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

I picked up a set of dies and some 180 XTP's for my Glock 20. I have Storm Lake 4.6" and 6" barrels and I have access to Longshot, Blue Dot and AA #9. I am looking for full power stuff to be around the Underwood 180 XTP load I'm shooting right now just over 1300fps. I will probably try the 200gr stuff, either XTP or WFN later on also. I was hoping 2400 would work but I don't see it mentioned much at all for the 10mm.


I have Unique and a few other powders for low power stuff.



Thanks

I don't have any experience with any of your powders. What I've used, and like a lot, are AA#7 and Ramshot Silhouette. The AA#7 left nothing to be desired with the 180 gr. XTP's . The Silhouette I use with the Barnes X, 155 gr. bullets.
Be very careful loading for the 10. I've had pressure tested load data bulge cases when well below maximum with AA#2. It is no longer listed as a powder for the 10mm BTW. It was at one point. The other thing is that brass can vary some in wall strength, etc. I've even had some WW brass that was so short it sometimes wouldn't fire my loads. E

The powders you have listed are the best of the best... I have been using AA #9 but just got some Blue Dot and Longshot. Longshot is what supposedly some of the boutique manufacturers are using for heavy cast slugs...

Bob

ps..if you don't subscribe to LoadData.com is is well worth the money...it is like having all the loading books on line... They have hundreds of loads for the 10mm...

Also I forgot that PowerPistol is another good powder for the 10...

Tread carefully. 1300 fps may not be obtainable safely.

Of the 3 you mentioned, I'd start with #9.

Looking over at LoadData.com, the only power that has several listing as to making 1300+- fps is #9. Blue Dot only has one...

Starting loads with #9 is about 13.0 and tops out at 15.0 which gives 1300-1320 fps depending on who was doing the shooting.

Thanks for the info. I was leaning towards #9 as it seems to be a little more flexible.


I think the shop has some PowerPistol as well.

Longshot

I have used 2400 under 180 grain XTP's for some years now in 10mm. I'm getting 1200 and change and have never had a problem in my Glock 20 after I put in a heavier than stock recoil spring. Disclaimer: I use new Starline brass with the XTP's, after the first use they are reloaded with a somewhat (not much) milder 180 grain plated bullet load and are tossed after that use.

I have a 22lb recoil spring in mine.


I just loaded up 6.4gr of Unique just to get my dies setup and they functioned great, were accurate but very mild. We have some strong storms rolling through so that was all I could get accomplished tonight.

#9 is absolutely the best choice there, although the other powders you mentioned are good as well. In that bullet weight range (really 165-200+gr) #9 gives you top velocity at max pressure with max case fill. It's only failing is just the quantity of powder it requires, so you get fewer shots per pound. Otherwise it's pretty much perfect; it's almost like #9 was made specifically for full power 10mm.

You should definitely be able to get 1300 fps easily with that 180 XTP in a G20. Use this at your own risk, but I have worked up to 15.0gr with that load for 1385 fps from my long slide G20. 11.0gr of Blue Dot gave pretty much the same velocity. You will want to use the heaviest recoil spring you can get.

^^^Ths^^^

All of my 10mm's like AA-9 the best with Blue Dot coming in a close second!

i like accurate for another reason, it meters well right to the dot.
from a couple of years ago
glock 20 with kkm barrel and another six inch kkm usine AA#9 13grains and 200gr xtp
1. 1212 six inch 1298fps
2. 1211 1285fps
3. 1218fps 1266fps
4. 1213 1283fps
5. 1224 1254fps
these were all seated to 1.260 col
Same loads out of a ruger buckeye special convertible with a long barrel
1. 1318
2 1302
3. 1305fps
4. 1290
5 1301
6 1295
one of the side benefits is they were pretty tight velocity wise round to round except in the six inch for some reason showing a little more deviation. what i was really after was the old norma load of 200grains at 1200fps, and i stopped at the above.

same gun using 180gr xtp''s and AA#7 10.5grains oal of 1.260
kkm standard length and six inch
1.1157fps 1268fps
2. 1188fps 1265fps
3.1198fps 1291fps
4. 1173fps 1263fps
5. 1178fps 1277fps

i should add all new starline brass and heavier recoil spring.

Ron it's probably obvious to you, but worth pointing out for everyone that your AA#7 load pressures were significantly higher than with #9. Besides being a faster powder (pressure peaking earlier) #7 in the 10mm doesn't always show many pressure signs until it's really too hot. #9 in comparison is more user friendly and capable of higher velocity at safe pressure.

Though I don't even own a 10mm anymore (eventually went in the 45 Super direction), in the 90s I did a lot of work with the 10mm and full power loads. I've used all of the powders you listed and AA#9 is the best of those for highest velocity. But THE BEST powder I ever found in terms of maximum velocity at reasonable pressures was 800X. At the time, Mike McNett and I were exchanging a lot of information on 10mm loading over at GlockTalk. A little later he quit his job and started DoubleTap ammo (I think in his garage?) with a full house 200 grain 10mm load. I don't know for sure, but I think he probably started DoubleTap with that 800X load.

I found a nice accurate plinking load with a 180 over 6.4grs of Unique. I picked up some AA9 and will start with it soon.

800X does work well, but has two problems - it meters like cornflakes, and pressures look good right up until it spikes crazy high, similar to AA#7.

So far everything Yondering has said is my experience as well.

No more 800X for me.

BlueDot,? well the 10mm is too close to the internals of the .41 Magnum for me to use it. (different bullets weights granted)

You can learn a lot from McNett.


Longshot is very safe. My favorite now.

AA#9 ,can't beat it.


Starline brass only. Toss away the others if you want nuclear loads.

I use/like Blue dot and AA#9 for velocity & accuracy.

Prefer AA#9 as it meters better than Ble Dot.

Jerry