10mm for hunting/ wilderness defense

[SamlautRanger]

What are your opinions on the 10mm handgun cartrigde for hunting and wilderness self defense of 4 legged creatures. I know it is usually, especially in Bear country, for individuals to carry .357, .41, .45 colt, o4 .44 mag. SO how does the 10mm compare. I am interested in a auto loading pistol, and seems the 10mm wold be much better than the .45 ACP , .40, or 9mm.

I read somewhere that Ted Nugent used a Glock model 20 in 10mm to hunt Cape Buffalo with in Africa and had good results.

Thanks.

 

[mete]

The 10mm is considered to be about the level of the 41 Mag.

 

[JShirley]

I would feel comfortable for the 10mm for up to typical lower-48 black bear sized threats and smaller.

NOT for anything much over 250 lbs that wants to eat me. DEFINITELY NOT for Griz/Brown defense.

.41 Mag is considerably more capable than even the hottest 10mm for wild dangerous game.

Here's one quick search result:

Also, compare Buffalo Bore's .41 vs 10mm loads:

http://www.buffalobore.com/ammunition/default.htm#10mm
http://www.buffalobore.com/ammunition/default.htm#41mag

You'll find a major difference. It's like comparing the .357 Sig to .357 Mag. Sure, the Sig approaches one standard loading of the Mag, but has nowhere near the potential.

John

 

[Lennyjoe]

Concur. For small black bears and other critters the 10MM would be fine.

I load it with IMR 800X and Hornady 180gr XTP bullets for the field down here. My loads are pushing 1315fps @ 691 ft lbs of energy at the muzzle. I would carry it even if I was hunting in other black bear areas.

But for brown/griz country I would move up to the .44 mag as a minimum.

 

[Byron Quick]

I don't have any bear experience. I've killed a buck with my Glock 29. Target of opportunity. He stood there looking at me about 25 yards away and I shot him in the neck. He ran about 50 years. I've had bucks run further after being hit with a .300 WinMag.

On the other hand, JShirley shot a buck with a twelve gauge slug at about forty five yards. The buck was trotting through about a 10 yard gap in the bushes(maybe not that big a gap.) John hit him in the abdomen about an inch behind the diaphragm. The deer was tracked by a beagle. It was lying by a clump of dog fennels about a quarter mile away. Got up and ran off. Beagle tracked it another quarter of a mile to where it fell from exhaustion.

John shot the buck with my Glock 29. Buck trying to get up. John shot the buck again. Buck trying to get up. People with the dog think that John is missing. John passes the 10mm to me. I shoot the buck. He finally decides to be dead. All three shots were in the center of the buck's neck both as to length and to width. The three shots could have been covered with a half dollar.

Ammo was Georgia Arms Gold Dot 180 grain.

I would want some premium ammunition for black bear. I think I'll let other people hunt dangerous game with a 10mm.

I'm not saying that it can't be done. But there would be no margin for error. I like margin for error.

 

[Art Eatman]

I think we're all rather spoiled from shooting deer with a rifle and the typical result is either DRT or a run of at most 50 yards or so.

The 10mm is similar to the .357 for horsepower. There is a bunch of difference between some 600 ft-lb and near-3,000 ft-lb.

I'd say the 10mm is good for self-defense against people, should the need arise. It would kill a black bear, but I'm guessing that the hope would be that he'd give up and stop before pressing home an attack. Absent a hit to the brain, I don't think the "Stop" power from the 10mm would be truly wonderful.

Art

 

[SamlautRanger]

Thanks for the replys.

What I am wondering if bear whether black or griz is charging at you, anything less than a head shot would not work. I am thinking that a head shot is the only way to stop the bear dead in its tracks. A body shot with even a 44 mag or 454 would kill the bear, but not stop his momentum and last few minutes of life where the bear rips you apart. What are your thoughts on that? So if you did carry a 10mm, would it suffice to penetrate the thick skull of a griz and stop him? ONe of the few successful confirmed bear encounters I have read about, is of a hunter being attacked/charged by a griz and he getting off 2 shots of .357 point blank at the bears head and stopping the griz at his feet.

 

[H&Hhunter]

I read somewhere that Ted Nugent used a Glock model 20 in 10mm to hunt Cape Buffalo with in Africa and had good results.

Ted used his 10MM in africa and shot several plains game critters (IE warthog, kudud, impala ....)with it. I am not aware that he or any one has every intentionally hunted cape buffalo with a 10MM that would be a serious case of STUPID HUMAN TRICK..

Of course being that we are talking about TED I may be mistaken. But I seriously doubt it..

I carry a G20 all the time it is a fine hunting / defense pistol for anything up to a grizz in the lower 48.

Just for comparison sake a .375H&H will not stop a large brown bear with a straight non bone breaking hit. So we really shouldn't try and put any pistol round up to that level.

Would a 10MM with good 200gr bullets of a solid make pentrate a grizz skull from the correct angle? yes. From the incorrect angle? maybe....

 

[OneFireStick]

I carry a Glock 10mm whenever I am in territory that holds dangerous game.

When I was in Alaska hunting Caribou, I was told by my hunting guide if attacked by Grizzly, to stick the Glock in the Grizzly's mouth and pull trigger many times.

 

[fisherman66]

If Bob "the nailer" can do it then you can too. I still can't believe Nick lost that gun. Some g-man!

 

[buzz meeks]

I can't believe that someone mentioned "bear" and "handgun" on the internet and things have remained so civil. I've been down the heavy revolver road with a Ruger Bisley and I've tried a couple of different N-frames for the same applications you're describing. And the whole time I have wondered why I don't just carry a 1911. Typically when I'm in the woods I'm fishing, hunting or scouting. In any case I am already burdened with too much crap and in the case of my hunting and scouting activities I already have a bear-capable rifle in hand. The 1911- and I imagine the Glock, too- just carries so well while I always seem to be scratching my rifle stock with the adjustable sight on my S&Ws or getting a loop of fly line wrapped around the butt of my Model 28-2. More to the point, I shoot the 1911 dramatically better than any revolver. And I have worked HARD at double action revolver shooting. So like you, I am going down the 10mm path. I can get my precious 1911 platform so chambered and as H&H Hunter suggested, it is just as crappy as any other caliber choice and better by far than some. But I know in my case that while the power may not be there, the accuracy and speed of handling will be and hits on target are what will decide the day.

 

[mbartel]

For self defense against a large predator capable of killing a healthy man, there is no handgun that is adequate. Once adrenalin has entered the animals bloodstream, only a brain or spine shot will stop him before he gets to you. If you can hit a moving, dipping, jumping canteloupe while it is moving towards you at 30 miles an hour, and you are so scared that you couldn't hold a bank vault still, and you just ???? your pants, then just about any handgun of .357 power on up will do. But if you are like most people, and you can't perform that shooting feat, then I have some advice for you. If you ever use an autoloader, to defend yourself against a deadly predator....count the number of rounds that you fire at it......and be sure to save the last one for yourself. If it comes down to being mauled to death, I would rather end it under my terms, thank you.

 

[fisherman66]

You make a good point but I think you're exaggerating. I have never been in that situation. Having said that I'd surmise that even the muzzle blast alone would give many "hunting" preditors pause. A preditor protecting it's young....I say you may be on the money.

 

[SHOOT1SAM]

"If Bob "the nailer" can do it then you can too. I still can't believe Nick lost that gun. Some g-man! "

Good one, fisherman66!! What a great book. Of course, Bob Lee did only shoot a wild pig with it.

Samlautranger: I carry a 10mm in the woods for specifically the reasons you ask about. I load mine with Doubletap Ammunition's 220 gr. Precision lead, flat point load, for about 1125 fps.

Sam