SPECIAL REPORT Best 380 Auto Ammo


bullet. The top/open is formed around the core to make the bullet base. The bottom of the cup becomes the bullet nose of the FMJ bullet. With the PDX1 bullet, the lead core is heated and literally solders itself to the jacket. Second, a punch is used to form the hollowpoint cavity and pre-stresses the jacket in six areas. During the expansion, these six points expand along with, but stay attached to, the lead core.


Feed Reliability


The 380 Auto is available in many different bullet profiles, bullet weights, and energy and momentum levels. Fire enough of the load to be sure they will feed and eject reliably.


The PDX/Ranger T-series bullet is assembled the opposite of a standard JHP. With a typical JHP, the bullet core is placed in- side a copper cup. The top/open end of the cup is formed into a hollowpoint.


The PDX1/Ranger T-series is formed like a Full Metal Jacket


380 AUTO EXTERIOR BALLISTICS COMPARISON


Muzzle Muzzle Power Bullet MAKE & TYPE


Velocity Energy Factor Profi le (Fps) (Ft-Lbs) (Recoil) (Ogive)


FEDERAL PREMIUM 1030 233


Personal Defense 99-grain HST JHP


HORNADY


Critical Defense 90-grain FTX JHP


REMINGTON


Ultimate Defense 102-grain Golden Saber


SIG SAUER Elite Performance


90-grain V-Crown JHP SPEER LE


Personal Protection


90-grain Gold Dot WINCHESTER


Defender Bonded 95-grain PDX1 JHP


50 LAW and ORDER I January 2016 1000 211


980 192 88 semi- pointed


990 196 89 semi- rounded 95 semi- rounded 940 200 96 rounded 1000 200 90 pointed 102 rounded


In the mid-1990s, the controversial 147-grain bullet in 9mm proved that just because the major ammo companies load a par- ticular bullet doesn’t mean all auto pistols will reliably function with it. This low-velocity, medium-energy, low-momentum round sometimes failed to cycle under patrol situations. For an auto pistol to reliably cycle (totally independent of the bullet profi le), two things must happen. First, the energy of the fi red bullet must overcome the energy stored in the recoil springs. Second, the momentum of the fi red bullet must over- come the momentum of the heavy slide.


More energy or momentum is not necessarily better. Less en- ergy or momentum is not necessarily better. You are looking for the ‘right’ amount of energy and momentum to produce the ‘right’ amount of slide velocity to make the auto pistol reliable. There is a 20 percent difference in the energy among these six test loads. There is a 15 percent difference in momentum. There are three different bullet (ogive) profi les. All that allows the shooter to pick the load that reliably cycles his/her auto pistol. Test fi re 40 to 60 rounds of your carry load through all your magazines. Shoot it one handed. Shoot it with a less than ideal grip. You may fi nd your make/model of auto pistol prefers a more rounded hollowpoint or perhaps a more pointed hollow- point. If your 380 Auto pistol only cycles on FMJ hardball, some of these JHPs have almost exactly that kind of feed profi le. Your pistol may prefer a heavier bullet weight (95 to 102 grains) or a lighter bullet weight (88 to 90 grains). Regardless, this cycle testing is defi nitely worth the effort. A hollowpoint is much, much more effective on the target than hardball.


Stopping Power


The 380 Auto hollowpoints are different in wound ballistics from most of the duty calibers. For most duty hollowpoints, the ammo makers carefully control the expansion of each bullet weight. That means all of the bullets penetrate in the ‘ideal’ 12- inch to 14-inch range regardless of bullet weight. Very few ex- pand more to penetrate less. Very few expand less to penetrate more. Not so with most of the 380 Auto hollowpoints because the caliber just doesn’t have energy to do both. If you want a rapidly expanding hollowpoint, one that is guaranteed to expand and dump its energy, that kind of ammo appears to be available. The Federal 99-grain HST and the Win- chester 95-grain PDX1 expanded to the largest recovered diam- eters. Arguably, that means they are the most likely to at least expand a little bit under the widest variety of shooting scenarios. If you want a deeply penetrating hollowpoint, one that doesn’t expand much but is guaranteed to get well inside even big subjects, that ammo appears to be available. The Hornady 90-grain FTX and the Speer LE 90-grain Gold Dot penetrated the deepest.


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