That was an interesting error with the safety on the 380 EZ. Thanks for leaving it in. It reinforces: “practice with what you carry”. I got a horror story staring face to face with a pair of coyotes and a 1911 that wouldn’t go bang. Same reason, I’d walked those woods with a revolver for years, then one day I thought, “gee, let’s do something different today”. Nope.
Great shooting! You convinced me to get some of those 380 HST rounds. They seem to expand really well. I’m going to see if it penetrates more out of my 3 inch barrel. Also, it’s cool that you don’t edit out little mistakes, misses etc. We all do that stuff and it makes you a more authentic creator.
Obviously, one can’t change the fact 9mm delivers more weight faster than .380 but this .380 round is pretty good. Sam, a suggestion: compare ammo that is identical except JSP vs JHP. During all these shortages, I’ve found .357 125 JSP at a time I could not find 125 JHP. Also, I think about folks in places where they’ve outlawed hollow points. It would be instructional to see the legendary .357 125 JHP into gelatin at the same velocity as a 125 JSP. “Enquiring minds want to know.”😉
380 Full Metal Jacket is a reliable up close defensive round. I used my Ruger LCP and the FMJ shot through and through empty steel oil drums from twenty feet away.
They will penetrate for sure, but you won’t have much of any wound cavity to speak of, meaning you really need to make those shots count to vital areas of the heart, spine, or head.
@@DerWaidmann_ Im just relaying what I read from people posting on the review page of the product, on forums and comment sections here. Especially with split feed ramps like the ubiquitous BG2. Not the ammo fault though, but recommend anyone to test it before EDCing it.
I’ve been carrying these in my ppk since federal came out with them years ago, they’ve been hard as hell to find lately in 380! I think the hst is the benchmark for modern self defense projectiles.
.380 ACP is a tough cartridge to load ammo to meet the FBI specs for, especially when you are limited to standard pressure loads. Locked breech .380s like that S&W or Glock can use +P loads, and I think this cartridge can really benefit from +P loads. Unfortunately, with so many blow-back action .380 pistols in circulation, standard pressure is probably going to continue to be "the rule of the day."
I defended myself against a large feral hog with 99gr HST from a G42. The gold dot is loaded hotter IMO. I dont carry .380 anymore but to people who do, those two bullets along with Hornady xtp are the only ones i can reccomend.
I RARELY CARRY MY 3" 38 WITH MY 140XTP RELOADS -- PRETTY WARM -- BUT I ALWAYS ASK MYSELF -- IF THE BAD GUY IS 300lbs IN FULL WINTER CLOTHING WHAT DO I REALLY WANNA HAVE IN MY HAND -- THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS THE SAME - MY 357 STOOGE CANNON -- JUST ME
@@DanTheWolfman 5 shots 5 hits. First one was between the eyes (it was facing me)which made it charge. Second one was under the right eye and the last 3 were chest shots; two were lung hits and the one that deterred it was a shot to the heart. The bullet between the eyes penetrated and deflected down through its bottom jaw and out; There is a second layer of skull between their brain casing that the bullet failed to penetrate. The second one went under the eye and grazed off the skull under the skin. I managed to side step its charge and put 3 in it's chest from about 5ft away and it started running the opposite direction before collapsing like 20yds later. I only recovered one bullet that was under the skin on the opposite side ribs. The other two were lost somewhere in the organs and i didnt care to find them. Typical HST expansion and all the chest wound tracks looked the same. I remember the meat tasted like pistachios, probably because it had been eating them from the adjacent pistachio farm from where i was fishing 👌
@@SuspiciousGanymede Thanks I've been pointing out in my vids that my sometimes not perfect headshots on side of eye or side of forehad might actually skim around the outside of the skull. I wonder if a 9mm would have been much different.. maybe plus p hst from longer than 3.5" would have enough extra power but that seems ever dependent on angle. I don't know enough about hog heads and bear heads but seems they deflect greatly
@JoeRogansCockHolster that's good to know. I need to hunt a hog near a potato farm to get that "meat & potatoes" flavored meat. But wild hog is definitely delicious. I can vouch for that 🐖
Another great video brother. I have kinda the opposite problem with the safety than you do. I'm so used to my 1911 45 that I subconsciously sweep the safety off with my thumb even if the safety is in a different place. A few weeks ago I really felt like an idiot when I went to blast a coon with my Mossberg 500 and when I pulled the trigger nothing happened. I brought the stock up to my shoulder and instead of pushing the tang safety off, I just swept my thumb down the side of the receiver and pulled the trigger. No surprise that she didn't go boom. It actually took me a couple of seconds to realize what I'd done. Then I just pushed the tang safety forward and still rolled the garbage bandit through the back yard. But man I felt dumb. I've been shooting 500s for years and that's the first time I've done something like that. Definitely got to practice with the ol girl some. The main problem is that when I need a shotgun I always grab my old Stevens 94c 16 gauge single shot and do whatever needs to be done. I'm scary good with that old girl. It fits me like a hand custom fitted shotgun would. Out of the hundreds of rounds that I've put through her, I've missed exactly one shot. And that's not bragging its the Gods honest truth. When I missed that one shot, I had 3 broke ribs and a 8" cut from my side around to my back on my strong side. That still bothers me today as dumb as that sounds. I've actually never owned a gun that didn't have a safety or hammer so it's not a problem for me to remember to take it off, but I've got to practice with the old pump. I wish somebody would make a shotgun and lever action rifle with the safety in the same place as my pistol. Then I'd really be in hog heaven but that's probably not gonna happen. Oh well, I can always dream I guess. Have a good one bro ,I'll be waiting for your next great video. They always are.
Nice you clear that up with the 12 inches FBI minimum, that this is meant for a shot from the side through an arm. From all the real world shooting videos I have seen I cant remember that there was ever someone shot from the side. And if so the aggressor will point with a gun at you. So it might be from the side in some situations but without an arm as barrier.
@@Valorius I remember a road rage video from active self protection, one shot the other several times with .22lr and the guy could get back in his car, get his handgun and shoot the other. The video shouldn't be older than 5 years.
@@Gieszkanne Not true. Given enough energy, small bones will shatter. This is why I choose a minimum of 400ft-lbs of energy for carry rounds, and prefer closer to 500ft-lbs. Bone penetration is something people shooting these micro “wonder 9’s” don’t seem to think about much. 🤔
@@TooManyChoices1 I think you dont understand what deflecting is. Even 308 can be deflected by smaller branches. I once have seen a video where someone gave a head shot to an attacking dog. It was 40 S&W. The bullet got deflected by his skull. It knocked him out for a few seconds. Then he got back up and run away.
As I have gotten older, and arthritis has set into my hands and wrists, I find myself moving to a .380 I have carried an LCP in my pocket for nearly 10 years, but it was always the secondary gun. I just bought the Ruger Security 380 as my primary carry gun and will look at the Berreta 80x when I can find one. I figure if I am going to move to the .380 as a primary, I may as well look for a larger one, to maximize the round count, and maximize my gripping surface. (BTW - I have only put a hundred rounds through the Ruger, but I think it is a solid and very economical choice. I paid about $299 for it plus tax. I think the Berreta 80x has a list of about $800? - I am also considering the P365 in .380 since I have the 9mm already, and would be able to use my existing holsters.)
The 99 grain .380 HST is rated for micro pistols like the Kahr P380. The best performing .380 ammunition is the XTP bullet that will meet the minimum requirements in ballistic gel.
@@vlogfriendsutopia The original Hydra Shok does perform well. The Winchester SXT does expand well just a little shallow for those who want deeper penetration.
The original 99gr HST was rated at 1030 fps and 233 ft lbs from a 3.75" barrel. It appears that Federal has reduced the velocity/energy of the current 99gr HST round to help them market their new 30 Super Carry which performs better than a 380 and almost as well as some 9mm rounds. I am not in the mood to invest a bunch into a new gun and caliber ammo. I have several boxes of the original 99gr HST and also Underwood Lehigh Extreme Defense fluted copper rounds and feel they are sufficient to get the job done unless the assailant is so fat that he's got over a foot of blubber to protect his insides. Bottom line is unless they're all crazed up on PCP then being shot with anything even a 22 is likely to help change their mind about continuing the assault.
I talked to my friend who runs the emergency room at the hospital. Talking about the 380 , for a caliber that people make fun of for not being powerful enough. They sure kill a lot of people.
I pick them up in the field. 380 has put down a LOT of baby boys, and I mean down. So has 38 Special. I could tell you stories. 357 Magnum impresses me the most.
@@DerWaidmann_ he didn't say . I asked my son about it. He was a police officer for 10 years. What he told me was most gang bangers buy the cheapest ammo they can get. They account for the largest section of shootings. Apparently alot of the time they will have mismatched ammo in their magazine.
@@traumajock the same here . My 357 is loaded with 158 gain. But I've gotten older and I will carry a 380 , depending on how my hands feel that day . I have arthritis really bad.
Yup, the mouse guns like LCP are the preferred guns in that cal it seems. To go bigger you may as well go something like an LC9 / SW M&P and have the better caliber.
Hey Bud, thnx for the vid. good job as always. Would love to see Fiochi, Sig and Precision One, 380 JHP show down. Seems these are the top three HP ballisticly reviewed and liked most on TH-cam. Again would love to see it. Thnx again Sam, appreciated!
Would be nice to see this comparison done with the 380 HST Tactical round, rather than the 380 HST Micro version of this ammunition, assuming it's available.
It seems you want to see something that does NOT exist lol. I get a lot of weird comments with people asking to see a variety of ammunition that does not exist, but for some reason they think it does.
@@GunSam. Sam, they do exist. You can find them at an online retailer, “Outdoor Limited”. They are sold in 50-round boxes for around forty bucks a box, not a bad price for premium .380 defensive ammo. I ordered some this past Saturday and they were delivered to my doorstep this past Wednesday as I write this. They are labeled “Tactical/Law Enforcement”. You probably won’t find them at your LGS, and they aren’t listed on Federal’s website. I believe that they are advertised/marketed towards the law enforcement community specifically. But if some online retailer has them, they will sell them to anyone who wants to buy them, law enforcement or not. At least “Outdoor Limited” was perfectly willing to sell them to me. Just type in “Federal .380 ammo” in Outdoor Limited’s search function and several flavors of Federal .380 ammo will appear, the “Tactical” HST among them.
@@GunSamSam, they do exist. You can find them online at Outdoor Limited. I got some from them this past week. These are the original recipe HST 99 grain round that were loaded hotter than the regular “Micro” ones they offer today. The hotter loading was kept in production but re-branded as “Tactical/Law Enforcement” and is apparently now marketed specifically to that community, but you can still get it online if you can find it.
I live in East Texas so the summers are brutal. I carry 380 in the summer and 9mm in cooler weather. In the summer no one wears jackets you have to penetrate. I think the 9mm overpenetrates if you don’t have to go thru heavy jackets. Very good video.
The 380 did reasonably well, for its limitations. I seem to recall hearing that the heart is only about 3" deep, and the lings can't be much deeper. So there is that. It may be that the only solution to get the 380 to reach desired minimums is to make a mildly +p version, for locked breech pistols only. That might do it. However, we all know that people lacking knowledge (or too lazy to care) would shoot it in the wrong pistols, cause grief, xnd then whine about their guns wearing out and breaking. So we are left with it as is. All that said, i never carried one, and don't even own one anymore. Butin a midsized pistol like the EZ or the Berettas it could be a reasonable option for people who are recoil sensitive or have issues with grip strength, etc. And it is much better than a rock or a mousegun.
My 50 round LE style hst .380 box says 1030fps at the muzzle. I have underwood .380 item 151 it’s their house bullet they told me so I’m going to test it next time I go out. Haven’t seen any videos on it at all.
I've always tended to grab the .380 with the LONGEST barrel. A full 4 inches or more. There are a few of the European Military and Police Service pistols that almost meet these standards. I've got CZ83 and Baretta 84. Both are fun to shoot, accurate and have longer barrels then all the "pocket" guns now being sold.
On another note, buckeye ballistics did gel testing with this same .380 round with somewhat different results. He was using the LCP. I'm always in search for the perfect CC round, which doesn't exist, but I search anyways. I think he was using the non-organic gel and didn't have the layered target like you but did test with the denim layers. Any who, his rounds penetrated slightly further and seemed to perform better. Currently I'm carrying buffalo bore flat nose lead hard cast(standard pressure) in my G42 because I've pretty much decided that no .380HP was going to expand and most will underpenetrate. I think this HST might be the answer, but I am conflicted considering the different results between yourself and BB.
There are a LOT of good defensive ammo out there now, but you cannot go wrong with the Federal HST. Extremely impressive in the .45 acp. As good as it gets in any other caliber it is available in.
I like HST in service calibers, my main go-to. In smaller calibers I often like Gold Dot because the plating can sometimes open up better at low energies.
Thank you for the vid. I wish I could carry a 9, but bottom line is, the lcp max is about the limit for every day carry. Still assessing what the best short barrel self defense 380 round is. My LCP max is also proven to be unreliable. Think fmj may be the best way to go. I think you'd be surprised at how many folks are in my predicament.
If you are using FartMart budget bulk-box ammo that is the usual explanation for poor gun performance. Try something heavier and hotter, like premium brands? It takes full power to cycle tiny guns, when a lot has to happen fast in a very small space...............................elsullo
@@elsullo2 been using mostly Fiochi and other quality fmj brass cartridge. Haven't even tried a hollow point yet its been back to the factory twice and now is being replaced entirely by the factory.
The gun battle in Miami in 86 was a classic example of after the gas water heater explodes pass a new directive not to wash the floor with gasoline anymore.
I carried the 99gr HST's for years. If I'm carrying 380, those are some of the only rounds I feel good about carrying. The projectile technology is "there".
My wife has a S&W 380 EZ she couldn't handle the 9 and I know you think Underwood gimmicky but I've seen it work and make spec could you retest so we can make up our mind for her.
The depth of my chest from front to back is only 9.5 inches, so I would say that both of these rounds would be a complete pass-through. so I guess that 380 is doing a fine Job on the defense level, and if anyone has an issue with shooting at a heavier person then a mix of FMJ 380 in the magazine should solve that problem. thanks for your great videos, Sam.
Me too, a 3 incher with six bullet cylinder. The ballistic equivalent of most non- +P .38 Specials too from a 2 inch barrel. Several "custom" ammo makers like Buffalo Bore make a HOT .32 Magnum hollowpoint that is effectively defining "+P .32 Magnum" which equals most .38 +P .38 Specials, and these have not damaged my revolver at all............................elsullo
I just watch an episode of "the first 48" and they caught the guy that killed another person with a .380 which dropped him on the spot... And all I can think about is what type of ammo was he using.
@@MilesLong556x69 Just gonna perform like a semi wad cutter and have more reliability issues. Round nose penetrates fine and will be more likely to tumble.
@@macriggland6526 better tissue damage with flat nose and and can't guarantee fmj will tumble. I haven't had issues with reliability but I definitely don't disagree with your thought process.
But..I do carry the HST in 380 and in 9mm standard pressure 124 grain for my 3.9 and 4.7 inch barrels. (I couldn't find +p) I'd bet that if Ruger offered a 4 inch barreled LCP Max it would sweep the market. Still thin and short, the longer barrel not affecting concealability much.
Everyone talks about penetration depth but somehow that doesn’t make any sense. 12” penetration? How many people are 12” thick? Not too many! My point for using hollow points is to KEEP THE BULLET IN WHAT I AM SHOOTING AT and not the second person behind him. No secondary casualties! If it passes through the body, it is not “dumping” all its energy in the original target. 6” seems to be perfect in my thoughts.
Ballistic gel is not a one to one ratio. While it puts the same pressure on a bullet to slow it down and expand a hollow point, it's about half as dense as a human. So 12" in gel is 6" in a human body. You need 6" in a human body to guarantee that a side shot through an arm, has enough penetration to get into the thoracic cavity and stop an attacker, so to represent 6", you must hit 12" in gel.
In the summer months most time I don't leave home without my little Glock 42 this video shows that four summer months people aren't wearing a lot of thick clothing so 380 is ideal for those situations. And a Glock 42 is a hell of a lot easier to conceal their Glock 19
Have you tried Underwood +P 380acp JHP's? You may have and I've missed it. I've fired those rounds into a pair of 2×4's screwed together, and they went all the way through with expansion, I thought that was pretty good.
I have ran the XTP+P recently about 4 videos back from my newest, and I also have on the way some of the Underwood regular JHP that are unique to Underwood in both the standard pressure and +P. I will be testing them in a week or so, video probably won't release for a couple weeks after that. I got content backed up to early April I need to get out.
There is a New/old .380 now that I am interested in getting...just to show as an option for elderly/disabled/new female shooters. Your post on .380 fps barrel length educated me though....Maybe Underwood +p xtp's would be the way to go with long barrel as long as functioned or this hst seems pretty good.
You probably know this but I will remind everyone: .380 Auto is a BLOWBACK cartridge and is actually more snappy in recoil than most 9mm tilting barrel designs made to divert some of the recoil energy. As the Aficionado sez, standard pressure 9mm works pretty well without a +P recoil!.............................elsullo
@@GunSam What I am looking at has a 3.81" barrel...I don't know if I will end up grabbing someday or not...based on nice looks and great for person w RA/etc. ...86Cheetah clone Girsan 14T one retailer has so far more coming soon.
Ya, there is a reason for that flat bench of land next to the river: Spring snow melt floods! Any river is the BOTTOM of a much wider valley or plain, all flowing downhill and leaving mud behind............................elsullo
My employer requires the 147gr HST for 9mm’s (it’s devastating in actual shootings we’ve had). For .380, that 99gr HST is the only authorized bullet we can carry. It’s always been a bullet that only penetrates about 10” in plain Gel and is very consistent in that aspect. Like in this video, if the bullet hits clothing, it clogs and just acts like a FMJ. In that case, we’ve seen it penetrate up to 17” at times. So, is it the best .380 defensive loads? Nope. But it’s not the worst either. If I have to do a mag dump with a .380 and out of my “Central Nervous System particle separator” (Glock 42), then so be it. I’m confident due to my continuous practice with the gun, that I’m going to be hitting bad guy in the face/head and 10-ring area. I’m sure that the 99gr bullets will penetrate deep enough to make the bad guy “get off me.” I also carry several spare magazines wherever I go too, just in case.
I contend that in the vast majority of cases, the threat only needs to know they are being shot at. The 380 is still loud and the situation is just as tense for them as it is for you so they are not going to say, you know, that sounds like a 380 ACP, not a 9mm so I'm not too worried about it.
1 thing about your Gel tests wonders me: a shot of any particular calibre, going into, just, the gel, never seems to go as deep as the same round going through the denim & the particle board. Got any explanations for such a phenomenon?
Didn't see any ballooning of temporary wound cavitation on impact, and permanent would cavity seems very mediocre. Hornady XTPs and Lehigh Defense rounds are much more impressive, and penetrate much deeper.
I'd be surprised if any pistol caliber round would penetrate to the heart on a side shot. That's a lot of bone potentially in the bullet path. Bullets tend to have a mind of their own when they start coming into contact with harder obstructions. A worthy goal but I'd be surprised if one out of ten shots made it to the heart.
Yes. I may have in the past, but I did about a week ago with the 68 gr in both the standard pressure and +P version, I just have not released the video yet.
The buffalo bore 380 with the Underwood, extreme defender bullets are supposed to be pretty good too, and you don’t have to worry about hollowpoint expansion
At 12 inches of penetration the bullet would come very close to exiting out the back of most people. At 11 inches that is deep enough to competly penetrate the heart, or any vital organ.
12" is like half that in a human body. I would say with Clear Ballistics, you would need over 20" in that to say it would pass through an average person. Not 1:1 with real flesh.
I have tested it, and tested it again in a +P in a video I have not released. The issue I have, is that not matter how you slice it, pun intended, the bullet is still only .355" of cutting area. Just because it slows down and looks impressive in gel, doesn't mean it will work in the real world. With other bullet styles there is real world data to cross reference certain ammo, what they do in gel and how well they work on the street. Until there is street data, I can't really say how well it really performs other than it looks good in gel. With other ammo, lets says a random JHP bullet, if it expands to about the same diameter and penetrates to the same depth of a known bullet that has data, reason would say that this ammo would do as well as cutting is cutting. I can't make that statement with non expanding bullets with no data out there, closest I have is FMJ ammo data.
But what caliber? I get comments about hogs and that particular bullet a lot, but most of the time they admit it was a rifle which would do well with any bullet style. Even so, i'd have to see side by side performance of a JHP pistol bullet not doing much to a hog, but then the Xtreme bullet doing well for me to be convinced.
@@GunSam 9 and 10. I see your point, but I’m extrapolating the damage would scale, between your gel tests and what the other calibers have done in living flesh. I even saw a guy kill a doe from a tree stand with a 10.
I’ve switched all my carry ammo in .357 Sig and .40 S&W to federal hst. In my .45 ACP it doesn’t matter because “Two World Wars!!”, so I just carry whatever soup bowl hollow point is cheaper lmao 🤣!!
I always find it funny people dis the 380 the P365-380 holds 12+1….idk about anyone else but thats more than enough rounds to unalive an attacker also iv seen people say stuff like you can get shot and drive all the way to the hospital by yourself….ya maybe if you were shot in the hand and wrapped it still would hurt like hell, ever been shot by li-po battery airsoft gun? The little 5mm plastic bb FUCKIN HURTS LOL!! also i always see these tests with like 4 layers of denim and 2 cotton shirts which is cool to know they will go through and expand but if im being honest i dont think Ive ever known anyone to wear that many layers of denim during summer all i see is t-shirts and shorts/pants which is still only 1 layer each now winter is definitely different and probably adds more factors like where you live and how cold it gets with the amount of clothing needed but even then id probably put rounds through what people generally wear like bomber jackets and hoodies and go from there just my thoughts tho 🤷🏽♂️🤔
I wish this guy would test 380 ammo out of the length barrel that 95% of the people on the planet is carrying…2.75”,most know what a longer barrel results are going to be ok like the 3.7” shield he’s shooting….Hell I have 9’s smaller than that Shield
50 yards practical? Maybe for police or military. In civilian self defense, if a threat is 50 yards away, I'm taking cover or retreating to avoid a confrontation.
So, just be like....it's a skill I could learn even if I won't need it, even if it makes my skills up close better....NAH, better to need it and not have it than have it and not need it. Thumbs up....I think.
Who knows. I hear a lot of things on my channel, like XTP, XTP is it, XTP is the only one that does this or does that....I test it, it's not that great lol. I plan to try the deep when I get a chance, it's just not in stock most places.
@@GunSam Definitely interested to see what you find once you get your hands on some. It looks like all the DEEP's "expansion" come from just the jacket pealing back at the tip, with all the lead core staying put to help with reaching adequate penetration numbers. If you have any of the Underwood Xtreme Defender left I've heard it does well out of short barrel, like the LCP despite the velocity loss. Might be worth a test. Keep up the great work.
Gel was cold? What are you talking about? One, it's clear ballistics....which is not temperature sensitive....and two, I'm not sure on how a block stored in 70 degree air, coming out to 50 degree air, can take on the air temperature instantly. Your comment wins an award for the dumbest of the day so far.
I'll pass on any .380 hollow points. It's too slow and too light for expanding bullets. There are too many scenarios where I would be seriously concerned about under penetration. 12" in gel is not 12" in a person or any other live target. I've seen (shot it myself) WWB flat nose .380 fmj not exit a maybe 80 pound hog side to side, less than 12" across. But that same round penetrates about 25" in ballistics gel. Guess what happened... it hit bone and muscle. Solid bullets with a wide flat nose are more effective than hollow points at stopping threats, in larger calibers too. The ONLY draw back is the risk of the bullet exiting the target.
Ive never owned a 380 but I definitely would not wanna be on the receiving end of these bullets! Great test sir.
Thank you
I don't want anyone to shoot me with a damn pellet gun, let alone a 22lr.
@@jtoker9758 for real lol!
A 380 to the chest or head will end the conflict in an instant.
@@michaelsweaney3890 no doubt!
That was an interesting error with the safety on the 380 EZ. Thanks for leaving it in. It reinforces: “practice with what you carry”. I got a horror story staring face to face with a pair of coyotes and a 1911 that wouldn’t go bang. Same reason, I’d walked those woods with a revolver for years, then one day I thought, “gee, let’s do something different today”. Nope.
Great shooting! You convinced me to get some of those 380 HST rounds. They seem to expand really well. I’m going to see if it penetrates more out of my 3 inch barrel. Also, it’s cool that you don’t edit out little mistakes, misses etc. We all do that stuff and it makes you a more authentic creator.
Thank you. I am supposed to get delivery tomorrow. I have one more test to do with Corbon .40 and .38 then I will get working on that ammo.
@@GunSam Nice man, looking forward to it!
@@GunSam .40 s&w vs .38 super?
@@ethanmac639.38 Special. I been doing "when cops switched to semi autos" series.
@@GunSam oh ok, will you be doing a .40 s&w vs .38 super in the future?
Obviously, one can’t change the fact 9mm delivers more weight faster than .380 but this .380 round is pretty good. Sam, a suggestion: compare ammo that is identical except JSP vs JHP. During all these shortages, I’ve found .357 125 JSP at a time I could not find 125 JHP. Also, I think about folks in places where they’ve outlawed hollow points. It would be instructional to see the legendary .357 125 JHP into gelatin at the same velocity as a 125 JSP. “Enquiring minds want to know.”😉
380 Full Metal Jacket is a reliable up close defensive round. I used my Ruger LCP and the FMJ shot through and through empty steel oil drums from twenty feet away.
They will penetrate for sure, but you won’t have much of any wound cavity to speak of, meaning you really need to make those shots count to vital areas of the heart, spine, or head.
Good video. Nice, interesting comparison. Great 50Y shooting. Thanks for sharing and take care.
Thank you, take care.
I'd say Critical Defense still seems to be the best 380 round. Won't clog, penetrates deep enough. Deeper than this HST
But more prone to feed issues in certain guns.
@@Shadow__133 I've had the opposite experience
@@DerWaidmann_ Im just relaying what I read from people posting on the review page of the product, on forums and comment sections here. Especially with split feed ramps like the ubiquitous BG2.
Not the ammo fault though, but recommend anyone to test it before EDCing it.
I’ve been carrying these in my ppk since federal came out with them years ago, they’ve been hard as hell to find lately in 380! I think the hst is the benchmark for modern self defense projectiles.
.380 ACP is a tough cartridge to load ammo to meet the FBI specs for, especially when you are limited to standard pressure loads. Locked breech .380s like that S&W or Glock can use +P loads, and I think this cartridge can really benefit from +P loads. Unfortunately, with so many blow-back action .380 pistols in circulation, standard pressure is probably going to continue to be "the rule of the day."
👍😊 my first pistol was a safety gun and I’m used to it , it took practice.
Great comparison test, thanks Gun Sam!
I also enjoy seeing the seasonal changes, especially in a latitude more like my own.
Thanks. I mean, I filmed this April 2nd lol, right now it's really nice out with lots of green. my latest "shorts" video was filmed yesterday.
Like the change of seasons.
I only carry critical defense ammo in 380 and 9mm. I carry my 380 in the summer when I'm wearing shorts.
I defended myself against a large feral hog with 99gr HST from a G42. The gold dot is loaded hotter IMO.
I dont carry .380 anymore but to people who do, those two bullets along with Hornady xtp are the only ones i can reccomend.
I RARELY CARRY MY 3" 38 WITH MY 140XTP RELOADS -- PRETTY WARM -- BUT I ALWAYS ASK MYSELF -- IF THE BAD GUY IS 300lbs IN FULL WINTER CLOTHING WHAT DO I REALLY WANNA HAVE IN MY HAND -- THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS THE SAME - MY 357 STOOGE CANNON -- JUST ME
Details...where did you hit, how many times you hit, reaction, did you autopsy penetration and expansion after?
@@DanTheWolfman 5 shots 5 hits.
First one was between the eyes (it was facing me)which made it charge. Second one was under the right eye and the last 3 were chest shots; two were lung hits and the one that deterred it was a shot to the heart.
The bullet between the eyes penetrated and deflected down through its bottom jaw and out; There is a second layer of skull between their brain casing that the bullet failed to penetrate.
The second one went under the eye and grazed off the skull under the skin.
I managed to side step its charge and put 3 in it's chest from about 5ft away and it started running the opposite direction before collapsing like 20yds later.
I only recovered one bullet that was under the skin on the opposite side ribs. The other two were lost somewhere in the organs and i didnt care to find them. Typical HST expansion and all the chest wound tracks looked the same.
I remember the meat tasted like pistachios, probably because it had been eating them from the adjacent pistachio farm from where i was fishing 👌
@@SuspiciousGanymede Thanks I've been pointing out in my vids that my sometimes not perfect headshots on side of eye or side of forehad might actually skim around the outside of the skull. I wonder if a 9mm would have been much different.. maybe plus p hst from longer than 3.5" would have enough extra power but that seems ever dependent on angle. I don't know enough about hog heads and bear heads but seems they deflect greatly
@JoeRogansCockHolster that's good to know. I need to hunt a hog near a potato farm to get that "meat & potatoes" flavored meat. But wild hog is definitely delicious. I can vouch for that 🐖
Thank you. This demonstrates how effective and consistent the 9mm HST is. But I agree that the 380 is still a good option. Thank you.
Good info. The 380 HST looks good to me.
Good video and good shooting Sam. I like your practical aspects on shooting. Not everyone is jerry.
Thanks.
Another great video brother. I have kinda the opposite problem with the safety than you do. I'm so used to my 1911 45 that I subconsciously sweep the safety off with my thumb even if the safety is in a different place. A few weeks ago I really felt like an idiot when I went to blast a coon with my Mossberg 500 and when I pulled the trigger nothing happened. I brought the stock up to my shoulder and instead of pushing the tang safety off, I just swept my thumb down the side of the receiver and pulled the trigger. No surprise that she didn't go boom. It actually took me a couple of seconds to realize what I'd done. Then I just pushed the tang safety forward and still rolled the garbage bandit through the back yard. But man I felt dumb. I've been shooting 500s for years and that's the first time I've done something like that. Definitely got to practice with the ol girl some. The main problem is that when I need a shotgun I always grab my old Stevens 94c 16 gauge single shot and do whatever needs to be done. I'm scary good with that old girl. It fits me like a hand custom fitted shotgun would. Out of the hundreds of rounds that I've put through her, I've missed exactly one shot. And that's not bragging its the Gods honest truth. When I missed that one shot, I had 3 broke ribs and a 8" cut from my side around to my back on my strong side. That still bothers me today as dumb as that sounds. I've actually never owned a gun that didn't have a safety or hammer so it's not a problem for me to remember to take it off, but I've got to practice with the old pump. I wish somebody would make a shotgun and lever action rifle with the safety in the same place as my pistol. Then I'd really be in hog heaven but that's probably not gonna happen. Oh well, I can always dream I guess. Have a good one bro ,I'll be waiting for your next great video. They always are.
Nice you clear that up with the 12 inches FBI minimum, that this is meant for a shot from the side through an arm. From all the real world shooting videos I have seen I cant remember that there was ever someone shot from the side. And if so the aggressor will point with a gun at you. So it might be from the side in some situations but without an arm as barrier.
@@Valorius
I remember a road rage video from active self protection, one shot the other several times with .22lr and the guy could get back in his car, get his handgun and shoot the other. The video shouldn't be older than 5 years.
@@onpsxmember You can find cases of people get hit several times with much bigger calibers still able to shoot back.
@@wastool If they point the gun at you from a facing position than their arm has an angle that will deflect any bullet.
@@Gieszkanne Not true. Given enough energy, small bones will shatter. This is why I choose a minimum of 400ft-lbs of energy for carry rounds, and prefer closer to 500ft-lbs. Bone penetration is something people shooting these micro “wonder 9’s” don’t seem to think about much. 🤔
@@TooManyChoices1 I think you dont understand what deflecting is. Even 308 can be deflected by smaller branches. I once have seen a video where someone gave a head shot to an attacking dog. It was 40 S&W. The bullet got deflected by his skull. It knocked him out for a few seconds. Then he got back up and run away.
Filmed 4/2/23
As I have gotten older, and arthritis has set into my hands and wrists, I find myself moving to a .380
I have carried an LCP in my pocket for nearly 10 years, but it was always the secondary gun. I just bought the Ruger Security 380 as my primary carry gun and will look at the Berreta 80x when I can find one.
I figure if I am going to move to the .380 as a primary, I may as well look for a larger one, to maximize the round count, and maximize my gripping surface.
(BTW - I have only put a hundred rounds through the Ruger, but I think it is a solid and very economical choice. I paid about $299 for it plus tax. I think the Berreta 80x has a list of about $800? - I am also considering the P365 in .380 since I have the 9mm already, and would be able to use my existing holsters.)
The 99 grain .380 HST is rated for micro pistols like the Kahr P380. The best performing .380 ammunition is the XTP bullet that will meet the minimum requirements in ballistic gel.
That, or Federal Hydra Shok Deep, if we're talking only hollow points.
@@vlogfriendsutopia The original Hydra Shok does perform well. The Winchester SXT does expand well just a little shallow for those who want deeper penetration.
The original 99gr HST was rated at 1030 fps and 233 ft lbs from a 3.75" barrel. It appears that Federal has reduced the velocity/energy of the current 99gr HST round to help them market their new 30 Super Carry which performs better than a 380 and almost as well as some 9mm rounds. I am not in the mood to invest a bunch into a new gun and caliber ammo. I have several boxes of the original 99gr HST and also Underwood Lehigh Extreme Defense fluted copper rounds and feel they are sufficient to get the job done unless the assailant is so fat that he's got over a foot of blubber to protect his insides. Bottom line is unless they're all crazed up on PCP then being shot with anything even a 22 is likely to help change their mind about continuing the assault.
Good shooting. You regularly shoot at 50 yards. That's quite a distance for a hand gun.
I talked to my friend who runs the emergency room at the hospital. Talking about the 380 , for a caliber that people make fun of for not being powerful enough. They sure kill a lot of people.
It's not just about the arrival but how quickly they arrive without being able to harm others.
I pick them up in the field. 380 has put down a LOT of baby boys, and I mean down. So has 38 Special. I could tell you stories. 357 Magnum impresses me the most.
How many of them are hollow points though?
@@DerWaidmann_ he didn't say . I asked my son about it. He was a police officer for 10 years. What he told me was most gang bangers buy the cheapest ammo they can get. They account for the largest section of shootings. Apparently alot of the time they will have mismatched ammo in their magazine.
@@traumajock the same here . My 357 is loaded with 158 gain. But I've gotten older and I will carry a 380 , depending on how my hands feel that day . I have arthritis really bad.
Great test! Federal HST's really work. Would love to see the 380 tests with your EZ and LCP to see if the short barrels perform, Thanks
I would like to see how this .380 round does out of a short barrel like 2.5 inch. Probably won't do as well.
Yup, the mouse guns like LCP are the preferred guns in that cal it seems. To go bigger you may as well go something like an LC9 / SW M&P and have the better caliber.
Hey Bud, thnx for the vid. good job as always. Would love to see Fiochi, Sig and Precision One, 380 JHP show down. Seems these are the top three HP ballisticly reviewed and liked most on TH-cam. Again would love to see it. Thnx again Sam, appreciated!
Glad that I have HST’s in my P365. Great round for a 9mm carry or .380.
Federal's engineers have definitely put in some quality work over the past few years.
According to this test they have not solved the problem of good penetration combined with good expansion.
@jtm3141 Physics will always be physics, and nothing will ever turn the 380 into a 44 magnum.
@@brianmoore1164 380 FMJ will penetrate very well.
Would be nice to see this comparison done with the 380 HST Tactical round, rather than the 380 HST Micro version of this ammunition, assuming it's available.
It seems you want to see something that does NOT exist lol. I get a lot of weird comments with people asking to see a variety of ammunition that does not exist, but for some reason they think it does.
@@GunSam. Sam, they do exist. You can find them at an online retailer, “Outdoor Limited”. They are sold in 50-round boxes for around forty bucks a box, not a bad price for premium .380 defensive ammo.
I ordered some this past Saturday and they were delivered to my doorstep this past Wednesday as I write this.
They are labeled “Tactical/Law Enforcement”.
You probably won’t find them at your LGS, and they aren’t listed on Federal’s website. I believe that they are advertised/marketed towards the law enforcement community specifically. But if some online retailer has them, they will sell them to anyone who wants to buy them, law enforcement or not. At least “Outdoor Limited” was perfectly willing to sell them to me.
Just type in “Federal .380 ammo” in Outdoor Limited’s search function and several flavors of Federal .380 ammo will appear, the “Tactical” HST among them.
@@GunSamSam, they do exist. You can find them online at Outdoor Limited. I got some from them this past week. These are the original recipe HST 99 grain round that were loaded hotter than the regular “Micro” ones they offer today. The hotter loading was kept in production but re-branded as “Tactical/Law Enforcement” and is apparently now marketed specifically to that community, but you can still get it online if you can find it.
I live in East Texas so the summers are brutal. I carry 380 in the summer and 9mm in cooler weather. In the summer no one wears jackets you have to penetrate. I think the 9mm overpenetrates if you don’t have to go thru heavy jackets. Very good video.
Another informative video. My standard load out in my EDC (whether it's a pocket .380 or IWB 9mm) is 124 gr (9mm) and 99 gr (.380) HSTs.
The 380 did reasonably well, for its limitations. I seem to recall hearing that the heart is only about 3" deep, and the lings can't be much deeper. So there is that. It may be that the only solution to get the 380 to reach desired minimums is to make a mildly +p version, for locked breech pistols only. That might do it. However, we all know that people lacking knowledge (or too lazy to care) would shoot it in the wrong pistols, cause grief, xnd then whine about their guns wearing out and breaking. So we are left with it as is. All that said, i never carried one, and don't even own one anymore. Butin a midsized pistol like the EZ or the Berettas it could be a reasonable option for people who are recoil sensitive or have issues with grip strength, etc. And it is much better than a rock or a mousegun.
My 50 round LE style hst .380 box says 1030fps at the muzzle. I have underwood .380 item 151 it’s their house bullet they told me so I’m going to test it next time I go out. Haven’t seen any videos on it at all.
@GunSam
Sam, THESE are the 99 grain “Tactical” HSTs that someone else mentioned in another comment on this thread that you said “didn’t exist”.
I've always tended to grab the .380 with the LONGEST barrel. A full 4 inches or more. There are a few of the European Military and Police Service pistols that almost meet these standards. I've got CZ83 and Baretta 84. Both are fun to shoot, accurate and have longer barrels then all the "pocket" guns now being sold.
Due to the nature of the beast it is difficult to get a .380ACP hollowpoint to perform decently.
The Underwood xtreme defender might be a better choice.
FMJ ball is the sure way to go.
On another note, buckeye ballistics did gel testing with this same .380 round with somewhat different results. He was using the LCP. I'm always in search for the perfect CC round, which doesn't exist, but I search anyways. I think he was using the non-organic gel and didn't have the layered target like you but did test with the denim layers. Any who, his rounds penetrated slightly further and seemed to perform better. Currently I'm carrying buffalo bore flat nose lead hard cast(standard pressure) in my G42 because I've pretty much decided that no .380HP was going to expand and most will underpenetrate. I think this HST might be the answer, but I am conflicted considering the different results between yourself and BB.
There are a LOT of good defensive ammo out there now, but you cannot go wrong with the Federal HST. Extremely impressive in the .45 acp. As good as it gets in any other caliber it is available in.
I like HST in service calibers, my main go-to. In smaller calibers I often like Gold Dot because the plating can sometimes open up better at low energies.
Thank you for the vid. I wish I could carry a 9, but bottom line is, the lcp max is about the limit for every day carry. Still assessing what the best short barrel self defense 380 round is. My LCP max is also proven to be unreliable. Think fmj may be the best way to go. I think you'd be surprised at how many folks are in my predicament.
If you are using FartMart budget bulk-box ammo that is the usual explanation for poor gun performance. Try something heavier and hotter, like premium brands? It takes full power to cycle tiny guns, when a lot has to happen fast in a very small space...............................elsullo
@@elsullo2 been using mostly Fiochi and other quality fmj brass cartridge. Haven't even tried a hollow point yet its been back to the factory twice and now is being replaced entirely by the factory.
I had nothing but failures with the LCP max with all kinds of different ammo. It's definitely a cheapo and it had to go.
The gun battle in Miami in 86 was a classic example of after the gas water heater explodes pass a new directive not to wash the floor with gasoline anymore.
I carried the 99gr HST's for years. If I'm carrying 380, those are some of the only rounds I feel good about carrying. The projectile technology is "there".
My wife has a S&W 380 EZ she couldn't handle the 9 and I know you think Underwood gimmicky but I've seen it work and make spec could you retest so we can make up our mind for her.
Have you tried this ammo in your LCP? It'd be interesting to see how it works in a 2.75" barrel.
The depth of my chest from front to back is only 9.5 inches, so I would say that both of these rounds would be a complete pass-through. so I guess that 380 is doing a fine Job on the defense level, and if anyone has an issue with shooting at a heavier person then a mix of FMJ 380 in the magazine should solve that problem. thanks for your great videos, Sam.
Clear Ballistics is a half dense representation. The FBI max depth is 18" to represent 9" of human chest.
I carry these exact rounds in that exact shield ez assuming it's a M2.0. Fantastic little shooter you can put in work with those shields.
I carry a Smith & Wesson J frame in 32 H&R Magnum sometimes, I don't feel udergunned.
Me too, a 3 incher with six bullet cylinder. The ballistic equivalent of most non- +P .38 Specials too from a 2 inch barrel. Several "custom" ammo makers like Buffalo Bore make a HOT .32 Magnum hollowpoint that is effectively defining "+P .32 Magnum" which equals most .38 +P .38 Specials, and these have not damaged my revolver at all............................elsullo
Dang bro you are a good shot. Good video
I just watch an episode of "the first 48" and they caught the guy that killed another person with a .380 which dropped him on the spot... And all I can think about is what type of ammo was he using.
FMJ probably, round nose is most common.
Flat nose fmj for the win
@@MilesLong556x69 Just gonna perform like a semi wad cutter and have more reliability issues. Round nose penetrates fine and will be more likely to tumble.
@@macriggland6526 did a little bit of investigation it was a hollow point but didn't say what brand.
@@macriggland6526 better tissue damage with flat nose and and can't guarantee fmj will tumble. I haven't had issues with reliability but I definitely don't disagree with your thought process.
In my Sig 238 I have tried fmj flat with no issues.
Damn, 50 yards . You’re a damned good shot
Shooting the Bull tested 380 extensively. Precision One's loading of the XTP projectile seemed to check all the boxes at the end of his tests.
But..I do carry the HST in 380 and in 9mm standard pressure 124 grain for my 3.9 and 4.7 inch barrels. (I couldn't find +p) I'd bet that if Ruger offered a 4 inch barreled LCP Max it would sweep the market. Still thin and short, the longer barrel not affecting concealability much.
Everyone talks about penetration depth but somehow that doesn’t make any sense. 12” penetration? How many people are 12” thick? Not too many! My point for using hollow points is to KEEP THE BULLET IN WHAT I AM SHOOTING AT and not the second person behind him. No secondary casualties! If it passes through the body, it is not “dumping” all its energy in the original target. 6” seems to be perfect in my thoughts.
Ballistic gel is not a one to one ratio. While it puts the same pressure on a bullet to slow it down and expand a hollow point, it's about half as dense as a human. So 12" in gel is 6" in a human body. You need 6" in a human body to guarantee that a side shot through an arm, has enough penetration to get into the thoracic cavity and stop an attacker, so to represent 6", you must hit 12" in gel.
In the summer months most time I don't leave home without my little Glock 42 this video shows that four summer months people aren't wearing a lot of thick clothing so 380 is ideal for those situations. And a Glock 42 is a hell of a lot easier to conceal their Glock 19
thanks for the testing ...
Have you tried Underwood +P 380acp JHP's? You may have and I've missed it. I've fired those rounds into a pair of 2×4's screwed together, and they went all the way through with expansion, I thought that was pretty good.
I have ran the XTP+P recently about 4 videos back from my newest, and I also have on the way some of the Underwood regular JHP that are unique to Underwood in both the standard pressure and +P. I will be testing them in a week or so, video probably won't release for a couple weeks after that. I got content backed up to early April I need to get out.
There is a New/old .380 now that I am interested in getting...just to show as an option for elderly/disabled/new female shooters. Your post on .380 fps barrel length educated me though....Maybe Underwood +p xtp's would be the way to go with long barrel as long as functioned or this hst seems pretty good.
You probably know this but I will remind everyone: .380 Auto is a BLOWBACK cartridge and is actually more snappy in recoil than most 9mm tilting barrel designs made to divert some of the recoil energy. As the Aficionado sez, standard pressure 9mm works pretty well without a +P recoil!.............................elsullo
@@elsullo2 The Shield EZ is gas operated.
I ran the Underwood XTP+P recently. I haven't released the video yet. They did okay.
@@GunSam What I am looking at has a 3.81" barrel...I don't know if I will end up grabbing someday or not...based on nice looks and great for person w RA/etc. ...86Cheetah clone Girsan 14T one retailer has so far more coming soon.
Those are some crazy working conditions you have to deal with. Water everywhere.
Ya, there is a reason for that flat bench of land next to the river: Spring snow melt floods! Any river is the BOTTOM of a much wider valley or plain, all flowing downhill and leaving mud behind............................elsullo
Sam,
I’m surprised you aren’t firing from your airboat, on your new swamp property. 😊
Have you seen the Freedom Munitions X-DEF .380? Looks like a it may be a good option (possibly a Gold Dot bullet), and it’s like $22 for a box of 50.
Yes, I just never tried it yet.
My employer requires the 147gr HST for 9mm’s (it’s devastating in actual shootings we’ve had). For .380, that 99gr HST is the only authorized bullet we can carry. It’s always been a bullet that only penetrates about 10” in plain Gel and is very consistent in that aspect. Like in this video, if the bullet hits clothing, it clogs and just acts like a FMJ. In that case, we’ve seen it penetrate up to 17” at times.
So, is it the best .380 defensive loads? Nope. But it’s not the worst either. If I have to do a mag dump with a .380 and out of my “Central Nervous System particle separator” (Glock 42), then so be it. I’m confident due to my continuous practice with the gun, that I’m going to be hitting bad guy in the face/head and 10-ring area. I’m sure that the 99gr bullets will penetrate deep enough to make the bad guy “get off me.” I also carry several spare magazines wherever I go too, just in case.
Best 380 rounds I have seen: underwood(or lehigh) extreme defense, Hydrashock deep and Fort Scott TUI.
ya'll a pretty darn good shot!
Hst appears to be very good! I have some on order
I think that the S&W EZ might be The .380 ACP Pistol, but I agree that we have not found The .380 ACP Cartridge yet.
I contend that in the vast majority of cases, the threat only needs to know they are being shot at. The 380 is still loud and the situation is just as tense for them as it is for you so they are not going to say, you know, that sounds like a 380 ACP, not a 9mm so I'm not too worried about it.
Why did the second 9mm shot, going through extra materials, actually penetrate much deeper?
You you can carry a 454 Casull, do it.
Otherwise, .380acp might be an option, but generally not recommended.
Whats the point of that first small gel block? looks like 3 inches or so. Why put that there?
1 thing about your Gel tests wonders me: a shot of any particular calibre, going into, just, the gel, never seems to go as deep as the same round going through the denim & the particle board. Got any explanations for such a phenomenon?
Didn't see any ballooning of temporary wound cavitation on impact, and permanent would cavity seems very mediocre. Hornady XTPs and Lehigh Defense rounds are much more impressive, and penetrate much deeper.
I'd be surprised if any pistol caliber round would penetrate to the heart on a side shot. That's a lot of bone potentially in the bullet path. Bullets tend to have a mind of their own when they start coming into contact with harder obstructions. A worthy goal but I'd be surprised if one out of ten shots made it to the heart.
If you ever advise where in Michigan you are can you advise south central north or UP? I am SW.
Pretty much dead center of mitten.
Midland!
Have you ever tested the extreme defender in .380?
Yes. I may have in the past, but I did about a week ago with the 68 gr in both the standard pressure and +P version, I just have not released the video yet.
@@GunSam I'll be waiting- waiting for you to say it's the best .380 load 😁 I haven't tested everything so it may not be, but it's gotta be close...
Ruger lcp harsh recoil for hst but lots of damage on my pork ribs test and real meat, the damage for both 380 and 9 mm is no joke and impressive
Try Winchester .380 flat nose. That might be what you're looking for.
Great vid. But that grip though!!!!
The buffalo bore 380 with the Underwood, extreme defender bullets are supposed to be pretty good too, and you don’t have to worry about hollowpoint expansion
I think Hydra-Shok deep might be where it's at in 380.
At 12 inches of penetration the bullet would come very close to exiting out the back of most people. At 11 inches that is deep enough to competly penetrate the heart, or any vital organ.
12" is like half that in a human body. I would say with Clear Ballistics, you would need over 20" in that to say it would pass through an average person. Not 1:1 with real flesh.
Have you tested the Ammo incorporated yet ?
Can you test this in the clp???
You’re still turning your nose up at Underwood .380 68gr XD? It’s arguably the best round you’ve tested.
I have tested it, and tested it again in a +P in a video I have not released. The issue I have, is that not matter how you slice it, pun intended, the bullet is still only .355" of cutting area. Just because it slows down and looks impressive in gel, doesn't mean it will work in the real world. With other bullet styles there is real world data to cross reference certain ammo, what they do in gel and how well they work on the street. Until there is street data, I can't really say how well it really performs other than it looks good in gel. With other ammo, lets says a random JHP bullet, if it expands to about the same diameter and penetrates to the same depth of a known bullet that has data, reason would say that this ammo would do as well as cutting is cutting. I can't make that statement with non expanding bullets with no data out there, closest I have is FMJ ammo data.
@@GunSam I’ve seen videos of it being used on game animals and hogs; it was still impressive. Not .380 per se, but the bullet type.
But what caliber? I get comments about hogs and that particular bullet a lot, but most of the time they admit it was a rifle which would do well with any bullet style. Even so, i'd have to see side by side performance of a JHP pistol bullet not doing much to a hog, but then the Xtreme bullet doing well for me to be convinced.
@@GunSam 9 and 10. I see your point, but I’m extrapolating the damage would scale, between your gel tests and what the other calibers have done in living flesh. I even saw a guy kill a doe from a tree stand with a 10.
Very, very good
I’ve switched all my carry ammo in .357 Sig and .40 S&W to federal hst. In my .45 ACP it doesn’t matter because “Two World Wars!!”, so I just carry whatever soup bowl hollow point is cheaper lmao 🤣!!
When did you move into the middle of a swamp?
1980
I always find it funny people dis the 380 the P365-380 holds 12+1….idk about anyone else but thats more than enough rounds to unalive an attacker also iv seen people say stuff like you can get shot and drive all the way to the hospital by yourself….ya maybe if you were shot in the hand and wrapped it still would hurt like hell, ever been shot by li-po battery airsoft gun? The little 5mm plastic bb FUCKIN HURTS LOL!! also i always see these tests with like 4 layers of denim and 2 cotton shirts which is cool to know they will go through and expand but if im being honest i dont think Ive ever known anyone to wear that many layers of denim during summer all i see is t-shirts and shorts/pants which is still only 1 layer each now winter is definitely different and probably adds more factors like where you live and how cold it gets with the amount of clothing needed but even then id probably put rounds through what people generally wear like bomber jackets and hoodies and go from there just my thoughts tho 🤷🏽♂️🤔
I wish this guy would test 380 ammo out of the length barrel that 95% of the people on the planet is carrying…2.75”,most know what a longer barrel results are going to be ok like the 3.7” shield he’s shooting….Hell I have 9’s smaller than that Shield
Can you shoot a 380 in a 9mm gun
Self defense for most that are not LEO will be 3'-6' and closer with a long shot being 15'.
And?
50 yards practical? Maybe for police or military. In civilian self defense, if a threat is 50 yards away, I'm taking cover or retreating to avoid a confrontation.
So, just be like....it's a skill I could learn even if I won't need it, even if it makes my skills up close better....NAH, better to need it and not have it than have it and not need it. Thumbs up....I think.
I carry American Eagle FMJ round nose in my Glock 42. Really didn't wanna put too much energy and time into choosing a round. I'm fine with it.
ill still take the defender
I heard THE .380 round is the Hydra Shok DEEP.
Who knows. I hear a lot of things on my channel, like XTP, XTP is it, XTP is the only one that does this or does that....I test it, it's not that great lol. I plan to try the deep when I get a chance, it's just not in stock most places.
@@GunSam Definitely interested to see what you find once you get your hands on some. It looks like all the DEEP's "expansion" come from just the jacket pealing back at the tip, with all the lead core staying put to help with reaching adequate penetration numbers.
If you have any of the Underwood Xtreme Defender left I've heard it does well out of short barrel, like the LCP despite the velocity loss. Might be worth a test.
Keep up the great work.
I traded my 380 for a security 9 compact. I will not look back
You are not to likely to shoot someone in the arm with a side shot.I think the 380 will work just fine.
You're not?
RoaR
The 380 just does not have the juice to get to the vitals.
Get a LCP Max Please
I have an older LCP
👍
That gel was too cold
Gel was cold? What are you talking about? One, it's clear ballistics....which is not temperature sensitive....and two, I'm not sure on how a block stored in 70 degree air, coming out to 50 degree air, can take on the air temperature instantly. Your comment wins an award for the dumbest of the day so far.
@@GunSam
Damn boy you’re sensitive, stop crying. 😢 your video was dumb and unscientific.
I'll pass on any .380 hollow points. It's too slow and too light for expanding bullets. There are too many scenarios where I would be seriously concerned about under penetration. 12" in gel is not 12" in a person or any other live target. I've seen (shot it myself) WWB flat nose .380 fmj not exit a maybe 80 pound hog side to side, less than 12" across. But that same round penetrates about 25" in ballistics gel. Guess what happened... it hit bone and muscle. Solid bullets with a wide flat nose are more effective than hollow points at stopping threats, in larger calibers too. The ONLY draw back is the risk of the bullet exiting the target.