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Doesn't have the cool box though. I'd have to redo the whole closet.Originally Posted by 357and40
This is a discussion on A poll, which .380 ACP round would you go with? within the Defensive Ammunition & Ballistics forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; Originally Posted by 357and40 Winchester Ranger t-series bonded is the same thing but half the price for twice the number of rounds. Doesn't have the ...
Round Nose FMJ
Flat Nose FMJ
Remington Golden Saber
Hornady Critical Defense
Federal Hydra-Shok
Speer Gold Dot
Winchester PDX1
Winchester Ranger T
Doesn't have the cool box though. I'd have to redo the whole closet.
"The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come." ~ Confucius
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Good link. I stand by my choice of Speer GDHP. If you want the penetration of FMJ, but want to avoid the controversy of carrying FMJ, carry 102gr Golden Sabers.
lol
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Well I really kind of had my heart set on the Flat nose FMJ, with the Hydra-Shok coming in a close second.
Bought a .380 today and all the fun store had in a good defensive round for the .380 IMO was either round nose FMJ or Hydra-Shok's.
So the box of Hydra-Shok's it is until a place an order online I can throw some flat noses in with.
I have been shooting some .380 ammo into stuff just to see how the ammo I can buy locally
works when compared to each other in the same material.
I just use water jugs, bundles of pine planks, and dry magazine bundles; all stuff I can carry on
a bicycle to the shooting location.
I shot WWB and Federal FMJ. In SD ammo I shot golden Saber, PDX1, and zombie [zombie is really the
same as critical defense]
The best penetration was from GS followed by zombie-----3" in wood & 15/16" in the magazines.
With the water jug, zombie made the biggest splash and most dramatic jug upset.
The FMJ was ho hum with the WWB the best.
So I voted for critical defense.
I'm not under the illusion that .380 is powerful, but, it is better than nothing.
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Gold Dots and PDX1's. I had trouble getting the HCD to feed reliably in my LCP.
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95 gr flat nose because it works.
may not sound cool but will get the job done at any range you would be using a SD weapon
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I use the Gold Dots JHP, for expansion, because my .380 is my up close & personal, last resort, get off me personal deterrent.
Do not believe .380 is sufficient for use as an EDC. There are too many options available with a platform more or less the same size as a .380 firearm, but using 9mm or even .45ACP, to have to use a .380. At the very least I'd rather carry a 9mm and it wouldn't be [appreciably] larger than the Bersa .380, if at all.
Last edited by eagle00; June 30th, 2012 at 11:37 AM. Reason: added comment.
I agree that there are more potent weapons out there in a package about the size of a .380 but, in the last month, I know of at least three people that hve been killed with that caliber. One was the drunk teenager who shot himself in the head. Two others were a murder-suicide that took place here in Knoxville. So apparently, at close range, a .380 can still get the job done. I hate to use other people's tragedy for an example but shooting ballistic gel or steel plate doesn't replace the real thing.
"The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come." ~ Confucius
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There is nothing available in 9mm that is as small, flat, and light weight (12 oz fully loaded) as a .380 LCP. And if there was, you probably would not want to shoot it very much. Heck, folks complain about the recoil of the LCP as it is!
The Rohrbaugh R9 and Boberg XR9s are close in size, but heavier...and they both cost ~ $1,000. You can buy 3 LCPs for that...oh wait...I did!
Some folks will disdain the .380...whatever. I don't do caliber wars. Check out the sticky at the top of this subforum - once you get to .380/.38 Spl and above, there is really very little difference. What counts is where the bullet hits, and having enough penetration to reach the vitals.
NRA Life Member; Range Safety Officer
www.armedcitizensnetwork.org - member
Glock 30, 19, 26; Ruger LCP (2), LCR, Mini 14; Remington 870; Marlin 336 .30-30
CT Lasers
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that is what I am carry right now critical defence
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Yes, I agree with you there is nothing that compares in size [ carry, 'conceal-ability', comfort, etc...] to a .380 mouse-gun. It is for that reason that I too have one. My comment was addressing the Bersa sized .380 as the only EDC firearm. I thought that perhaps if I could carry a 9mm which was +/- the same size as the Bersa, I would prefer it. There are a few, here are two, which compare favorably in size to the Bersa, and are $75 or less more expensive than the Bersa.There is nothing available in 9mm that is as small, flat, and light weight (12 oz fully loaded) as a .380 LCP. And if there was, you probably would not want to shoot it very much. Heck, folks complain about the recoil of the LCP as it is!
The Rohrbaugh R9 and Boberg XR9s are close in size, but heavier...and they both cost ~ $1,000. You can buy 3 LCPs for that...oh wait...I did!
Some folks will disdain the .380...whatever. I don't do caliber wars. Check out the sticky at the top of this subforum - once you get to .380/.38 Spl and above, there is really very little difference. What counts is where the bullet hits, and having enough penetration to reach the vitals.
L W H Wgt
Bersa Thun .380 6.6” 1.30" 4.9” 20.0oz
Ruger LC9 6.0” 0.90” 4.5” 17.1oz
M&P Shield 6.1” 0.95” 4.6” 19.0oz
Obviously there are other factors one would consider in making their choice: cost, availability, comfort, perceived recoil, carry weight, etc. My point was that there are larger caliber handguns available which are more or less the same size.
To each their own. And the great thing about it all is that there are many options available!
Last edited by eagle00; June 30th, 2012 at 02:15 PM. Reason: spelling correction
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I personally go with Hornady Critical Defense. My rational is that I want expansion, while sacraficing as little penetration and velocity as possible. I'm not basing this on any hard science, but logically I would assume that the critical defense is going to have the least amount of drag of all the defensive rounds, becuase it doesn't have an exposed cavity. However to be honest I don't just look at the type of round, but why I'm carrying a .380. It's small and lightweight! lol. So its a perfect "summer" gun when hot weather prohibits concealing a larger firearm. It stands to reason then that I'm not going to be engaging a subject that is wearing heavy clothing. So penetration is not much of a factor. That being said I've accepted a long time ago that the .380 is not the most proficient man stopper (you're not going to drop a guy with one round center of mass no matter what the loading.) So what it comes down to for me is: Carry what ever you are most accurate with, and practice rapid follow-up shots. :)
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