POLL .380 Ammo JHP or FMJ for self defense?

[USA1]

After reading several posts of the use of .380 FMJ as a self defense round, I decided to create a
quick poll to see how many are using FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) vs. JHP (Jacketed Hollow Point) ammo for
self defense carry guns.

I would be leery of FMJ because I've seen a .380 FMJ round pass
completely through a refrigerator, so my fear would be over-penetration.

Thoughts and opinions are appreciated as always.

[Pawpaw]

Although I haven't carried my P238, I have proofed it with Hornady Critical Defense ammo.

[The Mad Moderate]

Hollow point. No question. I use Winchester +p 127 grain for my 9mm.

[RottenApple]

I don't have a .380 nor do I carry yet (background under review), but I use JHP in both my P220 & P89.

[RPB]

Buffalo Bore, CorBon and a couple companies, make a heavier grained JHP if you worry about under penetration ... Although there is no "+P standard" for .380 ... there are ballistics you can find showing what should be considered +P ... Buffalo Bore and CorBon are "hotter than average"

I think I once carried a +P 110 grain ... which had ballistics not real far off from a 9mm lower pressure 115 grain.

The velocities exceed that of a .45 ... so you just want heavy if you want deeper.

I'd carry JHP; that's what all the .380s in my house are loaded with ...

[WickedOwl]

I'm still going back and forth between JHP and FMJ, so it will be nice to hear different opinions. Anyone have a good website or video that shows the difference (in penetration) between the two?

[WildBill]

After reading several posts of the use of .380 FMJ as a self defense round, I decided to create a
quick poll to see how many are using FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) vs. JHP (Jacketed Hollow Point) ammo for
self defense carry guns.

I would be leery of FMJ because I've seen a .380 FMJ round pass
completely through a refrigerator, so my fear would be over-penetration.

Thoughts and opinions are appreciated as always.

I think that a 22LR would pass completely through a refrigerator unless it hit a couple gallons of milk or a pot roast.

[The Annoyed Man]

I'm still going back and forth between JHP and FMJ, so it will be nice to hear different opinions. Anyone have a good website or video that shows the difference (in penetration) between the two?

You'll put your eye out with that thing....






I found, oddly enough, that hollowpoints feed more reliably in my .380s than hardball does. That said, neither is all that reliable. I don't carry them anymore, partly because of that, and partly because of a general lack of confidence in the cartridge. But that's just me.

[Sputz]

I use fmj, if I were to carry a jhp it would be the corbon. However not sure if the costs of it would make it worth it in the longrun.

Sputz

[G26ster]

My fear with the .380 is under-penetration - if I'm between a rock and a hard place and had to choose the lesser of the two evils (under vs over), I'll have to go with over-penetration.

That said, if there were a .380 HP I could trust to penetrate deeply, I'd certainly look at it.

Andy: have you looked at Cor Bon Pow 'R ball? "Supposedly" delays expansion for deeper penetration. I have it for my .380 and 9mm pistols. And no, I have not gone out with milk jugs, water, telephone books or pig carcasses to test it

[Capt Jeff]

My wife likes to keep my Walther PPK on the nightstand when I'm out of town. The only ammo I'll leave her with is JHP - using Hornaday Critical Defense now.

[Chemist45]

When I used to work in a gun shop I carried .380 silver tip hollow points.
One time the boss asked me to let a customer try the trigger on my gun.
I removed the magazine and ejected the chambered round. The customer's eyes got as big as saucers when he saw the silver tip with the gaping hollow point.
He said "That's a killing round!"

What did he think? We were kidding?

[Dave2]

JHP for anything shy of a mortar.