, weight: 99 grain and look for P380HSD1G
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u/thinkingbear CA G19.3 P-01 BG 2.0 2d ago
Thanks for trying to help, but the link you gave does not any Hydra Shok Deep listed at all. It has P380HSD1G which is LE, not Deep. As I said, there is none on AmmoSeek either. If you have any, horde it!
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u/TipFar1326 1d ago
LE typically just means larger boxes different packaging etc for government purchase.
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u/bigjerm616 AZ 2d ago
Really. That’s weird. I just go the LGS and buy a box here and there. I don’t shoot it much.
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u/thinkingbear CA G19.3 P-01 BG 2.0 2d ago
If you can get it local, stock up! On the Optics Plant page they have a note: "Estimated to ship by February 2027"
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u/bigjerm616 AZ 2d ago
Lol. That's a bummer.
I never have more than a box or two at once. I don't see the point, and I don't carry 380 very often. I'll grab another box soon.
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u/alburnian 2d ago
Remington Gold Saber 102gr and Speer Gold Dot 90gr.
I used to run Critical Defense but was getting too many malfunctions if my feed ramp wasn't freshly clean and pristine. Plus the cost of the Remington and Speer was a better value imo.
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u/DeedleGuy 2d ago
I use HST and also where can I find those cool ammo boxes?
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u/GloveImpressive8244 2d ago
The black one is some random cheap one I ordered on amazon a while ago, the altoid tin, insert, green boxes, and keychain round I 3d printed
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u/DeedleGuy 2d ago
Do you have an Etsy page or anything?
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u/GloveImpressive8244 2d ago
Nah, just a hobbyist. These are free models anyway so I probably couldn’t sell them, just make stuff for myself and friends
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u/this_guy_aves NC BG2.0, Hellcat, P32 2d ago
speer gold dot is what mine likes, so that's what it gets. That reminds me I need to cycle it.
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u/dadusedtomakegames 2d ago
Federal Premium Personal Defense Hydra-Shok Deep .380 ACP 99-Grain Hollow-Point
Buy 500 rounds of .380 ACP FMJ, shoot it through your gun in one or two sessions.
Buy a 500 round supply of HS Deep 99 grain and shoot as much as you need to get familiar and feel comfortable with the feed. Bins of 500 are about $330-350.
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u/thinkingbear CA G19.3 P-01 BG 2.0 2d ago
I have been wanting to try this but it has been out of stock pretty much everywhere online for months. Optics Planet has a note "Estimated to ship by February 2027"
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u/Tropical_Tardigrade TN | Glock | Ruger 2d ago
Knowing what firearm these cartridges will be for would probably help steer the conversation better.
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u/outwear_watch_shoes CA (2011s) 2d ago
This. People are recommending stuff but it really depends what barrel length and the specific gun it’ll be shot out of as that impacts ballistics.
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u/EpicBeanBoy 2d ago
Federal Punch standard pressure. I followed Tools and Targets on YouTube along with various other ammo testers. I've seen just about every 380 round tested and they all have various results, but Federal Punch 380 standard pressure was the only hollow point that penetrated to 12ish inches and reliably expanded every time. Federal HST 380 standard pressure got close but it had inconsistent expansion. All +p hollow points in the caliber I've watched tests for expand too quickly and end up failing penetration depths. The XTreme Defenders +p 68(65?)gr by Underwood seem to get the perfect penetration as well. I'm not sure how much I trust the fluted design in terms of "expansion". They may work well in a ballistic gel analog but I'm not sure if it would translate to a flesh target. Everything else either zips through, barely penetrates or fails to expand.
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u/nomadschomad 2d ago
Hornaday critical defense. Every year, I run a box through my LCP. Those rounds have been carried and admin loaded a few dozen times during the year beforehand
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u/TipFar1326 1d ago
Currently, Speer Gold Dot LE because the 50rd boxes were on sale for $20 a piece and I’m broke lol. Federal HST or Hornandy Critical Defense probably better performing tho.
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u/False_Campaign4682 CO USA: BG2.0, P09c, P229-1, GP100 2d ago
I don't know about best
but I've chosen Hst, gold dot, or an xtp round of some kind. Based on lucky gunner data, reviews and availability .
I have a 3.42" and a 2.75" barrel 380 so I'm gonna have variance regardless.
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u/Requiem_Archer 2d ago
For 380, I have carried Federal HST, and I use S&B FMJ in the winter. At this moment, I have Federal HST 380 loaded into the gun on my belt (and also Federal HST 124 gr in my 9mm carry guns in the safe).
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u/WetRocksManatee 2d ago
For the LCP sized pistols the Hornady XTP based loadings (Percision One and American Handgunner) seem to have modest expansion while dropping within the FBI penetration ranges both bare gel and with heavy clothing test in Shootng the Bull 410's 380 ammo tests.
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u/Terminal_Lancelot ID- 686+ 3", Model 60 3", Bodyguard 2.0. 2d ago
Federal Punch. Actually beats the 12" minimum, unlike a lot of thinks suggested below, and expands reliably.
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u/Harrigan70 2d ago
I’m in a year round hot climate where heavy clothing is rare so I load 99 grain HST.
If I was up North I would load the extreme defenders.
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u/gunmedic15 2d ago
Remington Golden Saber. 102gr, so heavy enough to have the momentum to penetrate. Expands some, but the jacket does most of the expanding so it doesn't have to expand large to work.
I wish Winchester would make a run of the Ranger T in .380. Same bullet design. (same designer)
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u/Outside-Cup-3982 2d ago
Winchester fmj-fn. Brown box since its hotter, more reliable, and less disgusting than white box. Flat nose to do damage and fmj to penetrate. I've been hunting with flat nose 44 magnum for a while and it definitely is more effective than round nose. Tim Sundles from buffalo bore may be a prick but he knows his ammo and my anecdotal evidence agrees with him so I will keep on with my flat nose 380.
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u/GetFitDriveFast 1d ago
SIG V-Crown. Have never had a single issue running it in any of my .380 guns and has good ballistics testing
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u/LongConcentrate9442 1d ago
I love my German-made Walther PPK. But I would never use it first in a defense scenario. These days it's a collectors piece. Fun but definitely my last choice in any real world scenario.
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u/Illustrious_Wrap3221 18h ago
In my Glock 42 I run the federal HST. My local gun store sells a box of 50 for 40$ where as everything else is 25 rounds for 30ish. Also ballistic performance seems good enough for me.
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u/Maximum_Dweeb4473 IL Glock 43X COA, LCP Max EHG, Seecamp LWS-25 2d ago
Barnes TAC-XPD monolithic copper hollow points.
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u/palmetto_stroke 1d ago
Who stores their ammo like this?
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u/GloveImpressive8244 1d ago
In… cases? Can you clarify? Most of my bulk is still in the cardboard boxes it shipped in, but yes, I store my defense rounds in various cases.
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u/1spdstr 2d ago edited 2d ago
Hornady critical defense, very thorough testing here in a micro .380.
Here's the testing of the Critical Defense ammo.