Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 10mm with 220 heavies

A semi-auto novice here. I have seen many decades of hunting with both bow and rifle, mostly in Alaska. Lately I've been toying with the idea of carrying a lighter pistol while on my annual home state bow hunt for moose in Alaska.

I've personally killed two brown bears and have participated in the killing of four others (all killed with large-caliber rifles) so I have a reasonably well founded understanding of what it takes to kill one. AND, I would never ever want to have to kill one with a pistol, no matter how large of a hole was in the end of the barrel. But killing one with one of my company's recurves ranks even lower on my "want-to" scale. That's why I always have a pistol (historically either a .475 Linebaugh or a 480 Ruger) on the belt of my backpack whenever I leave camp.

As a data point I've hunted Alaska every fall since the mid-70's from the Brooks Range down to the Southeast and practically out to Japan and just about every place in between and have never HAD to shoot a bear unless it was part of a bear hunt and was already wounded. I and my hunting partners are always very careful with staging meat from the animals we've taken well away from the carcass and in a place with (usually) good visibility when approaching to haul out another load of meat. So far so good, but over 40 years of doing it where lots of bears exist and thrive indicates that either we're doing something right or we're damned lucky.

The idea of carrying a pistol that you hope you never use but MIGHT have to one day led me to consider the notion of what pistol system/platform might be best. To kill a bear with a pistol, especially a big bear in defense of life, would be most quickly and efficiently accomplished with a hit to a critical part of the central nervous system. In that case more chances (like from a semi-auto enabling reasonably rapid follow up shots instead of a knuckle-thumping big bore revolver) might be preferable. At least that's my thinking and why I'm considering carrying a 10mm semi-auto.

This IS NOT a thread where I'd like for us to debate the relative merits of carrying a .475 versus a 500 S&W magnum versus a 44 magnum (or as Phil does, a 9mm!). If I KNEW that I'd have to shoot a big bear in defense of my life with a pistol I would carry a very big one. But if I'm going to hunt for moose with my bow and hope I never have to but might have to shoot a bear and therefore carry a pistol every day then maybe a lighter one would be okay. What I want to hear from you pistoleros with enough first-hand experience to comment is: what 10mm pistol platform can be counted on to go boom every single time I pull the trigger IF I'M SHOOTING 220 GRAIN HARD CAST BULLETS AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.

For what it's worth I recently acquired a Glock 20 and a Glock 40 (both Gen4). And, I have purchased 22# Gen3 spring assemblies for each one with the requisite end cap so they function in a Gen4. And I have purchased KKM match barrels for each one too. What I would want to hear from those who have a lot of experience shooting heavy (for 10mm) hard cast bullets is this: are there better (i.e. more dependable platforms) than the Glock for this specific purpose? I am not a Glock lover. If Brand X pistol is more reliable for my intended purpose then I'll buy a Brand X.

Thanks in advance for your first-hand input.

John, since you're specifically asking about reliability - no, I don't think there is a more dependable semi-auto platform for heavy 10mm than the two Glocks you have. There are certainly others with better triggers, nicer ergonomics and looks, etc, but for dependability the ugly old Glock is pretty hard to beat.

The one caution I'd put out there is to run a bunch of rounds through those KKM barrels to prove reliability with them, just because they are a bit tighter fit both inside and out. The KKM barrels should give you better accuracy and maybe a bit more velocity, but the factory barrels are hard to beat for reliability. (I'm not one of those who believes Glocks are perfect, most of mine are modified, these are just my observations about what you asked for.)

Hope that helps.

Yondering, thanks for the input. I have just received 400 rounds of 220 grain hard cast bullets and intend to cycle most of them through the pistols to learn whether the spring and barrel and feed ramp and magazine combos function dependably. One stove pipe or failure to cycle will be a huge red flag.

I'm no big bear expert but I think you're on the right track. I bought my G20 for wild hogs, black bear and mountain lions. Never seen a lion, only one bear but the dang hogs are becoming quite the nuisance. I've had two incidents with hogs, one sow with young and one old boar that got a little hairy. Both run ins were at night walking out of the timber with a climbing treestand on my back and bow in hand. Walking up a little trail through a clearcut in that situation doesn't give you many options for escape. My son got between a sow and her pigs this last deer season and got bluff charged.

My G20 has tritium sights, stainless polished recoil rod and #22 spring, 3.5 connector and sandpaper grip tape. Carried in a Diamond D Guides Choice chest holster with fifteen Underwood 220 gr. hardcast at 1200 fps. With about 2000 rounds of all sorts the G20 hasn't skipped a beat.

Thanks MOGC, good first hand info. Did you try the heavy 220 ammo with the stock spring? And if so, what were your results?

Can't say I've shot a bear with anything, but I can say I've tried a lot of 10mm bullets. Hardcast lead is one of the most selective in terms of reliability. Not not because it's lead, but typically because they have a large meplat and the edge of which occasionally gets caught on the leading edge of the chamber. I've had the most trouble in terms of reliability with the 220 grain bullets. The 200 grain ones seem a little more forgiving. Personally I wouldn't be carrying 220 grain 10mm's due to the reliability concerns - I don't even buy them anymore. I've tried them in a Gen3 and 4 G20, Gen4/40, and customized Kimber 1911. The Kimber and lead don't really get along. All the Glocks have aftermarket barrels, either Bar-Sto or Jarvis and stock recoil springs. Stiff springs actually make feeding more unreliable for me. You will just have to try various brands and see what works. I've had great luck with Double Tap and not so good luck with Buffalo Bore.

Thanks Mountain10mm. Looks like specific testing with all components is warrented. Maybe revolvers aren’t so bad.

I have a G20 I bought last fall for the same purpose. I have been loading and testing Montana Bullet works cast 200gr SWC gas check's out of it with the stock barrel. I did replace the recoil spring assembly about 1/2 through the testing. The weather has been bad lately so testing is curtailed. But so far, the gun has been 100% reliable and load testing has revealed definate preferences with respect to powder charges.

I did not. I shot the factory 17 lb. spring with about 500 rounds of watered down 10mm. Then I switched springs and started experimenting with real full power ammo. I've shot several hundred of the Underwood 200 gr. XTP @ 1250 fps and the same amount of the 220 gr. Underwood hardcast. My gun is a Gen3 SF for what it's worth. Yet to have a bobble.

Have not made the heavy switch! but yesterday my Glock 20 did this at 10 yards with 180gold dots and 9.1grains of longshot
Five off a rear rifle bag.



I would guess the 1200’ish FPS.

Top group= g20 . Bottom was the kid with the 22lr.

I've never shot a bear, but I've run quite a few 215 gr cast thru my Colt Delta. Blue Dot was the powder used.

That prints nicely with 180’s. I have some Underwood 200g hardcasts landing Wednesday courtesy of Local Dirt to try out for function in my G20. If they feed flawlessly, they’ll be some bad medicine for Mr. bear. 😎

You carry this pistol so many miles and up and down many thousands of feet in elevation hoping you never HAVE to fire it. The saddest thing would be if it failed to function on the first time you needed it. Hence my obsession with dependability and reliability.

Bought a Glock 20 and shoot 220 Gr cast bullets with it Buffalo Bore for carry and 220 gr cast handloads with Bludot for practice. 22# Spring stock Glock barrel. Have owned a S&W model 29 since about 78, shot it a lot , was rather interesting shooting it side by side with the Glock , the Glock was easy to control and much more accurate rapid fire mode.

Plus so much easier to go out the door with xtra loaded mags ready to go.


Quite popular here in Alaska was talking to Gold miners near Hope AK and there were 4 of us all had Glock 20,s on there hip!

kk, have you experienced any problems using the stock barrel? The reason I purchased a KKM barrel was because I had read that Glock cautioned against using hard cast (or maybe lead?) bullets in their polygonal rifled barrels.

John, they also caution against using handloaded ammo. Speaking as someone who's shot mostly cast bullets in my pistols for the past 20 years or so, the "no lead in Glock barrels" thing is a hugely overblown stinky brown pile.

The real issue with Glock bores and lead is with soft swaged lead bullets. You can run as much hard cast through it as you want, as long as the bullet fits the bore. Note - a while back Doubletap's hard cast 10mm loads were significantly undersized and caused a lot of leading issues. I don't know if they've corrected that; I don't buy them any more.

The earlier gen 2 and 3 10mm Glock barrels also had overly generous feed ramps making hot loads more prone to case bulges. They've addressed that pretty well in the newer guns though, yours should be OK. I'd suggest trying your hard cast ammo in your stock Glock barrels and just keep an eye out for any case bulges or significant leading (you'll get some lead wash, same as any barrel).

John no issues with cast bullets think my Glock is a Gen 4.

I read Buffalo Bores recommendation went to a 22 # spring and I clean any lead out before I use jacketed bullets.

I have seen more issues with after market barrels than stock Glock barrels. Mostly failure to feed want reliability in a carry gun.

Think the 10 MM is great handgun for enough power, portability, max fire power,and ability to hit what you shoot at. Have tried all the heavy hitting handguns, and cant shoot them as well as I can the Glock. Any rifle beats the hand gun for bear protection, but I don,t always have a rifle with me. In 2 months Br Bear will be waking up in my neighbor hood.

Got a Gen 3 with a 21# spring. Just put a 6.6" alpha wolf barrel on it. The Underwood 200 grain cast bullets are shooting well so far.

Beaver10, I hope those work out great for you. I'm guessing and hoping they will. Hopefully, you won't have any meetings with Mr Barr. But, if you do, you'll at least be ready to hand him some bad ju-ju.

I didn't read all the responses but here is my thoughts. I have a Glock 20SF with a KKM barrel. I shoot the double tap 220's. I finished off a deer, killed a hog and one of my father in laws sick cows with it. It packs a punch but nothing like a 44 mag or even 45 colt imo. The fact that you can have 16 rounds on tap is pretty strong. The deer and hog were easy and a 22 mag could have handled it equally well.

Story behind the cow, kinda long but gives good data I think.
My FIL has an old 32 H&R revolver he calls Bessie that he uses to put down animals on the farm. He had a cow laying in the pasture (big bastard too) that he thought had died. Went out to drag it off with tractor and she was still alive. He put 5 32 slugs in her head. I was there for the weekend and he came and asked if I had a pistol and I had the 20. When I got to the cow it showed no signs of any bullet wounds or that it had been shot at all. Was mooing and just couldn't move. I put a 220gr hard cast between its eyes and and at the shot the whole cow shook like you'd snatched it with a tractor. Blood poured out of its nose and mouth and it was done. My father in law said holy [bleep] what the hell did you just shoot that thing with? I know a bullet to the brain drops anything but the shock that it had on the carcass when it hit kinda surprised me. After that I felt pretty confident that my 10mm would handle anything I ever needed to shoot with it.

I searched for sub-800 FPS loads with 200’s and didn’t find many options although I found 40 S&W loads with 200’s at ~725.

Anyone running heavies slow for practice?