Favorite 10MM hunting loads

[cwlongshot]

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.

I agree, I grabbed it because of the price and the fact that I can still get some benifit with it.  Ideally I would like a WFN GC bullet...

CW

[nickE10mm]

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

I've not heard good things about the 200gr Noslers for "expansion" however they seem to be accurate.  Let us know what your tests reveal!

[REDLINE]

I've not heard good things about the 200gr Noslers for "expansion" however they seem to be accurate.

Because expanded diameters seem to run on the small side, or, they have issues with expanding at all?

[justin10mm]

The only load I've used on large game is Buffalo Bore 180gr. Gold Dots. I like them well enough. I speer would bump them up to 200gr. they would be perfect.

Here are 3 that I have recovered. Left to right. Coyote - Hog - Deer

[DM1906]

The only load I've used on large game is Buffalo Bore 180gr. Gold Dots. I like them well enough. I speer would bump them up to 200gr. they would be perfect.

Here are 3 that I have recovered. Left to right. Coyote - Hog - Deer

Despite your success, those are some seriously overdriven bullets.  By a LOT.  The bullets weren't designed to do what they're doing, and they show it.  It wouldn't be my choice, but whatever works for you....

[justin10mm]

No one is going to tell me that a bullet designed to kill roughly 200 pound humans can't work equally well killing 200 pound animals. I guess if the bullets I found came out looking picture perfect the animals would have been more deader. I think it speaks highly of the Gold Dot's toughness that they can handle being driven to 1300fps and still hold together in dense targets.

about 20 yards shot in the shoulder, bullet broke ribs going in and coming out, lodged in off side shoulder
     

about 35 yards shot high in shoulder, bullet found just under skin on off side


That's what I got, lets see what you got.

[DM1906]

Apparently, you didn't actually read what I posted.  I routinely "overdrive" bullets.  I was using your pics as examples of overdriven bullets, with no (as in NO) dispute of your success.  Dead is dead.

[justin10mm]

I guess we will have to agree to disagree. 

I don't see that they were "overdriven". They did not fragment on impact, there was no core-jacket separation. They retained sufficient weight (ballistic coefficient) to penetrate through the vitals. Am I missing something?

   

[REDLINE]

I guess we will have to agree to disagree. 

I don't see that they were "overdriven". They did not fragment on impact, there was no core-jacket separation. They retained sufficient weight (ballistic coefficient) to penetrate through the vitals. Am I missing something?

Nope, you are exactly correct.

[cwlongshot]

I have also seen good things for the GOLD DOT line. The bonded bullet really hold together.
At first, I was concerned with the overly large HP in many of the bullets.

I loaded a couple of boxes of the 451 250G HP in my 45 Colt rifle loads. My buddies youngest boy needed a deer rifle and I made up this load with WW296 to about 1500 fps form a 20" Marlin barrel. This load put the smack down on 3-4 deer for the two seasons he used it. NO bullets recovered, shots where all under 75 yards and most under 35-40, so vel was up there!

My Buddie was so thrilled with the performance he bought a H&R 45 LC. (Cheapest 45 rifle he could find) I loaded the same bullets to almost 2000fps. I told him I did not want to do this, the bullet was designed for STD 45 Colt loadings. Thats 900 fps form a pistol... the loading he wanted was MORE that twice the velocity. I told him PLEASE PLEASE pick your shots and be ready for a second shot as shallow huge wounds where likely... Talk about "over driven bullets"!!! Don't you know this load is Thors hammer on deer shot broad side in the lungs... I personally watched him shoot one doe at about 60 yards.... Band FLOP... this doe was dead on her feet... which by the way where completely swept out from under her... She hit the ground and BOUNCED!!!  No the bullet did not exit, but it penetrated to the off side pulverizing ribs on BOTH sides of the chest cavity.

Personally and generally speaking I do not like any HP bullet for big game hunting form a rifle barrel OR MOST pistol barrels. The XTP and not the GD are the acceptions!

For me the XTP will get the nod, mostly cause I have plenty of them and they are cheaper by allot than the GD bullets.

Thanks for the comments, keep them coming!!!

CW

[Ramjet]

One thing I see everyone kinda Leave out when looking at loads is the distance in which they intend to shoot the game. Bullet performnce really depends on velocity and pistols have bad habit of shedding that rather quickly at distance.

For hunting.
I limit my shooting to about 50 yards give or take 10 yards with my Glock model 20 it has a LW long slide and LW threaded 6" Barrel with compensator and has a Burris Fast Fire on this setup for hunting.

For CCW and SD (if I carry it for that really kind of rare i like my XDS and FNH 5.7x28 for that task)
If I carry just for hiking and or SD the standard slide and barrel with a Hornady 155 grain commercial ammo loaded with the XTP.


For Deer hunting.
I like the XTP it feeds well I get nice velocity with Longshot and Federal Large Mag pistol primers. But loads in the LW barrel will bulge to much in the standard barrel so my hand-loads are relegated to the tight chambers of the LW and 20lb recoil spring. I like the XTP performance holds it velocity well in the distances I am shooting and expands very nicely.

[REDLINE]

One thing I see everyone kinda Leave out when looking at loads is the distance in which they intend to shoot the game. Bullet performnce really depends on velocity and pistols have bad habit of shedding that rather quickly at distance.

That's a good point.  At 100yds a 180gr XTP from a 10mm Auto that started out at 1300fps is, for all practical purposes, equal to 40S&W with the same bullet at point blank range, in terms of what it would take to equal the bullet performance from the two.  There is a fair difference when comparing both at a same distance of say 30 yards, and the differences that would be expected between both terminal performance and bullet upset (expansion, penetration depth, retained weight,...).

[Ramjet]

Gold dots are an excellent SD round and bullet high Velocity and no over penetration. I have used them on Deer form Model 722 44 mag rifle at 50 yards pretty high velocity and they did the job very well deer=DFC.

Based on the above in those cases they performed well. Bullet placement with anything is key and practice allows one to achieve that goal.

[cwlongshot]

I'm still working on my max load with a 200g XTP, 175 Silver tip and Longshot powder ...

Accuracy is same, so far just fine.

ZERO pressure signs so far... Next trip with Chrono.

CW

[REDLINE]

I'm still working on my max load with a 200g XTP, 175 Silver tip and Longshot powder ...

Accuracy is same, so far just fine.

ZERO pressure signs so far... Next trip with Chrono.

CW

Sweet!