Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Loading .380

Anything unusual about it that someone who's been loading 9mm/.40/10mm/.45 for decades wouldn't expect? I'm just looking to do practice loads, have several useable powders including 700-X, Power Pistol, Universal, TiteGroup and 4756.

Thinking to use 95 or 100 gr coated bullets and seeing if they'll be useable in 9mm also.

Nope. I have loaded 95-115 with 5-6 different powders. The only problem was a couple of 9mm cases got in there due to my poor sorting technique.

all it is is a short 9mm, no big deal.
i have loaded up to 120g lead bullets in it.
no issues.

Yep, 9mm Kurtz. 9X17mm instead of 9X19mm No issues loading.

One of my favorite 9mm bullets is exactly that.

The only thing odd I've run into with loading for .380 is that some powder measures struggle with the small powder charges. My RCBS Uniflow, for example, had trouble with small .380 charges of Bullseye with the standard powder drum. Many others are fine though. Other than that, it seems a lot like loading anything else, just smaller.

I've been loading ammo on the same Dillon 550B for decades, but the .380 gave me fits starting out. I bought some Starline brass that must have tight primer pockets, and/or I must have not cranked the shellplate enough at the beginning, because I had a lot of light strikes with a Glock 42 that I didn't experience with other ammo. I haven't had to use brand new brass for a while, and I got the shell plate figured out, so it is all in sync now, with the exception that Yondering mentioned. I have a hard time getting consistent powder charges with my Dillon and small charges of 231, and I have resigned myself to extreme spreads in that caliber that I would not tolerate in other calibers.

With Precision Delta 95 grain jacketed flat points, bought in lots of 2000, I can load them for about 13 cents a round (excluding brass).

Thanks men, pretty much what I thought, but always good to ask.

Similar to what Yondering and Cheyenne mentioned I was surprised when I moved down to 9mm a few years back, 800-X had worked fine for me in 10mm, but when I switched to the smaller case, I got a lot of variation in charge throws. Measure was a Dillon on SDB, I guess it just didn't get along with tiny charges of those big flakes. Power Pistol has worked much better.

I've loaded several hundred 100 grain cast bullets with AA #5.

AA#5 is a very good propellant for the ,380 cartridge.

I also load 100 gr RNFP cast bullets for my .380. I use Win 231 powder.

Best thing I ever did was by an extended shell holder for those little short cases

For the 380 I use HP38/Win231, Win244 or Accurate #2 powder.

Power pistol works great for my .380 loads.

Well you all were correct, pretty much like loading any other auto. Tried Power Pistol and TiteGroup with some Berry's 100's, one FTF out of 24 rounds, I think I'll seat the next batch a bit deeper than .980.

Thanks!