Best CCW 380 HP ammo for Ruger LCP Max

J

jason.h

New member
Howdy All,

Getting my CCW and picked up a Ruger LCP Max, looking for HP ammo Recommendations, are there any loads that work well in your guys experience with the Ruger? Or perhaps some that are prone to jamming in the Ruger?

I was looking at the ballistic gel tests Lucker gunner did:
https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/#380ACP
But the gun used had a 3.25" barrel as apposed to the ruger 2.75" barrel.
Anyone know if someone has done similar tests with the shorter barrel?

Thanks,
 
Federal DEEP is probably the best 380 there is.

It will expand and go as deep as any old style non HST/Ranger/Gold Dot/Saber 9mm. Fully expanded, 13-14".

If someone says use FMJ, that's okay. However, no FMJ has the thick copper of DEEP (DEEP is clearly a true copper jacket). The skiving is not cuts but cuts and folds. The tip is folded copper with no lead attached. The base is a pyramid. Pyramid is bonded.

It's like the perfect combo of FMJ, all copper DPX, and bonded JHP. All performance done without some stupid level of velocity.

If you can get it, I don't think anything beats it in theory or on my looking around. Otherwise extrama Foicchi Hornady has been my prior carry after Shooting the Bull tests.

tc7uiSll.jpg
 
Federal deep, or hornady critical defense would be my 2 picks. 380 has a habbit of under penetrating with hollow points. These 2 bullets got the expansion to penetration ratio just right.
 
.380 XTP from Precision One performs through 4 layers of denim and still expanded in gel and had 13.53" of penetration expanding to about .40", all through a 2.84" barrel.

https://youtu.be/wOwCXXpEP50

Until I see actual gel testing for other cartridges showing better performance, I'm sticking with the XTP for my LCP II.
 
I've stuck with the original gold standard for reliable .380 ACP JHPs, which surprisingly isn't Gold Dots, but rather XTPs.

Nowadays, there are a lot more options, but I've been carrying XTPs since 2016, so that's become my go-to for JHPs. Unlike some of the newer stuff like Federal Punch and Hydrashok DEEP, Hornady XTP bullets are used by a number of brands, so they're more widely available.
 
Hornady Critical Defense works in mine. I will note that my Max took 280 rounds until it actually started functioning reliably.
 
I'm kinda sold on the underwood ultimate defense until something better comes along. I'm not familiar with the federal deep you guys mentioned.

Sent from my moto g power using Tapatalk
 
All XTP bullets are the same. FTX is the plugged "Flex Tip" version in Critical Defense. If it helps, Hornady's levels are "American Gunner" is the lowest, "Hornady" is second, and "Custom" is their highest..but FTX rounds don't cross between. This used to be true before Hornady sent a tearful message that they were pulling nickel cases because of their price...but kept prices the same. Lame.

DEEP is really new. Not new, but not a lot was available when it came out. Only one seller on ammoseek right now. It's v2 of hydrashock with the post. Those were not always great in tests.

I liked the shooting the bull series, but I didn't find anything wrong with Fiocchi. One thing that rubs me the wrong way on Precision One...they sell a lot of junk rounds as a reloading company. To be fair, Sig that values their ammo at gold pricing, also sells factory seconds.

Just remember on super hot WonderWood ammo that they don't advertise, velocity increases drag at a 4:1 rate. Why a super sonic jet on earth can't just go light speed to go light speed, it has to go light speed plus 4xtimes to over come all the new resistance in drag. That increased drag is confused as "energy has to go somewhere, so it's going into the target" in gun forums. Simply not true. The energy in increased velocity on small handgun calibers is just going into drag. The hydroclastic damage is from rifle level velocity. Increase speed on an already borderline 380, then rapidly increase the rate of pedal expansion and you've go under penetration like you see in the massively expanded Cor-Bon bullets or Gold Dot.

I think shooting the bull made causal that Precision One is the best...but against all XTP, they all fell within "good" because they are the same bullet. Meh.

If you pic up a DEEP round, you're going to see it's like all copper rounds that expand the best, but go to shallow. But then there is the basically FMJ spire in the middle that is way lower than the original post in Hydroshok...bees knees.

HST is the biggest disappointment because in 9mm, it rocks the world of even 10mm/357 rounds for penetration and expansion. Just doesn't expand in tests.

I have boxes of all (underwood, original hydroshok, gold dot, hornady)...I think with all options, I am 100% good with my like of anything XTP or DEEP. My only second would be Golden Saber.

*replace Hydra with Hydro or whatever it is :)
 
Last edited:
I recently came across something called G9 Defense manufactured up here in Northern Idaho. It is a redesigned Underwood bullet made to penetrate even better. These 70 gr. all copper bullets move along at a rated 1120 FPS.
 
IDbound said:
I recently came across something called G9 Defense manufactured up here in Northern Idaho. It is a redesigned Underwood bullet made to penetrate even better. These 70 gr. all copper bullets move along at a rated 1120 FPS.
Click to expand...
Penetrate better how? The critical defense is right in the fbi window of 12 to 18in from what i have seen. And their extreme penetrators will pass through 32in of gel block in testing.
 
All FMJ from all calibers (.380-10mm) can fall in 32" of gel because of drag. I wouldn't say that is a good thing.

If the fluting actually works, kinda curious that it could fall that far since it falls exactly into the least frictional FMJ bullet profile.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top