.380 Auto

[GH1]

Does anybody load the .380 with cast bullets, I'm thinking about giving it a try.  Cast bullets seem to be cheaper than jacketed.  Would a 95 gr cast be loaded the same as a 95 gr jacketed?
GH1

[gypsyman]

I don't load for the .380,(yet) but I would think you would back the load down 2 or 3 tenths. Everything else I load both cast and jacketed for, I get the same performance with just a little less powder. Whatever a manual has for a starting load for a jacketed bullet in that weight, start at the bottom of the load. Because the .380 is such a small case, just a slight increase in powder, will raise the pressure much more quickly than a larger case like a .357 or .44.  gypsyman

[billy_56081]

In most cases you use slightly more powder in a max load with cast bullets. I'm not sure whether this is because cast bullets are denser and therefore take up less volume of the case or because of less friction. Veral would be a good person to ask this to.

[blhof]

The lead is softer and offers less resistance, same powder as jacketed will produce higher velocities.  I load 380's for my son's Makarov in 380 with 90gr cast and use the loading for 90gr jacketed with excellent results.  The velocities are slow enough for plain ww's with no leading.  I did use Veral's lapping kit on the 380 before I started using cast as regular fodder, improved accuracy considerably.

[GH1]

Well it sounds to that if I start with the mildest jacketed load & work my way up I should be okay.
Thanks guys.
GH1

[NickSS]

I've loaded 380 with lead bullets for years.  The lyman reloading manuals have sections on cast bullets.  I cast my own bullets and as I load relatively small numbers of 380s and large numbers of 9mm, I use the same bullet in both.  It is a lee 120 gr TC slug.  I just load it with Lyman data for 120 gr bullets in both the 9mm and 380.  I get in the 8-900 fps range with the 380 and 1000 to 1100 fps range in the 9mm.  You need to load the 380 to max over all length per the loading  manuals or they jam up in the magazine.  My Bersa 380 has gobbled up 100s of them.

[Mikey]

I'm with NickSS.  I've loaded and shot lots and lots and lots of cast 380s.  I use the same powder charges for jacketed and cast, never had a problem.  I may even still have somebody's 95 gn 9mm mold in a swc configuration that I cast from years ago and they too shot great. 

Just pay attention to the cartridge's overall length and you will be fine.  As long as the loaded rounds fit and feed through the magazine and chamber positively you should not have any problems using cast slugs in your 380.  HTH.