Best .380 Ammo

If you’re shopping for rounds for your .380 pistol, you want to be sure you’re loading up with the best .380 ammo. There are a lot of ammo manufacturers producing .380 ACP ammo, which means there are a lot of options to pick from when shopping for self defense and range rounds. Today we’re taking the guess work out of ammo shopping by picking our top .380 rounds.

Let’s take a look at our picks for the best .380 ammo!

Best .380 Ammo – Top Picks

Our top picks for the best .380 ammo are:

Self Defense – Federal Premium LE .380 ACP 99gr. HST
Range Shooting – PMC .380 ACP 90gr. FMJ
Budget – Blazer .380 ACP 95gr. FMJ Aluminum

Keep reading as we take a closer look at these rounds and even more .380 ammo options.

Best .380 Ammo for Self Defense

When carrying a .380 pistol for self defense, you want to be loaded with quality defensive ammo you can trust your life to.

Our top picks for the best .380 ACP self defense ammo are:

The ballistics of .380 ACP ammo are not very impressive, especially when compared to other common defensive calibers. In ballistic testing, the round tends to either penetrate well with poor expansion, or expand adequately with poor penetration. That is why defensive ammo selection is so important.

We did ballistic testing at the range, complete with velocity testing and gel testing so we could find the best .380 rounds for self defense.

Let’s take a closer look at why each of these rounds were selected.

Federal Premium LE .380 ACP 99gr. HST

Buy a box: Federal Premium LE .380 ACP 99gr. HST – 50 rounds

Buy in bulk: Federal Premium LE .380 ACP 99gr. HST – 1,000 rounds

First up on our list of best .380 ammo for self defense is the Federal Premium LE 99gr. HST. This round features Federal’s popular HST bullet, designed to meet the unique needs of FBI and law enforcement agencies. The HST bullet’s design expands reliably upon penetration, even when passing through common barriers and multiple layers of fabric.

Using a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield EZ with a 3.68” barrel, we put five rounds of the Federal Premium LE 99gr. HSTs through a chronograph and ballistic gel.

Average Penetration: 13.95”
Average Expansion: .583”
Average Velocity: 959 fps
Average Muzzle Energy: 202 ft-lbs

Federal Premium Personal Defense 90gr. Hydra-Shok

Buy a box: Federal Premium Personal Defense 90gr. Hydra-Shok – 20 rounds

Second on our list is another round from Federal, the Federal Premium Personal Defense 90gr. Hydra-Shok. The Hydra-Shok bullet is a traditional hollow point bullet, but with a center-post in the middle of the hollow point to deliver controlled expansion. The round has a notched jacket and non-bonded lead core, allowing it to expand rapidly upon impact. With velocities under 1,000 fps, the Hydra-Shok also has very manageable recoil.

We shot 5 rounds of the 90gr. Hydra-Shok through a chronograph and ballistic gel using a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield EZ with a 3.68” barrel.

Average Penetration: 13.1”
Average Expansion: .495”
Average Velocity: 973 fps
Average Muzzle Energy: 189 ft-lbs

Speer Gold Dot 90gr. GDHP

Buy a box: Speer Gold Dot .380 ACP 90gr. GDHP – 50 rounds

Buy in bulk: Speer Gold Dot .380 ACP 90gr. GDHP – 1,000 rounds

Our third choice for .380 defensive ammo is the Speer Gold Dot 90gr. GDHP. The Gold Dot line from Speer has an excellent reputation for consistent ballistic performance. The round uses bonded-core bullets, allowing for better performance when passing through intermediate barriers like drywall or heavy clothing.

Here’s how the round performed in our tests using a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield EZ with a 3.68” barrel:

Average Penetration: 10.6”
Average Expansion: .514”
Average Velocity: 1056 fps
Average Muzzle Energy: 223 ft-lbs

Best .380 Ammo for the Range

Our top picks for the best .380 range ammo are:

For shooting at the range for fun or practicing your skills, you want ammo that is more cost-effective than self defense rounds. The most popular bullet style for .380 ammo is the full metal jacket. These bullets have a soft core (usually lead), surrounded by a casing of harder metal, and are cheaper than self defense ammo that use hollow point bullets.

Luckily, many ammo manufacturers produce .380 range ammo in bulk and by the box, so you have plenty of options.

Let’s take a closer look at our ammo picks.

PMC Bronze .380 ACP 90gr. FMJ

Buy a box: PMC Bronze .380 ACP 90gr. FMJ – 50 rounds

Buy in bulk: PMC Bronze .380 ACP 90gr. FMJ – 1,000 rounds

Our top option for .380 range ammo is the PMC Bronze .380 ACP 90gr. FMJ. The round balances reliability with cost, giving the shooter a quality round for range day at a great price. Whether you’re shooting for fun or training at the range, this round from PMC is a great choice.

PMC load their ammo in South Korea and the company is known for its quality control standards. Unlike many other ammo manufacturers, PMC produces all of the components needed to make its ammo. This means they are able to offer extreme control and consistency among its ammo production.

Fiocchi .380 ACP 95gr. FMJ

Buy a box: Fiocchi .380 ACP 95gr. FMJ – 50 rounds

Buy in bulk: Fiocchi .380 ACP 95gr. FMJ – 1,000 rounds

Another great option for range ammo is the Fiocchi .380 ACP 95gr. FMJ. This training round from Fiocchi is known for being reliable with manageable recoil. The round uses non-corrosive primers and reloadable brass cases.

While Fiocchi’s roots are in Italy, the company has a plant in Missouri that produces about 80% of its ammo that hits the US market.

Sellier & Bellot .380 ACP 92gr. FMJ

Buy a box: Sellier & Bellot .380 ACP 92gr. FMJ – 50 rounds

Buy in bulk: Sellier & Bellot .380 ACP 92gr. FMJ – 1,000 rounds

Sellier & Bellot’s .380 ACP 92gr. FMJ is our last recommendation for range ammo. Whether you’re target shooting or taking a training class, this .380 round from Sellier & Bellot will give you accuracy and reliability.

Sellier & Bellot is a trusted ammo manufacturer hailing from the Czech Republic and has been producing ammo since 1825.

Best Budget .380 Ammo

Finally, let’s take a look at a budget-friendly .380 ammo option for the range.

Blazer .380 95gr. FMJ Aluminum

The Blazer 95gr. FMJ Aluminum is a budget .380 round from CCI. It uses a 95gr. FMJ bullet that is non-magnetic, meaning it can be used at indoor ranges. Because the round uses non-reloadable aluminum casings, it is generally priced a bit lower than standard brass-cased rounds.

Many shooters think that aluminum-cased ammo is unreliable. However, at the range I’ve had no reliability issues using the Blazer with a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield EZ. If your gun tends to be picky with ammo, it’s worth picking up just a box of the Blazer 95gr. FMJ Aluminum to see how it runs.

Final Thoughts

Because the .380 ACP is a popular round, there are many manufacturers producing quality ammo. So, if your favorite round didn’t make our list, don’t fret.

Whichever round you choose to load up with, be sure you’re taking it to the range to practice before trusting your life to it. And don’t forget — you can load up on all of the best .380 ammo right here at Target Barn!