Favorite 10MM hunting loads

[cwlongshot]

Mornin guys,

I picked up another 10MM a couple months back. It's a 2nd gen GLOCK 20. I have fit it with a set of TFO sites, a 6" KKM barrel and a bit of trigger work. It's gonna be a big game hunting pistol for me here in Connecticut.

I have had a couple Delta Elites and really like the round but the colts barrel and action are not really condusive to top performance loadings.

I think I'm gonna stick with the 200g Hornady XTP for a bullet. I have been loading Blue dot and 800X and recie fly was turned on the Longshot powder. So far I have some good loads approaching 1300 with these components but need to go a bit fartherer.

I ah e been hand gun hunting on and off for twenty years taking mostly deer and hogs with contenders, my Colt Whitetailer and a 1911. Also allot of woodchucks and couple coyotes with 22 hornets and 223's. All w/100% hand loads.

Any suggestions or stories would be appreciated.

CW

[The_Shadow]

I so wanted to be able to take a deer with my 10mm guns but down here in Southeast Louisiana/Mississippi, has been tuff.  The ones I was able to take were in the latter muzzle loader seasons of Jan-Feb...of those 3 of the 4 could have made some good pistol shots.  So no shots were presented during the regular gun season.

I did manage to take a buck with my S&W mod 29 44mag iron sights @ 180 yds.  I miss a doe one year that anticapated & jumped the shot with a 357 mag, that's was a spooky one!

Still trying though!

[REDLINE]

Haven't made that decision yet.  For Whitetail deer my choice would be lighter than 200gr.  Probably a 155gr or 165gr JHP of some sort.  Even 135gr Noslers have proven effective on Whitetails, though a tad light for my tastes.

[alwaysshootin]

The last 3 years, I used a 6" Lone Wolf Barrel, and my load was, using a 200 grain hardcast, on top of 8.2 grains of Longshot. I achieved 1250 fps with this setup. Last winter I sold the LW tactical length slide, and 6" barrel, and recently purchased the LW tactical length barrel to just drop in my 3rd Gen G20. The accuracy is splendid, but have not chronographed  as of yet, but am confident this setup will do nicely. I have recently picked up some 180 hardcast that I plan on using in the future. One of these days I'm going to make my own bullets, and want the bullet molds to have as much versatility as possible. If the 180's run in both the 10, and 40 well that's the route I'll take with a mold. Don't care for 200 grain in the 40.

[cwlongshot]

I like heavy for caliber bullets. The only reason to avoia heavy jacketed slug would be if expantion was compromised. It is not in this case. The 200's are built to reliably preform down to mid 800 vel range. (XTP anyway) so my launching them at 1300 +~- will not make expantion a issue.

With lighter slugs OVER expantion is quite a realistic proposition. Forget the 135's on big game. Even a 155 from a top loading and my longer barrel could come appart. I require thru and thru penetration with expantion. (That's why I don't just shoot a hard cast )

I do like hard sat for hunting, but prefer a WFN style and these just are not a good option in a semi.

I agree a good cast slug of good hunting profile would or could be made to work well. I just prefer a jacketed projectile for this gun.

Thanks for the comments! Keep them coming!!!

CW

[sqlbullet]

I don't "hunt" per se.  I do carry a 10mm for woods defense in the lower Rockies.  I like a 200 gr hard cast loaded hot.  I am more interested in deep penetration than any expansion in these cases.

If I were to start hunting, it would probably be for Mulies here or white tail back on the family farm in the midwest.  In either case I would likely use the same bullet, but would cast it air-cooled with a BHN of about 10-11 after I boosted the tin content.  This should expand well while retaining weight and penetrating well.

[REDLINE]

Nothing like a day out hunting.  Even for waskly rabbits.  Though if using 10mm 135gr at +1600fps on the bunnies I highly recommend head shots.

[sqlbullet]

I gotta say, for varminting with your 10mm handgun, look to a 9X25 barrel and light bullets.  Flat shooting making those longer shots very easy.

[hillbillyhans]

I live in SW WY and use underwood's 200gr. XTP. I feel comfortable with that load, and plan to hunt whitetails in the midwest(my folk's place) this fall/winter.

[nickE10mm]

200gr XTP over a still charge of Longshot, 800X or Blue Dot will (and has) worked great for me.  I'll be using a hardcast WFN handload THIS season, however.

[drew02a]

I'm gonna give 200gr Nolser HPs a try this year.  With such a heavy bullet, I should be able to load them pretty hot ans still be in the sweet spot for expansion

[REDLINE]

I'll be very curious to hear how they perform.  And what velocity you set them up at.  They haven't been out for that long and there generally doesn't seem to be a lot of talk about them.  Seems they have a hard time peaking out from behind the shadow of the 200gr XTP.  Another thing I've specifically wondered about the 200gr Nosler bullets is, depending on velocity and media fired into of course, how well they expand compared to the 200gr XTP.  Anyway, I suspect any info you share on them will be well appreciated.  Glad you're giving them a try.

[sqlbullet]

The XTP is a tough act to follow.  A good report on the Nosler would be welcome news considering the price difference.

[cwlongshot]

The XTP is a tough act to follow.  A good report on the Nosler would be welcome news considering the price difference.

Nosler pistol bullets have long eluded me.... Always either out of stock or store doesn't carry them....

I would like to try a box of 135's for coyotes!!! I can imagination them at close to 1600fps.... wow! LOL

I have yet to see the 200's... I do have a couple boxes of the 200 XTP's.

I just found a guy with a two cavity Lyman 200 TC mould. I also found that I don't have a .401 sizer... SO it s a Midway order for a sizer and pusher for the Lyman 450! The profile of this bullet is not what I really want, but the price is right and it will allow for cheaper shooting. Always a good thing!



CW

[Yondering]

I just found a guy with a two cavity Lyman 200 TC mold. I also found that I don't have a .401 sizer... SO it s a Midway order for a sizer and pusher for the Lyman 450! The profile of this bullet is not what I really want, but the price is right and it will allow for cheaper shooting. Always a good thing!

CW

Yeah, that 200gr TC is a poor design for the 10mm, it takes up too much case capacity; a good 220gr design can easily have more case capacity than that 200 TC. Of course, you could have the top of the mold machined down, if the rear driving band is long enough. Don't know if you could get it down to a 180gr; .030" is worth about 10 grains in 10mm caliber.