Tim Sundles at Buffalo Bore tells me this load has seen great success in several defensive shootings; in some cases prompting inquiring calls from medical examiners. It changes the .380 ACP dramatically for two reasons: it's fast and it will penetrate very deep. Flat nose, hard-cast bullets do have a great reputation in the hunting fields because of the penetration they offer. And, while they do not expand, the flat nose does increase the ability of these bullets to damage more tissue than an FMJ bullet with a round nose. SAAMI does not recognize +P .380 ACP loads, but Sundles tells me he has tested this load in every compact .380 he can find—including some very inexpensive models—and has encountered no issues.
Load | Handgun | MV (fps) | PEN (inches) | EXP (inches) | RW (grains) |
.380 ACP +P Buffalo Bore 100-grain Hard-Cast | Smith & Wesson Bodyguard (2.75-inch barrel) | 1,065 | 31+ | 0.355 | 100 |