I reload .45 ACP ball round for target practice and use Federal HST Law Enforcement for self-defense. With 556, I reload with 69 grain boat-tail hollow point Sierra Match kings.
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Try Hornady’s “Critical Defense” for your .380 - I’ve heard that it’s a real “ball-buster” compared to the others on the market in this caliber. Its FTX bullet resembles an XTP, with a flexible, polymer plug inserted into the cavity, to enhance bullet expansion. I think you can get 25 rounds to a box. Any barrel length approaching 4.0" just might wring out all the performance you can get. Grand Power offers full-size models in three barrel lengths in their .380s - the P380, with a 4.13" - the LP380, with a 4.66" - and the ROXOR target model, with a 4.9". All use the same full-size frame, 15-round capacity, and come with FOUR replaceable grip-panels, like the Smith 2.0s. Like Bersa, they cater to the European & the South American shooting publics, where civilians can only own and shoot the .380 for defense and matches. I should also mention that they have an unusual blowback design, where the recoil spring rides BELOW the barrel on a separate rod. They also have totally ambidextrous controls! Graham Baates touts Grand Powers very highly in his “GBGuns” video reviews, and there are at least three models I’ve kept on my wishlist. A last feature I should mention is the solid steel chassis on every pistol - these are engraved/stamped with the initials of the 'smith who made it, and as far as I know, only Nighthawks made here stress so much accountability. AMEN
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I…don’t particularly care for Sig in general, and the Sig ammo is expensive.
From what I gather off others, I think Sig ammo is good. But, I don’t see how it can be better than Federal, CCI/Speer, Prvi, PMC, CBC/Magtech, and a bunch of others…but the others can be had for less money sooo I just don’t see any reason to buy Sig ammo, personally.
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For range ammo, I have used both Remington Range and Federal synthetic. The Remington is very inexpensive (for this day and age), reliable and a bit dirty. The Federal costs about 10cents more per round. It is reliable and pretty clean. I can find the Remington for 24 cents per round and the Federal for 34 cents. Both at 115 grain, 9mm.
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Really good luck with blazer brass in both 115gr and 124gr 9mm FMJs at about $0.26/rnd delivered.
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Most FMJ .380 from most pistols will often exceed the maximum 18 inch line in the reliable tests I have seen.
Until recently the best options were generally considered to be the Hornady XTP followed by the old style Federal Hydra Shok. They are both older designs that in .380 expand little and sometimes not at all but regardless of expansion fall within that 12-18” penetration range. The Hornady Critical Defense expands and penetrates reliably in the heavy denim tests but over expands and significantly under penetrates through bare gel. So it may or may not be a good option depending on the variables involved.
The new Federal Hydra-Shok Deep is what I now use in .380. It expands and penetrate reliably to about 13 or 14” in calibrated bare or denim covered gel. It cheats a little bit to do this by having a thin copper tip that will open and fold back more quickly than other JHP options but the results seem to be as good as you can get in .380. The main downside is that it can be very hard to find in stock at a reasonable price.
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Good info. Thanks. 5his is what I was looking for in my post above.
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From the tests I’ve seen the .380 XTPs won’t over expand from your 3.7 inch barrel so you should still get enough penetration to at least hit that 12” minimum standard.
The Hydra Shok Deep ammo seems to test well in barrels from 2.7 to 4” long. Though there are a lot fewer tests to go on with this relatively new ammo.
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I just by coincidence use Hydra Shok Deep when I carry my 911. Never really did a lot of research.
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I haven’t really looked into the Deep rounds for other calibers outside of .380. My guess based on the design is that they would expand a little less but penetrate a little more than the Gold Dots and HSTs. I’m sure they meet the FBI standards and will get the job done if needed.
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From looking at these, the DEEP rounds have a tapered post in the cavity - which looks like a traffic marker - while the standard rounds have the usual cylindrical shape. Whether this aids in expansion or retention is beyond me, with my smattering of physics - could we hear from the Sheldon Coopers out there, just for an FYI subject?
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Same-same here. 
Otherwise, Hornaday, Underwood and CCI, for SD and hunting. 
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