Anyone tried Buffalo Bore ammo for carry?

[jrprich]

I am looking at trying some Buffalo Bore 380 Auto +P Ammo - 95 gr. Jacketed Hollow Point (1125 fps M.E. 267 ft. lbs.) ammo for my P238 for carry. Wondering if anyone has tried their ammo and what your thoughts were about it. :huh:

380 Auto +P Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

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[Burt Gummer]

I have some to try in an LCR, but I am scared lol. Also, hard cast +P.

 

[jrprich]

I have some to try in an LCR, but I am scared lol. Also, hard cast +P.

I was planning on alternating the JHP +P with the hard cast +P in my carry mags. But I was hoping to hear from someone who had tried their +P ammo and their thoughts before I order some. Not exactly inexpensive ammo.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I carry their special combo hollowpoint nose with shot base in the chamber of my 1911s.. forget what it was called, but maybe Core Shot

 

[MilesTeg]

I am looking at trying some Buffalo Bore 380 Auto +P Ammo - 95 gr. Jacketed Hollow Point (1125 fps M.E. 267 ft. lbs.) ammo for my P238 for carry. Wondering if anyone has tried their ammo and what your thoughts were about it. :huh:

380 Auto +P Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

I use their hardcast loads staggered with hollowpoints for my 238. No problems so far but I don't shoot a lot them either. Just enough to ensure reliability and accuracy. Stick with regular FMJ's for extended practice. I would be more a little more worried shooting them in a polymer framed 380 (LCP, P380, TCP, etc).

380 Auto +P Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

 

[kraphtymac]

I don't conceal it, but I open carry my model 29 with the Buffalo Bore 44 mag. They bark. Shot this a few times after I broke my wrist, and thus far I haven't managed to RE-break it.

 

[coop44]

they will just bounce off causing only mild bruising.

 

[North Bender]

The BB hard cast 115-grain is my SD ammo for my Makarov.

 

[hariph creek]

I don't have .380. But I do have a snub .38 that's to old for +P. I use their non+P 158gr LSWCHP. It's consistent and shoots to point of aim.

Checkout Wholessle Sports, they stock alot of Buffalo Bore. Could save you shipping?

 

[jrprich]

I don't have .380. But I do have a snub .38 that's to old for +P. I use their non+P 158gr LSWCHP. It's consistent and shoots to point of aim.

Checkout Wholessle Sports, they stock alot of Buffalo Bore. Could save you shipping?

Where is Wholesale Sports located?

Found them but I don't see any BB in .380 on their website but I will send them an email.

 

[jrprich]

The BB hard cast 115-grain is my SD ammo for my Makarov.

Why the hard cast rather than the HP?

 

[hariph creek]

jrprich... They're scattered about. Your location lists PNW. I couldn't tell you where the closest one is. Used to be called, Sportsmans Wherehouse, if that helps.

There's gotta be a joke about carrying Buffalo Bore ammo in a pocket or in the box? I can't figure out how to put it together? I'll bet in a gun is pretty effective?
Sorry

 

[MilesTeg]

Why the hard cast rather than the HP?

The reason for the hardcast is greater penetration thru winter clothing, mult layers, cns hit, etc..

 

[Xanatos]

I carry Buffalo Bore 9mm +P+ in my P30. Ran 50 rounds through it and while the recoil is noticeably more, it's still not as snappy as a .40.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Why the hard cast rather than the HP?

Most good .380 HPs these days expand but as a result lack sufficient penetration. This is a problem with weak handgun rounds

 

[mat33]

I tried some .38 special in "standard pressure low flash short barrel 158gr soft lead swc-hc". It's promoted as being tuned to shoot faster out of non +p snubbies without exceedin SAAMI pressure limits without concern of damaging older guns. I like that bullet design because it is still effective if it doesn't expand. In theory it was a very ideal defense round.

However, it FEELS like more recoil than any .38 +P I've ever shot despite the fact that its labeled very specifically as standard pressure and safe for older snubs. So, even if it meets SAAMI specs, I don't trust it out of a non +p rated gun because the problem with +p in a .38 special revolver (as I understand it) is that it tends to loosen up the gun over time. That seems to have more to do with the jarring recoil than the chamber pressure (very different than a "kaboom"). Based on my experience, and IMHO, there's too much risk of locking up the cylinder after the first shot to use as a defense round unless you are packing it in a sturdy gun.

Based on this experience, I won't be purchasing any of these magical wonder loads for any of my autoloaders either because pushing the envelope is just that. For hunting or silhouette, these hot, quality cartridges are probably the cats meow in a gun you know can take a beating, but that's as far as I'll take them.

 

[bendskier]

I ran a mag through my P238 just to make sure they cycle. They did, no problems. It is my EDC load. I practice with whatever FMJ's on sale.

You can usually find Buffalo Bore ammo at Sportsman's Warehouse.

 

[chemist]

Speaking of SAAMI, there is no such designation as .380ACP +P. They can load 'em up as hot as they want to, but there is no such standard.

I went with Winchester PDX1 bonded JHP, which combines the weight retention of a bonded slug with a pretty decent 1000fps (for 95gr.).

Most of the time, winter clothing tends to increase penetration because it limits or prevents expansion by plugging the hollowpoint.

 

[MilesTeg]

Speaking of SAAMI, there is no such designation as .380ACP +P. They can load 'em up as hot as they want to, but there is no such standard.

I went with Winchester PDX1 bonded JHP, which combines the weight retention of a bonded slug with a pretty decent 1000fps (for 95gr.).

Most of the time, winter clothing tends to increase penetration because it limits or prevents expansion by plugging the hollowpoint.

I agree that would be true if the bullet has high energy and high sectional density (rifle calibers or magnum rounds such as the .357). Both of which most defense pistol cartridges don't have and certainly the .380 has neither. The purpose of the hardcast is that it loses less energy than the hollow point through heavy clothing and therefore will penetrate further and hopefully hit a critical target. Hollow points will clog and act like a FMJ but they lose more energy in the process than a hardcast round and as a result become less effective. Especially in a low powered and low sect density projectile.

Here is a book that has some interesting data on the effects of clothing on pistol sized rounds.

Wound Ballistics: Basics and Applications
By Robin M Coupland, Beat P. Kneubuehl, Markus A Rothschild, Michael J Thali

Bottom line: Always bring a rifle to a pistol fight

 

[chemist]

Here are direct comparisons for Hornady and Winchester .380 ammo from a 3.8" barrel into bare and denim-covered gelatin:
<broken link removed>
.380 ACP Winchester 95gr Supreme SXT JHP (Beretta 85)
In all cases penetration is significantly greater into the denim-covered gelatin than into the bare gelatin.

Here are some gelatin data for various .380 rounds from a sub-3" barrel:
<broken link removed>
The penetration depths look pretty good to me.
Unfortunately, there's only one non-FMJ round on this page that allows direct comparison between clothed and bare gelatin: the RBCD soft point, which does penetrate deeper after passing through winter clothing first.