With my wife's latest acquisition, a Sig P238, I will now add .380 ACP to my reloading list. I currently load .45 Colt and .45 ACP as far as handgun goes. I am going to start out with a 95 grain cast lead RN. Does it require just a slight taper crimp like I use on the .45 ACP? I have Bullseye, Red Dot, Blue Dot and Power Pistol on hand. Which of these powders would be best? My Lee manual shows no data for cast lead and Lyman shows data for 90. Would the 90 grain data work for the 95 grain? Thanks
Loading for .380 ACP
- Thread starter AL45
- Start date
Not a .380 guru, but...
The small amount of reloading I've done for the cartridge, a slight taper crimp (enough to take the bell out of the case, plus just a little, like 1/8 turn on the die or less) worked for just practice loads with fast burning powders. More crimp in loads with slower burning powders (we used Unique and Herco) was beneficial, but not absolutely necessary. As always, your results may not reflect my results.
The Bullseye and Red Dot will work for practice loads, and Power Pistol is best for getting the most out of the cartridge. I would not be surprised to find that Blue Dot is too slow burning to work well in .380.
The major nightmare that we ran across was the need to individually weigh very small charges of powder that meters like cornflakes. You may want to consider getting a ball powder like 231 or AA#5 so that small charges will flow through your powder measure more easily.
I don't have the 90gr. vs. 95gr. loading data in front of me, but I would expect them to be close. For the heavier slug, dropping the starting charge for the 90 grain projectile by 0.1 - 0.2 gr. would probably not hurt a thing.
The small amount of reloading I've done for the cartridge, a slight taper crimp (enough to take the bell out of the case, plus just a little, like 1/8 turn on the die or less) worked for just practice loads with fast burning powders. More crimp in loads with slower burning powders (we used Unique and Herco) was beneficial, but not absolutely necessary. As always, your results may not reflect my results.
The Bullseye and Red Dot will work for practice loads, and Power Pistol is best for getting the most out of the cartridge. I would not be surprised to find that Blue Dot is too slow burning to work well in .380.
The major nightmare that we ran across was the need to individually weigh very small charges of powder that meters like cornflakes. You may want to consider getting a ball powder like 231 or AA#5 so that small charges will flow through your powder measure more easily.
I don't have the 90gr. vs. 95gr. loading data in front of me, but I would expect them to be close. For the heavier slug, dropping the starting charge for the 90 grain projectile by 0.1 - 0.2 gr. would probably not hurt a thing.
Last edited:
My wife just got a Bersa Thunder in 380 ACP, and like you I added it to the reloading flock.
I happened to have a can of HP-38 that I chose to use with some 98 gr. cast RN's that I snagged locally. I'm a big fan of Bullseye, but I've been liking how the HP goes through the measure with light loads lately.
It was ridiculously easy to hit a perfectly functioning load with this little pistol, and I'll grab some more of these bullets to use in the future. ($70/thou)
Some of our forum fellows came through with a ton of brass for very reasonable price, some even free. I've now got so much that I won't cry if she loses some.
I got the Lee dies with the factory crimper, but haven't had to bother with that final crimp step. The plan is to get my chick to do her own loading for this one.
jd
I happened to have a can of HP-38 that I chose to use with some 98 gr. cast RN's that I snagged locally. I'm a big fan of Bullseye, but I've been liking how the HP goes through the measure with light loads lately.
It was ridiculously easy to hit a perfectly functioning load with this little pistol, and I'll grab some more of these bullets to use in the future. ($70/thou)
Some of our forum fellows came through with a ton of brass for very reasonable price, some even free. I've now got so much that I won't cry if she loses some.
I got the Lee dies with the factory crimper, but haven't had to bother with that final crimp step. The plan is to get my chick to do her own loading for this one.
jd
My wife's Sig P238 runs well with 3.2 grains of Unique (because that's what I had on hand for 9 mm) and a 100 grain plated bullet. The metering is a little uneven, but good enough for plinking rounds. I don't have my notes here, but I remember that I had to seat a little deep and crimp slightly more than I was accustomed to with 9 mm to get them to chamber right.
Neck tension is what secures the bullet, not the taper crimp. A properly applied taper crimp is just enough to remove the flare plus maybe a thou or two more.
If more crimp than that is required to secure the bullet and to prevent "setback" then there is something else wrong with the set-up, not the crimp.
OP, do not over crimp.
For powders I use what meters perfectly in my powder measure, AA #2, 231/HP-338, True-Blue. I'm going to try Ramshot Zip as soon as I find some.
For the 95gr cast I use Lyman 102gr lead data or Western Powders 100gr Plated data.
If you cast your own bullets, ya might want to take a shot at coating them with HI-TEK. This stuff works great and eliminates the need for messy lubes.
If you are going to purchase bullets, you can purchases lube free coated bullets here.
http://www.bayoubullets.net/380-auto/
Gravedigger56
New member
^^^ this ^^^
Perhaps not ENTIRELY dismal?
Of all the subjects I've studied in my seemingly interminable upper education, Economics wasn't by any means the most dismal. THAT prize would probably have to go to social psychology, or something similar.
I know that, in the introductory classes, we dealt with somewhat "idealized" examples and scenarios, where LOTSA factors were ignored, but even with that, I found the concepts somewhat instructive, and frequently humorous.
The joke, "If we took all the economists in the world and laid them head-to-toe in a line, the still would not be able to reach a conclusion" was funny to me. I'll also assert that the marginal utility of Harvard-educated community organizers outside Chicago is low in the extreme.
Of all the subjects I've studied in my seemingly interminable upper education, Economics wasn't by any means the most dismal. THAT prize would probably have to go to social psychology, or something similar.
I know that, in the introductory classes, we dealt with somewhat "idealized" examples and scenarios, where LOTSA factors were ignored, but even with that, I found the concepts somewhat instructive, and frequently humorous.
The joke, "If we took all the economists in the world and laid them head-to-toe in a line, the still would not be able to reach a conclusion" was funny to me. I'll also assert that the marginal utility of Harvard-educated community organizers outside Chicago is low in the extreme.