Hornady's Critical Defense carries a 90-grain FTX, a jacketed hollow point with a polymer tip in the nose, sold for personal defense. It leaves at 1,000 fps with 200 ft-lbs and a power factor of 90. It holds 912 fps and 166 ft-lbs at 50 yards with 1.9 inches of drop from a 25-yard zero, then 845 fps, 143 ft-lbs and 13.7 inches low at 100. A .380 is a close-range pistol. The nickel-plated brass case is reloadable.

Hornady American Gunner is the same weight and speed, so the two Hornady loads are identical on every line; the difference is the XTP hollow point against the FTX, and plain brass against nickel. Speer Gold Dot is 40 fps faster and 16 ft-lbs ahead for about 7 percent more recoil energy in the same pistol. Remington HTP 88-grain is 10 fps slower and 9 ft-lbs down, and the Critical Defense recoils about 7 percent harder. Winchester PDX1 Defender 95-grain matches the 1,000 fps with 5 grains more bullet, 211 ft-lbs and about 11 percent more recoil. Underwood +P 90-grain is 200 fps faster, still 125 fps and 49 ft-lbs ahead at 50 yards, and drops 3.6 inches less at 100, at about 36 percent more recoil energy.

Buy Critical Defense for a polymer-tipped hollow point at standard pressure with recoil between the Remington HTP and the Gold Dot. If your pistol is rated for +P, Underwood +P 90-grain adds 88 ft-lbs at the muzzle. For the lightest recoil here, Black Hills HoneyBadger 60-grain at 1,150 fps has about 44 percent less recoil energy than this load. For practice, PMC Bronze 90-grain ball at 961 fps is the same weight with about 7 percent less recoil energy in the same pistol.