Will a .380 penetration question

[QKShooter]

Shot "straight on" the lowly .22 Short fired close range from a N.A.A. mini revolver will penetrate a human skull.
There is a huge chasm of difference between simple penetration (with not much remaining energy) & really crashing through & scrambling eggs.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[JohnWFD]

I would not want to be the one being shot in the head to see if it penetrates or not....

[IAm_Not_Lost]

What makes you doubt it, other discussions i read about on Google state Hogs are mainly killed with 22lr and their skulls are thicker than ours..

I was just being sarcastic. I fully endorse the 380 and frequently carry my lcp when I'm out walking or jogging.

[gottabkiddin]

It depends on the bad guys political affiliation to just how think it is.

[frankmako]

the 380 acp will get the job done, no matter what type of ammo you use. i carry one as my bug on duty.

[FHBrumb]

I believe it will. I also believe aiming a couple Inches lower would be more effective

[Yankeejib]

[sarcasm on]
I always aim for their eye sockets when I carry my .380 to make sure it penetrates.
[sarcasm off]

[grouse]

I don't understand the comparison between the .22 rimfire & a .380 with its better secctional density a .22 rimfire is by far a better penatrating more effcient round than any .380.

My Dad would shoot the hog between the eyes with a .22 short. He said this woud stun the hog long enough to slit its jugular vein.

Human skullls can be hard some .380 loads can be weak. Most likley a .380 round could penatrate a human skull but really a .380 is a baseline defensive round & all defensive handgun rounds would be a poor choice for defence.... if one HAD a CHOICE.

Not .380 bashing... just one shooters opinion.

[defensive007]

I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion/ I however have 110% confidence on my .380 to depend my life on it. I will not even think a 22 will do better in any wag whatsoever it's night and day to me

[grouse]

If one has skill & confidence in what they carry then half the battle has been won.

[WillyNilly]

I used to carry a .25 pistol. I know, a mouse gun but I had in mind that for it to be effective I'd shoot for the eyes, nose or throat at close range. That's all it's gonna be good for.

[ctr]

OK, this conversation is ridiculous.

• Can a .380 penetrate a human skull - The answer is 100%, without any doubt, yes.. It has been done over and over and over. There are tons of reported cases of .22LR penetrating human skulls, which has much less power than a .380.
• Will a .380 penetrate a human skull - Well that is asking to predict the future. Who knows. It would depend greatly on the distance, angle, type of round (hollow point, FMJ, etc) and many other factors. So the best we can do is give a statistical probability. I'd say a typical head-shot with a .380 has a 95% chance of skull penetration.

I get really irritated when people start quoting stories of lower calibers that bounced off of somebody's skull. For some reason that makes people forget that there are plenty of documented cases of higher calibers also bouncing off of skulls. So there is no guarantee with much of anything unless it is a rocket launcher.. and even then there is really not a guarantee.

Folks want guaranteed success in their self-defense handgun and caliber results. There are not any.

I agree with the post and would add that anything worth shooting once is worth shooting again when it comes to self defense.

[thebigdl86]

ask all the dead ppl that have been shot in the head with .380s ;)

Sent from my LS670 using Tapatalk

[AdamSean]

Average penetration of .380 ammunition is about 9 or 10 inches. Stand sideways and hold a ruler to your torso and tell me if that is sufficient to reach your vital organs. FBI tests use barriers and such in their calculations as that is what is needed in LE applications. Most citizens will not be shooting through auto glass and plywood.

[A3011]

Shot placement is everything, even with shotshell. To penetrate the skull, aim for the pterion. This is what you would call the temple. It is an intersection of four bones making it the weakest point in the skull. There is also a major artery there which will insure bleed out in case your shot in not somewhat close to square. A Federal 90 grain Hydra Shok JHP will penetrate, expand, and cause a large wound cavity inside of the head. It will also probably exit as it is easier for something to exit the skull. It bullet will also cross the right and left lobe, and with the cavity created, also do damage to the aotunomic system.

Physicians refer to the Pterion as "God's little joke."

Please remember that one should only use the force necessary to incapacitate an assailant. It's not your opportunity for target practice, experimentation, or to get a "high five" for a head shot! That is for the range...