Best Defensive Ammo for .38 Snubby and Pocket .380

My go to 380 ammo is the 380 ACP Federal Hydra-Shok Deep 99Gr (P380HSD1). It has great reviews and cycles well in my Ruger LCP Max.
 
Malcolm_Reynolds said:
I’m looking for recommendations on the best carry ammo for a .38 special snubby and a Ruger LCP. I’m not overly concerned with recoil, just looking for the best ballistics I can get out of these short barrels in both .38 and .380. I’ve watched a lot of YouTube videos but I’m looking for advice based on y’all’s experience. Thanks in advance!
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"Best ballistics" -- well.

LCP -- whatever will reliably cycle in the gun. I'm not a great lover of the LCP, though it has a (very specialized) niche.

.38 snub -- I see lots of argument on the Interwebz about this. What can you shoot well out of this gun? I see folks advocating for .38 wadcutters, because you're not going to get expansion out of a hollow point. (158 grain LSWC, 3.8gr Bullseye.)
 
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JimCunn said:
For pocket carry, I like -

Airweight 637-2 J-frames.
I lighten them up with titanium .357 mag cylinders and center pins and ream them for 9mm.
147 gr 9x19 gives an average 952 fps and about 293 ft-lbs which I consider to be adequate.
Recoil is painful, and at age 81, I'm no longer a good shot.
But it is still easy to consistently hit a paper plate at 75 feet, which I also consider to be adequate.

For .380, I have two Browning 1911-380/22 convertibles that I also like a lot.
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I love my little Browning 1911-380!

For those who may not be familiar with them, here's a photo showing mine, next to my full size Nighthawk 1911:

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Frank
 
A fairly constant comment is that a favorite factory load has been discontinued, or is hard to source. Long ago, I decided to load my own. Currently, depending on which J Frame I am carrying, I use a Speer 158 gr LSWC over SR4756 powder or a Hornady XTP 140 gr JHP over Unique. Accurate, reliable, and from my own tests on wild hogs, pretty dang effective.
 
In this calibers with short barrels I prefer the solid copper-polymer bullets made by a few companies, the one I know most is Inceptor. Performance is consistent, no need to worry about having enough velocity to expand the bullet and the recoil is a bit lower too.
 
In case anyone is interested, Underwood is having a pretty nice sale on their highly rated defensive .380 ammo right now (possibly other calibers as well). I just ordered some, myself.


Frank
 
Luckygunner labs is your friend.

I went with Remington Golden Saber Defense Compact Ammunition 38 Special +P 125 Grain. I’ll be carrying in my 2” 340.

In my Kahr CW380, I carry Fiocchi Extrema 380 ACP AUTO Ammo 90 Grain Hornady XTP. That bullet performed quite well.
 
Choosing the best defensive ammunition for a .38 snubby revolver and a pocket bulk 45 ACP pistol involves considering factors like penetration, expansion, and recoil. Here are some popular choices for defensive ammo in these calibers.
 
I’m weird. I get that. I’m all about penetration. I bought a case of .38 Special 158 gr Semiwadcutters years ago. No HP. On the rare occasions I carry my Airweight 642, that’s what’s in it.

In .380 I carry the non +P Buffalo Bore hardcast. UNLESS I know I’m carrying in a heavily populated area, like Las Vegas. Then, I’ll load with Gold Dots.
 
"Best" is a discussion that typically evokes a lot of personal opinions.

How true. My thought has always been the best load in the gun is whatever happens to be in the gun when the Vigaro hits the Mixmaster. You don't have time to holler, "Hold on. I've got to change from target ammo to fighting ammo." You just go with what you have.

My carry back up .380 is a Walther PPK/s and I run the Federal Hydrashoks. I also sometimes carry a Walther PP in .32 ACP on very rare occasions, usually as a back up to something bigger.

My usual back up piece though is an S&W M60 .38 Spl. running Federal 125 gr. +P hollow points. Most time when I practice I run 148 gr. wadcutter loads, sometimes Winchester brand or handloads using my home cast 148 gr. Lyman #358495 bullet over .3.1 gr. W231 or 2.7 gr. Bullseye when just plinking with the gun.

Normal carry gun is a Colt Combat Commander in .45 ACP BTW.
Paul B.
 
I looked for recommendations on YouTube, but, you know, sometimes personal experience speaks louder than anything else. I was kinda skeptical about buying ammo in the first place. Although, of course, my perspective has recently changed when I started buying from https://bulkmunitions.com/. It seemed like a good option since it was easier for me to compare different options from the home site. I was just curious to find out if anyone has ever tried to buy ammunition from them.
 
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There is so much suspect and conflicting info in these 2 pages. I cannot comprehend how to make a good decision or if I made one.

It all comes down to ballistic performance of a round, your guns ability to facilitate that and your ability to run the gun. I thought we were talking about ballistic performance…..hmm.
 
For 38 Special, in the old days (70’s) I loaded the 148 gr. hollow base wadcutters backwards at around 850 - 900 fps. Now, all my snubbies are 357, but if I was loading for 38, I would still like a soft lead 158 gr. SWC at 850 - 900. My daughter has the 38 and I have her buy Hornady Critical Defense 110 grain, mainly for lower recoil with the lighter bullet. She practices with 130 gr. FMC.
My 380 has Remington Golden Sabers in it, but I have a box of high zoot Underwood sitting on the shelf.
 
I live in a suburban neighborhood and in a house with wife and kids, so I'm more concerned about OVERpenetration.
My revolvers/semi-autos are loaded with either Speer GoldDot or Hornady Critical Defense. The Critical Defense is the best choice for me to ensure good performance but not passing through multiple walls.
I still have some boxes of Federal Guard Dog ammo, but after testing those in various pistols, I was disappointed with the accuracy - so those stay shelved in the safe.

These days, any defensive ammo with the little plastic 'plug' in the nose to ensure expansion is my #1 choice vs. a hollow-point that could get filled with sheetrock/drywall and act like an FMJ and overpenetrate.
 
+1 for the Speer Gold Dot 135-gr short barrel version, it's my first choice and the Hornady is 2nd. Both are good options and will serve you just fine, I think it's more important to buy a box or 2 and shoot a few mags/cylinders to ensure your gun functions well with your chosen ammo than to nitpick the ammo itself.


Dang, just noticed this thread is getting a little long in the tooth....
 
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