Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns .357 vs 10MM

Depending on which website you go to there seems to be conflicting opinion regarding ballistics.

Thinking in terms of trail protection, is it fair to say they are pretty damned close, if you want a semi-auto go with a 10mm, if you want a revolver take the .357, but basically other than that you are getting identical performance?

How about a 45 running +P's, will this compare with the other two, or be one step back on performance?

Opinions?

Thank you.

The three certainly won't be "identical", but depending on the launching pad, they could be equally effective for different reasons. The three cartridges are close enough that barrel lengths and bullet selection are the major players, not the paper ballistics.

As trail protection, would you think a guy with a good quality .45 shooting plus +p's would be wasting his money buying a 10MM?

thanks

Are you talking to me? Something about wasting money buying firearms?

If you already have a .45, I would stick with that, unless you just want a new toy. I would take a Glock 10mm or 45 first, followed lastly by a .357.

Another thought is which platform can you shoot the best during rapid fire. I carry a Glock model 20 often while in the mountains and have a few +5 base plates for my mags that give me 20 round magazines plus one up the spout. That gives me 3.5 times the capacity of a traditional sixshooter .357 in an easy to shoot package.

Normally though, I carry the traditional cap 10mm magazine (15 rounder)followed by a spare 20 rounder. I figure this should be more than enough to solve most problems that may present themselves.

I should have added limited funds to the conversation.

Okay then, you scared me a little.

If your .45 ACP is of the 5-inch variety, the 10mm isn't going to provide a distinct advantage. I wouldn't bother with the +P stuff either. If bears are a worry then go with a 230-grain truncated FMJ.

Money is always a factor, so if I needed to upgrade in shazam from a .45 ACP I'd leap frog over the 10mm. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather shoot a ticked off bear with a 10mm than a .45 ACP, but we could play that game all the way up to an RPG.

I have one of each, does that count?

Of the lot, IMHO, the 10 gives the best overall performance: faster, flatter shooting, more energy, more firepower.

That said, any of the three will solve most any problem you're likely to encounter, if you do your part.

I have a friend who lives in eastern Kentucky, where the black bear a currently plentiful. He has a farm, and is an avid bowhunter. He also carries his .357 while he is sitting in his blind.

Last year, a black bear with two cubs walked by his blind close enough for him to reach out and touch with the end of his recurve.

That was the last day he carried his .357. His 10mm has gone on his excursions ever since.

10 rounds of 10mmm sounded significantly better to him than 6 rounds of .357 magnum.

Barkoff,

You specified "trail protection", but the pure utility of the .357 Mag should be factored in also. If I could only have one of the three chamberings, it would be a slam dunk for the .357 Mag.

You can run anything - .38 Special cheapies, snake shot, frangibles, 125-grain screamers, and 180-grain thumpers, all with zero worry of ammo sensitivity. The cost of shooting will be half that of the 10mm or .45 ACP. In one handgun you can switch from an inexpensive plinker to a serious hunting or SD cartridge all in the time it takes to empty and reload the cylinder.

Now that is a trail gun.

I've been in two stand up fights with black bears while armed with a handgun, one (the most exciting one) was with a .357 and the other was with a .44 mag.

Having actually been in a fight with a bear, I'll take the 10mm every durned time over the .357 and .45 ACP.

Now don't get me wrong, from time to time, when walking through bear country, I'm armed with a .357 or a .45 ACP; but that has more to do with carry convenience than ballistic performance.

I should also note that when I'm headed to where I KNOW the bears are, I'm usually packing a Winchester 94 in .30-30 or a Remington 81 in .300 Savage.

I doubt you would see any difference between the three. Going from Kevin's experience (which I don't have-never been in a fight with a bear), I'd say the .44 Mag. would be the hands-down choice if you were doing your hiking in bear country. The .41 Mag. would come in second for me. Other than that, my first sentence runs true. JOG's comments regarding finances strike me as pretty practical also. If I had one of the three and didn't want to buy another pistola, I'd just pay attention to my ammo and go with what I had...as long as I wasn't where I was pretty sure a bear would show up-then, something bigger than any of them.

I would take the 357 Mag with a good 160 gr hard cast bullet over 2400.

So Kevin - what load were you using in that encounter with the .357?

It's all second-hand info to me, but I know of quite a few black bears that were killed with a .357 - and none of them were using any of the top loads I would choose. If I were in Barkoff's position and not wanting to spend money unnecessarily, I'd just load some hot 180gr .357 in my Security Six with maybe an extra speedloader and go on about my business (which is what I do now when amongst black bears and wolves). If, OTOH, I only had a 1911 in .45 - I would probably load it with my semi-hot CLSWC loads that work so well in mine and call it good.

OTOH - if I already owned a 10mm, I'd use that. But if I were looking to buy something - although I've kicked the 10mm idea around a lot lately - I think I'd skip past it to a Mountain Gun or something similar in .44mag or .45 Colt.

In terms of kinetic energy, the .357 Mag and 10mm are very similar.

The difference is in the combination of that energy and frontal area. The 10mm just has more frontal area = bigger hole. The added sectional density of the .357 Mag isn't needed for the application.

Use a quality controlled expanding bullet or a hard case flat-nosed bullet and you'll get all the penetration that you need to do the job with the 10mm.

I just ordered an EAA Witness in 10mm - 4.5" barrel, 33 ounces and 15 rounds.

Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather have 15+1 rounds than 13+1 rounds or 8+1 and some extra mags or 6 in the wheel and some speed loaders... That makes a difference too.

Last comment - I bet if we asked Kevin what the most important thing in each of his contacts it would be "shot placement" (?). As long as you have an "adequate" round I think it ocmes down to that.

For a fighting load against black bear in .357 JHP's are the way to go. I've always used a 158 grain JHP in the .357 against bear after seein the lack of effect that a hard cast Keith 173 SWC had against a black bear. The bullet just punched right through the bear and didn't really slow him down much.

I'm a big fan of hard cast bullets, but you need more frontal diameter for big effect. For hunting from a semi-secure position (such as a tree stand) the cast bullet would be fine, but for on the ground fighting, I want the JHP in .357 (and .44 for that matter), for black bear.

If we're talking griz, then my story is much different.

Well, this happened sometime around 1981-82 (can't remember exactly), and I don't really remember which load I was carrying that day. I can guarantee you that it was a 158 grain JHP and if I had to guess, I would say there's a better than even chance it was a Remington factory 158 JHP.

It was fired out of an 8" Dan Wesson.

So, Kevin, why are you getting in so many fights with black bears? Are you out there calling them names or something?

kevin is the bully of the woods

I have all 3 of choices plus a 45 super and of the 3 i would prefer the 10mm myself.

I was in one standoff with a large pissed off black bear. The 45 ACP at my waist seemed awfully puny at that point. But I didn't shoot him with it so I don't really know. Most people do not; which is why Kevin Gibson's info is so cool!

I have a friend who grew up in what amounts to a black bear sancuary down on the Rogue River. He considers a 45 ACP a joke, a .357 marginal, a 10mm a step up getting into adequate territory, and a 44 mag to be fully adequate. This is as a bear STOPPER, not a hunting gun. Things are a little different for hunting than stopping.

I sold off my 44 mag and recently bought a Glock 10mm. What is important and pertinant to ME is that I can hit stuff much better with the Glock, and the 15-round magazine means no loaded speed-loader in my pocket like I would have with the 44 mag. And you gotta love the cost of the Glock over just about any of the other options.