.380 ACP advice

[Total Safety]

Hello everyone. Your opinion? I just loaded a few rounds of .380 ACP with Reddot on a 95 gr “Super Hard Cast Alloy RN”(locally purchased). I referred to Lee’s 2nd addition and it listed a starting load of 3.1 gr and a max load of 3.1 gr for a jacketed 100 gr. bullet? I guess that there is not much of an adjustment with such a small cartridge. The other manuals & guides stated 3.1 gr starting for a jacketed bullet & a higher max or did not reference Reddot. I loaded 3.0 gr thinking the lighter bullet would handle the pressure as a starting point. The gun is relatively new and has not had experianced any heavy loads. Any advice? Should I shoot or should I dump and start over? Thank you for your advice.

[lylejb]

lyman's old (copyright 1970) book shows a 92gr cast with red dot. starting 2.6gr, 884fps max 3.0gr 960fps
yet, speer's book shows higher charges with heavier jacketed bullets.:veryconfu

I think i would consider that a max load, as stated in Lyman's book, and as long as you have a reputable maker pistol ( not a $99 elCheepo) in good condition, i would use it.

what are you planning to use these loads for? If it's informal plinking / target practice all you really need is enough to reliably cycle the action. you might even find better accuracy in a somewhat lighter load. :wink:

my .02 worth

LB

[Treeman]

Watch your OAL-if you load them at the minimum length listed by Lee or longer you shouldn't have a problem with your 3 grain load.....but I suspect that you'll have nice plinking loads with 2.7 of Red Dot. I like 2.9 of Rdot in the 9x18 Makarov with 100grain lead.......and the Mak has a bit more internal volume.

[mtgrs737]

I load the 380acp with 2.7grs. of Bullseye and a 109gr Lee cast bullet of WW alloy sized .357". It is a pleasant shooting load in my LCP. This load cycles the action reliably, I tried a 2.9gr. loading and felt that it was a safe but stouter load than I needed for practice shooting. I would shoot a 3.0 gr. load of Redot without hesitating.

[NickSS]

I mostly shoot 120 gr TC bullets sized to 356 in my 380 for plinking and only use 2.2 gr of RD. In my Bersa is works like a champ and does not recoil hard at all. I use it for plinking and target practice. For Self defence loads I use a 90 gr Hornady HP XTR bullet and a heavy charge of Unique. That load really snaps but then I do not fire many of them.

[Total Safety]

Thanks for the advice.

[Total Safety]

I plan on just hitting paper with them. The next rounds I load will be lighter based on what everyone has said. Thanks again.

[Total Safety]

I went to the range Wednesday and fired the rounds. No problems. Thanks again for the advice.

[Acorn1754]

I just got a 380 myself and I intend to load batches of 10 at different powder ratings between 2.0 and 2.5 grains of Red Dot using Sundance 95 Gr RN lead cast and see what shoots the most accurately and reliably. Btw, Total Safety, how many grains of powder did you actually use?

[Bret4207]

IIRC correctly I used right around 2.8 gr BE and a 90 gr FN in my experimental 380 loads for my Astra Constable. Shot pretty good. I killed two of the worlds dumbest coyotes with that gun and load. Both were up inside a horse carcass rib cage when I came up over a rock ledge. Popped one in the head and the other through the shoulders/spine as he backed out.

[mastercast.com]

Folks,

If you are using mixed cases, like most of us do, please stay about 10% below the listed maximum with regard to powder charge.

[22lover]

I just got the 92 grain Mihec 380 HP mould a few weeks ago. Anyone using this mould yet? If so, what OAL are you using? .97 is way too long.

[mtgrs737]

My favorite load for the 380 is 2.7grs. of Bullseye and a Lee 102gr. round nose boolit. I have loaded up to 3.0 grs. of BE that showed no high pressure signs, but found it to be more recoil than I felt needed for practice/plinking loads in the small LCP type guns. I size the boolits to .357" with Lar's BAC lube.