What 10 mm for my back country hunts?

[jaxyaks]

Another thing one can do is get the best ammo for a gun you already own, like a 40 S&W, rather than buying that new 10mm. There are some deep penetration options with ammo & bullets for handloading from Underwood, Lehigh Defense, & others. I’m kinda thinking, some of the very best options for the 40, can outperform many average ammo types used in the 10mm.

For bear defense, I don't know if I would trust my life to a 40 S&W. For one, a lot of the hot loads for the 40 (Plus P heavy loads) may give you problems in a stock pistol (looking at you Glock). But I also would not go with the 10MM for bear country either. I subscribe to the 44 magnum is the minimum handgun caliber for bear defense.

Now, if not in brown bear country, the other calibre's would most likely be just fine for any wildlife encounters, I would just remember that if your having a black bear encounter, most of the time that is a predatory encounter and very dangerous, so you may wanna make sure you have enough gun there as well.

I kind of have a.... East coast/mid west wilderness...pretty much anything other than a 22 will take care of any issues you may have.

Mountain and West....start with 44 mag and go up from there. 44 mag and shotgun make a pretty good bear defense combo, and versatile pretty much anywhere you go.

Alaska...454 casull, shotgun, Rifle (375 H&H/ 45/70

 

[NewLeaf]

My2cents for OP. You probably did some homework and know a LOT of Folks living in “bear areas” have gone the way of 10mm. I personally love the round and would carry 15rds+1 of good ammo anywhere. Very manageable and with adrenaline running high , more trigger pulls is a good thing. Just imo. Edit: you could carry a 33rd mag in your pocket too.

 

[falken]

Alaska Gun Logic Timeline:

AK Newbie: Beretta 92fs the best gun it will protect me.
AK 3months: Yeah I need something bigger, friends say 357mag is good, but I heard the Intuit shoot polar bears with 22mags. Such a confusing time.
AK 6months: OK 40s&w because everyone is using it (News from 10years ago).
AK 1year - Ok maybe I need a new rifle and a 12ga.
AK Sourdough (2winters+ in AK):
44mag revolver - I need one of those for when I go to Kodiak
40s&w semi auto - I need one of those for in town and when hiking
10mm semi auto - what if is there are more than ONE bear

Upgraded to 300winmag

but 40s&w is enough because it will kill a moose:

Video: Snowmobiler Shoots Moose with Glock | OutdoorHub

When in the wild, knowing how to properly deal with an animal can save lives—yours and theirs. Moose have a not-unmerited reputation for having short tempers. After all, moose injure more people in North America than just about any other large mammal. But proper knowledge and preparation can...

www.outdoorhub.com

 

[NewLeaf]

 

[NewLeaf]

Alaska Gun Logic Timeline:

AK Newbie: Beretta 92fs the best gun it will protect me.
AK 3months: Yeah I need something bigger, friends say 357mag is good, but I heard the Intuit shoot polar bears with 22mags. Such a confusing time.
AK 6months: OK 40s&w because everyone is using it (News from 10years ago).
AK 1year - Ok maybe I need a new rifle and a 12ga.
AK Sourdough (2winters+ in AK):
44mag revolver - I need one of those for when I go to Kodiak
40s&w semi auto - I need one of those for in town and when hiking
10mm semi auto - what if is there are more than ONE bear

Upgraded to 300winmag

but 40s&w is enough because it will kill a moose:

Video: Snowmobiler Shoots Moose with Glock | OutdoorHub

When in the wild, knowing how to properly deal with an animal can save lives—yours and theirs. Moose have a not-unmerited reputation for having short tempers. After all, moose injure more people in North America than just about any other large mammal. But proper knowledge and preparation can...

www.outdoorhub.com

That would just sound cool!!! Tell me it wouldn’t…. Hauling that moose through town and when Folks ask “What’d you kill it with??” - “Yep , shot it with the forty”

 

[Usmc6174]

The problem with most "bear" guns is they never get shot. To compound this, they never get shot practically. What ever you pick, take it out and shoot it. When you think you've got it figured out, buy a big red kick ball or similar and get that sucker rolling across some bumpy terrain, nothing crazy (big bears can get up to 30mph for short burst) then try and hit that ball with whatever you spent your money on. It's eye opening to say the least. The point of carrying a deep pen pistol round is to shut down the nervous system of a bear. That's shooting a grapefruit sized spot on a big mama bear while you're still actively ****ting your pants and running and fumbling with your gadgets to mag dump on her. I typically pick my units out west where bear defense is low on the prep list, but Wyoming units that are non resident friendly with lesser points and good opportunity typically are around the parks where grizzlies cohabitate. So I get it. I say bear spray and a pistol. And an inreach or spot device.

Sent from my ****ty phone

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

I think I could shoot a 10mm semi-auto pistol with a grip that fits my hand and fingers

better than I could shoot a large frame magnum revolver with their typical long and heavy double-action trigger pull.

The autoloader would get me more hits in the kill zone, faster.

Therefore, I think that would be my choice. A 10mm pistol loaded with a hot round like Cor-Bon or Buffalo Bore, with fairly heavy bullets.

220 grains moving at 1200 fps should generate something over 730 foot pounds. The .44 magnum has a bit more power, with
240 grain bullets going the same speed (from a 4" revolver), but the real-world difference in penetration and wound channel volume would be small. Insignificant.

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

Really, I'd love to be carrying a 12 gauge semi auto shotgun, one in the chamber, mag full, all SLUG loads, if I thought I might face a bear attack.
But I know that's not practical. At least if you're traveling solo and have other tasks to do with your hands.
If two people were hiking, however, I think one of them could carry a long gun and "stand guard" as the other person uses his hands to accomplish some task. They can take turns holding the shotgun.

 

[jaxyaks]

I think I could shoot a 10mm semi-auto pistol with a grip that fits my hand and fingers

better than I could shoot a large frame magnum revolver with their typical long and heavy double-action trigger pull.

The autoloader would get me more hits in the kill zone, faster.

Therefore, I think that would be my choice. A 10mm pistol loaded with a hot round like Cor-Bon or Buffalo Bore, with fairly heavy bullets.

220 grains moving at 1200 fps should generate something over 730 foot pounds. The .44 magnum has a bit more power, with
240 grain bullets going the same speed (from a 4" revolver), but the real-world difference in penetration and wound channel volume would be small. Insignificant.

Looking at "bear protection worthy ammo" for both the 10mm and 44 mag you mentiond

Buffalo Bore 44 Mag
265 gr. Mono-Metal WFN @ 1,425 fps / ME 1,195 ft lbs

Buffalo Bore 10MM. Same round for same purpose in 10mm.
190 gr. Mono-Metal FN @ 1,200fps / ME 607 ft-lbs

DANGEROUS GAME 10MM AUTO - Mono-Metal Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

DANGEROUS GAME 10MM AUTO - Mono-Metal Bullets Field Proven pistol and handgun ammo. Maximum firepower bullets. Best ammunition for pistols and handguns for sale. Buffalo Bore. Strictly big bore. Strictly Business.

www.buffalobore.com

DANGEROUS GAME HEAVY 44 MAGNUM - Mono-Metal Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

DANGEROUS GAME HEAVY 44 MAGNUM - Mono-Metal Bullets Field Proven pistol and handgun ammo. Maximum firepower bullets. Best ammunition for pistols and handguns for sale. Buffalo Bore. Strictly big bore. Strictly Business.

www.buffalobore.com

44 magnum

10MM

 

[jaxyaks]

The one thing that cannot be stressed enough, and it is stressed in almost every article and every opinion and every ballistics chart regarding 10mm for bear defense....Your choice of ammunition needs to be solids moving as fast as possible designed to penetrate as much as possible. Anything you find at Walmart or academy on the shelf could get you killed with 10mm.

Not necessarily the case with some of the other proven bear defense calibre's