Best .380 Auto Ammo
Every load we price, sorted by cost per round delivered to your state
We track 19 .380 Auto loads from 4 dealers. The cheapest delivered to AR, shipping included, is Tula .380 Auto 95gr FMJ at $0.28 a round. By use: Target & Range from $0.28 and Self-Defense from $0.78.
The .380 Auto (also sold as .380 ACP, 9mm Kurz or 9x17mm) is a pocket-pistol cartridge for guns like the Ruger LCP and Glock 42. It uses the same .355-inch bullet diameter as 9mm Luger in a shorter 17mm case, at lower pressure. Most loads on this page are 85 to 95 grains at about 945 to 1,040 fps.
Buy 95 grain FMJ for practice. For carry, choose between two designs. Hollow points such as Hornady Critical Defense and Speer Gold Dot expand, but from short barrels some fall short of 12 inches of penetration. The light solid-copper fluted loads, Underwood Xtreme Defender 68gr and Black Hills HoneyBadger 60gr, don't expand and are built to penetrate deeper. Run a few boxes of your carry load through your pistol first, since small .380s can be picky about bullet shape.
All .380 Auto Loads
Compare ballistics and prices across 19 products
| PRODUCT ↕ | GRAIN ↕ | VELOCITY ↕ | ENERGY ↕ | BC ↕ | USE CASE ↕ | BEST PRICE ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Black Hills .380 Auto 60gr HoneyBadger
60gr
• 1150 fps
• Self-Defense
|
60gr | 1150 | 176 | .08 | Self-Defense | $2.72/rd |
|
CCI Blazer Aluminum .380 Auto 95gr TMJ
95gr
• 945 fps
• Target & Range
|
95gr | 945 | 188 | .082 | Target & Range | $0.37/rd |
|
CCI Blazer Brass .380 ACP 95gr FMJ Ammo
95gr
• 945 fps
• Target & Range
|
95gr | 945 | 188 | .082 | Target & Range | $0.29/rd |
|
Federal American Eagle .380 ACP 95gr FMJ Ammo
95gr
• 980 fps
• Target & Range
|
95gr | 980 | 203 | .1 | Target & Range | $0.33/rd |
|
Federal Range and Target .380 ACP 95gr FMJ Ammo
95gr
• 980 fps
• Target & Range
|
95gr | 980 | 203 | .103 | Target & Range | $0.48/rd |
|
Federal Train + Protect .380 Auto 85gr VHP
85gr
• 1000 fps
• Self-Defense
|
85gr | 1000 | 189 | .098 | Self-Defense | $0.97/rd |
|
Fiocchi .380 Auto 95gr FMJ Ammo
95gr
• 960 fps
• Target & Range
|
95gr | 960 | 194 | .077 | Target & Range | $0.31/rd |
|
Hornady American Gunner .380 Auto 90gr XTP JHP
90gr
• 1000 fps
• Self-Defense
|
90gr | 1000 | 200 | .099 | Self-Defense | $0.78/rd |
|
Hornady Critical Defense .380 Auto 90gr FTX
90gr
• 1000 fps
• Self-Defense
|
90gr | 1000 | 200 | .099 | Self-Defense | $1.00/rd |
|
PMC Bronze .380 Auto 90gr FMJ Ammo
90gr
• 961 fps
• Target & Range
|
90gr | 961 | 185 | .1 | Target & Range | $0.33/rd |
|
PPU .380 Auto 94gr FMJ Ammo
94gr
• 951 fps
• Target & Range
|
94gr | 951 | 191 | .08 | Target & Range | $0.38/rd |
|
Remington HTP .380 Auto 88gr JHP
88gr
• 990 fps
• Self-Defense
|
88gr | 990 | 191 | .097 | Self-Defense | $0.93/rd |
|
Remington UMC .380 ACP 95gr FMJ Ammo
95gr
• 955 fps
• Target & Range
|
95gr | 955 | 192 | .077 | Target & Range | $0.34/rd |
|
SinterFire .380 Auto 75gr FMJ Lead-Free Ammo
75gr
• 1025 fps
• Target & Range
|
75gr | 1025 | 166 | .085 | Target & Range | $0.41/rd |
|
Speer Gold Dot .380 Auto 90gr JHP
90gr
• 1040 fps
• Self-Defense
|
90gr | 1040 | 216 | .101 | Self-Defense | $0.82/rd |
|
Tula .380 Auto 95gr FMJ
95gr
• 1017 fps
• Target & Range
|
95gr | 1017 | 218 | .082 | Target & Range | $0.28/rd |
|
Underwood .380 Auto 68gr Xtreme Defender
68gr
• 1300 fps
• Self-Defense
|
68gr | 1300 | 255 | .087 | Self-Defense | $1.89/rd |
|
Winchester PDX1 Defender .380 Auto 95gr JHP
95gr
• 1000 fps
• Self-Defense
|
95gr | 1000 | 211 | .095 | Self-Defense | $0.99/rd |
|
Winchester USA .380 ACP 95gr FMJ Ammo
95gr
• 955 fps
• Target & Range
|
95gr | 955 | 190 | .082 | Target & Range | $0.32/rd |
.380 Auto Trajectory Calculator
Calculate drop, velocity, and energy at any range
Advantages and Disadvantages
Pros
- Pistols chambered for it are smaller and lighter than most 9mm carry guns, which suits pocket carry.
- Less recoil than 9mm in a pistol of the same weight.
- Low-pressure .380 pistols such as the S&W M&P380 Shield EZ have slides that are easier to rack than most 9mm pistols.
Cons
- Less velocity and bullet weight than 9mm, so a hollow point has to trade expansion against penetration.
- Tiny pocket pistols have short sights and a small grip, which makes them harder to shoot well than a slightly larger 9mm.
- Most pocket .380s hold 6 or 7 rounds, against 10 or more in a compact 9mm.