.40 Super has a cool factor, but to me it's a bit overdone. To me it's worthless to rely on shooting .40 S&W bullets at velocities faster than the bullet is designed for. Faster isn't better just because, it's good if the bullet can handle it, but .40 S&W bullets aren't designed be pushed endlessly. We should know that faster doesn't always make a hardcast penetrate deeper, it depends but sometimes even then faster equals less penetration.
The 10mm somewhat suffers from this too I say somewhat because it is slower than the .40 Super but also you have how many people out there loading the 10mm hotter than it was ever really designed for?
I mean most 180gr JHP bullets don't hold up that well beyond 1150-1200 fps, the tougher ones can manage around 1300 or so but when you look at recovered 180gr .400" bullets going that fast, they look mangled because they're not really designed for that speed.
TO me, the .40 S&W is ideal for a few reasons. Slightly smaller 9mm sized platform makes it easier and lighter to carry. Secondly, if you're honest about it, a warm 10mm and a warm .40 S&W aren't that different. For a long time I handloaded the 10mm until it dawned on me one day that really I'm not gaining much of anything by shooting it over the .40 S&W.
I mean sure I could load a 200gr WFNGC hardcast to a hair over 1300 fps from a 4.6" KKM G20, but that same bullet will do just over 1150 fps from a smaller 4" KKM G23. Both will punch a hole in and out of any deer and most any hog, so again, where's the need for faster? With a G35 that 200gr can hover around 1250 fps if I want to gain some velocity back.
Same with 180grs, I could do around 1350 with a 180gr JHP from a 4.6" G20, good for sure but too fast really. The same 180gr JHP can do 1200 from a 4" G23, which is fast enough. Not identical, but considering that even at 1200 fps, every 180gr JHP will expand to and even past its limits and many will even begin to break apart to one degree or another at 1200 fps. So why faster going to be better when the bullet is likely to penetrate less, not more due to design limitations?
If I want that speed back, for whatever reason, the G35 can get me over 1300 fps with a 180gr JHP. The .40 eats less powder too, not to mention brass is much more available and essentially free if you just take the time to pick it up.
But that's just my opinions, I don't think the 10mm (or .40 Super) has any real world "usable" advantage over the .40 S&W. If a well placed, warm .40 won't do the job, neither will a warm 10mm, at that point it's time to step up to the .45 Super (250gr @ 1300 fps) G21 or my .45 Colt Blackhawk or 454 Casull BFR.
Last edited by 45BBH; 08/08/14.
