[oldman11]

Just wondering, after looking and reading about some of the loads I'm seeing people loading for their 10mm. I'm seeing loads anywhere form 8.5 up to almost 10 grs of a certain powder!
I know that the 10mm is a powerful cartridge , And believe me I know it well and love the round. I was shooting the load ,Back when it was a newbie. (Remember the first on the market Norma loads) But why would you want to load the round so hot? I could understand if your were working up a hunting load, But why so hot for plinking or GSSF?

When I was shooting and loading the 10mm back in the late 90s. All you could find as far as ammo was loaded by Norma! And it was some hot stuff, (cracked a slide on a Springfield Omega. And blew the bottom out of a mag in a Colt Delta elite.

Just wondering why people are loading it so hot, when its just plinking or GSSF! Why beat your pistol and hand/wrist to death?

Mostly for bragging rights. That's the only reason I can think of.

 

[WeeWilly]

I think for the most part, when people load 10mm hot, it is either for a hunting/trail gun, or just curiosity, just something to do on a weekend morning.

For any competitive shooting, including a real SD purposes, I can't think of a good reason. All you accomplish, after you have reached a desired penetration and expansion for a modern hollow point is add time to your recovery.

 

[Michael Rye]

Probably just for the fun factor of it. I agree, JWG 34...loads like that really don't serve much of a purpose. For 10mm with 200 grain bullets ( either TMJ or JHP ) anywhere from 1050-1100 fps is a gracious plenty.

The only real considerations for handloading our Glocks:

1) Pay extra attention to condition of your brass, and watch out for smiles. You can probably handload for 9mm or 45 Auto and never see a smile. OTOH, load enough 40 S&W or 10mm at anything approaching a max load and you are almost guaranteed to see smiles eventually.

2) This is just my paranoia, but it has served me well. If you are using a stock barrel, don't even try to load something that matches original Norma 10mm or Underwood 10mm. I know some reloaders do it, but it isn't a good idea.

 

[G19 DB]

Probably just for the fun factor of it.

^ This probably. I shoot thousands of 9mm, 45 acp and 45 gap per year - and most of it is loaded with enough powder to lightly eject the round beside or in front of me. But when I load the 44 mag - the big boom and fireball is much fun. 10mm sounds like similar fun - should get one of those some day...

 

[SDGlock23]

I guess there's a certain amount of intrigue to get the most out of the cartridge, you know, just to let it stretch its legs and see what it'll do and honestly it's kind of fun to do that.

But, even though I've loaded up my fair share of hot .40, 10mm, .45 Super, Colt, Casull, etc., such loads rarely get shot and certainly aren't something I'd load up just to punch a hole in a tin can with.

I also think that while the hot stuff is fun to talk about, the most serviceable loads aren't anywhere near max, maybe ~75% or so.

 

[fredj338]

Well the only way to learn to shoot heavy recoiling guns is shoot them at full power. I wore out the throat of a RBH in 44mag, it never saw anything but max loads, 1000s, but I learned to shoot the 44mag very well. Today I still shoot max loads on occasion, but I like my guns & they all run fine 100fps off the top loads & you still get good practice with recoil management. Some guys just like the feeling of controlling the max loads.

 

[Three-Five-Seven]

One of the best excuses for buying a new gun is wearing the old one out.

 

[timmay]

Why not load it hot? If you're not going to run your 10mm at least close to it's potential, you may as well stick with 40. Same situation with the 357 sig and 9mm. No point in buying one to shoot watered down factory power loads.

 

[fredj338]

Why not load it hot? If you're not going to run your 10mm at least close to it's potential, you may as well stick with 40. Same situation with the 357 sig and 9mm. No point in buying one to shoot watered down factory power loads.

True to a point, but for plinking & practice, backing off 100fps, regardless of caliber, saves a lot of wear on the gun & you aren't likely to feel a whole lot of diff. I agree though, I never really got the whole load the bigger round down to less vel thing, just reduce the caliber if you want to shoot lighter loads.

 

[timmay]

I'll go along with that Fred. My 357 125gr carry loads are running 1480, my practice/plinkin loads 1400. With 9, 45, 380 there's more than 100fps difference.

 

[fredj338]

I'll go along with that Fred. My 357 125gr carry loads are running 1480, my practice/plinkin loads 1400. With 9, 45, 380 there's more than 100fps difference.

Yep. I bought my G20sf to run full power 10mm because I think my Delta is too fragile & my 1006 is just a beast of a gun. Plus I needed an excuse to buy another gun.

 

[JWG_34]

I understand wanting to load hot loads , but I've seen loads here and on other sights ,that were 5 or more % above Max To me that's pushing it.!
Remember I did say that I love the 10mm, and I shot it when everyone else just thought it was a fad. I cracked the slide on a Springfield Omega and blew the mag out of a Delta elite. And I will agree the Delta is to fragile.

And it is good to learn to manage recoil, But think of all that stress on your wrist and hand! If you want to learn to manage the recoil, do it with the gun that may save yours or some other life! Do it with your CCW carry gun and factory loads!

I love to shoot my guns, and I do shoot 40 and my 40 loads are almost at max, I would say 75%.
To me full power 10mm loads no thanks , I will keep mine at 75 to 80%. Shooting to me is to be on the range and relaxing ,putting lead down range, Not wanting to blow my wrist out doing it!

 

[fredj338]

To each his own. Some will never shoot the magnums & I love shooting them. My fun zone runs out at 454 in light guns. Even the 500 is fun in a full size gun, I do agree. Loading beyond the cases safe pressure is just stupid. If you are getting smiley faces or enlarged primer pockets, you are way past safe pressure levels,regardless of caliber.

 

[WeeWilly]

I have to say that very hot 10mm from my G20SF's are not objectionable at all from a recoil standpoint. I could shoot nuke 10mm loads through those guns all day and not feel any ill effects.

In order of pain realized from the super hot loads, 1911's first (beavertail and back strap are usually where the pain starts first), 29SF's next (trigger bite), G20SF none.

 

[Taterhead]

First, the 10mm Auto is a high-performance service cartridge. So some, that are drawn to it, are motivated to wring every last ounce of performance out of it. Some of them are pushing WELL beyond published loads -- especially with 800-X and Longshot. I think that some have an incorrectly high benchmarks for what "true 10mm loads" really are. I've noticed more than a few guys that seem to almost have a sense of anxiety if they can't achieve those supposed benchmarks from a hand load for fear of being chastised as operating a "40 short and weak."

So instead of a 200 @ 1200 fps, the "new normal" is a 200 @ 1300. A 200 @ 1100? Crap, "Why not just get a 40 S&W if all you're going to do is just shoot such weak sauce."

So guys will get pressure signs and start blaming Glock barrels, recoil spring weights, mag primers, shooting in weather too hot, shooting in weather too cold, faulty brass -- just about anything other than the 15% overcharge in the case.

That being said, there is nothing wrong with plying the upper end of the cartridge as long as it is understood what the upper end really is. The cartridge is plenty versatile.

 

[fredj338]

Agree. I am not sure where the 10mm nuke guys are getting the idea tha "normal" is beyond a 200gr @ 1200fps, the original Norma load that was eventually backed down to 1150fps for use in the early Deltas. If 200 @ 1200fos doesn't kill it, 1300fos isn't killing it deader. There is also no appreciable gain in drop over even 100yds, pretty much where a tuned 10mm runs out if gas IMO.
I used to load my 44mags at factory max for everything; hunting, plinking, competition. As I got older I realized I wasn't going a whole lot but extra recoil. A 270gr lhp @ 1250fps is easy to shoot & plenty for anything walking around in NA. Adding 100fps isn't making it shoot any flatter out to 150yds or make the bullet work any better.

 

[Colorado4Wheel]

I don't get it. Longshot data takes the 200gr bullet on 40SW to about 950fps. All of a sudden 1100fps in a 10mm is just weak sauce. Even when the old Norma was 1200fps and know (after the fact) to be over pressure. Getting a 10mm to launch a 200gr bullet at 1100fps is not weak. But if enough people say it is weak then you got to load to 1200fps. Then people tell you that is weak and you got to go to 1300fps. It's not till guns start exploding that people say "Oh, that guy did it wrong" What an idiot. He must not have been careful. But "my" 1300fps stuff is perfectly safe. Nice stout 1300fps 200gr 10mm load.

Some people just can't be helped.

 

[Michael Rye]

Not only that, but a [email protected] will be a lot less wear and tear in a 10mm pistol than that same load will be in a 40 S&W pistol.

 

[fredj338]

I don't get it. Longshot data takes the 200gr bullet on 40SW to about 950fps. All of a sudden 1100fps in a 10mm is just weak sauce. Even when the old Norma was 1200fps and know (after the fact) to be over pressure. Getting a 10mm to launch a 200gr bullet at 1100fps is not weak. But if enough people say it is weak then you got to load to 1200fps. Then people tell you that is weak and you got to go to 1300fps. It's not till guns start exploding that people say "Oh, that guy did it wrong" What an idiot. He must not have been careful. But "my" 1300fps stuff is perfectly safe. Nice stout 1300fps 200gr 10mm load.

Some people just can't be helped.

If I need more gun than a max loaded 10, I just move to a 41 or 44mag. Even a 4" 44mag, loaded modestly, smokes any 10mm in the same size range, ie 4.5" bbl. though the fully loaded 10 is a bit easier to shoot, but not much.