Some people consider it almost sacrilegious to recommend a semi-automatic handgun chambered in 10mm Auto as a bear-defense gun. However, the 10mm Auto is no slouch: it will absolutely do the trick if you place your shots properly. The Glock 20 has several big advantages that make it a great bear-defense gun.
The 10mm also has a shorter bullet. So, as you can see, the 10mm isn't as big around, but generates more than 1.5 times the chamber pressure of the . However, said bullets also go faster because they are smaller; the standard . 45 ACP load is 230 grains compared to the standard 180 grain projectile in 10mm.
No, a high powered rifle or a 12 gauge is the best. But a 45ACP can work - but it's a risk since if you get a bad shot the bear will still be standing and charging at you. A 12 gauge can stop a bear in its tracks. But still 45ACP had the power..
The recoil of the 10mm in most standard factory 180 grain bullet loadings is roughly 10 – 15% more than the standard 230 grain 45 acp factory loads. However, as previously stated the 10mm is much louder.
No. The parent case for the . 40 S&W was the 10mm; the bullets are identical. Both are rimless cartridges, designed to headspace [seat] on the case rim, but the case length for the 40 is .
357 Magnum or other similar-caliber load, a well-placed shot with a good bullet will certainly kill a bear, but it's not recommended. 357 Magnum revolver for years as his bear gun.
Don't get it wrong; the 10mm is a fantastic round in a great many aspects. It's a great balance of power and shootability - more powerful than most other auto rounds, but also with diverse enough loadings for many shooters. However, it's capabilities can get exaggerated.
The best 10mm ammo for protection and hunting:
- Hornady 175-grain Critical Duty.
- Speer 200-grain Gold Dot.
- SIG Sauer 180-grain V-Crown.
- Federal 180-grain Hydra Shok.
- Federal 180-grain Trophy Bonded JSP.
- Buffalo Bore Heavy Outdoorsman 220 grain.
- Hornady 180-grain XTP.
- Underwood Ammo 150-grain Xtreme Hunter.
Yes, a 9 mm can injure or kill a bear. Since you did not specify what kind of bear. You could kill a small black bear with one. You will not have a side shot if a grizzly bear is charging you, and most likely your 9mm will only inrage him, and make him try his best to kill you.
Glocks chambered in 10mm, specifically the Glock 20, are in use with elite special operations units around the world. In fact, the Danish navy's Slaedepatruljen Sirius, or Sirius Sled Patrol, carries the 10mm G20 for protection against polar bears. According to reports, the unit has many successful stops on record.
40 caliber does release more energy but not by a whole lot either. The 9mm releases about 10 - 12 % less energy than its competitor. Also, there are ammo manufacturers that say their 9mm can match up in stopping power against other 40 cal. Most gun manufacturers use the same 9mm pistol frame for both calibers.
Let's start with the basics: 10mm is the metric equivalent for . 40 caliber, or 10 millimeters equals . 40 of an inch. Therefore, both bullets are the same diameter.
| MM | Approximate Size In Inches | Exact Size In Inches |
|---|
| 7mm | Little over 1/4 Inch | 0.27559 Inches |
| 8mm | 5/16 Inch | 0.31496 Inches |
| 9mm | Just short of 3/8 Inch | 0.35433 Inches |
| 10mm | Little over 3/8 Inch | 0.39370 Inches |
But the general consensus, after a number of posts, for the weight of a standard 180gr 10mm auto fmj in grams is, 17.28+/- grams.
Pistol cartridges
| Name (mm/in) | Bullet diameter | Shoulder |
|---|
| .40 Super | 10.16 (.400) | N/A |
| 10mm Auto | 10.16 (.400) | N/A |
| 10mm Magnum | 10.16 (.400) | N/A |
| .400 Corbon | 10.19 (.401) | 11.91 (.469) |
10mm is a very flat shooting cartridge that has minimal drop out to 100 yards.
The larger and faster 10mm will give 624 foot-pounds of muzzle energy when sending a 180-grain bullet at 1,250 fps, while the . 40 S&W drops that figure to 400 foot-pounds with its 1,000 fps velocity, making for a rather significant difference.
Sig Sauer P226 and P228
The Sig Sauer P226 is also one of the most common guns of the FBI, in 9mm and . 40 S&W. Agents have carried their own as a supplemental pistol, and the bureau has issued this pistol to special units and as a general sidearm since the 1990s.AMMO ADVANCES
Norma, the company that originally developed the 10mm, in their enthusiasm to make the round as good as modern propellents would allow, made their ammo far more powerful than was originally requested. The ammo was approximately 20% higher in velocity than the original specifications called for.Now, the 10mm has emerged as a popular hunting round for medium game such as deer and feral hogs. If life only allowed me one handgun to do it all, that gun would likely be a 10-mil.
Currently the most powerful production handgun round is the . 500 Smith and Wesson Magnum. Firing a 350gr JHP bullet, it can exceed 3000 foot-pounds of energy, at nearly 2000fps. The .
40 gives a few more rounds, but is a bit snappy, . 45 has a bit more size and weight, and is slightly softer shooting.
Magnum Is The King Of Handguns. In the 1971 movie Dirty Harry, actor Clint Eastwood introduced the world to the double-action Smith & Wesson Model 29 . 44-cal. Magnum revolver—"the most powerful handgun in the world."
40 has better energy numbers and 45 has better bullet weight and diameter which makes them just about a wash in stopping power in my mind. The major advantage between the two goes to the 40 in the real world though because it can have 15 in the mag which is 50% more than the 45.
(Muzzle velocity was taken using a revolver with a fairly long barrel.) Most of today's loads are fairly mild when compared to the original load. Revolvers chambered in . 357 Magnum have the significant advantage of also being able to chamber and fire the shorter and less-powerful .
To stop black bears, all you have to do is hurt them; you do not need to kill them. Almost any center fire handgun cartridge will dissuade a black bear if you hit them well with it. I prefer a more powerful/bigger cartridge, but the 9MM will get it done, even on grizzlies, if you take their brain.
The potency of the Magnum is attractive for those who are able to handle the cartridge. The 9mm simply cannot push a 124-grain bullet to 1350 fps, while the 357 Magnum can push a 125-grain bullet to more than 1400 fps.
357 Magnum rounds - on average - achieve a velocity of about 1290 feet per second (fps) while . 40 S&W rounds travel at a velocity of 1070 fps. 357 Magnum bullets travel 1.5 times the speed of a 737 airplane at cruising speed, while . 40 S&W bullets travel 1.2 times that same speed.
Top 5 Rated .357 Magnum Ammo Comparison Table
| Name of Product | Weight | Muzzle Velocity |
|---|
| Federal American Eagle Cartridge | 158 grain | 1240 fps |
| Fiocchi Cartridges | 142 grain | 1420 fps |
| CCI Blazer Rounds | 158 grain | 1150 fps |
| Hornady Critical Defense Ammo | 125 grain | 1500 fps |
454 Casull is fully capable of kicking out a 300-grain bullet at 1,600 fps. Though the cartridge is not simply a lengthier Colt. Operating at pressures that would devastate the cartridge it's based on (60,000 psi plus), the .
357 Magnum cartridge is objectively more powerful on average than the . 45 ACP cartridge. 45 ACP pistol has an advantage over the . 357 Mag revolver.
. 38 Special has earned a reputation as being under powered or weak based on its performance. The old standard police load of a 158 grain round nose bullet fired at 900 feet per second earned the nickname “ Widowmaker” because of poor performance in police use.
357 Magnum is considerably more powerful than its parent round the . 38 Special. 357 Magnum cartridge with hit with 575 pounds at 1,440 feet per second. More than doubling the force and increase of velocity—well above supersonic levels—with essentially the same cartridge was a considerable accomplishment.
