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I will soon be picking up a Kel-Tec P3AT, and I am wondering what the good folks of this forum carry in .380ACP ammo. Brand, bullet weight, bullet type, +P or not, etc.

I have fired a full box of Federal HydraShoks, and it shot well, @ 25 yds.

According to the gun rags, Hydra shocks may not be the cutting edge any longer, but they feed flawlessly in my Kel-Tec so that's what I use.

Buffalo bore, 90 gr. Speer Gold Dot J.H.C. @ 1175 fps 276 ft. lbs. It's a very hot round, kinda packs a kick, but I feel it's a good round for self defense (close up action). My LCP seems to have no problems with the round.

Both my P3ATs digest Magtech 85 gr JHP +P hungrily.

Anygunanywhere

I carry S&B Ball Ammo. Does anybody think that any hollow point ammo is going to open up from a really short barreled .380.
I'll take the reliability of Ball feeding right over the probably won't open up anyway of HPAmmo.

Jungle Work

Corbon DPX. Excellent rep in tests of penetration and expansion, even in the Kel-Tec.

I have 90gr. ball in mine right now. I'm still undecided on less penetration with an expanding bullet and more penetration in a non-expanding bullet. Need to do some studying I guess.

Hydrashock or CorBon JHP in mine - - - when this batch is used up I'm going to go with DPX or Golden Saber. Both have outstanding test results out of a P3AT.

Jungle Work wrote:I carry S&B Ball Ammo. Does anybody think that any hollow point ammo is going to open up from a really short barreled .380.
I'll take the reliability of Ball feeding right over the probably won't open up anyway of HPAmmo.

Jungle Work

Even if it doesn't expand, a hollowpoint will do more damage than a ball round because an HP round carves tissue that a ball round simply pushes aside.

Gold Dot 90 gr.

CorBon DPX or JHP

MagTech, just picked up some Buffalo Bore at Cabelas.

Double Tap 90 grain Gold Dots. It's snappy at 1000fps out of the P3AT but feeds flawlessly. It's crazy to think that a 90 grain GD won't expand at 1000fps.

I'm thinking of trying the CorBon DPX as well.

Mike from Texas wrote:Double Tap 90 grain Gold Dots. It's snappy at 1000fps out of the P3AT but feeds flawlessly. It's crazy to think that a 90 grain GD won't expand at 1000fps.

I'm thinking of trying the CorBon DPX as well.

If it expands, how deep will it penetrate? Im thinking that a 90 grain HP will open to at least .45 and not having the weight to push it along, it would stop pretty quick, especially if it hits bone. That said, I alternate Gold Dots and ball in my magazines. Best of both worlds i guess. Hopefully my primary would get the job done before I need my BUG.