Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns What powder for 10mm?

Dont have my load book handy, but Longshot gives an easy 1244 fps with 200 gr Nosler and Hornady XTP's in my DW 10mm, a very soft shooting powder for the amount of power you're sending downrange, accurate too.

I use Starline brass and WLP primers, with a COL of 1.260"

Hey Gibby, I don't want to hi-jack this thread but, using new starline brass, do you guys chunk em after two or three firings? just want to make sure I haven't missed anything on getting to know the 10mm.

And a pound of Longshot just wandered into my reloading room...........

the 10mm is hard on brass when loaded max and that is why i use a 24 lb recoil spring in my Glock 20

I shoot a Delta Elite. At max you will have a slight smile (1275-1300fps with 180gr). I do not go further than 1250 with 180gr. XTP or Hardcast. That little bit extra velocity seems to raise the pressure too much for me.

I liked using Starline Nickel but do not now. I was trying to be easy on my extractor using Nickel, being that the 10mm is a long case. I do not think it makes a difference in ejection, so I quit using it.

When using the Redding feed through die to size the whole case, I thought the Nickle was too brittle. I did notice with the brass that I used around 1300+ fps after ultrasonic cleaning and sizing I saw a small folding on the inside of the case where the smile was. That is the main reason I backed down the loads. Accuracy was better also.

The Glock with the aftermarket barrels would be okay I think.

I still use the fired cases for reduced plinking loads. I shoot the Delta a lot. You do not need full house loads all the time.

I run a 22# Wolf Recoil spring, 26# mainspring and a square bottom firing pin stop. Cases eject 4-6 feet.

With Ransom Rest, 1 1/2" to 1 3/4" @ 50 yards is what that gun will do all day long.

Federal LP Match, 180 XTP, Longshot Powder.

PS: I do not post powder weights on the interweb.

Chrono'd my 6.4grs Unique + 180gr bullet plinking load @ 844fps for 5 shots @ 10 feet. I've not ventured into the heavy loads yet as I'm having too much fun hitting my 12" plate @ 75-100yds with this weak stuff.

Ejected brass literally falls at my feet.

i had forgotten that.
some years ago when i first got a 10mm i spent a lot of time looking at the load combinations on the glocktalk site.
some of that stuff looked to me to be nuclear.

I haven't been to the reloading forum on GlockTalk in quite a while, but AFAIK, there were never any issues with the 200 @ 1,200 loads I developed that others may have used. I never personally had any issues with 800X (or AA#7, which is the best 45 Super powder I've found).

As far as bulged cases, and case life, due to Glock's chamber geometry (which seem to mimic the tapered 9mm case, even in non-tapered cases, like the 10mm), Glock barrels would show case bulges that Lone Wolf barrels wouldn't. The rear of the chamber was larger than it needed to be, and fired cases essentially showed the same taper that a 9mm case starts with. I think a lot of those "Glock bulges" were more of a chamber design issue than a pressure issue. IMO, Glock's 9mm chambers are great, the others, not so much, or at least weren't, I haven't had one in a long time.

I have two loads I shoot in my glock 20. A hardcast 200 grainer with 4.8 gr of unique which drops brass at my feet, and a slightly less than max load of AA#9 with the same bullet for bear protection carry. Ditched the factory barrel asap, and run a lone wolf.
I run 3 reloads on the hot load and then retire them to the unique load. Still running some brass with 6 or more reloads on it.

I agree a light load of unique is a fun accurate load to shoot, even if it is a little dirty.

What hard cast are you using? I am going to order the Bayou Bullet 200gr bullet for plinkers I think.

That was the case years ago, but not so much any more. If someone's using an old gen 2 Glock or maybe early gen 3, this is good info, but it's not as relevant with the newer stuff.

I find it interesting to read of many folks on various forums loading down their 357's, 41's, 44's, 475's, etc., whilst nearly every thread on the 10 mm is about reaching the highest velocity possible. Any ideas why?

I never understood that either. If you need more than a 10mm, go to your revolvers.



.......or the .460 Rowland. It is easier on the guns than the 10mm and a lot more power.



For the .45 Super fans. That is a gun killer. But that is another thread.

Because the 10mm in a semi auto is relatively mild to shoot with less felt recoil and muzzle blast even with full power loads, compared to the big bore revolvers. Not sure on downloading the 357 though, unless you're talking about small & light pocket guns, they can be pretty snappy with full house loads.

There are plenty of threads on reaching max power with lots of other cartridges too, the 10mm is no exception there. None of the loads I see discussed in this thread are dangerous in the right guns and with proper loading practices; it's not like we're all a bunch of nut jobs looking for the ragged edge of safety for the sake of another 10 fps.

Great news Bearcat, I started at 8.2 grains of Longshot and worked up to 8.4 grains and 1244 fps with my 200 gr bullets, my DW is a 5" all steel gun with a ramped barrel.

Bea, the reason I ask is, IIRC my 40 is loaded to higher pressures than a 10mm, could it be that 40 S&W brass is stronger than 10mm, if so, that's very strange.

Thanks Gibby. I have no smileys with my 10mm loads, but have loaded my P226 40 S&W at least five times with the same brass without incident, just wondering if I can safely do the same with this DW 10mm.

In the mid 90's, V3N37 + 200gr XTP was my hot load of choice.

Google "Original Norma 10mm loads". Lot of info can be read.

200gr @ 1200 fps


Your DW with the ramped barrel does a much better job than the Delta for supporting the brass I would guess.


I do know Starline uses a different grain structure for their 10mm brass. At least they used to state that. I have no idea how the web section compares to their .40 S&W brass. Other than using SP primer pocket.

Be careful.

No Kabooms!

Thanks, and RAH-JAH, no KABOOMS!

I'm very happy with 200 grains at 1244.