Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 10 mm for bear?

it was my understanding that the 10mm is close or equal to the .41 mag. is this true? if so, couldn't it be used for anything up to small bears, with the right load? <BR> also, what is the best 10mm out there? i just checked out a friends S & W and i actually kinda liked it. i just do not know much about the 10mm.

I'm a big fan of the 10 mm. Mine's an S&W 1006. <BR> Speer reports that the 10 has gained some popularity as a bear pistol. It will fire a 200 gr. bullet as much as 1200 fps. The popular bullet is somebody's 190-200 gr. FMJ. <BR> I've got a load that features a 180 gr. Golden Sabre HP @ about 1200 fps. It will put 3 into 3/4's of an inch @ 25 yds. It will work on whatever I need it to do. <BR> My load is point blank plus/minus 2 inches to 110 yds. Not bad for a stock gun w/ adjustable sights. <BR> Give it some consideration. A nice compact 11 round gun. And all stainless. I really like mine. E

I remember asking the same question and found my answer. I don't own a 10mm but would refer you too a glock. I own two, one being a 40S&W, (short and weak) which is a 10mm bullet loaded lighter that a 10mm. The problem with a 10mm is that it's full potential is hard to reach without reloading for it. Most manufactures have loaded the the 10mm to 40S&W levels for safety reasons. Norma use to have a good load and I think corbon would be the ammo I would look too if I was going to use it for Black bear. When achieving ACTUAL 10mm Pressure than yes it is the equivalent of the 41mag. I like the round and hope that some manufactures will make actual 10mm loadings so that I can buy one. Esox357.

i actually shot my friends S & W 1006 today and loved it. i am thinking about trying to trade him out of it, despite my aversion to S & W. i just know nothing of the 10mm. on a box of Federal 180 grain it listed the velocity at a paltry 1000 fps. he also had a box of "Winchester subsonic" 180 grain. what the heck good is a subsonic load in this instance? it says "deep penetration", but if it is subsonic (going slower), would it not penetrate less? what is the best factory load for self-defense?

Hi Barry. One of the confusing things about the 10 mm is the ballistic potential. Then there are the various loads. Federal's Hydra Shok ammo is loaded as a sub-sonic. It's suppose to be more controlable, and very effective. Judging from the street results of the 40 S&W, I'd say they are right. <BR> The cheap genertic stuff put out by Remington (180 gr.), and CCI (200 gr.) are also loaded on the light side. <BR> The hottest ammo, right now are the Winchester Silver Tip 175 gr. and, probably, the Cor-Bon loads. <BR> However, Hornaday sells some good 180 & 200 gr. HP ammo. I like the CCI 200 gr. loads for practice. It, BTW, is a FMJ load. <BR> If you handload it, you need to be careful. It goes critical fast, and has a reputation of being hard on guns. <BR> The S&W 1006 has the reputation of being the most accurate of the 10 mm's. I find it much nicer to shoot than the Colts. The Glock is a comfortable gun to shoot, but not as accurate as the better Colts, or nearly as accurate as the 1006 Smith. <BR> It is not as powerful as the 41 Magnum, but quite a bit stronger than the .40 S&W. <BR> Another thing I like about mine was it's consistancy. It would put Federal Hydra-Shoks, Hornaday 180 gr., or 200 gr., and WW Silvertips all in the same 2 inch group at 25 yds. That's hard to beat. <BR> Good luck on your quest. Mine is NOT for sale. E

you talked me into it, E. i swapped my friend a Ruger Bisley and a lttle cash and walked away with the 1006. i love stainless firearms. this one has a Hogue grip (i detest the stock S & W grips). MINE has the Wilson sights, but i was wondering if they made glow in the dark inserts for these. also, what is a good price for clips? i could not even find any in town today. ammo was extremely scarce also, and a good bit more pricey than i figured. <P> i am still confused about the whole subsonic thing. do they penetrate more? are there any aftermarket springs or other items i should consider? i actually loved shooting the thing today and will probably start carrying it once i get a good holster and practice more.

Welcome to the club, Barry. <BR> Extra magazines are hard to come by. You should have two with the gun. <BR> I don't know about the Wilson night sight inserts.<BR> The subsonic ammo idea came out of the FBI search for the ideal police round. It was discovered that they didn't need the full potential of the 10's power. A 180 gr. bullet at 950-1000 fps. did everything they wanted to do. Then some bright guy figured out they might as well shorten the case. Hence the 40 S&W was born. <BR> Penetration is a function of bullet design more than anything else. Sure, velocity plays a role, and so does sectional density. But there no comparison between an FMJ flat point, and somebody's hollow point. <BR> In factory ammo, I like the Hornaday 180-200 gr. HP's, and the CCI 200 gr. Blazer ammo. <BR> I know of no after market springs for the 1006. Or a reason to want one. The slide on that pistol is much heavier than the 10 mm Colts. And it has a built in buffer. It will handle any 10 mm ammo fine. Mine has never jammed. Even playing with handloads. <BR> If you handload, be careful. Stick with solid data. That cartriage goes critical fast. <BR> One more thing. No dropping a round into the chamber, and then dropping the slide over it. Feed your ammo from the magazine only. If you don't, you can break that extractor. When fed from the magazine, the rim of the cartriage slides up under the extractor, like a CRF rifle action. If you drop a round into the chamber, and then drop the slide over it, the extractor is forced sideways. They are not designed for that type of stress. Eventually they will break. Lots of 4006 guns did just that when treated like that. <BR> It's a great gun. Have fun. E

thanks E, you are a veritable fountain of information. this is my first 10, have owned and shot several .40's. M. Ayoob stated not to use hand loads for self-defense, for legal reasons. plus i am somewhat apprehensive if the cartridge is a s fickle as most say. "A man has to know his limitations". you should cruise over here to Reno when ya get a chance, i just went to the indoor pistol range here, it is excellent. they even have sub-gun rentals (including a MP 40 Schmeisser).

Hi Barry. I'll do that (drop over your way).<BR> I don't know about the 10 being "fickle". Mine has never jamed. It's gun like any other. Shoots bullets, etc. It has a "spotty" combat record because it's been used so little. I've had some people try to tell me that the .40 is THE answer, but the 10 "over penetrates." With the same bullets, no less. What they don't understand is that there is, and always will be, wide responses bad guys have to being shot. One big factor is how pumped up they are, what they are on, and how much. A guy on PCP is a cop's nightmare. You hit him with a CNS shot, or you don't stop him, period. I don't care what your using. <BR> I advise factory ammo because (a) you get the sealants on the primers, and bullets to cases; and (b) the right ones are very effective-as good as your handloads could be. Have fun with your 10. E

so what is the best factory load in your opinion for self-defense? i have been looking at Cor-Bon (they have 135 gr., 150 gr., and 165 gr.). should magazines run around $50?<BR> thanks

I, too, really love the 1006. No S&W guilt,-- they quit making those pistols long before they sold out. I'd like to get a whole caseful of them and the 1066s.<p>Wolff Gunsprings makes springs for them. http://www.gunsprings.com/ I put their 22 pound spring in mine. <p>After trying several -P loads, I have stuck to the Winchester 175 gr. Silvertips, which I think are the very best factory ammunition available in 10mm. One of these days, I'll try the Cor-Bon hunting 200 gr. loads.<p>However, to the point of this thread ... I would not hunt bears with it. I consider it a very effective cartridge for predators up to cougars, and for deer. I would not hunt elk with it. I have not hunted anything with it; I have just carried it for defense and blown away a bunch of inanimate targets.

I really don't have any basis for an opinion in this area. I've killed nothing with mine, and read of no tests. But, certain bullet/load combinations have general reputations that are useful. The Silvertip load mentioned I'm sure would do well as a combat load. For critters, I like the 200 gr. Hornaday XTP ammo. If an FMJ load is desired, I can see nothing wrong with the CCI Speer 200 gr. ammo. E