What’s the defense ammo for S&W 380?

[SunShineShan82]

Gotcha. My wife is about your size and she prefers the S&W over my Glock for the same reasons you do. Just better for her smaller hands and easier to handle. Plus more confidence which is a big deal.

As far as the shotgun, much smarter/more experienced people on this forum than me, but what little advice I can give you is to hold the butt tight against your shoulder (so it doesn't get a running start before it hits you) and be careful of putting your thumb over top of it (trigger hand). I have to keep my thumb alongside, or else when the gun kicks, my thumb hits my nose and makes my eyes water... Might just be because I have a big nose?.... lol

Your thumb over the top of what? Shouldn't your thumb be down along the trigger area? Maybe this is a hand size issue. Mine stays down by the trigger and my other hand is holding the whatever the part we pull back to cycle out the shell after shooting. Wow my brain is dead today. Lol

 

[Witcher]

Gotcha. My wife is about your size and she prefers the S&W over my Glock for the same reasons you do. Just better for her smaller hands and easier to handle. Plus more confidence which is a big deal.

As far as the shotgun, much smarter/more experienced people on this forum than me, but what little advice I can give you is to hold the butt tight against your shoulder (so it doesn't get a running start before it hits you) and be careful of putting your thumb over top of it (trigger hand). I have to keep my thumb alongside, or else when the gun kicks, my thumb hits my nose and makes my eyes water... Might just be because I have a big nose?.... lol

That little SW .380 EZ is awesome to shoot no matter how big you are

 

[SunShineShan82]

Gotcha. My wife is about your size and she prefers the S&W over my Glock for the same reasons you do. Just better for her smaller hands and easier to handle. Plus more confidence which is a big deal.

As far as the shotgun, much smarter/more experienced people on this forum than me, but what little advice I can give you is to hold the butt tight against your shoulder (so it doesn't get a running start before it hits you) and be careful of putting your thumb over top of it (trigger hand). I have to keep my thumb alongside, or else when the gun kicks, my thumb hits my nose and makes my eyes water... Might just be because I have a big nose?.... lol

lol this part.

 

[SunShineShan82]

That little SW .380 EZ is awesome to shoot no matter how big you are

I think so too! I wanted a glock tbh but I was having issues flipping the clip button and the guy suggested this one and I felt it was good once I held it. Once I get used to it I can try other handguns and see how they work for me.

 

[JohnnyMac]

It would be the like the difference below. If you see the lady's right hand, she has her thumb over the stock, and the man's right had has his thumb alongside the stock. I'm sure it has to do with the stock's design, size of hands and how you hold it, but for me, if I hold my shotgun like the lady below does, I bonk my nose.

 

[Witcher]

I think so too! I wanted a glock tbh but I was having issues flipping the clip button and the guy suggested this one and I felt it was good once I held it. Once I get used to it I can try other handguns and see how they work for me.

They make the EZ in 9mm now if you ever feel the need to go bigger.

 

[spookshack]

OP, you came to the right place. Tons of info and a lot of great folks willing to share their knowledge, experience, and even mistakes.

Hang in there, you'll get it figured out all in good time!

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I can't really say on the .380...'cause I do not own one nor I have shot a pistol in that caliber very often.

As far as defensive shotgun ammo...
My older 870* patterns really well with number 4 buck...and 00 buck.
Luckily for me..it is also not picky about which brand it favors.
*12 gauge Improved Cylinder choke from 1975

Now be warned....
The next bit is controversial.
If the range at which you have in your home is short....I don't see much of an issue using #6 or heavier bird shot for home defense....Would it be my first choice...No...but I wouldn't curl up in a ball , and wait to die , if all I had was bird shot.
Again I state if the range is short...and as always shot placement is key....practice well and practice often.

If you can try different types and brands and see just works well from your shotgun and remember to pattern your shotgun on paper.

The practice of having your thumb alongside the wrist of the stock...and not across the wrist of the stock is excellent advice.
Andy

 

[2A2Dend]

This ammo was brought to my attention. I've yet to buy any, but it does look to play the part for the Micros, well.
Expensive, but for defensive rounds, what's life worth?

 

[orygun]

As far as defensive shotgun ammo...
My 870 patterns really well with number 4 buck...and 00 buck.
Luckily for me..it is also not picky about which brand it favors.

Now be warned....
The next bit is controversial.
If the range at which you have in your home is short....I don't see much of an issue using #6 or heavier bird short for home defense....Would it be my first choice...No...but I wouldn't curl up in a ball , and wait to die , if all I had was bird shot.
Again I state if the range is short...and as always shot placement is key....practice well and practice often.

I've seen #4 bird shot recommended by more than one "supposed to know it" guy for in home defense. I think that's a decent choice. As long as the user doesn't have the mindset that a shotgun "throws pellets everywhere" and actually takes aim to make a solid hit on a bad guy, I'll bet anything in a shell 2 3/4" or longer will take the fight right out of him.

I have mine for outdoor use, so I alternate between 00 Buck and slugs.

 

[orygun]

Welcome @SunShineShan82 . Hope you enjoy it around here.

 

[orygun]

lol this part.

View attachment 670850

That's the forearm.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I've seen #4 bird shot recommended by more than one "supposed to know it" guy for in home defense. I think that's a decent choice. As long as the user doesn't have the mindset that a shotgun "throws pellets everywhere" and actually takes aim to make a solid hit on a bad guy, I'll bet anything in a shell 2 3/4" or longer will take the fight right out of him.

I have mine for outdoor use, so I alternate between 00 Buck and slugs.

Yep...
I have read that too...and have practiced with #4 birdshot at the ranges found within my house.
It would work for me....as my house is small...ranges are short and both my entrance doors are close to my neighbors...as well as having a small yard.

With all that said , I keep #4 buck on hand and in my shotgun.
#4 bird shot , is kept in "reserve" if my supply of #4 buck dries up.
And I practice often with my shotgun...so I know where to aim to make a hit....'cause good hits are what really matters
Andy

 

[Capin JRo]

Lucky Gunner on YouTube has a good series on using your defensive shotgun. They also have done extensive ammo testing with the 380.

 

[dcfranzen]

Here is a link to the Lucky Gunner website with the .380 ballistics results for many of the popular brands... Handgun Self-Defense Ammunition - Ballistic Testing Data

Also, check out the LOUNGE area at the top of the ballistic page and on page 3 there are several video links that you will find informative and helpful for both your shotgun and .380.

 

[Hueco]

Ill second the Hornady critical defense rounds (in theory) but don't forget to test!

I carry a 9mm pistol and I found that those rounds are just a hair shorter than others. They have a nasty habit of going nose down out of the mag and into the feed ramp where that polymer tip causes things to get jammed. Not the kind of thing I want in carry ammo.

So while I like it conceptually, I've gone a different route.

I can't stress it more: test!

Here is my post about Hornady Critical Defense: Help diagnose this problem

There is no 1 ammo to rule them all. While many, many people have and like the critical defense rounds, you can see in my post above that my gun struggles to chamber the first round unless I am very, very careful with how I load the magazine. This isn't something that I want to deal with for a carry gun, so I switched to something that chambers every time and shoots reliably for me. This is what I'm trying to get at: the round may sound good on paper, by reviewers, etc...but it needs to cycle in your gun.

 

[Member 34319]

First rule of a gunfight, have a gun.

You have gone pretty far in a pretty short time. However you have the right mentality and you seem to be getting it done.

YouTube is definitely your friend while you wait for this pistol. Lots of ammo and guidance videos out there for learning about the different ammo types, cleaning, and even gun specific videos on how to take down specific guns.

I have a smaller 380 that I carry frequently. It's barrel is much shorter than the one on the pistol you purchased. 380 pistols tend to be smaller. Most of 380acp ammo is made for shorter barrels so having a long barrel on the SW EZ should game you some velocity and could translate to better performance. If I were to recommend a brand, it would be Federal Hydro Shok. Though, it is always best to buy a bunch of different brands and shoot them through the pistol. Yes. Expensive target practice, but that's to ensure your pistol and you can work with the ammo.

Best of luck in your searches!

Reno

 

[rickys2]

First pull 200 rds on the new pistol to break it in. Then try to find HP bullet that works with the pistol. Just because in paper or video they said its the best. your pistol may have a feeding or ejection problem with that ammo. With a 380acp your going to have to dump the whole mag on 300lb man. Good Luck

 

[Certaindeaf]

Welcome to the site.

When in doubt, shoot em in the snout.

 

[Jonnyuma]

When in doubt, shoot em in the snout

Is that a euphemism for something else? Pelvic shots are pretty devastating.

Stay away from gimmick-y ammo. Check out the Lucky Gunner tests linked above, they're fairly comprehensive. I personally default to the heaviest Federal HST (as a starting point) available in a given caliber with (I think) 90gr fitting that bill in a .380.

As stated before, run about 200 rounds of FMJ through it for functionality first. Then make sure your chosen SD ammo works in the gun and ALL magazines... any hiccups should be resolved to 100% or move on to another brand, weight, or composition.

Not all guns like the same ammo. Some will eat everything. I believe your S&W will fall into the latter category... they're pretty ironed-out.