S&W M 29 .44 mag (4")
240 gr HS FED 1,094 fps
200 gr GDHP SPEER 1,009 fps
Looks like the 10mm is at or near the top of the heap when compared to any revolver caliber with a 4" barrel (which is equivalent to a 5" auto after accounting for chamber length).
Yeah, uh, no. Those are not top end revolver loads and you're obviously looking at energy anyway. An absolute top end 10mm load is a 220gr at 1200fps. The .41Mag can get 265's to over 1300fps. Meanwhile, the .44Mag tops out at 355's at 1250fps and Ruger only .45Colt with 360's at 1100fps. So no, while it's very capable, it's nowhere near the top of the heap.
That is looking at velocity from the ballistics by the inch website. They have not chrono'ed every load, so I grabbed the most comparable ones. Your loads and your guns and your chrono may be different. Out of a 4" barrel, off the shelf factory ammo for the magnum revolvers is not much better (and is quite often worse) than off the shelf 10mm ammo from a 5" barrel.
Yes, top end .41 and 44 loads should trump top end 10mm loads. That isn't really the point. The point is this: if a guy thinks a factory loaded .41 or .44 out of a 4" revolver is up to the task (whatever the task is....deer, bear, breaking rocks, etc) than one of the full power factory 10mm loads is equally up to the same task.
Super hot loads out of long barrels is another story, and I am not asserting otherwise. At various times for outdoor use I carry or use a 3" .357, an 4 5/8" .357, and a 4" .44 magnum, all with factory ammo from Win/Fed/Rem/Speer. I am happy to know that when I carry a 10mm with hotter loads I equal or exceed the performance of those guns with a factory load. That's it. Not that the 10 is better than a hot loaded .44 out of an 8" barrel, as it is clearly not. It is *close enough* to factory loads out of a short barrel to get the job done.
