10MM is sufficient for any animal in the Eastern U.S.

[aterry33]

True/False? This comment was made by a friend of mine who has hunted with a Glock 20. He argued that in the Eastern U.S., you are not dealing with Brown Bears or Bison, and that the 10mm is more than enough for black bears, cougars, etc.

Having shot wild boar, I still feel like I would want something bigger for that particular animal, such as a magnum round, but that's just me.

What do you all think?

This is the stuff he was hunting with:

Hornady
10MM Auto, 200 gr. JHP/XTP 9129
Velocity (fps) / Energy (ft-lbs)
Muzzle 50 yd 100 yd
1050/490 994/439 948/399

Barrel Length (inches)
5"

 

[flop-shank]

There are many less than full power 10mm loads. That appears to be one of them. I would think that a 10mm stoked with appropriate, full power ammo would be good for anything in the eastern United States. The 10mm is essentially a magnum auto round.

 

[aterry33]

So what are some full power factory 10mm loads?

 

[Class III]

My 1066 loves Corbon Hunter 180 gr BCSP. Through my crono they are moving at an average of 1307 fps and about 675 ftlbs of energy, if my math is correct, over a five shot string. This load has put down three south Mississippi russian boar and a couple of whitetail does. I've never used it on anything larger than russian boar and don't want to. Any game animal larger than deer/boar will be dealt with using a rifle of the appropriate caliber.

Class III

 

[BigRich315]

That's a pretty anemic round, just a hair above most .40 loads. As Flop-Shank says, 10mm IS a magnum round (when loaded to its potential). I would feel confident with my .40 on anything up to a whitetail. Above that I would prefer a 10mm and a load like the Corbon's Class III mentioned.

 

[Alk8944]

I would say his observation is essentially correct. I might draw the line with Moose, however. I suspect he forgot about Moose when he made the comment.

 

[Class III]

For that matter I forgot moose also, and elk come to think of it. Tennessee is having it's first ever elk draw hunt this year. I would feel tremendously under gunned using a 10mm for the moose I have seen in Canada and even more so with some of the Alaska moose I have seen. Not so under gunned using it for elk, although still under gunned.

So how big do NE moose get? Had a cow Moose and two calves walk up on us a few years ago in Sask., Canada while goose hunting. She looked to be around 600-700 lbs. Our guide told us to be quiet and don't move. If she felt a threat or her calves felt a threat she would stomp a mudhole in our *** and walk it dry. She was more of a match than my 12 ga 3" loaded with #4 bismuth could handle.

Class III

 

[BigRich315]

I didn't give much thought to elk, that setup would not even be legal equipment here in KY. For a hangdun there is a minimum barrel length of 6", caliber of at least .270, and the ammunition must produce more than 550ft/lbs at 100yards. It makes sense given what it takes to drop an animal that size quickly.

 

[stiab]

I suspect he forgot about Moose when he made the comment.

He forgot moose as you said, he forgot elk as Class III said (there is a thriving wild elk herd in PA that is being hunted, with some trophy kills), and he forgot or probably never knew that the world record black bear came from NC and weighed 880 lbs.

 

[flash60601]

He forgot moose as you said, he forgot elk as Class III said (there is a thriving wild elk herd in PA that is being hunted, with some trophy kills), and he forgot or probably never knew that the world record black bear came from NC and weighed 880 lbs.

And some states, PA notably, does not allow hunting with a semi-auto (except shotgun for small game).

Flash

 

[flop-shank]

I would say his observation is essentially correct. I might draw the line with Moose, however. I suspect he forgot about Moose when he made the comment.

+1. I forgot about moose too.

 

[EdK]

New England moose can run to 1000#. They'll take a boiler room hit with a 30-06 180gr and still have enought life left in them to stumble off into a swamp to die. A 10mm would not be a great choice unless the plan was top get the best hunting ammo available, get close, and unload the whole mag. Sounds messy.

 

[BUFF]

The original Norma 10 MM Auto ammunition included a 200 grain jacketed flat point/truncated cone/semiwadcutter at an honest 1,200 fps from a 5 inch pistol barrel. Pretty good stuff.

That is still a long ways from a 240-250 grain bullet at 1,350 fps, or more, from a .44 Magnum.

Moose are indeed tough to kill sometimes. They stomp people to death every year. I don't think any conventional handgun round is good moose medicine. Big bear medicine, either, although plenty of both have been killed with less.

 

[Nframe357]

If used with the proper ammo and COMMON SENSE a 10mm can do most anything that most of us need doing with a handgun. Same can be said for the 357 mag, I'd not hesitate to use a 10mm on whitetail etc. Load choice and shot placement being critical.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I would tend to agree, that with hot loads, or nuclear reloads even a moose could be taken down with some 200 grn lead or FMJ's. The key is bullet placement and power and pushing a 200 at 1200 fps is probably in the range of what it would take to do in a moose. Having said that I have not personally dropped one, but having blasted some south Texas hogs, I have a good idea of what my G20 could do with hot loads.

 

[orionengnr]

I met a guy who claimed to have dropped a deer at 100 yards with a Ruger MkIII Hunter. Might have been true, for all I know, but it smelled like BS to me.

I'd imagine there are some Iraqis who read Flight of the Intruder and claim to have shot down F-18s with their AKs, and once again, it might be true...but I tend to doubt it.

I'm pretty damned sure I wouldn't try either one. Nor would I use a 10mm on a moose/elk (or much of anything else) when I own a 30-06.

But hey, that's just me....

 

[Loomis Guard]

Double Tap ammo makes some claims on their 10mm and .40 S+W stuff thats hard to believe... I'm getting older and that ole Mod 29's getting harder and harder to TOTE all day long out in the woods!!! I'm thinking about an M+P .40 stoked with Double Taps 200gr FMJFP ammo?? Black bears is all I have to worry about here in No Ga and 16 shots is got to be enough to scare one tooo death if nothng else!!!!

L.G.

 

[44wheelman]

Double Tap was 1300fps with a 200 grain bullet (IIRC?), still don't know if I would want to shoot a moose with it unless I were standing right next to him.

 

[DJINCO]

Be sure to take the front sight off.

For your own comfort.

 

[Loomis Guard]

Man,,, do you relize what a pain in the butt it is shooting without a front site?? Not to mention gettin the dang thing back on right again!!!! Maybe the guys not a good instinctive shooter...

L.G.