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First, Howdy. Then a Buffalo Bore Question

1K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  Casey 
#1 ·
I'm brand new here, and it even amazes me that my first post on here would involve a .380. It's certainly not my primary EDC, but I picked up a Ruger LCP recently. I've been carrying Hornady's 95gr HP. But I read an article in the last Handgunner where John Taffin mentioned that Buffalo Bore has now released a line of very hot (like 1100-1150 fps from a Kel-Tec) .380 ammunition. I've ordered a couple of boxes. Probably will be in today. Taffin spoke very highly of them though he said controllability became a factor. I've never had much problem with hot loads out of small guns, but we'll see.

I figure a steady diet of something that hot in a pistol this small would be a bad thing. But for carry purposes, after I put a box through it to make sure it likes the stuff, that's what I'm going to load it with. Anybody have any info on these loads? They're 90grs as opposed to 95 but they're faster. BTW, I'm long-winded, so bear with the newbie here. :embarassed:
 
#2 ·
Welcome from New York... By the way I am looking for a good carry ammo for my LCP, shoot me a private message and let me know how they work for you. Thanks.
 
#3 ·
No specific info but, all of the BuffaloBore offerings are very high quality (& extremely reliable) ammunition.

Oh...& thanks for posting. Now keep right on posting...your comments in other threads are always welcome.
 
#4 ·
.380acp

The best advice for the .380 Ruger or Kel-Tec (I have the Kel-Tec) is to load ammo for rapid recovery and firing multiple rounds.

The extra 1-inch of penetration from a hot load is in my opinion less important than putting more lead on target fast. It’s unlikely that you will control shot placement real well under the stress of a gunfight. I’m not advocating spray and pray, just rapid recovery and multiple rounds on target.

I just loaded 1,000-rounds of factory new .380acp for a repeat customer using the 102gr GoldenSaber in StarLine brass.

He has the Ruger LCP. He has since ordered and just received 1,000-rounds using the same philosophy in .40s&w with 165gr GS and SL brass (both calibers were loaded with greater precision than, and at a lower cost than "off the shelf" ammo).

Here is a wet pack test of some popular .380acp.




Harlan,
ELITE AMMUNITION WEST
You Have a Friend in the Ammo Business :wave:
 
#5 ·
I carry Buffalo Bore 100 gr hardcast ammo in my Mustang 1125 fps / 281 Ft Lbs. It's still a really soft caliber - controllability is NOT an issue. Their .357 load will put you back a little, though.
 
#7 ·
Welcome also from New York. I use Fiocchi XTP Hollow Point in my LCP. Put through many boxes already with no problems.
 
#8 ·
I thought Buffalo Bore ammo was too hot for the Kel-Tec P3AT. According to the manual on our 2 P3ATs +P ammo shouldn't be used. I've got a Bersa Thunder380 CC that I use Corbon ammo in if I want to carry something light with +P ammo but it's been quite some time since I carried a .380. A friends 20 something son was recently shot 3 times by a guy that broke into his house and a couple of months later he was finally getting one of the bullets in his chest removed. I never did find out the whole story or what was involved (drugs?) but I was not impressed with what the .380 did. My wife and daughter prefer the lightness of the .380 and I wish I could get them to carry something bigger but I guess it's better then nothing.
 
#11 ·
Thanks all for the warm welcome. My primary EDC is a Glock 23, primary carry load is the 155 Gold Dot. I agree that the .380 is suboptimal. I'm a paramedic and have worked a whole passel of shootings where a .380 was the round used and the shootee was conversational. It is fairly ineffective. I have also seen a fair passel (a term we use down here in MS) of dead bodies with a .380 round, well placed, in them. So, the big deal, as always, comes down to shot placement.

It's 93 degrees here today, so we're having a bit of a cold snap. Still, in shorts and a tee, even with an IWB, the Glock will print if I'm not careful enough to squat instead of bending at Wal-Mart. Only another gun person would notice, as the general public doesn't pay any attention anyway. Still, the Glock usually goes too. The LCP is a back-up for this hyper-paranoid gun-toting right-wing conspiratorial weapon nut.

Good point about controllability. The BB stuff actually didn't get here until about 15 mins ago, and I probably won't get a chance to shoot any today or tomorrow. But I will post how it worked for me in terms of controllability and reliability.

Harlan, I'm kind of surprised about the results the Corbon stuff gave you. This Buffalo Bore ammo is loaded with the Gold Dot bullet, and I like the expansion your illustration shows.

Oh yeah. I'm gonna go get my literature for the LCP down and see what it says about +P loads, if anything.
 
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