Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns I Guess I Need A 10MM

Thanks, yeah I wasn’t sure what they traveled.

I think I may have some of the original Norma around someplace...where I can't find it.

I'd be surprised if Hornady chrono'ed that fast. Underwood 180's chrono'ed 1330 FPS in my pistol over an Olher 35

Perhaps so, but does that matter in a self-defense situation? I suspect not.

To the guy getting shot? Probably not. Maybe.

To the guy who bought a bigger, heavier, more expensive gun, shooting more expensive ammo,
thinking he was getting one thing. And he ended up getting less?


He might care.

I love these 10mm threads.

A friend was up this summer with a G20? 10MM. Had it loaded with hawt Cu boolits. Didn’t get to shoot it (at a coffee shop w another member) but it sure felt good in hand. Gave me pause.

Hate to say it, but for right now, I have plenty o’hand guns.

Do tell?

Yep, they can go so many ways. From useful information sharing to dudes being put on ignore. Got to love it.

Buy or build better ammo... It isn't hard to do.

I've had several different 10s over the years, 1911s and Glocks. Back in June, I picked up a Springfield 5.25" XDM, because of the sights. The XDM has great sights! I'm glad I had it with me over Labor Day Weekend, too...

It was a good moose, 140 yards out. It was an easy, rested shot with my .300 Win mag. The first shot punched through both lungs. He reacted at the shot, but he wasn't in a hurry to go anywhere. After the initial reaction, he didn't really seem to be all that phased, and it bothered me that he was still on his feet. I hit him hard! I shot again, a high shoulder shot this time, and he dropped. I remember taking my first moose with a high shoulder shot, so I was satisfied that this moose dropped the same way, but after 20-30 seconds, he got back up again! I sent the third round directly on the shoulder, this time, and dropped him again. "That took a lot!" I remember thinking to myself, "How did I ever kill one of these things with a 7-08?"

From our vantage point on the hill, my buddy (Clint) watched him as I gathered my pack with the knives and game bags. After about 5 min, I headed down the hill to find him, and Clint stayed up top to guide me to him. I left my rifle at the top of the hill, but I took my 10mm with me in a chest holster. It seemed like a good idea at the time...

Walking in on him, I heard the moose before I saw him. He was on the ground, behind a couple of trees, and facing away from me. He was slumped over and had very labored breathing, but he wasn't quite dead yet. I wanted to keep the skull intact, so that antler measurements could confirm that he was legal. I figured I'd shoot him at the base of his skull to finish him off. It made sense at the time...

After my 10mm barked, he perked right up, and as he was swinging his head around to look at me, I shot him in the neck twice more -- before he stood up! I saw the bullets hit him, right at the neck/head junction, and he just stood up like it was nothing! I was only 10-15 feet away from this guy, and he's now on his feet! Wow, those moose look a lot bigger at stomping distance! I triple-tapped him in the chest, and he went down again. He fell and rolled on his side.
His antlers got tangled in a small clump of brush, so he couldn't move his head very well. I moved forward quickly and put one more round in the back of his head/neck junction, from an arm's length away. He immediately tensed up from the CNS hit. A few more kicks from his hind legs, and he was down for good.

Then the adrenaline kicked in! What the hell just happened? Was this the toughest moose ever, or just lousy shooting on my part? I don't really know, but a moose is a big enough animal for both, I suppose.

When we gutted and butchered him, we found both lungs were effectively tore up and his chest was full of pooled blood. He also had several broken ribs, a clipped vertebrae, two bullet holes through his shoulder blade, and four pistol rounds in his neck. How he kept getting up, is beyond me.

The antlers measured 54-inches:




We found a 168gr T-TSX from the .300. It went through the shoulder and came to rest on the far-side shoulder blade, just above the ball and socket joint. It lost a couple of petals, but still retained 85% of its original weight.



I also recovered a 200gr XTP from the near side lung. It broke a rib going in, but didn't penetrate very far. These were handloads, by the way: 12.5gr of AA#9 under the 200gr XTP. I think I'll use FMJs or solids from now on.



Will the 10mm work on moose? Yeah, I guess so. When this guy stood up, though, I would have felt a lot better with a rifle in my hands.

Good luck on your quest for a 10mm, Ironbender!

Great story, Dan! Thanks for that.

All about the boolit, eh?

Dan ,
I've been loading 220 hard cast .I think Montana bullet works. Anyway same bullet Buffalo Bore loads. 8.3 grn, Blue dot. Haven't shot anything with it yet . I bought a box of 500 if you'd like to try them give me a shout. BTW my 10mm is the XDM 4.25. --- Mel

220 hard cast bullets with a max load of AA-9 is hard to beat on big feral hogs.

Thanks for the sharing.

Exactly why those of us that use our handguns on very large game stay away from easily expanding jacketed bullets

Dan,

That was a great story.

Good job on the moose.

Great post Dan and thank you for your honesty in reporting it. In you hunt much you will eventually find the animal who soaks up tons of kinetic energy before giving up the ghost.

Hence my sig line, which you illustrated quite well.

Own Glock 20sf and ruger match champion revolver in 10mm,great shooters ..