Is the 10mm worth all the fuss?

[akjaeger]

I have been playing with the 10mm for a while now. Have tried a Glock 20 SF, a Kimber Custom Eclipse II and a STI " Perfect 10"
These groups were shot at 100 yards from the seated backrest position.
The five shot group on the paper plate was from a STI "Perfect 10" sighted for 50 yards. Load is 180 XTP over 9.3 grains of Longshot.
Lots of blast from a big heavy pistol.
The group just below the paper plate was fired from a Les Baer "Premier Concept II" 45 ACP sighted for 50 yards. Load is a 230 XTP over 7 grains of Longshot.
Easy shooting from a standard 1911.
I was surprised how close they printed on the target at 100 yards.
I do believe the 10mm is much easier to hit with at extended ranges.
What are some of your favorite 10mm loads?

 

[rwsmith]

The only reason I'd want a 10mm.......

I reload, so I wouldn't mind having a 10mm, but I'd probably rather have a .44 magnum. The 10 does fulfill my 'stick to smaller calibers' strategy to save on larger components and powder but I can load the .357 to hammer my hands and wrists hard enough to cause permanent damage if I so desire. I'd rather have more 9s and .357s.

 

[Laketime]

I use to be a big fan of the 10mm,magnum power in a semi auto.Then I got a .50 AE semi auto,so I sold off my tens.The ten is a great all around cartridge.But the .45 acp is tops over the ten for SD against two legged predators.

 

[ColbyBruce]

You should try a .357 Sig at 100 yards. Super flat shooting.

 

[colt_saa]

The 10MM Auto is a great cartridge. I have firearms as short as 3" and as long as 14"

As you are learning the cartridge shoots very flat.

I tend to load my 10MM Auto ammunition closer to the old Norma specs than the more customary 10MM Lite specs. 10.5 or AA#7 with a 180XTP

Pick yourself up a few loading manuals and you will find lots of data.

The great news is that 10MM Auto is on the up-rise. In the last three years we have had about a dozen firearms introductions and the big ammunition companies have added 5+ loadings

 

[fredj338]

All service rds are flat shooting to 50yds & not much diff between them out to 100. I've been shooting the 10 since its birth, even did my orig load dev on a bren10. It's a good round but not my choice for hunting. I just don't find the glock or 1006 accurate enough for anything past 50yds. My 44mags are more accurate & hit harder at 100-150, my personal max for humane handgun hunting.
I did recently buy a go20sf for a light wt, hvy hitting trail gun. I feed it 200gr bullets in the 1150-1200fps range. I can get good sub 3" accuracy @ 25y but it is not a primary hunting piece.
I like longshot & aa#9, I get better accuracy with either vs 800x, which seems to be the darling choice for many 10mm guys. I like the 200gr xtp of Nosler. For solids, I cast my own & will be trying them coated next.

 

[M29since14]

I like the 10, but rarely shoot it. Brass is not cheap and I hate losing it. The .45 is about all the pistol-horsepower I need these days and brass for it is a lot easier to come by.

I always used 180- and 200-gr bullets with Blue Dot in the Delta Elite. Strictly by accident I found the two S&W 10mms I had for a while shot 155s better. I've also had good luck with HS6 and AA7.

I never bought into the notion the 10mm was some sort of .41 Magnum in an autoloader. Any decent .41 Magnum will knock a 10mm flat, run right over it, and not even slow down doing it. What's to compare? ... a 180-200 at 1100-1150 FPS versus a 220 at 1400? The 10 can only dream about being a .41 Magnum, but it is still fun and worthwhile, IMO.

 

[deputydon]

I have a 610 that shoots extremely well. No brass chasing here. .40 S&W is kinda like wadcutters in a 610.

 

[S&WIowegan]

A buddy here in Iowa and I did a lot of work on the 10mm back in the 90s. We eventually moved on because of the expensive brass and losing it at matches. However, he still loads the cartridge with 180 gr Hornaday XTPs for deer hunting. He uses a S&W 610 no dash 6 1/2" barrel. It shoots very flat and puts 'em down.

 

[colt_saa]

I never bought into the notion the 10mm was some sort of .41 Magnum in an autoloader. Any decent .41 Magnum will knock a 10mm flat, run right over it, and not even slow down doing it. What's to compare? ... a 180-200 at 1100-1150 FPS versus a 220 at 1400? The 10 can only dream about being a .41 Magnum, but it is still fun and worthwhile, IMO.

You are 100 percent on the money here.

All of those folks that talk about Magnum power in a 10MM are incorrectly recalling the articles from when the 10MM Magnum was introduced.

Then you just have the good old internet keeping the Urban Legend alive

All of my S&W 310 and 610 revolvers have had their chambers lengthened so that they can now shoot 10MM Magnum as well as 10MM Auto and 40S&W.

The 10MM Magnum can safely push a 200XTP at 1500+FPS in the longer barrels.

 

[m657]

colt_saa: re: " 610 revolvers have had their chambers lengthened so that they can now shoot 10MM Magnum as well as 10MM Auto"

please elaborate if you would.

I have recently become enchanted with the absolutely devastating effect my own 610 (snubbie at 3-7/8") has on pins at 50'.

Very accurate, and rather than make 'em teeter over & flop around on the table, the 180/1200 fps recipe smacks 'em back about 2' before the fall over....which means they have well cleared the table without any follow up shot.

I never had been even a 40 fan, although shot them for several years in various club events. The stubby 610 fits my hand very well, and the extra 10mm 'real' load is very pleasant as well as accurate.

I do prefer the 41 mag in pins to any other caliber for that task. The 10/610 combo works so well though.

Anyone got an econo source for a couple hundred 10mm brass? Best price I've found is 18-19-20 cents in 500/1000 count lot but only need a few hundred more..

 

[colt_saa]

colt_saa: re: " 610 revolvers have had their chambers lengthened so that they can now shoot 10MM Magnum as well as 10MM Auto"

please elaborate if you would.

Not too much to elaborate on. I simply took a 10MM Auto chamber finishing reamer and continued with it until the chambers were 10MM Magnum length.

If you do not have the tools or desire to do the work yourself give Mark at Pinnacle a call.

I have plenty of 10MM Auto brass still left over from the FBI transition to the 1076 and a good supply of 10MM Magnum from the good folks at Starline. Same dies load either cartridge. 21grains of H110 under a 200XTP

I have recently become enchanted with the absolutely devastating effect my own 610 (snubbie at 3-7/8") has on pins at 50'.

That is not a snubby. . . . .This is a snubby 2 1/2" and a scandium frame. Yes, 10MM Magnum is not for the recoil shy with this one

But if you want more weight, you need to go to 3" and all stainless

 

[fredj338]

A buddy here in Iowa and I did a lot of work on the 10mm back in the 90s. We eventually moved on because of the expensive brass and losing it at matches. However, he still loads the cartridge with 180 gr Hornaday XTPs for deer hunting. He uses a S&W 610 no dash 6 1/2" barrel. It shoots very flat and puts 'em down.

In a revolver, diff animal, the accuracy is there, but then why not just go to the superior 41mag for hunting?

 

[fredj338]

Btw, starline is the best place to get affordable brass.

 

[m657]

"10MM Magnum is not for the recoil shy with this one"

I'm not particularly recoil sensitive but 'muzzle blast' certainly distracts me.....

given the intense fireball of the otherwise marvelous 3" 629 I tried to become fond of shooting, I never developed adequately reliable accuracy using my normal 44 mag loads.

It was a *****cat with the 44 specials but somehow it got away when offered a significant pile o'greenbacks....

Wondering whether the 10mm Mag has any less of the dreaded muzzleblast?

 

[colt_saa]

"10MM Magnum is not for the recoil shy with this one"

I'm not particularly recoil sensitive but 'muzzle blast' certainly distracts me.....

given the intense fireball of the otherwise marvelous 3" 629 I tried to become fond of shooting, I never developed adequately reliable accuracy using my normal 44 mag loads.

It was a *****cat with the 44 specials but somehow it got away when offered a significant pile o'greenbacks....

Wondering whether the 10mm Mag has any less of the dreaded muzzleblast?

Muzzle blast will be similar.

However muzzle flash will be greater with the 10MM Magnum.

The Premium Defensive ammunition that you buy for your 44 Magnum or 44 Special has a flash suppressant added to the load to eliminate that fireball. Your hand-loads do not.

Remember that powders available to hand-loaders do not contain flash suppressant.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Remember that powders available to hand-loaders do not contain flash suppressant.

I've ended up trying some different powders lately because of lack of availability of my regulars. HP-38 & CFE-Pistol are two & when loaded to similar velocity/pressure, there's a noticable difference in muzzleflash between them. The HP-38 is clearly (surprisingly) worse & CFE-P is virtually non-existent, in my .357 revolver loads. The flash gives the illusion of it being more powerful.

While Hodgdon doesn't specifically say it's flash suppressed it does say: "...our CFE formula, Copper Fouling Eraser, virtually eliminating copper fouling, plus providing top velocities with clean burning and minimal muzzle flash."

.

 

[Magload]

I've ended up trying some different powders lately because of lack of availability of my regulars. HP-38 & CFE-Pistol are two & when loaded to similar velocity/pressure, there's a noticable difference in muzzleflash between them. The HP-38 is clearly (surprisingly) worse & CFE-P is virtually non-existent, in my .357 revolver loads. The flash gives the illusion of it being more powerful.

While Hodgdon doesn't specifically say it's flash suppressed it does say: "...our CFE formula, Copper Fouling Eraser, virtually eliminating copper fouling, plus providing top velocities with clean burning and minimal muzzle flash."

.

I will agree with the Minimal muzzle flash but I also got minimal velocity also. At max load they were powder puff loads and a disgrace to a magnum gun. They tested their loads in a 10 inch test barrel my 4" GP100 got around 1100fps chrono'ed. Don

 

[YogiBear]

Aloha,

I bought a 610 with a 6" or 6 1/2" barrel(I forgot the length)

Fired it with both 40 S &W and factory 10 mm rounds.

I did not like the very Snappy recoil with either cartridge.

I prefer the slower rolling recoil of the 41 to the 10mm.

Sold it to a forum member.

The 10mm is not for the average shooter.

 

[Charlie Foxtrott]

Well I guess that is just as well that you do not have a ten mil.

Aloha,


I did not like the very Snappy recoil with either cartridge.

I prefer the slower rolling recoil of the 41 to the 10mm.

The 10mm is not for the average shooter.

Some of us average shooters are pretty happy with our ten mils.