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Which small 380 ACP gun do you use for SD or hunting?

  • Taurus TCP

    Votes: 2 3.8%
  • Kel Tec P3AT

    Votes: 3 5.8%
  • Beretta Pico

    Votes: 5 9.6%
  • S&W Bodyguard

    Votes: 2 3.8%
  • NAA Guardian

    Votes: 1 1.9%
  • Ruger LCP & LCP2

    Votes: 16 30.8%
  • SIG P238

    Votes: 5 9.6%
  • Diamondback 380

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • select if you use your mouse 380 ACP pistol ONLY for self defense or concealed carry

    Votes: 27 51.9%
  • select if you use your mouse 380 ACP pistol for hunting?

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Glock 42

    Votes: 8 15.4%
  • other brand mouse pistol in 380 ACP

    Votes: 8 15.4%
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Is the Beretta Pico 380 Auto more than a SD gun or has it some use for hunting?

9K views 168 replies 37 participants last post by  PJH 
#1 ·
Hi,

In a typical hunting Scenario I shot today again some rounds with the Beretta Pico 380 acp and again had Trouble hitting something reliably past 25 meters.
I shot 3 shots at an ostrich again and seem not to land any hits at all.

Then I shot at a 20 Liter bin (17"x12") from a distance of about 50 Yards and did not hit again but saw how the shot went right to the target.
From a distance of 10 Yards I hit at poim Point (a bit high and to the right).

Another 4 shots I shot from a distance of 15 Yards at an 20 Liter bin again I had 3 hits with the Beretta Pico 380 acp.
Shooting with the 9x19 Taurus PT 92 AFS I got first shot 1 hit.
The 20 Liter bins (target) are about 17" high and 12" wide.

So what should I conclude?
Is the Beretta Pico 380 acp that hard to shoot?
Is the Beretta Pico ONLY an self defense short range pistol?
Can it really not be used for hunting?

At least in hunting Scenarios I seems not to hit any target. Is the Beretta Pico 380 acp useless for hunting?

Do anyone of you guys use the mouse gun 380's (Bodyguard, TCP, P3AT, LCP, Pico, P238, and others) for informal hunting?
 
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#3 ·
I can't get my G42 to do the things I can get my 9's to do out at distance. My 9's of course are larger, but not that much. PPS and G26. I thought about practicing more with it because I've seen guys take their .380's out there, but it's not a priority. My .380 is for personal protection only, and 25 yards is fine for me.
 
#6 ·
So what should I conclude?
Is the Beretta Pico 380 acp that hard to shoot?
Is the Beretta Pico ONLY an self defense short range pistol?
Can it really not be used for hunting?
1. Yes, its a mirco pistol
2. Yes
3. No...
 
#7 ·
Why I would hunt with the Pico 380 Auto?

because I have it on me [while more appropiated guns are sitting at home since they are to large to carry with me].
I you are in the fields and an occasional hog passes your path all you have on you is the Beretta Pico.
Thats why.
 
#8 ·
How big are hogs down there. Up here they can be 600 plus pounds. It can take 3 or 4 shots with a 30 06, but if you want to play then by all means play...
 
#11 ·
The one 380 acp round which flinched on me went into an Plastik 1" water hose which was pumping water. It passed the 1" water hose through into an FM antenna made from aluminum. The aluminum beam it allmost penetrated completely. The recovered bullet was not that much deformed.

See here the Picture of the material it passed through (1" Plastik water hose and aluminum beam)
Pipe Auto part Rim


This was one of my reloads which have 862 fps and 168 ft-lbs of energy with the 102 grain lead bullet.
Energy wise I believe it has sufficient power for hunting since most People use here mostly 22 LR rifles for hog and any Kind of hunting.

The 380 acp round is nothing to sneeze at IMHO.
 
#17 ·
The one 380 acp round which flinched on me went into an Plastik 1" water hose which was pumping water. It passed the 1" water hose through into an FM antenna made from aluminum. The aluminum beam it allmost penetrated completely. The recovered bullet was not that much deformed.

See here the Picture of the material it passed through (1" Plastik water hose and aluminum beam)
View attachment 199018

This was one of my reloads which have 862 fps and 168 ft-lbs of energy with the 102 grain lead bullet.
Energy wise I believe it has sufficient power for hunting since most People use here mostly 22 LR rifles for hog and any Kind of hunting.

The 380 acp round is nothing to sneeze at IMHO.
I agree, it's a great wounder of hogs at distances far past the calibers useful range, and excellent slayer of water lines. :rolleyes:

No one is going to support your premise it's a hunting caliber here. Maybe one of those hogs will teach you one day to use something more potent, after goring you. :rolleyes:
 
#12 ·
The Poll is ONLY about 380 Auto caliber mouse guns (including/exception the Glock 42).

Example: if you have an TCP or Taurus Curve just consider that as TCP.
if you have another mouse model in 380 acp of the SIG brand, check as well the SIG P238 box.
 
#13 ·
This was one of my reloads which have 862 fps and 168 ft-lbs of energy with the 102 grain lead bullet.
Energy wise I believe it has sufficient power for hunting since most People use here mostly 22 LR rifles for hog and any Kind of hunting.

The 380 acp round is nothing to sneeze at IMHO.
That would have to be your opinion. If Im hunting hog its going to be a 308 which is truly nothing to sneeze at....
 
#14 ·
well over here People use successfully the 22 LR rifle for any hunting.
If it's not the 22 LR then it is the 12 ga shotgun.
 
#22 ·
Part of the skill in asking good questions is in knowing your audience. Your hunting culture is vastly different from here in N. America.

Perhaps a question aimed at N. American hunters and the use of pistols would be worded something like this: "Do you use a pistol for hunting? If so what caliber do you most often carry?" You will get a variety of answers.

Asking about rifles / shotguns would be the same. You will get an even larger variety of answers.

Here even hunting varmints and pests, like wild hogs, will draw a large variety of answers. I will be greatly surprised if anyone here answers in the affirmative that they hunt with a .380. The .380 generates a lot of differing opinions when only considered as a self defense gun - either primary or secondary (backup) carry. We have active Game Wardens who will probably frown on using a 380 micro pistol for any kind of hunting.
 
#15 ·
A .380 will take down a small hog. But the Pico is a horrendous hunting platform. Amongst other things, the sight radius is tiny, making ethical shots challenging at anything past 10 yards - especially a hog when you are pumped full of excitement.

Use a Beretta 84.
 
#16 ·
A .380 will take down a small hog. But the Pico is a horrendous hunting platform.
The most horrendous of this gun (Pico) is the heavy 9 lbs Long Trigger pull. it just throws me off the sigth while breaking the Trigger. That's IMO my Problem with this gun for hunting. Now for up Close 15 Yards Torso size SD scenario I will be able to hit 2 handed, strong single handed and weak single handed with the Pico.

Squeezing the Trigger makes me shaking my Hand and that throws off the aim right at breaking the Trigger.

Harryball
If Im hunting hog its going to be a 308 which is truly nothing to sneeze at....
So you are carrying your 308 alltime with you? At least I dont and would not.
The 308 most likely will sit in your home while you Need it most, but the only gun you will have on you is the Little 380 Auto pistol.
 
#18 ·
The most horrendous of this gun (Pico) is the heavy 9 lbs Long Trigger pull. it just throws me off the sigth while breaking the Trigger. That's IMO my Problem with this gun for hunting. Now for up Close 15 Yards Torso size SD scenario I will be able to hit 2 handed, strong single handed and weak single handed with the Pico.

Squeezing the Trigger makes me shaking my Hand and that throws off the aim right at breaking the Trigger.

Harryball

So you are carrying your 308 alltime with you? At least I dont and would not.
The 308 most likely will sit in your home while you Need it most, but the only gun you will have on you is the Little 380 Auto pistol.
I'm not found carrying that caliber when I'm anywhere near the possibility of running into hogs. Here, when people hunt, they go out with a hunting caliber appropriate for the task.
 
#21 ·
Maybe one of those hogs will teach you one day to use something more potent, after goring you
If People dispatch cows with an 22 LR rifle, an 380 acp all the time will do that as well with an hog.

My Problem with the Pico is now the accuracy/hard to shoot.
 
#25 ·
If People dispatch cows with an 22 LR rifle, an 380 acp all the time will do that as well with an hog.

My Problem with the Pico is now the accuracy/hard to shoot.
From 45 yrds? I doubt that.
 
#24 ·
308 Win are indeed rare here.

How it works here is follows: you run into an hog, you shoot it at opportunity.
The opportunistic hunter is here the rule.

Many People have an 12 ga in their truck for the case they run into a hog. But I can't have an 12 ga allways on me so I went with the alltime CC 380 acp pistol.
 
#30 ·
How it works here is follows: you run into an hog, you shoot it at opportunity.
The opportunistic hunter is here the rule.
You simply have to understand this simple fact. Here the "opportunistic hunter" is either in jail, being chased by law enforcement or Game Wardens, in court being sentenced, or paying huge fines. There simply is no such thing as opportunistic hunting - as you have defined it.

People here hunt deer at night from roads and go to jail when caught - or sometimes pay a significant portion of their life savings.

EDIT: here is a good thread that will show you why we find the question about a 380 so silly:

http://www.defensivecarry.com/forum/hunting-forum/353730-varmint-hunting-rigs-lets-see-them.html

People who own farms and ranches large enough to shoot safely, do sometimes carry a gun around. In 64 years of shooting, you are the first one I have ever heard of who hunts with a 380.
 
#26 ·
He's been looking for validation from others that his choice is the bomb for sd and hunting.
No.
 
#27 ·
Denial will get you nowhere. Looking forward to your next tale of daring do on hogs with that 380 of yours. Why don't you set up feeders and a stand, sit and shoot them from above at 10 yrds?
 
#28 ·
I would rather want an SIG P238 with it's way better Trigger but the Pico was the only decent gun I could afford. It was the better Option compared to the TCP DB380, P3AT, Bodyguard and the like.

For opportunistic hunting the better Trigger of an 1911 style Micro pistol would indeed be a better Option.
 
#32 ·
Your Pico was a great acquisition for self defense. Small enough to always have on you. Big enough to take down a bad guy up close and personal. That's what the gun was designed to do. As for much of anything else...it is not the right tool. To ask people to recognize it as a tool for hunting is a tough go. Can a shovel be used for self defense, of course...but it is not the right tool for the job.
 
#36 ·
Hunting hogs with a bowie knife in the Florida Everglades. Notice the bowie on my left hip in cross draw mode, and no firearm. Hunted them with trained dogs for 2 days from a private parcel with a camp on it owned by a fellow Marine and friend of mine.
 

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#38 ·
I ONLY carry ball ammo with the 380 acp. Factory ammo is here 1.5$ the cheapest 380 acp. So I reload and cast my own 102 grain lead (Lee mold) RN bullets for the 380 Auto.
With 380 Auto you should not carry any hollow Points.

For 9x19 I use cast lead 120 grain and 124 grain TC bullets. Obviously I reload as well for that caliber.
 
#39 ·
OP - Why the heck are you shooting ostriches?!

Why are you taking long range shots with a pocket pistol and damaging property belonging to others?!

Dude, in this country you'd be on your way to jail.

Most days I carry my pair of LCPs. I can hit a head sized target at 25 yards about 50% of the time. A torso is no problem at that range. I've not tried it past that.
 
#41 ·
OP - Why the heck are you shooting ostriches?!

Why are you taking long range shots with a pocket pistol and damaging property belonging to others?!

Dude, in this country you'd be on your way to jail.

Most days I carry my pair of LCPs. I can hit a head sized target at 25 yards about 50% of the time. A torso is no problem at that range. I've not tried it past that.
They taste like chicken? :haha:
 
#46 ·
Are there no hunting laws there? You can shoot whatever animal on your land?

Are ostriches pests? Do you eat them? Or just shoot them for your jollies?
 
#42 ·
azqkr,

Do you carry all that hunting gear ALLWAYS with you?

I, in my case, only have the Pico ALLWAYS with me.
 
#43 ·
When I hunted the hogs, I hunt with the proper equipment and support gear [ like the dogs/buggy ]. When I hunted deer, it was with a rifle. Hunted black bear in Vt with a 357 mag one year, with the other guy I was with carrying a rifle.

I've never taken a shot at game unless I had the correct equipment that would put it down humanely.

IF you don't have the right equipment to hunt, don't hunt. It's a fairly simple concept. Thank goodness you don't hail from Africa and would be taking shots of opportunity with that 380 on cape buffs. You'd be stomped to death for your indiscretions on game with the 380.
 
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