Lee 358-125 RF in 380

[pka45]

Just a few tidbits as I decided to tinker with this combination today. For no real reason other than, why not? And I want to post it since I gain so much information from searching the archives here, I figured I might contribute.

In my gun, a P238, this bullet has to be seated pretty deeply to feed, since the ogive is thick and would not chamber seated to just above the crimp groove. I made 0.920" work. Brass bulged slightly but did not affect chambering. I loaded a few rounds with a conservative charge (1.6 gr) of fast pistol powder (Titewad) and found they will feed and function in my gun. Accuracy was good, and reliability was 100%. However, POI was approximately 12" high at 25 yards, as expected: more bullet weight=more recoil, less velocity=longer time in the barrel during that recoil.

I saw no further need to play with this bullet in 380, but it was a fun experiment. Now, 5 years down the road, when someone has this same inkling, they can hopefully find this post to answer a few of their questions.

[Texas by God]

I did basically the same thing with bought .356" 124grn in a Colt Govt. .380 in the late 80's. I loaded to approx 700 fps and they did shoot high but not a foot high. We know we can do it if we have to. Best, Thomas.

[GooseGestapo]

I've got both 105 SWC and newer 95 RFN. Both shoot splendid in my S&W Bodyguard.

Ive got most all of the Lee molds but don't see the point of the heavier bullets in the .380.
Im still in awe of how good my little S&W shoots the cast. No real need for jacketed! The 105's run 800+, and the 95's approach 1,000fps. It prefers .356" btw. But .357" work too.

[Outpost75]

I use Accurate 35-120H in my Ruger LCP, Beretta M1934 and SIG P230, with 2.5 grains of Bullseye in all. I get 770 fps in the LCP, 830 fps in the Beretta and 850 in the SIG. I size bullets to .357" and ctg.OAL is 0.955-0.960". Accuracy is better than FMJ ammo and feeding is 100%.

[Boolseye]

I tried 115 grain fmjs when I first started shooting .380.
was not impressed, but I can see loading 124s as a heavy-particularly in my High Point, which is totally overbuilt for .380. Thanks for the post, maybe I'll try some Lee 356-120s next time I pad for it.

[Blackwater]

It'd be nice to get a heavy bullet in the little .380 case, but IMHO, speed seems to provide a good portion of what it takes to get sufficient penetration, and that always dives me back to the lighter bullets. About 100 gr. is as heavy as I feel comfortable with in a SD gun, which is what mine is for, except when I use it to kill a snake or whatever. My testing has shown that speed is something we just can't factor out of the equation if we want a truly lethal load, that will stop an aggressor as quickly as these little "pea shooters" are capable of. And the heavy bullets, as you discovered, hit high generally, and with the little guns, shot placement is more critical than with a bigger bullet at higher speeds. I'll stick with the 90-100 gr. bullets in mine, but that's just me. The tapered inside case walls make loading anything heavier pretty tricky, and I like my ammo to be 100% for at least 2-300 rds. before I feel comfortable carrying it. Still, I'm open to learning. Bullet innovation today has broken new ground, and the FMJ type bullets with the scalloped noses, that look a little like a boat propeller, have opened my eyes! Shot a rat snake with them in the back yard, just to teach my new pup to be afraid of them and leave them alone, and the hole it tore was very impressive! One shot doesn't prove a lot, but it sure was encouraging! Little guns need the best ammo we can carry, no matter where they hit. I have the Ranch Dog bullet for mine. Like that big, flat nose! And the speed is good enough for some decent penetration. Without enough penetration, all you do is make the recipient of that bullet angry! I like penetration, and if I can get it too, expansion comes next. But penetration will always be THE factor I don't want to ever do without in handgun ammo. FWIW?